Best products from r/pkmntcgcollections

Similar post came up last week, copypasta below for my reply there. If you want to collect on a budget, just by singles. Cracking packs to fill sets will always get diminishing returns and end up costing more.

>I decided to start collecting with Steam Siege and Generations. Figuring out the best way to keep stuff was daunting at first. After going through all of TCC's videos and lurking in this and the collection sub, this is the system I settled on:

>-Each Set gets its own 1" binder. Be sure to use a D-ring style so the pages sit evenly on top of each other. I like these from Office Max/Depot because they open and close easily and have a pin-hole style of lock so it ensures alignment of the rings and minimizes catching pages.

>--In the inside pocket of the cover, I put the Trainer's Guide from the ETB of the set, fits nicely in the larger of the 2 pockets. Make sure you don't put anything in the back cover's pockets, as that could make an uneven surface for your cards to rest on if you leave the binders on their sides.

>--Then, each binder starts with a 4-pocket binder sheet to store one of each booster art for the set.

>--After the booster page, I organize the cards by set number, starting with the core set followed by the parallel set. I use Ultra pro's 18 pocket side loading card pages for storing the cards. Pretty much hands down the best. I prefer the black backing and only want to put 1 card in each pocket. Nice fit, though I noticed some scratches/imperfections in clarity on the batch I got. Not a big deal for me, as they are still very durable, but may be for others.

>---Basic cards go into a KMC perfect fit sleeve upside-down and then into the binder page. Good protection, tight fit, not too much cost. KMC's are pretty universally accepted as the best. As some have said, too tight a fit could damage a card, too loose and it wont fit for double sleeving. I've never had a KMC perfect fit that was too tight, maybe a little loose, but never tight that it could cause damage. Looser ones I just put to the side for storing non-foil cards and not for double sleeving.

>---Any foil card (Holos, parallels, URs, SRs, etc.) go into a KMC perfect fit upside down, and then into a black KMC Hyper Mat before going into the binder. I usually double sleeve a stack of cards and then put them into a tight deck box or under a stack of books for a week or so to squeeze out all the air before putting them into the binder.

>-Any extra cards then get stored in the ETB for the set they are from. Organize them however you like, but I keep one section for a playset of up to 4 of each card, and any copies above that go into a second 'trash/trade' section. Eventually I may put the playsets of 4 cards into penny sleeves just to keep things sorted more easily, but I don't have too much surplus yet to warrant it. Again, I always keep things ordered by set number.

>--Here, any extra foil cards will get sleeved. Right now I am just using Ultra Pro's deck protectors since I ran out of perfect fits, but really don't like how they have the stippled surface on the inside of the sleeve as well. I can feel it scratching the edges/back of the card each time I sleeve one. Particularly valuable rares or holos may get double sleeved for better protection, but still get stored in the box.

>-For actual play, I would stick to KMC hyper mats. Good shuffle feel, and last longer than the Ultra Pro's. I played a game with a buddy with my deck sleeved in the Ultra pro's and loved the shuffle feel, but the sleeves just break too easily if you catch a corner. Also they aren't opaque, KMC's are definitely the better looking.

@OP... I've been doing some research online and you may find this helpful. I found Tolarian Community College browsing YouTube and although his videos are pretty cheesy and aimed for MTG, a lot of the same principles for card storage apply since MTG and PTCG both use the same standard size cards. After watching almost 80 of his videos (my wife is still laughing at me), I decided to forego my initial plans for storing cards in toploaders. I'll instead be using the toploaders I already bought to sell and trade cards through the mail. The #1 reason why I gave up on toploaders for storage was because the only solution I could find involved commissioning a custom box. I couldn't justify spending the $100's to $1,000's it would require to commission a company like Wyrmwood Quality Gaming Supplies to custom-make a wooden box of sufficient size to store toploaders.

The new storage solution I decided on was to buy 400 (200x2) KMC perfect fit inner sleeves and 400 KMC Hyper Mattes, plus the DEX Protection Creation Line - Medium Box for storing my play decks, the DEX Binder 12 for storing my personal collection, and the DEX Binder 4 for storing the cards I have available for trade.

Let me know if you find any other solutions for storing toploaders!

Edit: Hidden among his hundreds of videos, I found this which includes a review of Kakapopo cases. It looks like the company stopped selling some of their other products in favor of their A2 Briefcase, B2 Carry Case, and D2 Case Cube. It looks like prices for these products are pretty steep and unfortunately they don't have the best reviews. But it's something!

Okay, those perfect fits sound great, I may order some soon.

And wow, the pic and vid are really appreciated! That's very helpful! Do you know anything about Ultra Pro Platinum Pages? I use binder pages as opposed to pre-made card books. From the pic on Amazon, it looks like the back of the page might be opaque, and thus I wouldn't be able to put a card facing the other way to utilize the back side of the page.

