1977 Topps Star Wars #196 Lord Darth Vader — Raw

Centering estimate: left border appears slightly wider than right (~55/45 L/R), top border slightly wider than bottom (~55/45 T/B) — centering is acceptable for NM-MT range. The yellow border on the left edge shows visible chipping/wear consistent with this series' known susceptibility; the top-left corner appears slightly soft and the bottom-left corner shows minor rounding under scrutiny, while the right corners look marginally sharper. Surface gloss appears reasonably intact with no visible creases or staining, though the photo's angle and resolution make fine surface assessment difficult. The blue-tinted image print quality is typical for this series; no print snow or major defects evident, but corner and edge wear on the yellow border prevent a grade above 8 and the left-edge border chipping likely lands this in the NM (7) range, with an 8 possible if corner wear is truly minimal on inspection.

Centering (L/R): left yellow border appears noticeably narrower than right, estimating approximately 70/30 left-right; top/bottom borders appear roughly 60/40 top-heavy — centering is off but not miscut territory. The primary concern here is surface: multiple visible scratches/scuffs run diagonally across the image area, consistent with storage wear or handling damage, and there is significant gloss loss evident across the card face. Corners appear rounded with visible wear — no sharp points are evident at any corner — consistent with a VG to VG-EX range. Edges appear somewhat worn but intact with no visible tears or paper loss. The combination of heavy surface scratching, rounded corners, and gloss loss pushes this card firmly into the 2-3 range, with a 4 being possible only if the scratches are shallower than they appear in this scan.

Centering estimate: left border appears roughly 10-12% wider than right, top border slightly wider than bottom — approximately 60/40 L/R and 55/45 T/B, which is acceptable for the grade range but hard to confirm precisely from this angle. The yellow border shows visible chipping or wear along the left and bottom edges consistent with typical handling wear on this issue. Corner detail is obscured by photo angle and lighting — no razor-sharp corners are evident; at least two corners appear to have light-to-moderate rounding visible even at this resolution. Surface gloss appears present but reduced, with some texture visible that may indicate light wear or print texture natural to the stock. The image quality is insufficient to rule out hidden creases or edge damage, so the range is widened accordingly; a collector should examine corners and reverse under good lighting before submitting.

Centering estimate: left/right borders appear approximately 65/35 favoring left, top/bottom approximately 60/40 favoring top — borderline but within NM-MT range on one axis, acceptable on the other; no miscut detected. The yellow border shows some chipping/wear visible along the left and bottom edges which is characteristic of this set but does reduce grade. Corners appear to have light-to-moderate rounding, consistent with EX to VG-EX range; no creases are visible from this photo but the overlaid watermark and sleeve glare obscure the lower-center surface. Surface gloss appears moderate with some dulling, and the photo is not sharp enough to confidently assess corner tips or fine surface wear — the range is widened accordingly.

Centering estimate: Left/Right borders appear approximately 60/40 favoring left; Top/Bottom appears approximately 55/45 — centering is within acceptable range for a mid-grade. A pencil or pen is lying across the bottom of the card obscuring the lower border, card number, and corners, making full assessment impossible. The yellow border shows no obvious heavy chipping visible from this angle, but the blue-tint print image appears slightly soft. Upper corners look mildly worn but not sharply rounded from this distance — consistent with EX to NM range. Surface gloss appears moderate with no obvious creases visible in the image area, but the obstruction across the bottom prevents corner and edge evaluation on that side, which is the primary driver of the wide grade range.

Centering estimate: left border appears slightly wider than right (approximately 55/45 L/R), top border appears slightly wider than bottom (approximately 55/45 T/B) - centering is acceptable and unlikely to be a major grade detractor. The yellow border appears intact with no obvious chipping or major edge wear visible, though the sleeve slightly obscures edge detail at the top. Corners appear to show light wear - not sharp enough for NM-MT but not heavily rounded; the bottom-right corner looks slightly softer than the others, consistent with EX-MT range. Surface gloss appears moderate with no obvious creases visible from this angle, though the sleeve glare limits full surface assessment. The card presents solidly in the EX to NM range; back condition and corner sharpness under magnification would be the deciding factors between a 5 and 7.

Centering: left border appears slightly wider than right (~55/45 L/R), top border appears slightly wider than bottom (~55/45 T/B) — centering is reasonably tight and not a major deduction. The yellow border shows some chipping/wear on the edges, particularly visible along the left and bottom edges which show slight yellowing and minor edge wear consistent with age. Corners: upper-left and lower-left corners show slight rounding/wear, upper-right appears relatively sharp, lower-right has minor blunting — overall corner condition suggests EX to EX-MT range. Surface gloss appears mostly intact with no obvious creases or staining visible from this front-only photo, though the scan shows some minor print artifacts typical of the 1977 Topps Star Wars issue. Back condition is unknown and could materially affect the final grade; recommend close inspection of all four corners and back surface before submitting.

Centering estimate: left border appears noticeably wider than right (approx 65-70% left / 30-35% right L/R), and top border appears slightly wider than bottom (approx 55/45 T/B), placing centering in the VG-EX to EX range at best. The yellow border shows visible chipping/wear particularly along the left and bottom edges consistent with typical Star Wars blue/yellow border chippage. Corner examination reveals rounding on at least two visible corners (lower-left most apparent), suggesting wear consistent with VG-EX (4) territory. Surface shows scattered print snow/speckling which is typical for the set and should not be heavily penalized, but there is also visible soiling or surface wear on the card face. Gloss appears partially diminished. Back is not visible, and a potential light crease cannot be ruled out given the surface texture visible in the image, which is why the floor is set at 3.

Centering estimate: left border appears slightly wider than right (~55-60% left vs 40-45% right), top border slightly wider than bottom (~55/45), centering is workable but not tight — roughly 60/40 L/R and 55/45 T/B, consistent with a 7-8 range on centering alone. Corners are the primary concern: at photo resolution the lower-left and lower-right corners show visible softening/light rounding, and the upper corners appear slightly blunted as well — consistent with EX-MT to NM range rather than NM-MT. The yellow border shows no obvious chipping or major edge wear, but there is at least one small surface mark/scratch visible on the image area (upper-right quadrant of the photo), which introduces surface risk. Gloss appears moderate to good but slightly reduced, and without a corner macro or back inspection, the range is necessarily wide; seller calls it NM which may be slightly optimistic given the corner softening visible here.