I’m about to send some cards in to PSA for reholdering with the new labels. Some are tightly snug in their cases, whilst others are looser and do shift if you tilt them from side to side or up and down.
Some of these cards are rare (e.g. Japanese promos) and I want to ensure they are protected for years to come. Do you recommend I ask PSA to ensure they are all snug in their new cases to minimise movement? Or is it better to leave some breathing space and allow for movement? Or just leave it in their trusting hands and not mention it? PSA are happy to make any adjustments i wish.
My concerns are if they are too snug the edges could get damaged if dropped or when in transit, whilst if they are loose then the edges could still get damaged from shifting over the years. PSA have told me that you need to shake the case vigorously to damage the card inside, but you just never know.
Really appreciate your thoughts as how to best encapsulate these cards and avoid any damage in the long-term.
When I first started grading the fact that the cards moved really bothered me but after giving it a look online the consensus seems to be that it is very difficult to actually damage the cards inside unless you are trying to do so. If you store your cards properly you will be fine. Japanese cards almost always have some wiggle room so asking them to make it snug may be pointless as I’m not sure what they can do being as all the cases are the same size.
If you’re recasing mainly for the label then go ahead; just keep in mind they’ll probably have a new label in a few years anyway. If you’re recasing because you want to ensure the safety of your cards, well, in my humble opinion the risk associated with sending a card to PSA and back far outweighs the risk of damaging an already encased card.
Tests have been done by fellow forum members that show the slight movement won’t damage your cards. Besides that, I don’t think PSA can do anything about it. The cases are likely all the exact same size from the manufacturer. It’s the card’s cut, bend, or shape that causes the gap I’d assume. Don’t worry about it. Even if you shake your card around as hard as you can it should be just fine.