There are many ways to store your Pokemon Trading Card Game cards, including in binders, albums, and books, as well as in sleeves, top loaders, and slabs.Pokemon TCG cards have increased in value and popularity since their inception in 1996. Since then, some collectors have made a small fortune reselling their old cards, but only when kept in good condition. This is why you need a storage solution, such as a Pokemon TCG album or binder.
Binders and storage boxes are two of the most popular ways to store cards. Whilst both have benefits, binders are unbeaten when it comes to viewing and showing off your collection, visually sorting through your cards, and building, changing, and storing your decks.
Where to buy the Best Pokemon Binders
One of the most popular card binders on the market, the Goroma 4-Pockets can carry a total of 400 Pokemon TCG Cards in a secure case. This is a perfect choice for a trade binder that will be taken out of the house a lot, thanks to its small size and durability.
This Vault X Premium Exo-Tec® Zip Binder has 4 Pockets a page and 160 side-loading pockets. The binder comes in 6 different colors and is great for archival, deck building, transporting, and, trading.
The Elite Series: embossed leatherette Pikachu PRO-Binder is zip-enclosed and has 9 side loading slots, that hold 480 cards total. It is officially licensed by the Pokemon company.
Vault X Premium Exo-Tec Zip Binder has 9 side loading pockets for your Pokemon trading cards, that hold a total of 360 cards. In terms of transport and storage, it’s a good compromise with decent materials, and portability at 35 x 26 cm.
The Ultimate Guard Zipfolio 480 – 24 Pocket XenoSkin (Quadrow) Black is durable as it’s made using great materials. It’s a good size for storage and transport and features zipping sides and side loads of double-sleeved cards.
The TopDeck 200 TopLoader Binder is a 9-pocket card binder/album perfect for those who love their cards, as it is built for cards in top loaders. This creates extra protection from shock and reduces the risk of damage to your cards.
This display case album by FunGuys holds 60 graded cards in standard-sized slabs, ie. from PSA, Beckett, and CGC. It’s a well-priced and well-made professional album for displaying high-value cards.
This Gem Loader Premium Graded Card Binder is on another level of quality altogether. Not only does it have highly aesthetic high-quality materials and a zipper, but it also has super safe and unique ‘click-in’ pages for your graded cards in slabs. Gem Loaders are based in and manufactured in the Netherlands and offer excellent customer service.
How to store your Pokemon TCG cards
Humidity
- Store your cards in a place with around 30-40% humidity. Under 25-30% humidity can cause cardboard to expand.
- Over 60% and the cards will expand and curl. High moisture can also attract insects and mold.
- Consider an air quality meter like this Amazon Alexa air quality device.
- Some moisture is good, so avoid vacuum sealing your cards unless you ventilate them once a fortnight or so.
Airflow
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- Keep your cards in a well-ventilated area, or allow airflow into the room at least once a fortnight. Stale air can attract mold.
Temperature:
- Try to store your cards at around 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 Celsius).
- Cards can be stored under these temperatures so long as humidity consistently stays at around 30-40%.
Light:
- Light, especially direct and indirect sunlight will not only damage and discolor your cards, but sunlight will also break down the plastics in your binder pages and sleeves. The products of the breakdown will rub into your card causing further damage and discoloration or worse.
How to load your Pokemon TCG cards into binders
Use Penny Sleeves
- Keep a packet of penny sleeves while opening packs, and gently put your cards inside straight away to avoid accidents. Gloves aren’t necessary, but make sure you wash and dry your hands properly before handling Pokemon cards.
Consider Double Sleeving
- Fussy collectors can consider double-sleeving. You can place your card top-down into this KMC perfect fit before placing it into a penny sleeve bottom-up and then putting it into your binder or top loader – these Top Loaders from Ultra Pro are recommended.
- If you’re putting your card into a top loader, use a penny sleeve first. These penny sleeves by Ultra Pro are a good option.
- If you’re going to double sleeve, go for a high-quality binder like the Ultra Pro or Dragon Shield mentioned below. Otherwise, the weight of the full binder will be too much for most binders’ spines and the binder.
Finally, gently slot your cards into the binder from the side, and never store two cards in one slot.
How to organize your Pokemon cards
Pokemon cards can be organized in many different ways, and you can spend hours doing them. To save time, many collectors do the following:
- Organize by type (such as Water-type,) including the Basic Energy cards, set, series, rarity, or evolutionary lines.
- Keep trading binders for cards that aren’t being saved. Make sure these are compact and durable.
- Purchase Elite Trainer Boxes, as these come with player and collector’s guides that show all of the cards in the set, making it easy to keep track of what you have.
- Alternatively, make a spreadsheet of your own, as The Pokemon Company puts out lists of every card in each set.
Pokemon TCG Binder Do’s and Don’ts:
You can follow some simple tips to keep your Pokemon TCG collection in pristine condition.
| Do’s | Dont’s |
|---|---|
| Use zipping binders, which compress the cards less and decrease the chances of your cards slipping out, and of your cards coming into contact with foreign objects and moisture. | Don’t use ‘O-Ring’ binders. The pages on the ends can move into the ring and get clamped down, add weight to the equation, and you can deform your cards. |
| Consider interleaving using acid-free protective paper, especially if you are going to archive your cards. Some binders include these, others don’t – you will find cheap glassine paper or similar on Amazon. | Don’t use binders that use cheap materials like thin plastics – not only can they damage the art on the cards, but there is a higher chance of the pages ripping and the cards and seams pressing into them. |
| Keep your binders vertical on a shelf in a well-ventilated room without much humidity. | Don’t stack your binders on top of each other. |
| Pack your albums and binders with interleaving sheets, use binders that load from the sides, and use D ring binders that won’t clamp your cards. | Don’t use binders with pages that load from the top; if you do, be careful when transporting your cards so they don’t fall out. |
| Consider avoiding ring damage issues by investing in ringless binders with enough space between the binding and the pockets. | Don’t use binders with a band or elastic unless they are of very high quality, as this can put unnecessary pressure on the sides of your cards, which can lead to compression and damage. |
| Use high-quality plastics that are PVC and acid-free. | Don’t leave your binders in areas with excessive moisture or dampness. |
That’s all you need to know about purchasing Pokemon TCG binders and storing cards. For more information, check out our guides on the most expensive Pokemon TCG cards and an explainer of what the symbols on the cards mean.
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