When placing cards in 9-pocket ultrapro sheets -

originalisbest · May 25, 2007 10:42AM

I heard once on this board, someone preferred placing them in penny sleeves first, then into the 9-pocket page.

Is this even possible, let alone recommended? I would think tolerances are too close, and trying this, it wouldn't fit. Plus, even if it did, the possibility of forcing it and getting a tiny wrinkle pressing against the card makes me think not to try it.

Appreciate any thoughts.

MorrellMan · May 25, 2007 10:49AM

Funny you should mention that. I remember hearing about that a long time ago and I tried it. It'll fit, but you have to be very careful as the possibility of damaging the card during insertion is increased. Also, the sheets take up more room. And if the penny sleeve wrinkles, it looks like crap. And what if you want to take the card out?

I don't do it. I don't recommend it. Having said that, I know there are those that do and those that do.

originalisbest · May 25, 2007 10:56AM

Yep, sounds like it's not for me - thanks!

SoonerCowboy · May 25, 2007 12:09PM

I haven't liked pages for over 30 yrs. Yes, they've been around that long, so get the asonished look of your face. It seemed like the cards would slide out and would be a fine candidate for damage. And back then they actually used cardboard so the cards weren't as tough as they are now.

originalisbest · May 25, 2007 12:16PM

I agree soonercowboy, but in those 30 years the pages have gotten a lot better, IMO. My brother has cards still in vinyl pages he bought in the '80s but the current ultrapros are much better, IMO.

That said, you're right - supergrade cards from say, the '60s I wouldn't have in pages - but a VG-EX to EX set, I would. And of course for modern sets - I have an '87 Topps set for fun, and want to place it in pages - frankly for something cheap like that, it's more for the enjoyment factor. Of course I'd like to still do it carefully, for aesthetic reasons alone, if not a great amount of value at stake!

TJMAC · May 25, 2007 12:22PM

I do not put my cards in sleeves either before putting them in pages. I have never had any problems with any of my sets.

originalisbest · May 25, 2007 12:25PM

Well, thanks all for the discussion - I didn't think doing this seemed likely to work, but wanted to ask.

Ironically, with the "looser" 9-pocket sheets of yesteryear (i.e. my brothers), it might work pretty well. On those the top 3 cards could start to slide out (darned slippery vinyl!) Just now thought of that... but doubt it's a good idea to jam penny sleeves into modern 9-pockets.

yankeeno7 · May 25, 2007 12:37PM

Even though its fun to look at cards in pages, I put all my cards in penny sleeves and in a long box(es) for safe keeping. I put the keys in semirigids.

jskirwin · May 25, 2007 1:05PM

Looks like I'm in the minority because I do put cards in ultrapro sleeves and slide them carefully into ultrapro 9 pockets. The card sleeves fit nicely into the pockets and keep the cards from moving around. It also makes them easier to remove because you can grab the sleeve and not the card - but usually I don't touch them.

However, don't do this for archival purposes. If you want your cards to remain perfect, then you should probably box them up and place the box in a cool, dry place preferably with no air. I like to look at the cards and enjoy them - so I've made this compromise.

I use ultrapro 2 5/8 by 3 5/8. They fit perfectly. No other brand works though.

CDsNuts · May 25, 2007 1:17PM

Whatever you do, don't put the cards front-to-back (two cards per pocket). The bottom corners get crushed over time.

Lee

grote15 · May 25, 2007 1:21PM

This is an interesting topic. When putting together a raw set in pocket pages, does anyone put the cards in numerical order (first sheet cards #1-#9 and so on) or just random? Does anyone prefer putting together a raw set with Card Savers instead of pocket pages in binders?

yankeeno7 · May 25, 2007 1:25PM

I dont do the entire set in card savers because of cost and storage issues. For me, as long as the penny sleeves are free of PVCs then it protects them well and they rest nicely in the long boxes.