Here's the link to that: https://www.amazon.ca/Ultra-Pro-9-Pocket-Trading-Pages/dp/B00095M5DQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486528348&sr=8-1&keywords=ultra+pro+platinum+pages

I just like to use both sides of the binder page, as it uses half the pages in the end, and looks better to use both sides (in my opinion). I feel like it would be odd for them to make the back opaque, unless there were separate slots on the other side. It would seem like a waste of material.

Anything you know is helpful!

Ultra Pro makes something called One-Touch magnetic card holders that are supposed to be uv-resistant, so those might be a better choice than a regular top loader. My secret rare charizards are in those on my shelf, and they are double-sleeved in clear plastic self-sealing oversleeves made specifically for the one-touch holders. My room is also pretty dark usually, so that's extra protection...So I'd recommend trying the uv-resistant One-Touches but avoid putting any particularly rare or valuable cards in them if it's still in direct sunlight. The uv protection may not last over time.

Regular sleeves don't fit inside these, though. I found that perfect fit sleeves only barely fit and it is a snug fit, hence the double-sleeving on the outside of my one-touches.

Edit: This is the thing I'm talking about. http://www.pokeorder.com/ulproonetoma2.html

These are the "oversleeves", called polybags, I guess: https://www.amazon.com/Ultra-Pro-Resealable-Sleeves-Holder/dp/B00BUVFB16?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0 (They also fit on top loaders!)

Amazon is probably your best bet. These are the best card sheets available in my opinion, but it's unnecessary for, say, individual sets or master sets; I mostly use them for my binder of rare and valuable cards. These are probably the second best option and are good for any type of card, otherwise the regular ones found at Walmart and Target are fine; the only thing is they tend to sag at the bottom if the binder is standing vertically but it doesn't damage or affect the cards at all.

For binders, I haven't played around with too many different kinds, but I am very satisfied with the Avery brand. Here's the specific kind I use.

Just preference on what you like. I like being able to see both sides of the card so I use regular Ultra Pro penny sleeves on my cards. I've been slowly finding my old collection of Pokemon and a lot of the top loaders have yellowed some but the cards inside the sleeves are fine. This an ok deal on penny sleeves and Top Loaders I've got before: https://www.amazon.com/3x4-Top-Loaders-Ultra-Pro/dp/B002K2MNGK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1510800635&sr=8-1&keywords=3x4+Top+Loaders+100+ct+by+Ultra+Pro+-+Plus+100+Free+Card+Sleeve+Promo+Pack+%281+Pack%29

Recently found out about these Pro-Fit sleeves that fit Pokemon cards perfectly and have been using these for cards that I put in binder pages.
https://www.amazon.com/Ultra-Pro-Standard-Pro-Fit-Transparent-Sleeves/dp/B005HXLH3O/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1510800779&sr=1-1&keywords=Ultra-Pro+Standard+Pro-Fit+Transparent+Clear+Sleeves+%28100%2FPack%29+89mm+x+64mm

The solid back colored sleeves to me look alright if you are playing with the cards.

Thats a good start and the binders are nice. I actually have a few myself but one thing personally is the side loading vs top. For long term storage or final storage I think they are good. Trying to remove them from a side load feature just doesnt work for me. So for frequent removal purpose I use the standard Ultra Pro 9 pocket with a standard 3 ring binder from target or walmart.

Those sleves are good but after using a few thousand its going to be costly....I settled on these Last purchase was 1600. These are snug fitting although there have been some that are a little tighter which can slightly bend the card. Overall great for the price and they work well with those binders or plain sleeves.

Im sure you will change your mind a few times as the collection grows.

The formats are always {set} onwards. Any set released after the given set, including the given set, is legal in that format. The current standard format, for example, is Primal Clash onwards.

Something worth noting is, as Bulbapedia says, a set is only legal after 3 fridays of release in the US. This doesn't mean you can't play the cards you get, it just means you can't use them in official events (though I'd make sure that whoever you're against is okay with you using the new cards first).

The format usually changes late August/early September, and while Expanded is still Black & White onwards, Standard is always a much smaller card pool, to allow variety and newer cards. Sets usually stick around for 2 years (ish).

Either way, have fun with collecting. There's no better feeling than pulling an amazing card. I highly recommend double sleeve-ing your most valuable/favourite cards (a perfect fit upside-down, then a regular sleeve over the top), as this will protect them from liquids pretty well.

I use the same sleeves as you and I have found that these 9 pocket portfolios are pretty good when it comes to bulging. You can see here how much they bulge when they are entirely full (except for the last page).

They still bulge a little bit, but the pages still lay pretty flat. Plus they fit well on a regular bookshelf. I currently use these for all my TCG collections and have been really happy with them.

I use KMC perfect size and standard size hyper matte. But if you’re going with the kmc standard size, make sure you get the new ones (link below), cause I read their previous ones weren’t the best but they’re fixed now.

