How do you store your Pokemon cards?
Keeping Pokemon cards safe is very important. Whether you are a collector or trader, you do not want the pokemon cards to be damaged, as they may lose their value. In this Pokemon blog we dive deeper into the topic of keeping your Pokemon cards safe, there are many different ways to do this. We only give tips, it is ultimately up to each person for themselves to decide how they want to store the cards. What is fine for one may not necessarily be fine for another. Read on quickly to get all the tips on: How to store your Pokemon cards to read.
How do you store Pokemon cards safely?
There are all sorts of different ways to keep your Pokemon cards safe. Each way has its own pros and cons, in this blog we are going to cover all the different ways. In the end, you can choose which one suits you best. Don’t feel like reading everything? Then be sure to check out the video below to still get some tips and tricks on how to safely store your cards.
Source : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrp5RgQfTXE
Pokemon binders
The most common way in Europe to store your Pokemon cards is in binders. These are also called folders, where you put the cards safely in a sleeve inside the folder. Because the cards are in a folder, you don’t touch them and no light reaches them. What you have to be very careful of is that very many different types of folders. One has 9 compartments, the other again has 12. You also have folders with a zipper and without a zipper. There are even folders these days, where you can put toploaders. The finest folders we find are the Ultra Pro 12-pocket binders, you can put almost all the master sets in there and then buy a folder per set. This is a one-time investment, but your cards and your set will be well preserved forever. Click the link below, to purchase the directory on our website.
Pokemon Ultra Pro 12-pocket binder
Toploaders
You can also keep all your Pokemon cards in toploaders, which are sturdy plastic cases that are a must-have for your cards. The downside to this though is that dust gets on them quickly and if you put them in the wrong place something can still happen to them. The best way then is to keep them all together in a safe dark place in toploaders. This way, sunlight still does not reach them and damage them. The toploaders do get used more as temporary storage or when you are going to ship your cards. To keep them in there forever is, of course, entirely up to yourself.
Deck boxes
Special Pokemon deck boxes have been released. These are small storage boxes that you can put your cards in. So you can easily take them with you when you go to your friends, or to a tournament to compete in the trading card game. But there are also some drawbacks to this if the box is too full, the cards that get pinched can get creases. And when you start shuffling the box, all the cards bump against the top and bottom which can cause whitening on the cards. The best way then is to not move the box too much and put it in a safe place.
Graded Pokemon cards
Another way to safely store your Pokemon cards is to have them graded by a professional company. Here you have the choice of PSA, Beckett and CGC. They then put the cards in a safe sturdy sleeve but not only that. A professional from the company reviews and grades the quality of the card. If your card achieves the highest rating (a 10) then it is worth even more money in most cases. This is a very nice way to store your cards, it just costs a bit per card. That’s why you usually only do this with your rare Pokemon cards. But again, that choice is up to everyone, the Pokemon slabs are also very nice to put down as a display in your room, for example!
Keeping Pokemon cards safe in a safe
Of course, you can also choose to keep your pokemon cards safe in a safe. If you have very special, expensive or rare cards this is definitely an option. Consider, for example, expensive graded Pokemon cards or Charizard cards. You can put expensive sealed products in it, of course. Such as Pokemon booster boxes, Pokemon elite trainer boxes, Pokemon boxes or very old Pokemon boosters. You can then choose to place one or more safes at your home with a good lock on it. But you can also rent an external safe deposit box from your bank, for example, to store your belongings there. Then not only are they stored safely, but also for when something happens at your home. Think of a burglary or when your home is on fire. Of course, you can also insure your collection for that.
How do we store our Pokemon cards?
Personally, we go for a mix of all the above options. For example, we have a whole bunch of Pokemon cards in binders, mainly the master sets but also special binders containing all the fun or slightly more expensive cards. Especially the 12-pocket zippered binders are highly recommended. But we also have a whole bunch of graded Pokemon cards mostly from PSA. These are very nice to put down as a display but also protect the cards, and best of all, when you score a high mark they also increase in value. Top loaders are also plenty, entire elite trainer box bins full of hits in top loaders. Of course, the safe should not be missing either, but the external safe. Surely it’s a lot nicer sleeping when all your expensive cards are safely in the safe at the bank.
How do you check the condition of a Pokemon card?
A lot of factors come into play to judge the condition of pokemon cards. Carefully remove your card from the sleeve and place it on a safe piece of fabric such as a clean playmat. Then grab a bright lamp and quietly look at the map from bottom to top. First, examine the front for scratches, wear, whitening and centering. Then do the same for the back, looking several times per side if necessary. You can also grab a magnifying glass or a centering tool as an aid. In your head you then make an estimate, okay this card is going to be a PSA 10, or is it just a little less and going for a PSA 8/9 maximum? Then you decide what you want to do with this card. Tuck it safely into the folder, or would you rather have degrees to go for the highest grade a 10? At first it takes a lot of getting used to, a lot of terms come at you and you don’t know at all what everything means. But once you get into the hobby of Pokemon for a few weeks or months, it all comes naturally eventually. Best of luck with it!
Preserving the value of your Pokemon card
As we read above, there are several ways to keep your cards safe. This is really crucial to the value of your cards. Because as soon as your card is damaged even slightly, it can immediately become a lot less valuable. So make sure you store all your cards safely!
Closing
Hopefully we have given you enough information this way about: How do you keep your Pokemon cards safe? In case you really liked this blog now and would like to read more such informative articles? Then be sure to check out our other blogs and come back often to www.pokemart.nl and www.pokemart.be. In fact, we write new articles about Pokemon cards and everything that goes with them every week.