How to keep your cards safe - advice from the experts

Your cards are your pride and joy. Whether you're buying your first or your 100th card, you want to keep them as safe as possible. But how do you do this effectively? What should you consider and is there anything you need to buy?

We thought we’d ask Austin from US Soccer Breaks and Vince from the Cardhour podcast. Both have been collectors for years, and with an extensive collection of beautiful cards (including a few Futera cards...), they know a thing or two about keeping soccer cards safe!

Here’s what Vince had to say...

“It’s a good question, and one I am asked by new collections frequently. Personally, I like to keep my Autograph and Memorabilia Cards in a penny sleeve. These can be purchased online, they're soft and clear, and typically you can get about 100 for just $1. After that, I'll put the cards into a toploader. This is a basic hard case with a gap on top!

Vince went on to talk about those extra-special cards he owns, you know, the ones he just couldn’t live without…

“The cards I know I want to keep forever go into what is known as a magnetic One-Touch case, which I find has a better seal than the other options."

For Vince’s base cards and the bulk of his set(s), he suggested a standard cardboard 400-count box.

"I find that they keep things in good condition if you store them right. When cracking a box, I like to do it at home with all the necessary supplies and with my penny sleeves and toploaders to hand.

By the way, you should wash and thoroughly dry both of your hands and the surface you will place the cards on. This is more important than you think and can sometimes be easily forgotten during the excitement of receiving your cards.”

And what about Austin from US Soccer Breaks? Well, he suggests putting cards into 'Semi-Rigids' or what are sometimes more commonly known as 'Card Savers’…

“By using either Semi-Rigids or Card-Savers, my cards are ready to go when I send them to PSA for grading."

Austin also went on to talk about handling cards.

“As you can see on my YouTube channel, I do a lot of box breaking, so I use gloves when I'm handling my cards. Vince mentioned washing his hands and the surface the cards will go on. For me, I like to take extra precautions.”

What kind of gloves?

"Nitrile gloves, they offer more protection. The last thing you want to do is mark a beautiful card with grubby fingers!”.

Austin paused for a second, smiled, and proceeded to explain how he doesn’t take security lightly, either…

“You know, I also have cameras everywhere. Oh, and I keep my most valuable cards in a fireproof safe! You can’t be taking any chances when it comes to your soccer card collection. Ha-ha."

So there you have it, some expert advice from two experienced collectors.

Any questions, feel free to email us at info@futera.com or drop us a message to our Facebook, Instagram or Twitter and someone will get back to you. Think someone you know might benefit from this article? Make sure you share it with them!

Until next time,

Adam