It doesn't matter if you're a player or a collector, but the trading card hobby represents a significant investment from hobbyists. Bent, torn, and tatty cards are the bane of any player at the tabletop. It doesn't matter what your card game of choice is, accessories are a must-have for any serious player trying to avoid mishaps and keep their valued cards looking fresh and crisp. For an absolute beginner, it can be a challenge to know where to start. That's why we've compiled this handy guide on what to look for when grabbing some accessories for your cards. Keep reading to find out all about sleeves, deck boxes, playmats, and more!
Sleeves
They come in a wide variety of designs and sizes, to suit any card, any player, and any collector. Anything from clear sleeves to sleeves featuring iconic designs of your favourite characters are available. The sheer amount of choices on offer are staggering!
Our card sleeves are organised into several categories based on the size of the card and the function of the sleeve. All varieties function to keep your cards in great condition whether they're in play or storage. You can even double-sleeve cards to add an extra layer of protection. The cost of a set of sleeves is nothing compared to the heartache that results from your favourite card getting bent or torn!
Card Size
Standard Most TCGs use a standard card size that was cemented by Magic The Gathering back in the 90s. Alongside MTG, games such as Pokemon, Dragon Ball Super, and Digimon use standard-size sleeves.
Japanese If a TCG doesn't use standard-sized cards, then it probably uses Japanese size. This is a smaller card overall and (as the name suggests) is mainly used for games that come from Japan. Yu-Gi-Oh is the best example of this size of card!
Sleeve Type
Soft Sleeves The most basic and affordable version of the card sleeve, a soft sleeve is generally a clear very thin plastic that protects against dust and scratches. You can usually buy these in large quantities and they are designed for a cheap protection.
Coloured Sleeves These sleeves are perfect for protecting an entire deck. They are clear plastic in the front and an opaque solid colour at the back.
Art Sleeves Similar to coloured sleeves, art sleeves feature an illustration or other piece of art on the back face. You can get sleeves that feature official art from the particular game you're playing, popular culture or even famous paintings by the likes of Van Gogh! These can be great for those decks that you play a lot or really want to call attention to!
Inner Sleeves Sometimes known as small sleeves or exact fit sleeves, these sleeves offer a very snug fit, which allows you to place them into a 2nd sleeve for a practice known as "Double-sleeving"; see more on this below.
Toploaders Toploaders and Semi-rigids are made of a harder plastic than regular sleeves and are primarily designed to store particularly expensive or rare cards. You definitely wouldn't put an entire deck into toploaders though.
Semi-rigids Semi-rigids are similar to Toploaders but don't have the same durability as they are generally made of thinner plastic. These are mostly used by card sellers that send cards via courier or the post. If you are looking to sell some of your collection as single cards, then we definitely recommend picking up a pack of Semi-rigids.
Double-Sleeving
Double-sleeving is a controversial practice in the TCG hobby. Cards in your deck are placed into 2 sleeves: a transparent inner sleeve and an outer sleeve. Proponents of this practice claim that it basically makes your cards indestructible. Detractors say that it is unnecessary and makes your cards take up more room. A major downside of Double Sleeving is that it can make shuffling more difficult, especially if you have a larger sized deck, such as a Commander Deck in Magic the Gathering. Anyone that has tried to shuffle a Double Sleeved Commander Deck can attest to this.
Playmats
Most playmats feature a durable rubber backing and a soft cloth upper to keep your cards safe whilst you play. As they are easily transportable, and transform any table into a safe playing surface.
Playmats also allow you to show off your interests and match with your deck. Some awesome designs are available from Ultra Pro, including designs based off a wide variety of MTG and Pokemon cards! They also double as pretty good mousemats, just ask anyone in the Total Cards office!
You can also purchase protective tubes and cases to keep your playmats safe from harm when you're not using them, whether they are in storage or in transit.
Binders and Folders
Binders and portfolios feature pockets so you can easily browse through your collection or keep them safe whilst on the move. They come in several different styles, including binders with removable pocket pages, zip binders and strap binders. Most binders feature side-loading pockets as they stop your cards from falling out during transit.
9 and 12 pockets hold a lot more cards and are a great options for your more expensive trades, whereas 4 pockets are great for deckbuilding. Don't forget to check out the exclusive binders from VaultX that we have collaborated on to celebrate the release of several epic Pokemon sets!
Deckboxes
Used as a storage device for your cards, boxes come in an array of sizes and can even be used to store dice and tokens. If you are looking to bring your decks to your local gaming store or even to larger tournaments, then you'll definitely need to pick up a few deckboxes!
The most basic type of box is sized to fit a standard-sized deck of 60 cards, this is a perfect option for transporting your Pokemon or MTG deck, and will also easily transport Yu-Gi-Oh decks-quite easily when they include an extra deck. There are larger options that can fit 100 card decks (for Commander) and even several hundred cards for Cube or for transporting trades.
Card dividers can also be used in connection with deckboxes, dividers keep your cards well organised.
Check out our entire range of accessories by clicking the button below.
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