1968 Topps Size Variance
 

New to vintage. I just picked up my first 1968 Topps-- a PSA 5 Johnny Bench RC. It's for my PC and I prefer the magnet cases to the PSA cases, so I cracked it open. I immediately notices it was ever so slightly taller and more narrow than other cards. I noticed this because it is a very tight fit in the one touch mag case. Is this normal size variance in older cards? I have several 1969 Tops cards and there is no noticeable difference in size.

If it was only smaller in one direction I would suspect trimming, but it is also longer vertically. I have a Ryan RC on the way that I can compare it to. I've attached 2 images. In one you can see it is slightly taller than a standard card (Bench card is behind the Ryan)and in the other you can see it is slightly more narrow (standard card behind Bench card). Since this is PC card I wouldn't really care since it is virtually unnoticeable to the naked eye, but it is slightly bowed when put into my preferred case.

Some size variance is normal. I have never found physical size to be a particularly good indicator of trimming as a result (except in egregious cases). Even today, cards are not exactly the same size. If you take a stack of even 2019 Topps, you can see on close examination that they are all a slightly different size, slight but visible to the naked eye if you look carefully. This is even more true for vintage. 1954 and 1955 Bowman I have especially found to vary greatly in size, from post-war sets.