Pennysleeves - Quality Went Downhill?

Foo3112

Has anyone else noticed how crappy the quality of pennysleeves has become lately. They definitely changed the texture of the plastic and its NOT for the better compared to what Ive been using in the past. They feel a little thicker now and the plastic isn't as clear. Reason I say this is because Ive always used them for my Canseco doubles - so I used them regularly. I purchased some after running out about less than a month ago and the material felt off. I compared it with the ones I already had cards in and there seems to be a difference and its just awful now. I thought maybe I got a bad batch but after going to a card show yesterday, I started checking other dealers penny sleeves and it was the same atrocious "new" quality.

It has been a few months since I purchased some so I'm thinking within that time, these changes had to have just been done. Has anyone else noticed. Regardless - I don't like them AT ALL now. Only reason why I bring this up is because I haven't heard anyone here mention this but at the same time, I don't think I'm going crazy either.

TmbrWolf22

Ultra Pro....never had a problem.

vladguerrero

<< <i>Ultra Pro....never had a problem. >>



I only buy Ultra Pro, they have the standard sleeves and also Premium which are heavier stock but not as wide so they fit binder pages.

Their Grading Submission holders are also better than Card Savers.

digicat

IMHO, the quality has gotten better over the 24 years I've been collecting, though they're not perfect.

The basic Ultra Pro penny sleeves have always had issues with imperfections in the plastic. When I open a fresh pack, I examine the sleeves before putting a card in. Often the sleeve will have something like sand or a sharp imperfection in the plastic that could possibly result in creating an imprint on the card stored within (I've seen it). I throw those things away. Sometimes I end up chucking half a pack.

The Ultra Pro Premium sleeves are nice, but I don't really like them with the chrome cards. The fit is very snug and creates a lot of friction against the easily scratched surface of the chrome as it goes in.

Also, they're thick enough that if you don't slit one of the edges down about 1/2 of an inch, you risk slicing a little of the surface of your card off. Even with the 1/2 inch cut down the side, you've got to be careful when sleeving cards with existing edge issues or delicate foil imprinting.


Sometimes for a good and loose fit (for chrome and other thicker cards), the "vintage" size sleeves are best, but you still have to screen them for imperfections first.

ssollars

I've also noticed those little "specs of something" imbedded in the plastic in the last case of sleeves I bought!

On a side note, I'm surprised no company make sleeves with the top corners tapered/rounded so cards are easier to get in them. I sleeve virtually every card I get and have never been willing to modify so many sleeves.

Scott

giantsfan20

What brand(s) are you referring to as having poor quality?

Foo3112

Ultra Pro.

sportscardtheory

I'm having issues with Ultra Pro penny sleeves as well. The quality has been absolutely horrible. Every pack seems to have different sized sleeves, so keeping things uniform is impossible. And now it seems that 1 out of every 4 to 5 sleeves is literally too small to fit a card and I literally have to throw them away. Ultra Pro should be ashamed of themselves for releasing such crappy product to the public. I buy them and use them by the 1,000s and I can attest that it is not just a "bad batch". I would probably be better off using an off-brand.

BenG76

I ordered a bunch of Cardboard Gold penny sleeves off of Ebay recently. I think I got 2000 of them. They have seemed pretty good so far for me. I think I will stick with them from here on out.