Redd Animal Crossing: How to Spot Fake Art (NH Guide)

How to spot Redd's fake art in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

To avoid buying forgeries from Redd, check one specific detail on each piece and compare it with the genuine version before you pay the 4,980 Bells. Only 15 of the 29 paintings and 11 of the 13 statues have a fake version; the rest are always genuine. Fakes can be neither sold nor donated to the museum, so they are money down the drain.

When Redd shows up and what he sells

Redd arrives on his boat, the Jolly Redd's Treasure Trawler, at a small secret beach on the north coast of your island. He unlocks after you donate 60 items to the museum. His first visit is special: he gives you a painting for free, and it is always genuine. Donate it to Blathers and the art gallery opens, with the museum closing for a day of construction.

Fact	Value
Visit frequency	Roughly every two weeks
Hours	His shop stays open until 5:00 AM the next day, when he leaves
Art per visit	4 pieces, at 4,980 Bells each
Furniture	2 items per visit, in rare colors and 25% pricier
Sell price of a genuine piece	1,245 Bells
Fake art	Cannot be sold or donated
Harv's Island (2.0 update)	A shop with 2 pieces of art per week, restocked every Monday or the day after you buy one

When he arrives, Isabelle announces it (or Tom Nook, if you have not yet upgraded to Resident Services): head north before 5:00 AM the next day.

A quick method to tell if a painting is fake

1. Before buying, look closely at the piece on his boat and do not trust your first glance: the changes are small.
2. Rule out the pieces that never have a fake (listed in the last section): buy those without checking.
3. Look for the detail in the table that matches that piece. Each piece changes in only one way.
4. If you are unsure, do not buy: it is better to miss out than to spend almost 5,000 Bells on a decoration.
5. Keep the comparison handy: bookmark this page to check the tables.

The tables use the official English names of each piece. The two halves of the Wild Painting are listed separately because each one has its own forgery.

Paintings: what changes in the fake version

Painting	Forgery detail
Academic Painting	Coffee stain in the upper right corner
Amazing Painting	The man in the center is not wearing a black hat
Basic Painting	The boy has long bangs covering his forehead; in the real one more forehead shows and the hair is shorter
Detailed Painting	Purple flowers (the genuine ones are blue, with the signature on the left)
Famous Painting	The woman has raised, unnatural eyebrows
Graceful Painting	The woman fills almost the whole canvas and has no white collar; there is another fake in which she looks the opposite way
Jolly Painting	The extra vegetable (an artichoke) that the real painting has is missing
Moving Painting	The trees in the background on the right are missing
Quaint Painting	Much more water pours from the vessel; in the real one almost none does
Scary Painting	The man's eyebrows are inverted and sad, and in one version he smiles
Scenic Painting	Only one hunter below; the real one shows two
Serene Painting	The ermine has gray or dark patches; in the real one it is completely white
Solemn Painting	The arm of the man in the background changes (wikis describe it slightly differently, so compare it with the genuine image)
Wild Painting (left half)	The creature is green; in the genuine one it is white
Wild Painting (right half)	The creature is white; in the genuine one it is green
Wistful Painting	Star-shaped earring (the genuine one is round); in one version her eyes are closed

Statues: the detail that gives away the fake

Statue	Forgery detail
Ancient Statue	Two antennae on the head
Beautiful Statue	Necklaces added on the neck and shoulders
Gallant Statue	Carries a book by the left arm
Informative Statue	It is blue (the genuine one is black or dull gray)
Motherly Statue	The she-wolf sticks out her tongue
Mystic Statue	A large earring dangling from the ear
Robust Statue	Wristwatch on the raised arm
Rock-Head Statue	Smiling mouth
Tremendous Statue	A lid covers the vessel
Valiant Statue	It is mirrored: the left leg steps forward (the real one steps with the right)
Warrior Statue	Leans on a shovel

Several of them are modeled on famous works: the Informative Statue is the Rosetta Stone, the Gallant Statue is Michelangelo's David, the Mystic Statue is the bust of Nefertiti, the Beautiful Statue is the Venus de Milo and the Motherly Statue is the Capitoline Wolf. If you know the original, the fake looks off at once.

Art that is never fake

You can buy these with your eyes closed: they are always genuine.

• Paintings (14): Calm Painting, Common Painting, Dynamic Painting, Flowery Painting, Glowing Painting, Moody Painting, Mysterious Painting, Nice Painting, Perfect Painting, Proper Painting, Sinking Painting, Twinkling Painting, Warm Painting, Worthy Painting.
• Statues (2): Familiar Statue and Great Statue.

Tips to get the most out of Redd

• Complete the museum first: the genuine pieces you have not donated yet are the ones you want most; duplicates sell for 1,245 Bells.
• Do not spend if you have not checked anything: if you are unsure, leave it for his next visit, since he returns roughly every two weeks.
• Use his shop on Harv's Island if you have the 2.0 update: it sells only two pieces a week, but they change quickly.
• In August, during the Sunday fireworks shows, Redd runs a raffle for handheld items at 500 Bells a ticket.

Redd and fake art: frequently asked questions

What happens if I buy a fake?

You can keep it as decoration, but Blathers will not accept it at the museum and Tom Nook will not buy it, so you do not get your Bells back.

When does Redd visit my island?

Roughly every two weeks, and only after you have donated 60 items to the museum. He stays until 5:00 AM the next day.

Can Redd's first painting be fake?

No. On his first visit he gives you a painting that is always genuine; donating it opens the museum's art gallery.

How many pieces have a forgery?

Fifteen paintings (counting the Wild Painting as one with two halves) and eleven statues.

Free games similar to Animal Crossing

If you like Animal Crossing's relaxed pace, LudoRex has free relaxing games to play with no rush. If you like fishing, try Tiny Fishing; and to live in a house and decorate scenes, Toca Life World and the 3D house building games give you that feeling of building your own little world.