I have two WOTC-era cards that look slightly off, and I’m trying to understand whether this is normal manufacturing tolerance or something that might indicate trimming.
Card 1 (Gen 1)
Noticeably large top gap in the PSA case.
When the card settles, the gap becomes quite pronounced.
Main concern: the top border (already the thinnest) has an oddly shaped right corner and visible roughness along the top edge.
Card 2 (Gen 1 — sequential cert to Card 1, same card/set, most likely from the same submission)
On the scan the the gap looks less dramatic due to positioning.
When shaken and settled to the bottom, it shows a gap similar to Card 1.
I compared Card 1 and 2 using a 600-dpi scan, and they match exactly in height and width.
Card 3 (Gen 2 — control, unrelated submission)
Measures 0.25–0.35% taller than Cards 1 and 2 (≈0.22–0.31 mm on an 88 mm card).
Width essentially the same.
Visually no gap in the PSA case, unlike Cards 1/2.
Question
Given these measurements and the visual issues on Card 1 (corner shape + top-edge roughness), are these differences within normal WOTC manufacturing tolerances,
or do Cards 1 & 2 appear potentially trimmed?
What worries me is that I have about 200 PSA cards and none of them have a gap as big as those two cards. They look more similar to my control card.
The gap in the slab could be a PSA problem. I have 50+ card orders with a few of them that rattle around while the other cards are secured down tightly. So even within the same batch, the plastic has variations. Let alone different eras of grading.
Do you have any other WOTC cards from the #1/2 submission that have a correctly-sized case/card? PSA slabs do have tolerances which can lead to a bit more wiggle room in some slabs than others.
Hi! Unfortunately I don’t have any other cards of that specific submission. But it must have been a big submission of identical WOTC Black Star Promo cards. I have seen another cert of that submission with another copy of those cards, and the gap is similarly big.
But good to know that you think that shape of the cornres / endge looks normal
Most older PSA slabs had an unnecessarily large gap between the slab’s ridges and the card, leading to the dreaded “PSA rattle.” This has been one of the selling points of BGS for many years, as their inner sleeve prevents rattling the card inside. Newer slabs are definitely better fitting, but this rattle can still occur from time to time.
It is highly unlikely that your WOTC Black Star Promos have been trimmed. They are simply worth too little money to go through the effort of altering them. Trimming edges and corners is much rarer in Pokemon compared to other hobbies like sports card and MTG collecting, but it can occur on high-end cards.
