Card Savers (Semi-Rigid Card Holders)
I’m including this in this section rather than under card protection because I don’t think these actually protect cards all that well!
For example, if I have a $100 card on my desk in a Card Saver, and someone picks it up to look at it, I’m going to keep feel pretty uncomfortable that they’re handling it! If that same card is in a toploader, I won’t be so worried.
I literally only use these when I’m sending in cards to get graded. Up until recently all grading companies required that your cards come in Card Savers. They’ve relaxed that requirement, but I still like to use Card Savers.
They’re easy to get cards in and out of, but still feel like the card isn’t going to shift at all. I also know in my collection that if I put a card in a Card Saver, it was one that I had planned to get graded.
I’m always going to buy Cardboard Gold’s Card Saver I. The II aren’t wide enough and are harder to get cards in and out of.
Graded Card Bags
If you’re new, you might wonder why put a card that’s already sealed in a slab inside a plastic bag!
Those slabs definitely still can get scratched, and the sleeves to put them in are dirt cheap. Also, in my opinion, they don’t diminish at all from the look or feel of the slab itself.
When I don’t have a graded card in one of these suckers, it feels naked and I get worried it’s going to scratch.
I like Beckett’s graded card bags. Honestly, there are probably other great brands out there, but this one was recommended to me, it’s cheap, and they work flawlessly. I’ve had no reason to switch!
Centering Tool
Is your card centered? Like truly, actually centered? Sometimes telling the difference between 65/35 vs 60/40 centering is a bit hard…and that can be the difference between a PSA 10 and a PSA 9!
So I use one of these cool centering tools that you just overlay on your card and it instantly shows you the centering.
Light Box
This is has been one of the best ever additions to my collecting! I use it for taking pictures of my cards because it gives a white background and great lighting.
Also, it’s great for holding a card under and getting a good view of the surface quality before sending my cards in. Trust me, this is a must-have, and they’re cheaper than you think.
Loupe
These are those little magnifying classes that are typically used by jewelers. Amazon has some with 30x magnification for less than $10! They’re not incredible, but I’ve used them many times for looking at surfaces, edges, and corners on cards I want to grade. Worth the cost many times over.