How to Keep Your Trading Card Collection Investment safe!

Cardboard Box Card Holders

Card board boxes are a easy and cheap way to store your cards. They come in many sizes from holding a hundred cards to boxes that will hold 10,000 cards. I find them to be cheap but I think the for the long term you better off with the clear plastic case's you can see below. The boxes tend to cause cards to start to look dingy over time. I have even seen cards curling or warping, this is true if you look at older sets that have been in these boxes for years. I have a few vintage sets with such damage. Prices range anywhere from a $1.00 to about $10.00 for the largest of these cardboard card organizers and can be found at almost any card hobby shop.

Clear PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) Free Cases

These are clear acid free with no PVC cases and come in quite a few sizes. You can get them in sizes that hold 10, 50, 100, 150, 200 & 250 cards. This will also help you keep you sets organized. I use them exclusively for my vintage
complete sets These will help preserve you cards for a long time to come as the top of the case almost creates a seal which will keep you investment safe for decades. Also some of the new cases come with UV protection to aid in the old fade. Prices range anywhere from a $1.00 to about $7.00 for these clear plastic organizers.

Penny Sleeves
All cards of any value should be placed in a penny sleeves. This will protect cards from finger prints and aid in the prevention of dinged corners. These Acid free/PCV free sleeves come in many sizes form your common card to postcards size as well as verying thicknesses. Prices range anywhere from a $1.00 for 100 sleeves to about $4.00 for 100 postcard size sleeves.

Top Loaders

Tops loaders are a very important part of keeping cards well protected. They come in many different sizes for all different type of thick cards. Mostly done on a scale of points (pt.) 35pt is your common base card. Most jerseys will fit nicely in a 55pt holder. There are even thicker holders for cards like patches which can be 100pt or even thicker. The above Steve Yzerman Jersey card is in a 55pt top loader.

Screwdowns Cases

Screw downs are worth the price, the newer cases have an indented or recessed area for the card to sit in as so no plastic presses against the card also the corners are recessed or diamond cut so that no corner of card is in-touch with the case. Its hard to see in the example above with Sidney Crosbys Rookie Card. This gives you a great way of showing off some of your treasurers and at the same time keeping them safe. Prices range anywhere from a $1.00 to about $7.00. I do not use the solid type of plastic slab that seats the card right on the two surfaces. There have been horror stories of old cards being pulled apart from being in them for to long! I have seen cards even hard to get out of penny sleeves from being pressed together a little to long.

Magnetic Holders

These are my favorite type of display card holders and I use them often. They come in the same format for size as toploaders. The card shown above is a 75pt holder. The nice thing about the magnetic holder is that they have all the features of the new screwdowns but no screws. There are two locating keys at one end that guide into two slots with a magnetic catch (far right, middle dot).

If you are looking to get your cards graded then the grading company will have a policy to follow for shipping of your cards. Below is requirements for PSA -
Card Saver I The recommended card protectors that PSA accepts. They measure 3 3/8" x 4 7/8" and are made for standard sized cards.

Card Saver IV The recommended card protector for oversized cards. They measure 4 ½" x 7 1/8".

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