1977 Topps Star Wars #196 Lord Darth Vader — Raw

Centering: left border appears slightly wider than right (~55/45 L/R), top border noticeably thinner than bottom (~60/40 T/B) — centering is imperfect but within EX-MT range. Corners: at this resolution all four corners show some degree of rounding or soft wear; no razor-sharp points are visible, consistent with EX to EX-MT territory. Surface: some gloss loss evident, the image has a slightly washed/faded quality typical of aged yellow-series cards; no obvious creases or staining visible but back cannot be assessed. Edges: appear reasonably clean with no visible chips or tears, though the yellow border chipping common to this series cannot be fully ruled out at this photo scale — a grade of 5 EX is the most probable single outcome, with 6 possible if corners are sharper in hand.

Centering estimate: left border appears notably wider than right (~65-70% left / 30-35% right), and top border slightly wider than bottom (~55/45 T/B), placing L/R centering in the 3-4 range at best. The yellow border shows visible chipping and wear, particularly at the lower-left and lower-right corners, which appear rounded rather than sharp — consistent with a VG (3) grade. The card surface shows some gloss loss and there is creasing or compression wear visible along the lower portion of the card near the logo area. Edges show roughness consistent with handling wear; no tears or writing are evident, but the overall condition speaks to significant play/handling wear that likely lands in the VG-to-VG-EX range, with the corner and border wear pulling this toward a 3.

Centering estimate: left border appears slightly wider than right (~55/45 L/R), top border modestly wider than bottom (~60/40 T/B) — centering is acceptable for a PSA 7 candidate. Corners: the visible corners show some softening/rounding, most evident at the bottom-left and top-right, consistent with light handling wear suggesting EX-MT to NM range. Surface: the yellow border shows no obvious chipping or major scuffing visible at this resolution, and the image area retains reasonable gloss with no creases evident. Edges appear reasonably clean with no major nicks visible, but the single non-closeup photo prevents confident assessment of corner sharpness or fine surface scratches that could push this below a 6.

Centering: left border appears ~35-40% vs right ~60-65%, top border ~40% vs bottom ~60%, giving roughly 65/35 L-R and 60/40 T-B — off but not extreme. A visible horizontal crease line runs across the mid-section of the card (clearly seen cutting across Vader's chest/neck area), which is a significant surface defect capping this card; PSA would likely qualify it with a crease designation. Corner detail is obscured by the case but at least two corners show visible rounding or wear. Gloss appears partially intact with some surface soiling/print speckling consistent with the era. The crease is the dominant defect here and likely lands this in the VG-EX to EX range (3-5), with the crease qualifier probable; a raw submission would likely return PSA 4 (VG-EX) with a 'MK' or crease qualifier.

The card is encased in a Community Cardboard RAW holder graded P-F (Poor to Fair), which limits corner and edge inspection. Centering estimate from the visible image: left border appears noticeably narrower than the right (approximately 80/20 left-right), and top border appears slightly tighter than bottom (roughly 70/30 top-bottom) — both off but not catastrophic. The yellow border shows significant chipping and wear consistent with a low-grade example; the bottom-left border area shows heavy color loss and fraying consistent with a VG or lower designation. The image of Vader himself appears relatively intact with modest gloss remaining, but the border condition and what appears to be corner rounding visible even through the holder suggest a grade in the 2–4 range. The holder's own P-F designation is taken as a self-disclosed condition signal, anchoring the estimate toward the lower end of this range.

Centering estimate: left border appears slightly wider than right (~55/45 L/R), top border noticeably wider than bottom (~60/40 T/B) — passable but not tight. The yellow border shows visible chipping/wear along the left and top edges, consistent with the known fragility of this series' colored borders. Corners: all four show some degree of rounding or blunting — no sharp points visible, with the top-left and bottom-right appearing softest, suggesting EX to VG-EX territory. Surface appears to retain moderate gloss with no obvious creases visible from this angle, but some light soiling or handling marks are possible. Back cannot be assessed; a hidden crease or staining could push the grade lower, and corner closeups would refine the estimate.

Centering estimate: left/right borders appear roughly 55/45 to 60/40 — acceptable; top/bottom appears tighter, approximately 65/35 favoring bottom, which is mild but notable on a yellow-border Series 5 card. Corners: all four corners show some rounding visible at this resolution — upper-left and lower-right appear softest, suggesting wear consistent with EX to VG-EX range. Edges appear intact with no major chipping of the yellow border visible. Surface gloss appears moderate with no creases evident from this angle, but the image contrast and slight darkening in the photo field make it difficult to confirm whether minor print snow or surface scratches are present. A back inspection and corner macro shots would be needed to tighten this range; estimated PSA 5 EX as the most likely grade.

Centering: left border appears narrower than right (roughly 60/40 L-R favoring right), top and bottom borders appear more balanced at approximately 55/45 T-B — centering is acceptable but slightly off. The yellow border shows visible chipping/wear on the lower-left corner and evidence of light wear on at least one additional corner, consistent with EX to VG-EX range. Surface gloss appears partially intact but the image has some dullness suggesting moderate gloss loss. No creases are visible in this photo, though the back cannot be assessed. The corner wear is the primary grade-limiting factor here, pushing the estimate toward EX (5) rather than EX-MT (6); a VG-EX (4) floor is set in case hidden wear exists on the reverse or corners are more rounded than they appear.

Centering estimate: left border appears slightly wider than right (~55/45 L/R), top border noticeably wider than bottom (~60/40 T/B) — centering is off but within EX-MT range. Corners: at this resolution the corners appear lightly worn with mild rounding visible especially at bottom-left and bottom-right; not sharp enough for NM territory. Surface: the image shows what appears to be a textured or slightly matte surface consistent with age and light gloss loss; no obvious creases visible from this angle though the photo is a single overhead shot and the dark image makes surface inspection difficult. Edges appear reasonably clean with no obvious nicks visible. The yellow border shows no dramatic chipping. The back is unavailable so cannot assess reverse wear, staining, or print defects; range is widened accordingly.