Occasionally a scan will return the wrong card or a close-but-not-exact match. Here's why it happens and what to do.
Common reasons
Poor image quality. Blurry, dark, or glare-heavy photos make it harder for the AI to read card text. Try rescanning in better lighting.
Similar-looking cards. Some sets have nearly identical designs across different players or years. The AI may pick the wrong one from a visually similar set.
Rare or obscure variants. Short prints, regional exclusives, error cards, and low-numbered parallels may not be in the catalog yet.
Damaged or altered cards. Writing, stickers, or heavy wear can obscure key text the AI relies on for identification.
Very old cards. Pre-1980 cards often have less structured layouts with inconsistent text placement, making them harder to parse.
Cards in sleeves or top loaders. Reflections and distortion from protective cases can interfere with text recognition.
What to do
- Try rescanning. A slightly different angle or better lighting often fixes it
- Add the back photo. The back of the card often has the card number and set name, which helps narrow down the exact match
- Scroll through results. The correct card is often further down in the match list
- Search manually. Use the search to find the card by player name + year + set
- Report it. Tap the flag icon on the card detail page to report a bad match, which helps us improve
Check exact-match details
If the match is close but the value looks wrong, check the card number, variant, parallel, autograph, relic, and serial number. A base card and a colored refractor can have very different prices. See Finding exact matches, variants, and parallels for a checklist.
Improving future scans
Check out our tips for getting the best scan results. Small adjustments to lighting and positioning can make a big difference.