I only do this with soft cardboard sets...for instance pre 1992 Topps and Topps Heritage. I suppose, if I collected sets such as early ultra and maybe bowman chrome or such sets like that, penny sleeves would be good so the cards don't stick together.

originalisbest · May 25, 2007 1:27PM

Glad it proved interesting as a topic - I agree placing cards in pages can be a compromise, particularly if you're potentially damaging PSA 10 quality ones; but for mid-grade/cheap sets, etc. I think it adds a lot of enjoyment -

thanks jskirwin for the ultra-pro/ultra-pro note, I didn't know that. I'll experiment with some worthless modern commons - I may have a few laying around.

grote15 · May 25, 2007 1:27PM

I only do this with soft cardboard sets...for instance pre 1992 Topps and Topps Heritage

Good point. I guess I just assumed everyone collected vintage 70s like me, LOL!

frankhardy · May 25, 2007 1:29PM

I have complete Topps sets from 1975 to 2005. Each one are in albums. I like them that way because the are much easier to enjoy.

originalisbest · May 25, 2007 1:30PM

Thanks for the input yankeeno7 - as for penny sleeves on modern superglossy/chrome cards, I think tennesseebanker said he'd ruined such cards placing them - pitting, etc. occurred. I cannot say either way as I really have no such cards to test, but this surprised me.

Who said card collecting was easy?

originalisbest · May 25, 2007 1:33PM

Also yankeeno7, I've done the exact same thing with an '85 Donruss set I built from packs - intending to place into pages at some point. Maybe I'll leave them in the pennysleeves in the long box? Eh, I can't decide now.

yankeeno7 · May 25, 2007 1:33PM

<< Thanks for the input yankeeno7 - as for penny sleeves on modern superglossy/chrome cards, I think tennesseebanker said he'd ruined such cards placing them - pitting, etc. occurred. I cannot say either way as I really have no such cards to test, but this surprised me.

Who said card collecting was easy?

>>

Pitting occurred on high gloss from putting them in sleeves? hmm...thats interesting...wonder how/why that occurs?
calling banker........

yankeeno7 · May 25, 2007 1:34PM

I agree with mid 80s Donruss...I would be putting those in the penny sleeves too...thats fairly soft cardboard. Well, soft enough anyway!

yankeeno7 · May 25, 2007 1:36PM

Also, I suppose if my vintage sets were already mid-grade, I might put them in pages to enjoy.

frankhardy · May 25, 2007 1:37PM

My sets are 2 cards to a pocket because I could not fit enough pages in my albums. I have the albums that were from the 80's and 90's but they are in great shape. I didn't realize that it would mess the corners up. To late now though. I'm not going through the trouble of fixing them.

I do not have them in penny sleeves either. I think that would look like crap! (My opinion).

originalisbest · May 25, 2007 1:40PM

I believe it was TB - anyway I do remember that concern came up! It seemed counterintuitive to me, as you'd think the soft polyethelene would protect the chrome surface from scuffing, etc. But certainly pitting would cancel that out - not sure if any one brand over another would make a diff...

Additionally, climate could easily be a factor... in coins, say in Florida, there are collectors of high-grade early copper who under no circumstances keep their collection in the state! One person I'm aware of kept their collection in NYC in the bank. Now that's taking storage to the extremes, but the $$$ at stake made it necessary.

yankeeno7 · May 25, 2007 1:41PM

You also Original...some good info on this thread.

originalisbest · May 25, 2007 1:41PM

Thanks for the input all - glad I started the topic - have a safe and enjoyable memorial day!

Buccaneer · May 25, 2007 1:46PM

Not when putting them in my binder but I do (as well my main dealer) when shipping star cards in sheets. Cards have a tendency to slide part ways out when shipping in sheets but no as much if they are in sleeves first.

originalisbest · May 25, 2007 1:49PM

Thanks bucc and all - one more thing to add: grote, when I place cards in 9-pockets, I'm a numerical-order kind of guy; but my brother, with his roughly ex-mt cards of his youth (1964-1969, mostly 66-69) has them arranged in pages by team - which seemed unusual to me at first, but after seeing them, it's a nice effect!

Bunker · May 25, 2007 2:08PM

<< but my brother, with his roughly ex-mt cards of his youth (1964-1969, mostly 66-69) has them arranged in pages by team - which seemed unusual to me at first, but after seeing them, it's a nice effect! >>

I put my cards numerical also, but it is nice to have the teams together. I don't remember which set it is from the 80's, but if I recall you got the best of both worlds. By putting the cards in numerical order it also put all the teams together at the same time.

I wonder why they don't print cards with the teams together? It always seems to be random with a few exceptions. Some sets had the star cards printed using the numbers 100, 200 300 etc.

MorrellMan · May 25, 2007 3:24PM

<< Does anyone prefer putting together a raw set with Card Savers instead of pocket pages in binders? >>

15 years ago or so, I laid out the dough to transfer all my raw sets from 9 pocket pages to card savers. After several years I changed them back because I just didn't enjoy looking at them as much as I did in 9 pocket pages.

