The best way to protect your baseball cards is to store them in toploaders. Toploaders are thin plastic sleeves that keep dust and moisture off your cards. You can buy different types of toploaders for different levels of protection, from penny sleeves to heavy duty PVC holder packs. Some collectors choose to store their cards in penny sleeves, which are very affordable but don’t really protect your cards well.
Toploaders have wiggle room, which can cause damage in the mail. Besides, a semi-rigid plastic may not withstand bounce. Some collectors use tape to seal their toploaders. They may even try to sandwich a card between two pieces of cardboard. It’s not recommended for serious collectors. But it might be worth a try if you want to protect your baseball cards.
Before buying a toploader, consider how your cards will be stored. If you are collecting a few cards at a time, a top loader may be a good option. If you plan to store a full set of cards, individual holders might be the better choice. Individual holders may result in card mix-ups. To prevent this, try buying a top loader with pages to flip through the cards.
Whether you’re storing your cards in a closet or a climate-controlled storage unit, keeping them protected from humidity and heat is important. Always store your baseball cards in a cool, dry area away from bright lights and direct sunlight. Regardless of the type of storage unit you choose, make sure you keep your cards in an elevated position, away from pets and children. The last thing you want is a pet scratching your baseball cards and ruining their value.
