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What is the easiest way to tell if a card is trimmed?

RipublicaninMassRipublicaninMass Posts: 10,051 ✭✭✭
in Trading Cards & Memorabilia Forum
Aside from the hooks, and bows. How can using a loupe tell you if a cards has been altered? Picked up some older non-sport cards and some are a hair smaller than the ones I have. The group I received all seem to be close to the same size. How can one tell easily if a card was trimmed>?

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  • helionauthelionaut Posts: 1,555 ✭✭
    Size is one, obviously. I haven't found many, but when I have the dead giveaway was a "lip" on the edge of the card. The top layer of paper is pushed up along one edge in a way I've never seen on any other card. PSA also says they can spot trims because the fibers look different along the trimmed edge than the original edges. That may be true, but it'd take strong mangification to see it. Coloration might be different, too. A toned cardboard edge might look brighter when cut.
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  • KansasJayhawkKansasJayhawk Posts: 213
    One of my favorites is to turn on my halogen lamp and examine each edge of the card....in many cases one edge will appear "lighter" or with different wear charateristics than the others. Then I will compare the card to many holdered examples to evaluate size if I suspect trimming and it becomes easy to tell at that point.
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  • lostdart58lostdart58 Posts: 2,938 ✭✭✭
    If it is graded by PRO Grading.............a good chance it is trimmed..........image
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  • kingraider75kingraider75 Posts: 1,500 ✭✭
    Non sports issue were not cut very well. Topps seems to to best at keeping the same size, while Donruss, Fleer(late 70's early 80s') are rather horrible.

    Which set are you seeing the different sizes in?
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  • envoy98envoy98 Posts: 4,000 ✭✭
    A flared corner is another sure sign. Usually the colors are brighter on the side that has been trimmed as well. Also, take a look at the fibers as someone mentioned, especially on older cards you'll see "hairs" on the edges, even without magnification. On a somewhat recently trimmed card, those fibers will not exist. You can also tell if a card has been trimmed half-way too (to correct a diamond cut for example or to clean up one corner) look for a "point" anywhere along the edge. Stand it on both edges and see if it has a pivot point at all, also, you can see if the grain goes one direction vs another on the same edge. I had an 84 Fleer Update Clemens that was a BGS 8 that I thought for sure was trimmed. I brought it up to Sean from GAI and he and I looked at it. His first instinct was that it was not, but once he flipped on the halogen and pulled out the mag it was very obvious. He then told me all the reasons it had been trimmed... all of which I've shared with you now, along with some others. Hope it helps.
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  • shagrotn77shagrotn77 Posts: 5,587 ✭✭✭✭
    Lostdart58 you beat me to it!!!

    Anyway, my response was going to be look in a Pro holder.
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  • RipublicaninMassRipublicaninMass Posts: 10,051 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Non sports issue were not cut very well. Topps seems to to best at keeping the same size, while Donruss, Fleer(late 70's early 80s') are rather horrible.

    Which set are you seeing the different sizes in? >>



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  • RipublicaninMassRipublicaninMass Posts: 10,051 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Aside from the hooks, and bows. How can using a loupe tell you if a cards has been altered? Picked up some older non-sport cards and some are a hair smaller than the ones I have. The group I received all seem to be close to the same size. How can one tell easily if a card was trimmed>? >>





    << <i>If it is graded by PRO Grading.............a good chance it is trimmed.......... >>



    The answer to my own question is "send it to PSA"
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