Deciding how to store your cards doesn’t seem like it should be difficult, but it definitely was for me when I first started collecting. There are a lot different options, each having advantages and disadvantages. It seems to me that the majority of people prefer their collection have a uniform look, but I know of a few who don’t worry about that. Graded cards are great for uniformity and protection. But if you only buy graded cards, you’ll miss out on some great ungraded cards. So, how to store your ungraded cards?
Collectors sometimes joke about having a touch of OCD that makes them feel the need to have all their cards in the same holders or a binder. I don’t know if it’s actually OCD or not, but I can relate to the feeling. I have always preferred uniformity in the presentation of my collection.
When I started collecting the T206 set in 2010, I decided I was going to collect the entire set in SGC holders. I even went so far as to think I’d like all of the cards to be graded SGC 30. I didn’t take long for me to realize that it would be incredibly tedious to only collect a certain grade and that I would miss out on a lot of great cards and/or great deals. I also realized that I was collecting cards, not numbers on a piece of paper. So then I started buying raw cards as well and keeping them in Card Savers that were the same size as the SGC cases. Then, I found some nice PSA cards and bought them. Then I decided that the Card Savers were too flimsy and I bought a bunch of screw-downs for the raw cards. That lasted a couple weeks before I got rid of them for taking up too much space and being too difficult to thumb through. Then I decided I would go with tobacco sized top loaders. They were both small and secure. That seemed like the perfect solution. But then I got annoyed with the top loaders because between the penny sleeve and top loader, there were two layers of plastic between the card and my eyes. The cards looked so much better without all the plastic. So, I figured I’d go back to Card Savers, but this time I picked the smaller size. This is where I am now after that somewhat ridiculous journey. I’m pretty happy with an assortment of graded cards and raw cards in Card Savers, but who knows how I’ll feel next year.
Let’s take a look at all the options and their pros and cons:
Keeping your cards in whatever holder they arrive in
Pros:
- Easy
- Low Maintenance
- Cheap
Cons:
- Different sizes of holders might make it harder to thumb though your cards
- Tape or stickers on the holders might obscure images or text
- May not provide as much protection as you’d like
Exclusively collecting graded cards
Pros:
- Uniform look
- Easier to sell when you need to
- Maximizes value
- Provides protection beyond most raw card storage options
- The holders display player name and the back on the label, which is nice
Cons:
- You often pay top dollar for your cards
- You miss some good deals and great cards that are sold ungraded
Tobacco sized top loaders for your ungraded cards
Pros:
- Small and easy to store
- Sturdy
- Easy to thumb through
Cons:
- Two layers of plastic can dull the image and colors
- Penny sleeve can get crinkled and distort the image a bit
Card Savers for your ungraded cards
Pros:
- Thin and easy to store
- One layer of plastic for maximum clarity of image
Cons:
- Bendable plastic does not provide much protection
Thick plastic screw-downs for your ungraded cards
Pros:
- Provides maximum protection
- Great for displaying your cards
- Image clarity is usually very strong
Cons:
- Expensive
- Take up a lot of space
- Hard to thumb through (and if you do, you’ll scratch the holders)
Storing your ungraded cards in a binder
Pros:
- Takes up less space than any other method
- The set looks great displayed together
- Less plastic
- Less space between cards (as compared to setting a bunch of slabs on a table) means you can look at more cards at once
Cons:
- Very little protection for your cards
- Can be difficult to place cards into sleeves and remove them
- Inserting or removing cards from pages can damage them (however if you use stamp tongs it’s pretty safe)
As you can see, there are many good options for storing your cards. You want to strike a balance between protection and presentation. Graded cards may be the best of both worlds, but ungraded cards in Top Loaders can be a great option as well. In my opinion, Card Savers and binders offer the best presentation. However, if you choose either of these methods, you need to be more careful when handling your cards.
I hope this overview will be helpful to some of you. Did I overlook any storage options that you use? I’d love to hear how you guys do it, so please leave a comment*.
* I know that my current comment system is not very user-friendly. I’m trying to figure out how to upgrade it. Right now it looks like I’m either going to have to learn how to code, or to pay someone to do it for me. Hopefully that is coming sooner rather than later.