How do I safely store my graded card slabs?
If you are like many sports card or TCG enthusiasts, you have undoubtedly wondered how to secure, organize, and care for your cards. Getting your cards graded is one of the simplest and easiest ways to protect your investment and, in most cases, instantly increase the value of your cards. However, keeping your graded cards safe, secure, and minimizing the risk of damaging your prized slabs is another story. Some individuals prefer to display their graded card collection in their basement, office, or in another part of their home to showcase as discussion pieces or just to enjoy as tiny works of art. Unfortunately, as card your card collection grows, it may not be feasible to display all your graded cards. That said, what’s the best way to organize, store, and secure your card collection? Well, that’s the question we are going to answer in this article.
Graded Card Storage Boxes
If you are a card collector with many cards, you know how difficult it is to stay organized. When looking for the perfect graded cards storage box, you need it to be designed explicitly for graded cards. If you are like many collectors, you may also want your graded card storage boxes to be displayable or, at the very least, be more durable than the standard white cardboard card storage boxes. Some other attributes to consider are overall durability, water resistance, and ease of use. The graded card storage boxes we recommend and personally use can be found on Amazon.com (see link below).
Graded Card Sleeves
If you are a collector and want to keep your graded card slabs looking their best, you may want to consider sliding them into protective graded card sleeves before storage. Graded Card Sleeves are a great way to add a bit of protection between your slabs and the environment. However, you must exercise caution when sliding your cards in and out of graded card sleeves. As with most ultrasonically welded plastic slabs, they are prone to surface scratching. The plastic on-plastic contact (especially with perfect-fit sleeves) may scratch the surface of your slabs. While surface scratches are sometimes inevitable, there are ways to remove superficial scratches from your slabs by applying a bit of Meguiar’s PlastX on the surface and gently buffing the scratches using a soft microfiber cloth.
Graded Card Carrying Cases
If you will be transporting your slabs, you should invest in a quality slab carrying case. Graded card carrying cases can be hard-sided or soft-sided, but seasoned collectors prefer hard-sided cases. In addition to a strong exterior, a good slab case interior will have plenty of foam lining to protect your slabs from jostling during transport. There’s a wide variety of graded card-carrying cases on the market, so you will indeed find one that suits your preference.
There are a lot of things that need to go right in order for your sports and gaming cards to get the best grade possible. Pulling a nearly flawless card from a pack, preserving your find using card storage best practices, understanding what grading companies are looking for when they grade cards, and so much more. However, one of the most important tasks, which is often times overlooked, is prepping and shipping your sports or TCG cards for grading. This may seem a little overwhelming to the new hobbyist or collector, but it really isn’t too difficult, especially if you have plan, the tools, and supplies needed to successfully submit your cards for grading. So, let’s get to the planning.
![Tabbed Sleeves for Top Loaders and Card Savers [200 Count]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71X9lGt7hCL._SS520_.jpg)
