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Question about 1933 Goudey size variations
helionaut
Posts: 1,555 ✭✭
I recently purchased a PSA 3 1933 Goudey Gehrig. I've been contemplating starting this set for some time, and I figured there was no better way to start (except maybe the PSA 9 Gehrig that was up for auction recently, but my tax return wasn't that big). So I get the card and I'm very happy with it. I started looking for card #2 out of 240, and I was struck by the pretty sizable size variations in this set, at least as visible within PSA slabs. For instance, here's my card:
The borders are pretty even, and the card completely fills the slab recess. Here's one that clearly doesn't.
The sum of the right and left borders is clearly not equal to the sum of the top and bottom, and likely not equal to my own card. And the gap between the left edge and the edge of the recess is striking. Here's another:
As you can see, there is a pretty good gap around the card within the recess, and the borders are very thin on 2 sides. I have collected several other examples in a brief search, but these are representative.
As I see it, there are 3 different things to consider, and I'd like clarification from experienced Goudey collectors. First is the size of the card. Putting aside the idea of trimming, do these cards consistently exhibit such noticeable variations in size? I'd imagine that since 2007 cards can be have a variance of as much as +/- 1/16" on either side of the target, 1933 cards wouldn't have had a much greater tolerance, and perhaps were less consistent in meeting in. I have only 1 other 1933 Goudey card, raw, so I can't be sure about it.
Second is the size of the recess in the slab. I know PSA has a few different sizes for the various vintage cards, so I'd guess there could be a different slab used in each of these photos. But they look pretty similar.
Third is the size of the image. If 2 cards are the same dimensions, but the size of the borders vary, obviously, the printed image much not be of a consistent size. But that wouldn't explain the gaps in the slab.
The borders are pretty even, and the card completely fills the slab recess. Here's one that clearly doesn't.
The sum of the right and left borders is clearly not equal to the sum of the top and bottom, and likely not equal to my own card. And the gap between the left edge and the edge of the recess is striking. Here's another:
As you can see, there is a pretty good gap around the card within the recess, and the borders are very thin on 2 sides. I have collected several other examples in a brief search, but these are representative.
As I see it, there are 3 different things to consider, and I'd like clarification from experienced Goudey collectors. First is the size of the card. Putting aside the idea of trimming, do these cards consistently exhibit such noticeable variations in size? I'd imagine that since 2007 cards can be have a variance of as much as +/- 1/16" on either side of the target, 1933 cards wouldn't have had a much greater tolerance, and perhaps were less consistent in meeting in. I have only 1 other 1933 Goudey card, raw, so I can't be sure about it.
Second is the size of the recess in the slab. I know PSA has a few different sizes for the various vintage cards, so I'd guess there could be a different slab used in each of these photos. But they look pretty similar.
Third is the size of the image. If 2 cards are the same dimensions, but the size of the borders vary, obviously, the printed image much not be of a consistent size. But that wouldn't explain the gaps in the slab.
WANTED:
2005 Origins Old Judge Brown #/20 and Black 1/1s, 2000 Ultimate Victory Gold #/25
2004 UD Legends Bake McBride autos & parallels, and 1974 Topps #601 PSA 9
Rare Grady Sizemore parallels, printing plates, autographs
Nothing on ebay
2005 Origins Old Judge Brown #/20 and Black 1/1s, 2000 Ultimate Victory Gold #/25
2004 UD Legends Bake McBride autos & parallels, and 1974 Topps #601 PSA 9
Rare Grady Sizemore parallels, printing plates, autographs
Nothing on ebay
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