Edit:
Perfect size
KMC 100 Card Barrier PERFECT SIZE (10 packs/Total 1000) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00T3Z72Q8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_QpeNDbKKBZRJF

Standard size
KMC Full Size Hyper Matte Sleeves (80-Pack), Black, Standard Size, Fits MtG, Weiss, Pokemon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CJ7415M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_lqeNDbTBPBFG3

KMC Perfect Fit are my favorite. They are, well, a perfect fit.

http://www.amazon.com/KMC-pochettes-Barrier-Komainu-Dou-Original/dp/B00NU5F7U0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457300397&sr=8-1&keywords=kmc+perfect+fit

300 for $10

Yes the foam is inside. I didn't do a super good job at cutting it though, but it was my first time trying. I just took a long bread knife and cut out the squares. its hard to keep the knife at a perfect 90 degree angle. A laser cutter would be awesome. You can buy new foam on amazon too. These are two good case options for cheap.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ELIPQKQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_1qmnzbZBJSQ57

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NQ0FYCU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

While you may not be pricing the cards, using the pricing guide on tcgplayer.com is a good place to start organizing specific sets. It can also give you a general market value for all conditions as you are organizing. If you see the market value on a specific card is much higher than others in the set, you should consider protecting that one with penny and hard sleeves(or depending on the card, perhaps more than that). If you are going to store your cards in binders, i recommend these sleeves for inside sleeves and these sleeves for the outside soft sleeve prior to putting in a binder like this or like this.

I organize my cards this way:

THIS for for bulk (holds about 5000 cards, which is great because I produce wayy too much bulk).

2 FOUR 12-pocket portfolios, one for current format, and another for past format cards

Then, for each set, I use an Avery .5-inch binder. I collect the master set + additional card, and every card gets sleeved.

Finally, PSA graded stuff goes into its separate container, with some of my favorites framed up.

Also, the only useful piece of advice in this post: store your cards with dessicants or keep a dehumidifier

Looks great! Although I HIGHLY suggest investing in one of these! :)
https://www.amazon.com/Ultra-Pro-Pikachu-9-pocket-PRO-Binder/dp/B016QVA58I

really....? http://www.ultrapro.com/product_info.php?products_id=1075 i have these kinds that i use for all my rares/holos/full arts... ALSO, i recently ordered these yesterday because i heard their were perfect for the Rares: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NU5F7U0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Should i switch to the KMC Perfect fits when they arrive and avoid the Ultra Pro sleeves then?

There's a local small card/comic shop in the next town over that sells these boxes in various sizes. I get the ones with the 4 rows in there. Otherwise, if you're looking for something online, here's something similar from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LYE9SJQ/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_Nag2CbKR2AM3E


I will say, when I bought this box and two $.99 plain card protectors, it was all like maybe $8 in total. I recommend that you find somewhere local near you that may sell these.

Ultra Pro Deck Builder's Premium Binder

Some people dont like Ultra Pro and prefer other companies. This one is one of my personal favorites. Cover feels solid and I appreciate the zipper around it.

The 4-card pages may be a good option. Something like these.

KMC 100 Card Barrier PERFECT SIZE (10 packs/Total 1000)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00T3Z72Q8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_3qmRybJP310D3

What you can do as an alternative to the official toploader binder is buy pages with roughly 3" x 4" pockets like these. Binder size would be a bit smaller though at 6" x 8" since the pages are smaller than your typical 9 pocket normal card pages. I've tried these and toploaders fit snugly and securely. Ultra pro has binder pages at more normal dimensions of roughly 8x11 but the pockets may not be as snug.

unsure about the exact sleeves there, but if you're just trying to get away from the matte sleeves out there, my go-to's are KMC hypers, textured back and clear front, specifically for pokemon cards they work for single or double sleeving

Side loader ultra pro binders. https://www.amazon.com/Ultra-Pro-Pikachu-9-pocket-PRO-Binder/dp/B016QVA58I/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1511404397&sr=8-10&keywords=ultra+pro+binder Like this :)

We use the big 5 row boxes: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000K41E7E?cache=d48012e2934556c8649c26ff7b95e9ce&pi=QL40&qid=1407252451&sr=8-1#ref=mp_s_a_1_1.
They work rather well. If you are in a moist environment, I would also suggest storing them in an airtight Rubbermaid container.

Condition 1 #075 Black Airtight/Watertight Protective Case with Pick N Pluck Foam https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ELIPQKQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_1qmnzbZBJSQ57

I use these, they are stronger and harder to scratch than the metal ones. I do think I have a sizable PSA collection by now, already have 2 of these but a bunch of my cards are not fitting anymore, just ordered a new case yesterday. Will arrive tomorrow.

https://www.amazon.com/KMC-pochettes-Barrier-Komainu-Dou-Original/dp/B00NU5F7U0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484076326&sr=8-1&keywords=kmc+perfect+fit

You could get these sheets: https://www.amazon.com/Ultra-Pro-3-Hole-Side-Load-Pocket/dp/B009WU5EG4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469986071&sr=8-1&keywords=ultra+pro+side+loading+pages