Card Sleeves Buying Guide: Keep Your Cards Protected

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Protecting your valued cards is inexpensive. All you have to do is purchase quality card sleeves, otherwise known as penny sleeves for their inexpensiveness. But, before you can get down to shopping for sleeves to protect your cards, there are a few things that you need to consider. These factors include;

Card Size

Before shopping for card sleeves, you need to measure the size of your cards. Besides, if you play too much but get an oversize card sleeve, the cards will keep moving inside the sleeve, hence distracting you from the fame. On the other hand, an undersized card sleeve might not be ideal since it may not efficiently protect your cards from dirt, stains, and spills since it may leave edges exposed. Also, if the sleeve is too short, the cards may distort the plastic and warp. Thus, as a rule of thumb, the ideal card sleeve should be about a centimeter larger than your cards.

Purposes of the Card

Another factor to consider when purchasing card protectors is the purpose of your cards. What do you plan to do with your cards? Do you want to keep a collection? Are you preparing to play in a tournament, or do you just use the cards to play with family and friends? The purpose of your cards will significantly determine the kind of sleeve you choose. In essence, if you are looking for protectors for your daily gaming cards, you may opt for thicker sleeves since they are easier to shuffle and offer your cards more protection from regular use. On the other hand, if you are looking for sleeves for your tournament cards, you ought to go for the most transparent options that you can find.

Materials Used

When purchasing card sleeves, it is crucial that you check the properties of the materials used to make them. Some materials can render the card protector harmful to your cards. Therefore, it is always good to check that the sleeve’s properties will not react with your cards or run them, especially if they cost you a great deal of money. It is advisable that you particularly avoid acid materials because acid begins to run and eventually ruins your cards with time.

Types of Cards

Shopping for card sleeves can be an overwhelming task since there are a wide variety of protectors available in the market. The best way to narrow down the selection is to identify the type of cards you seek to protect. Different kinds of cards need varying levels of protection. If you have a standard card collection, you can go for the standard sleeves. These sleeves fit most cards that are up to 120 pt thickness. They are thick enough to offer standard protection for cards.

However, you will find premium card sleeves more appealing if you have a premium card collection. These card protectors are made with thicker polypropylene plastic. Therefore, they are thicker than the standard sleeves and offer maximum protection to your premium cards. You will also find vintage card sleeves, whose measurements are designed to fit your vintage cards. The vintage cards include tall sleeves that can be used to cover the tallboy cards, popular in the 70s. Lastly, if you have easy grade cards, you can also get easy grade protectors with an angled corner cut, allowing you to slide in your cards smoothly.

Card sleeves are readily available online in shops, such as Sleeve Kings, and in physical retail stores. You just need to do your research well to determine the perfect sleeves for your collection. Ensure that you know your cards’ type, purpose, and size. Also, be sure to check that the protectors are not made with harmful chemicals that might ruin your cards in the future.