Card savers or top loaders? It’s a question that plagues many card collectors. If you’re a trading card game player or a collector of rare and valuable cards, you may have wondered which is better and which one you should use to protect your cards.
Card savers are better for transporting cards, while top loaders are better for storage. Collectors typically prefer using card savers because they hug the cards and prevent dirt from scratching them. Still, many will use top loaders if they want to keep their cards stacked neatly in tins or boxes.
Card savers and top loaders are great for protecting your cards, and each has unique advantages. This guide will help to explain what each of these card protectors is used for and help you decide which one is better suited to you and your needs.
Top Loaders Vs. Card Savers
Protecting your trading cards is essential, especially when they are valuable. Many trading card game players use penny sleeves as their front line of defense against damaging their cards. Although they protect cards from scratching and surface damage, they are soft and flexible and can easily get bent out of shape.
This is where card savers and top loaders come in. Penny sleeves are made of soft plastic and can crumple like paper, while card savers and top loaders are harder, offering more surface protection and much less flexibility. They are considered the ultimate form of card protection. Most card collectors will either have one or both at any time and use them according to their needs.
Card savers are also called ‘semi-rigids,’ and are one of the favorites regarding card protection. They are made of sturdy plastic that has some flexibility to prevent cards from getting damaged. Collectors and trading card game players use them to maintain the quality and condition of their cards. Card savers look similar to penny sleeves but do a far better job of protecting cards.
Top loaders are made of solid plastic and act as a protective case for cards. They are firm and completely stiff, keeping cards from bending at all. Top loaders are open along one edge to allow cards to be inserted. Players and collectors with extremely rare or valuable cards might use them to store their cards neatly.
The debate about which is better between card savers and top loaders has been popular for many years. Some swear by only one, while others recommend both, as each has advantages and disadvantages. It’s important to note that regardless of whether you’re using a card saver or top loader, you should always have penny sleeves around your cards when you insert them.
Advantages Of Card Savers
Card savers can be used to protect valuable cards from deteriorating. They protect cards not only from scratches and scrapes but also from us. Not that you’d want to damage your cards. But through general handling, cards can get damaged or fade. There are usually oils and dirt on our hands that can negatively affect cards.
Card savers are thinner than top loaders, making them ideal for keeping large amounts of cards. They save space because of how much thinner they are than top loaders. Large stacks of cards in card savers will take up much less room than the same stack of cards in top loaders.
When a card is inserted into a card saver, the card saver flattens itself to the surface of the card. The perks of this are that the slight flexibility of the card savers causes them to keep the cards in place with no risk of them slipping out. It also prevents dust and dirt from getting inside and scratching the card’s surface. Scratches and nicks are usually what reduce a card’s value.
Card savers are the recommended method of protection when you’re having a card shipped or delivered. Grading companies also prefer players to use them when sending cards to get graded. However, because card savers can bend, they recommend placing stiff cardboard on either side for extra protection. You can also put some bubble wrap around the cardboard sandwich.
Some grading companies will only accept cards inside a card saver, as cards in top loaders may slip out slightly when traveling and get damaged along the top edge. Many who have cards delivered to other people will place tape over the opening to ensure the cards do not slip out by accident and get damaged.
Advantages Of Top Loaders
Like card savers, top loaders are meant to protect cards from dirt and substances on our hands and loose dirt that may cause scratches. Handling loose cards can also lead to some damage. For instance, getting scraped along a surface, getting a damaged edge as you try to pick it up, or letting it fall onto the floor and bending a corner.
Top loaders are rigid cases for cards that protect them from getting bent or scratched. While card savers may protect cards from getting scratched, they cannot prevent bending. Bending can significantly deteriorate the condition of a card, reducing its value. For this reason, top loaders are preferred by some collectors.
While top loaders may be thicker than card savers, they are also shorter. This allows them to be packed neatly into boxes or cases to be transported or stored. They will usually fit neatly into a TCG or collector’s tin. On the other hand, card savers are much longer and can’t typically fit neatly into the same spaces.
Inserting and removing cards is significantly easier than with card savers. Top loaders have an open edge where cards can simply slide in, while card savers require more care and caution when inserting and removing cards. You might damage the card if you’re not careful when doing this with a card saver. Top loaders don’t have this problem.
Conclusion
Top loaders and card savers are used to protect valuable collector and trading cards. They both have their advantages. But they also have their disadvantages. The companies that grade cards do prefer card savers. But whether a top loader or a card saver is better is entirely up to you, your preferences, and what you’ll use them for.