Best Materials To Store Your Cards

Your sports card collection, whether big or small, is important to you as a collector. A good collection takes time, money, and effort to acquire, and you want to treat your collection as such. Therefore, it is important to know the best ways in which to store your sports cards to ensure they last. In this article, we will go over different ways to store your sport cards to help you determine which would be best for your collection. Because everyone has different types of collections and styles of storing them, the forms of card storage mentioned are not ranked or numbered. This article is meant to inform you as a collector of the different kind of card storage so that you can make the best decision for your collection

Penny Sleeves

Penny sleeves may seem to be the cheapest form of card storage, but they are a valid form of storage, nonetheless. Penny sleeves are thin, plastic sleeves that are meant to protect your cards from outside damage. These sleeves are meant to be used if you are storing a large number of cards in a box not only because you can get them cheap, but also because they work well to keep your cards separated.

Top Loaders

Top loaders are like penny sleeves, but top loaders are much thicker. It is recommended that you use both a penny sleeve and top loader together, but it is not necessary. Because top loaders are thicker than penny sleeves, you will not be able to fit as many in a box for storage. But top loaders are one of the more durable forms of card storage and are preferred when shipping cards.

Card Savers

If you don’t want to use a combination of penny sleeves and top loaders, then card savers are for you. Card savers are not as thick as top loaders, but they do provide plenty of protection for your cards. Card savers are tight fitting, meaning that your card will not move around and there is less chance of the card falling out. These, however, are not ideal for shipping cards, but rather are a more secure way to store your card in a box.

Screw Downs

Screw downs are the most secure form of card storage that we have discussed so far. Screw downs are essentially two pieces of plastic screwed around a sports card. While this is a much more secure form of storage, this does put a lot of pressure on the cards. This pressure has the potential for cards to become stuck to the plastic and greatly decrease the card’s value. But, if you were to leave your cards in this holder, you could be very certain that no harm would come to the encased cards.

Binders

If you prefer a method of storage that allows you to easily look through your cards, then binders may be for you. Cards can be stored in binders using binder sleeves. This form of storage allows you to organize your cards however you would like and have the advantage of easily showing off your cards. Binders do tend to take up more space than boxes, so you would need to make sure that you have the space to store the binders properly.

Cardboard Boxes

Using cardboard boxes would be the most versatile way to store cards because cards can be stored with penny sleeves, top loaders, card savers, screw downs, or even nothing on it. Boxes are a great way to store large collections without taking up a lot of space. They are easy to store, and you still can organize your cards within the boxes. But you will still want to keep your boxes in a secure place as damage can still come to cards stored in cardboard boxes. It is always a good idea to have a second form of protection on your card such as a penny sleeve, top loader, or card saver. If you are looking for the best card storage boxes available, check out our selection of trading card storage boxes.

These are some of the most common ways to store sports cards. And, while these are important types of storage to consider, remember that the location in which you keep your cards matter too. Keep your stored cards in a dry place, preferably off the ground in case of flooding or insect infestation. Also, avoid stacking anything on top of your card collection, as it may damage the storage container and possibly the cards. With all of this said, it is impossible to ensure complete safety of your card collection, but it is important to do all you can to preserve your collection for years to come.