Trading cards are a common collectible, with some of the most popular including Pokémon cards, baseball cards and Magic: The Gathering cards. If you’re one of the many people who collect these fragile items, it’s important to know how to store playing cards.
Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to storing cards; however, some of the best options include penny sleeves, top loaders, storage boxes and binders.
Read on to learn more about some of the best ways to store playing cards:
- Penny sleeve: If you’re a card collector, you’ve likely seen penny sleeves before. They are thin, plastic sleeves that cover your card and cost about one cent per sleeve. A penny sleeve should be one of the first lines of defense for your playing card. While much softer than other sleeves, penny sleeves usually do a good job of protecting cards from stains caused by fingerprints and liquids. That said, it’s always a good idea to invest in better protection for your cards.
- Top loader: These are like penny sleeves but much more durable. Top loader sleeves are made from a harder plastic and can vary in size and thickness. Since top loader sleeves are a bit more expensive than penny sleeves, many reserve them for their most valuable cards. Many people recommend placing cards inside of a penny sleeve before putting them in a top loader. This helps prevent dust left inside the top loader from damaging the card. Just be careful when placing your cards within a top loader sleeve so as not to damage the sides.
- Card binders: Card binders offer a fun way to protect and display your trading cards. Any time you want to take a look at your cards or show them off, you could easily pull out the binder and flip through your favorites. Card binders can vary in size, though it’s usually recommended to limit your storage to nine cards per page. It’s important to be careful when flipping the pages of a card binder, as it’s easy to accidentally bend the cards. As with top loaders, it’s also a good idea to place your cards in penny sleeves before inserting them into a binder.
- Storage boxes: Many collectors prefer storage boxes, as they allow room for a multitude of cards. In fact, some storage boxes can hold up to 5,000 cards. Most storage boxes are made from cardboard and feature two to four rows. Again, it’s best to place your cards within penny sleeves before putting them in a storage box.
No matter what storage option you use, it’s important to keep your cards in a safe place. Don’t keep them in a place where water or sun damage could affect the cards. You’ll also want to keep them in a spot where young children or pets can’t reach them. Protecting your collectibles is easy when you know proper ways to store playing cards.
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