PikaKiraKuzu

When it comes to your collection, knowing how to properly store it is a crucial part of keeping everything up to your most prized pieces in tip-top shape. In this article, I will give you insight on how I personally keep my own items as well as some other options available to give you the full scope on ways to keep your collection. This list is not only based on ensuring item safety, but ensuring cost effectiveness as well.

Cards

Archive safe card sleeves are the most very basic tool for card protection. I use the brand Ultra PRO and buy their platinum binder card sheet sleeves. I love the quality and that they don’t have perforated edges like cheaper sheets and a lot of card books. There are, however, still a lot of other brands people like, this is just the one that works for me.

For storage binders, in all honesty it’s up to you. I personally use D ring binders with a few cards in some official card books. This mainly to avoid the ring damaging the cards. This happens because sometimes in O ring binders the metal ring will press on the card sheets when closed. However, as a kid I had stored vintage cards in an O ring for many years. You also can get zip up binders, which are a more expensive option, or books sewn in pages, which are one of the most cheapest options. So in general it’s really up to preference. In my opinion, however, I would say the absolute worst option for a book/binder is a cheap book with thin pages and little perforations separating each sleeve. The plastic offers little protection and the perforations can scuff the card.

For rarer cards or cards you wish to display, you’d likely want to use some sort of Toploader. There are all sorts of different types such as ones that are magnetic, screwdown, etc! However, I simply use the basic ones that are Ultra PRO brand. Just slide the card in, bang top loader down on the table and presto! All done! You can put the toploaders in a storage box or in some sort of decorative stand. For ultimate protection you would likely want to use the next item below in combination with this item.

I also use perfect fit penny sleeves! Some people don’t like the perfect fit variety of penny sleeves but I personally find them useful. Perfect fit sleeves are designed to be the exact dimension of space your card needs to protect! You put a penny sleeve on the card upside down so the closed end of the sleeve is at the top of the card. Combined with a top loader or a normal card sleeve this gives your card 360° protection. I use the KMC 64 x 89mm sleeves which is the brand I see most often recommended and luckily you can get it on Amazon! However, I will warn you that I have experienced the sleeve dimensions varying a few times in packs. It’s never been a huge issue, but make sure your card is not smashed in the sleeve or curving too much. If it has a small amount of extra room that’s okay. Of course they do make standard size penny sleeves which offer more wiggle room for your card and those are not a bad option, but keep in mind you want avoid having your card moving to much.

One of my favorite storage tools I ever use is BCW 6″×9″ photograph sleeves. These sleeves work great for older jumbo size Pokemon cards, as no storage binder or sleeve was ever created for them unfortunately. There is a binder for newer jumbo cards which is fantastic, but it doesn’t work for the older ones as they are larger. Anyway, I basically store anything that’s collectible paper and odd shaped in these things. You can cut them down and tape a side to be the size that you need as well. After I put a card in one of these I usually put it in a lower cling top-load/adhesive photo album page. It might seem a bit strange but works for me. You can find cling photo album pages all the time at thrift/charity shops, craft stores, or just buy them online. You can also store them in a container if you prefer, which I do with some of my odder items that I use these for.

Other

As stated in the card section above, I use BCW 6″×9″ photograph sleeves for misc paper collectibles all the time whether it be postcards, furoku, adverts, booklets, etc! I just cut and tape the excess and put it in a storage container or a lower cling photo album page.

How I store my tokens, coins, etc is interesting. I actually use Ultra PRO embellishment storage pages! I like these because they have a flap that covers the top. Ultra Pro does sell coin pages, but they have a hole in the bottom of each sleeve that’s only useful if you are using cardboard around each coin. Ultra PRO embellishment pages are fun little sheets and I could see someone storing lots of cool stuff in them. I also use some thin penny coin sleeves with them as well, just for added protection. I think I bought them from ClearBag but I am not sure. I use those mostly on Pokemon tokens as I do not collect real currency.

Thank you so much for reading – PikaKiraKuzu.com

Updates

2♡26♡23 – Added more information and some grammar fixes.