u/Financial_Simple_230

Trying to build a binder page around this sort of vibe.

What I like about these cards is that the Pokémon is pretty much the focus of the artwork, sitting right in the middle, with the background framing it. The Palafin and Doublade especially have that dark, black-heavy, slightly edgy look that works really well together.

Not sure how I feel about the Tapu Bulu. I love the card itself, but the green feels a lot more dominant than black and it kind of stands out from the other two.

Any recommendations for cards that would fit this page? Looking for dark backgrounds, centred artwork, moody vibes, and artwork where the Pokémon is the main focus rather than the scenery.

Would you keep the Tapu Bulu or swap it out? Attached the page for reference. 👀

Hey Reddit,

I've recently started collecting Pokémon cards again and went back to my childhood home, where I found my old binder full of cards.

I remember my mum buying packs for me when I was a kid, but back then I never really questioned whether the cards were authentic or not. Now that I've started collecting again, I'm curious to know if there's any way to verify whether they're genuine.

For comparison, I randomly pulled out 4 cards from the binder and took photos of the fronts and backs. One thing I've noticed is that the card backs seem to have different shades of blue. Some look very similar, while others are noticeably darker.

Is this normal print variation between different sets/eras, or is it something I should be concerned about?

I've heard about things like the light test, black core test, and rip testing, but I'm not sure how reliable those are for older cards.

Based on the photos, do any of these stand out as potentially fake, or do they look consistent with authentic cards?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!