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Collections can hold a special place in the heart because they serve as little mementos of the past. So imagine the nightmare to find them destroyed one day!
Every seasoned collector knows that the most important thing in card collecting is to protect their condition. Without adopting the right practices, not only are you risking your cards' integrity, but also their future value. So here are the top 5 things you MUST note as a collector to better handle and protect your trading cards.
5. PENNY SLEEVES
First step should be 'sleeving', and preferably with polypropylene sleeves are thin and acid free. My personal preference is to double sleeve where the first sleeve is thinner and more of a 'perfect-fit' size, while the second sleeve is slightly wider with a harder backing. This just helps to provide extra protection, especially from dirt specks or if you are looking to build decks for play.
(my preferred for 1st sleeve) (my preferred for 2nd sleeve)
Please note that these penny sleeves do come in different sizes and you will need to find the one that best suit your trading cards.
4. TOPLOADERS & CARD SAVERS
Toploaders (rigid) and card savers (semi-rigid) can help provide added protection from bending, tearing, or scratches when you store your cards. You should also penny-sleeve your trading cards before inserting them into a toploader or card saver, and try not force them in, but rather let them 'fall in' to prevent any accidental damages.
You may also seal the top of the toploaders with painter's tape or resealable team bags to prevent dusts from entering or the cards from falling out.
3. CARD BINDERS
For those who wish to view and easily access their cards, keeping your trading cards in a binder is the best way to go. This way you can easily flip through your collection, as well as manage your mastersets if you are ever attempting one. There are varied binder designs, but my recommendation would to get those that are acid-free and with side openings (i.e. slot cards in from the side rather than top-down) such that it provides your cards with 360 protection. These binders can easily be stored on bookshelves.
(my preferred)
Do note that there are variants in the colour and number of card rows across each binder - 9-Pocket (3x3) or 12-Pocket/Quad row (3x4). So do check out my next post on "Top 5 Binders For Your Card Collection" where I will be doing a comparison over which binder might be best for you.
2. CARD SLABS & ONE-TOUCH
Grading is actually a choice option for many as it 'seals' in the price of a card and provides 360 protection with its thickness. However, it can get expensive and with backlogs on noted providers such as PSA, some people are turning to similar alternatives such as One-Touch cases. One-touch cases are great in the sense that they provide a similar level of protection with the added ease to switch out cards that you may hope to put on display.
You may also choose to protect your graded slabs or one-touch cases with resealable sleeves.
1. STORAGE & DECK BOXES
You should also take effort to ensure your cards are well protected from the elements such as the sun, rain, and humidity! So it is important to consider how you should store your cards (e.g. Deck Boxes, Elite Trainer Boxes, Divider Boxes) and graded slabs (e.g. Hardcase Storage Boxes).
Thank you for reading this far! If you had found this useful or interesting, please consider buying me a coffee so that I can continue to write more of such content :)
I am Vex Bean. A self-declared global citizen and baby-fresh writer who is just passionate about finding the answers to our everyday questions.
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