How to Store and Protect Trading Cards

It doesn't matter if you collect Pokémon, One Piece or Magic. A good card can lose most of its value from one bent corner or a scratch. Protecting your cards is cheap and easy once you know what each product is for.

Penny sleeves

Thin, clear sleeves that cost about a penny each. Every card worth keeping should go in one, ideally right after you pull it. They stop scratches and fingerprints but don't protect against bending.

Toploaders

Rigid plastic holders. Slide the card into a penny sleeve first, then into the toploader. This is the standard way to store and ship single cards you care about.

Semi-rigid card savers

Stiffer than a sleeve, more flexible than a toploader. Grading companies usually prefer cards submitted in these because they're easy to remove cards from. If you plan on grading a card, use a card saver.

Binders

Binders are great for showing off a set. Two tips:

• Use side-loading pocket binders so cards don't slide out the top.
• Avoid cheap ring binders. The rings can press into cards near the spine and dent them.

Deck sleeves and deck boxes

If you play, double-sleeve your deck (a tight inner sleeve plus a regular outer sleeve) and keep it in a deck box. Shuffling wears cards down fast without sleeves.

Storing sealed product

Booster boxes, ETBs and bundles should stay out of direct sunlight and away from moisture. Acrylic cases or box protectors stop dents and keep shrink wrap from tearing. Store boxes flat and don't stack heavy things on top.

Where to keep everything

• Somewhere cool and dry, like a closet or bedroom shelf
• Not in the garage, attic or a car
• Out of direct sunlight, which fades both cards and boxes
• Off the floor, in case of spills or flooding

A simple routine

Open, sleeve anything good right away, toploader anything valuable, and keep the rest in a binder or storage box. That's it. Ten seconds of care at the start saves you from a lot of regret later.

Shop sealed product in our Trading Cards section.