Hi everyone in the Pokémon TCG community,
My name is Charizard7221. Today, I want to share a discovery to warn fellow collectors to stay vigilant when purchasing high-value graded cards.
About a year ago, as card prices began to skyrocket, I started noticing that many high-end cards show signs of being manually trimmed or altered.
The reason behind this is simple: sellers are attempting to hide whitening, edge wear, or poor centering. They often trim the borders, which results in unnaturally narrow edges. Furthermore, I want to point out a specific detail regarding Japanese cards. Authentic Japanese cards have very smooth and perfectly rounded corners from the factory. If a card has been trimmed, the corners will look “off” or unnatural—showing clear signs of post-factory manual work that breaks the original symmetry.
By “doctoring” these cards, sellers are trying to bump a PSA 8 or 9 into a PSA 10. I find this profit-driven deception absolutely unacceptable. By analyzing PSA’s high-resolution scans, I’ve been able to identify these hidden traces of tampering. This not only destroys the card’s integrity but also violates PSA’s grading policies regarding “Altered” cards.
I’m happy to help the community stay safe. If you need assistance verifying a potential purchase or want me to take a look at a card, feel free to DM me on Instagram: @Charizard7221.
Below are some of the cards I’ve identified and reported to PSA, along with my findings. I have more evidence to share and will be filing formal appeals with PSA one by one. I’ll keep the community updated on any progress.