And I collate all sets into numerical order. There's so much fun to be had with 9s. Ever notice that if you add the individual digits of the card number in the last pocket of every page, they always add up to 9?

Edited to add - I don't know about corner damage on 2 cards to a page, but you can't focus on the condition of one card when it shares a pocket with another. The edges and corners of one are distracted from by the other.

Estil · May 25, 2007 3:32PM

<< Whatever you do, don't put the cards front-to-back (two cards per pocket). The bottom corners get crushed over time.

Lee >>

Don't forget the fact that you can't see the back of the card either. Since I collect sets and like to look at them from time to time, binders/pages (and mini-tites for the blue chip cards) are the only way to go.

MeteoriteGuy · May 25, 2007 3:53PM

If you have the right penny sleeves they work together nicely. You have to have the penny sleeves that are somewhat tight on the card. The advantage of doing this as another mentioned, when removing or inserting the card, you are not touching the card. Plus you are not sliding the card itself now and it does give then more protection.

Mark

Bunker · May 25, 2007 5:09PM

<< Ever notice that if you add the individual digits of the card number in the last pocket of every page, they always add up to 9? >>

I never noticed that before...That is pretty cool and a good way to verify that you haven't messed up

digicat · May 25, 2007 5:43PM

I've noticed that the "Deck Protector" sleeves (made for card games like Magic The Gathering) seem to load into a 9-pocket page nicely. It'd be rather costly to do a whole set like that, but if you wanted to take the time and effort, it might work.

DeutscherGeist · May 25, 2007 7:07PM

Sleeves in 9 pockets is very nice if the sleeves do not wrinkle. The sizes have to be right.

It brings the best of both worlds together: nice displayable cards and archival safe. The sleeve keeps oxidation away much better than when the card is just in the 9 pocket alone.

I have some album sheets from the 80s. The card in sleeves fit very nicely into them. You cant tell they are in sleeves. It keeps air away from the cards and the display is nice. Plus, when you want to rearrange cards, you only have to grab the sleeve portion of the card.

Just make sure the sleeves are the right size for the 9 pocket you choose.

TNTonPMS · May 25, 2007 7:31PM

I keep my cards in the 9 pocket Ultra Pro, but I don't put them in the binder anymore because I have noticed the cards tend to slide up out of the top of the sleeves , also they're not a rigid piece , they bend into 3 sections , which forces pressure on the corners of the cards , so what I have been doing is keeping them in the Ultra pro and just pinning the Ultra Pro to my walls and then just taping the top closed as I have no plans on ever taking them out of there once they have been put inside .
If my son ever wants to take them out in the future he can just slit the top .
I absolutely used to lose my mind watching my son flip those pages , so I put an end to that , now they do not move at all, I really don't like anyone touching the cards ever .
Right now he is still a little bit young but is just now starting to understand how much value is lost by handling them the wrong way .
Also, everone that comes over gets to see the cards without having to touch them , I think it is an awesome display idea .

rugbymarine · May 26, 2007 1:46AM

TNTonPMS,

I know what you mean about getting nervous. People that don't collect them just don't understand how to handle them. My girlfriend was at my house before I got home from school one day, and she opened a bubble mailer cuz she knows bubble mailer = baseball card. It wasn't anything big, one of my '07 Topps Heritage relics, but it scared me when she said she opened my baseball card mail for me. I might have yelled a little.

Then you get, "It's just a baseball card."

Ugh....

Ian

originalisbest · May 26, 2007 7:57AM

Aw, it's only a LITTLE corner ding. Here, I used my thumbnail to press it out. Why do you look so upset?

yankeeno7 · May 26, 2007 8:11AM

It's only cardboard! I dont see what the big deal is!

TNTonPMS · May 26, 2007 10:50PM

Abso-freaking lutely guys !
Just a little ding they say !
So the corner is bent a little ? !!
Are they crazy ?
Rugby , I hear you there on someone else opening my baseball mail stuff, they just have no clue on how to handle this stuff , you need to take MORE THAN EXTRA SPECIAL CARE IN OPENING ANYTHING !
I would freak too .
I don't freak about much in my life , but when it comes to my cards and memorabila, don't even look at it unless I'm there so I can make sure you're paying attention to what your doing .

Just a little bend ?!!!!
I'll bend your friggin head !

To me all of my stuff is irreplaceable , saying something like that to me is grounds for dismissal .
Oh that drives me crazy .

When placing cards in 9-pocket ultrapro sheets -

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