How to store Pokémon cards safely
Keeping your chases safe is an important part of your collection, so here’s how to store Pokémon cards without damaging them.
If you’re opening Pokémon cards in search of your next chase, being prepared is just as important as the pull itself. I cannot stress this enough - you don’t want to just handle it like it is a common card. You need to make sure you can store Pokémon cards properly, and fortunately, I’m here to help you.
No matter which of the Pokémon sets you’re opening this week, whether you’re a new collector, a returning one, or someone who has been risking their collection, you need protection. Pokémon TCG cards are surprisingly easy to damage. A small scratch, dent, or bend can have a significant impact on a card’s condition, especially if you ever decide to grade or sell it.
Quick Answer
- Sleeve any rare or valuable cards straight away
- Store cards with sleeves on in toploaders or side-loading binders
- Keep cards away from humid or damp-prone areas when storing
- Use sleeves, toploaders, and eventually graded slabs for your most valuable cards
- Avoid cheap ring binders, loose storing, and rubber bands
Storing Pokémon cards for safe keeping depends on the type. Common or less valuable cards should be stored in binders - preferably with sleeves on - and valuable cards should be put into toploaders and kept safe. Eventually, you should grade those chase cards for even more security, although a toploader will still do a good job.
You want to avoid storing it in spots of your home that could be vulnerable to damp, as well as avoiding putting your cards in direct sunlight. And, please do not leave them loose or tie them together with rubber bands. If you like bent up and dented cards, be my guest.
How to store valuable Pokémon cards
If you manage to pull a chase card, take a moment to enjoy it - but then you want to store it safely. My recommendation is to follow these instructions:
- £1-20 – Sleeve and store in a side-loading binder
- £20-100 – Sleeve, toploader, and secure storage
- £100+ – Sleeve, toploader, and dedicated secure storage
- Grails / highly valuable cards – Sleeve, toploader, and eventually a graded slab
If you don’t have a standard transparent penny sleeve at hand, every modern ETB offers a selection of sleeves. It’s worth keeping them in case you ever need them. The only reason I recommend putting valuable cards in a transparent one is that most grading companies require a see-through sleeve.
Toploaders are rigid plastic holders that protect cards from bending, dents, and accidental damage while handling them. While I have used toploader binders in the past, they’re handy but hefty. Based on my experience, Ultra Pro toploaders fit neatly and firmly standing up in Elite Trainer Boxes, keeping them upright and safe by storing them rigidly.
For cards worth around £1-20, storing every single one in a toploader can quickly become expensive and take up a lot of space. For those cases, having them stored in a sleeve and a side-loading binder is absolutely fine, and in fact, I recommend it.
If they’re some of your favourite cards in your collection or they’re extremely valuable, I’d suggest using my best grading service guide and getting them graded. It’s not just for a good score, but slabs offer some of the best protection for cards, meaning you don’t need to stress about damage.
Don’t just leave an expensive card out on your desk while you’re trying to find a solution. At the very least, place it in a sleeve immediately. If you have a toploader available, use it. If you’re opening packs away from home, sandwiching the sleeved card between two rigid objects is still better than leaving it loose.
The products I currently use and truly recommend after years of collecting are:
- Ultra Pro penny sleeves
- Vault X toploaders
- Vault X semi-rigid (some grading companies require this)
- SleeveChief toploader binder
- Vault X Exo-Tec binder
How to store bulk Pokémon cards
We’ve all done it where we load up boxes full of extra cards. The best way to store bulk cards is in Elite Trainer Boxes, dedicated card storage boxes, or binders if you’re actively collecting a set.
As someone with far too many ETB boxes lying around, only one is full of toploaders with valuable cards - the others are simply bulk. It’s part of the Pokémon collecting journey. Which reminds me, I really need to clear out my bulk.
Unlike valuable cards, bulk doesn’t need premium protection. As long as the cards are stored somewhere dry, away from sunlight, and not packed so tightly that they bend, ETB boxes are usually more than enough.
However, please don’t just throw them all out. While they might not be worth much financially, bulk cards are still useful for new players, young collectors, and people building their first decks. It may even start a kids’ Pokémon TCG journey. Alternatively, plenty of local card shops may pay for bulk, or you can post it online via eBay or on services like Facebook marketplace.
Where to store Pokémon cards safely
Here’s some dos and do-nots for storing your collection safely:
- Keep cards in a cool, dry room
- Consider inside wardrobes, cupboards, spare rooms, or under-bed storage
- Avoid garages, conservatories, or attics
- Don’t leave cards in direct sunlight
- Keep away from radiators or other heat sources
- Keep valuable cards in safes with combination or electronic locks
Would you leave a cheque with all your money in a potentially damp room or next to a source of heat? Probably not, and Pokémon cards are sensitive to sunlight, heat, and damp, thanks to its materials. If you feel like it’s not the right place to store them, it probably isn’t.
My Elite Trainer Boxes with toploader cards and binders sit in a small plastic box that sits under my desk - it’s out of the way of sunlight or anything damp, and as my PC is on top of my standing desk, it is far away from any heat source.
Sunlight can also be risky, especially for prolonged exposure. Over time, the ultraviolet rays will desaturate the card, effectively damaging it. Admittedly, it does lead to some awesome looking cards at times, but it’s not worth the risk for anything especially valuable.
Speaking of valuable cards, it’s worth investing in a safe, preferably with a combination lock (dial or digital). I have my slabs in a small safe that has a key and a digital code combination, the latter is in case the batteries ever run out. It’s an extra layer of protection, in case you ever move or if (at a terrible time) you ever get thieves.
FAQs
Can Pokémon cards be damaged by humidity?
Absolutely. High humidity areas and locations can cause Pokémon cards to warp and bend over time, or can cause moisture-related damage. If you live in an area with high humidity, it may be worth investing in a sealed storage or a dehumidifier in the room with your cards and other precious items.
Should I sleeve every Pokémon card?
No, you shouldn’t sleeve all of your Pokémon cards. You’ll get plenty of duplicates and bulk cards that don’t need to be sleeved, as that can become an expensive endeavour. One booster box provides 360 cards - that’s a lot of sleeves.
Bulk cards can be stored in ETB boxes or discarded card storage boxes - or even just a spare cardboard box you own. You don’t need sleeves for them.
Should I put my cards in a toploader or a binder?
It depends on the specific cards, and neither is a better solution than the other. Binders are great for displaying and for collections, but toploaders provide stability and a rigid design to keep single cards safe.
If your card is particularly valuable, whether that’s worth or personal attachment, a toploader is almost always the right choice. And please put a sleeve on it first - an unsleeved card in a toploader is asking for scratches on the surface.
