Serious sports card collectors spend a lot of time and money on their hobby, and they pour their love of the sport into their collections. Their cards represent precious memories and may hold substantial monetary value.
This article explains how to care for your most valuable baseball cards and other expensive cards. You’ll learn how the owners of million-dollar collections protect their investment, and how you can bring the same level of protection to your irreplaceable sports card collection.
Collection Protection
Before discussing how to protect individual baseball or basketball cards, or any other high-value cards, let’s look at three things that serious collectors do with their collections.
Professional Grading
Get your cards professionally graded—with documentation. This is the only way you can prove a loss if there is an accident.
Insuring
Get insurance on your collection. Document its contents and take plenty of photographs. Store these records, with the card grading documents, in a safe place.
Securing
Consider storing your collection in a high-security location, such as a safety deposit box.
Not all collections command this level of protection, of course. But every card you value deserves some form of protection.
Individual Card Protection
Start protecting your cards from the moment you pull them.
Hands & Handling
When handling sports cards, wash your hands thoroughly and put on a pair of white cotton inspection gloves or a similar kind of glove before handling your cards. Gloves will help protect the card finish from the oil in your skin and accidental contact with your fingernails.
Pick cards up gently by the sides. Avoid putting pressure on corners and avoid touching the surface of the card. These precautions help prevent delamination and stress the card stock.
Cleaning Cards
Cleaning should never be necessary if cards are stored properly. If you must clean cards, use a lint-free cloth to gently remove surface dirt. Do not apply pressure or use water. Avoid using any spray liquid or wax on your cards.
Card Sleeves
Card sleeves act as armor for your card.
Sleeves should be made of acid-free material, be transparent to allow easy viewing, and provide a barrier to minor scratches. They should be designed to fit your card closely and not stick to the surface of the card should you want to remove it. You can find good quality polyethylene and polypropylene sleeves that fit these requirements where you buy your favorite cards, or at hobby shops that deal with cards, or online.
Top Loaders
Once your card is in a card sleeve, slide it into a top loader.
Top loaders are made of clear plastics that offer a thicker barrier to scratches and accidental damage. A top loader cannot be flexed as easily as a card sleeve, especially at the corners, so cards can be handled safely.
Binders & Boxes
A quality box or binder helps protect your collection and keeps everything in one place.
Boxes offer rigid sides, which can offer a higher level of protection than soft-sided binders. To get the maximum amount of protection, make sure to purchase a box designed to store sports cards. Binders may be more portable than boxes in some situations. If you use binders, check to make sure the sleeves are made from acid-free plastic.
Storage Area
Keep your collection in a room that is comfortable for you. The ideal area would be just under 70 degrees Fahrenheit, dry, and out of direct sunlight. Your den or man cave may or may not be the perfect place, but you definitely want to avoid places with temperature extremes, like attics.
Protect Your Legacy
Many families pass cards between generations and family members. Some card collections may become heirlooms. You can protect these memories and your investments by using some or all these techniques with your sports card collection. You can find everything you need online, or at hobby stores in your area that deal with sports memorabilia and collectibles.
