Card Savers / Semi-Rigids

[Mbjerry]

Question is this... Are there any concerns with these being PVC? I am moving most of my good singles into 4 slot binder pages with the card first being placed into a Semi-Rigid (with the exception of my full sets being straight into 9 pockets that say no PVC and acid free). I see that PVC is of some concern for archival. So I have considered first placing the card into mylar sleeve, then into the card saver, then into the 4 pocket page. But this is 3 layers and I want to be able to see the card as best as possible, especially if it is 90s refractor. I want to see that shine! lol. Anyone have any facts on long term storage of a card directly in a Card Saver / Semi-Rigid? I couldn't find any Semi-Rigids that weren't PVC. Or any that said anything like archival safe, like lots of the soft sleeves do. Thanks for any help!

[53toppscollector]

most soft sleeves today are pretty clear/good quality and most all of them say acid free on the packaging. mylar sleeves are more expensive, but obviously a bit higher quality and maybe worth the extra investment.

if you sleeve it, then put it into a cardsaver, you should have zero issues. some people have complained about warped cardsavers that arent flat, but ive bought thousands of them and have never experienced that issue.

im using the same setup at this point for my sets, with commons going into a 9 page sheet, and then the HOFs/bigger cards going into the cardsavers and in a 4 page sheet at the beginning of each binder.

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

I have used CS1 for at least a decade with absolutely zero issues.

[Mbjerry]

Originally Posted by vintagebaseballcardguy

I have used CS1 for at least a decade with absolutely zero issues.

Thank you. Is that without soft sleeves?

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[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by Mbjerry

Thank you. Is that without soft sleeves?

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I don't use sleeves for vintage. I guess if I were putting shiny, UV-coated cards in them, I might use a sleeve. However, those cards might stick to the sleeve as easily as the CS. I'm mainly a vintage collector so that is a moot point.

[Gorditadogg]

Originally Posted by vintagebaseballcardguy

I have used CS1 for at least a decade with absolutely zero issues.

10 years doesn't mean much though. If your cards only last for 10 years before degrading that's not good.

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[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by Gorditadogg

10 years doesn't mean much though. If your cards only last for 10 years before degrading that's not good.

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I said AT LEAST 10 years. It has been much longer for many cards. I have had zero issues. If you don't like them, don't use them. They have worked well for me and my collection.

[steve B]

Mylar sleeves are the archival standard. I don't recall just how long they're expected to last, but it's a very long time. Like several lifetimes long.

The newer soft sleeves are probably polypropylene , which is also excellent.
Card savers may also be polypropylene, just a thicker stock.

Older soft sleeves that aren't as clear are probably polyethylene. It's ok, but lacks clarity.

I've used a variety of pages/holders back to the first pages I had in 74 (Vinyl, sideload, but with one column facing another, and a very compact page so the cards stuck out and rubbed on each other. )
I have older soft sleeves that are from I think the mid 1980's? And they're still fine despite being sort of a third string choice.
I'm not sure how old the oldest cardsavers I have are, but they're probably from the 90's? The very oldest are occasionally brittle, but newer ones - maybe early 2000s? Are still like new.

None have damaged the cards.

Most of my early pages were vinyl, and have lost some flexibility, or have gotten stuck together. But fortunately didn't damage the cards at the point I removed them. Some are still ok, and I still have cards in them.

[Volod]

Originally Posted by steve B

Mylar sleeves are the archival standard. I don't recall just how long they're expected to last, but it's a very long time. Like several lifetimes long.

The newer soft sleeves are probably polypropylene , which is also excellent.
Card savers may also be polypropylene, just a thicker stock.

Older soft sleeves that aren't as clear are probably polyethylene. It's ok, but lacks clarity.

Most of my early pages were vinyl, and have lost some flexibility, or have gotten stuck together. But fortunately didn't damage the cards at the point I removed them. Some are still ok, and I still have cards in them.

I concur, Steve. The Cardboard Gold website (maker) doesn't seem to state specifically the type of plastic used in Card Savers, but it would appear to be polypropylene.
I'll never forget some of the first cards I purchased as I started recollecting back in the '70's: bought a lot of 1954 Johnston Cookie cards from a very reputable dealer online, and when I opened the mailer, the unmistakable stench of cheap PVC was overwhelming. The cards were not in PVC, but had obviously been stored in it at some point, so I guess the dealer was kind of nose blind.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Volod

I concur, Steve. The Cardboard Gold website (maker) doesn't seem to state specifically the type of plastic used in Card Savers, but it would appear to be polypropylene.
I'll never forget some of the first cards I purchased as I started recollecting back in the '70's: bought a lot of 1954 Johnston Cookie cards from a very reputable dealer online, and when I opened the mailer, the unmistakable stench of cheap PVC was overwhelming. The cards were not in PVC, but had obviously been stored in it at some point, so I guess the dealer was kind of nose blind.

I am too. I can't really smell most things unless they're really bad/good. I can smell stuff that would be semi hazards, like natural gas, or gasoline, and a couple other things.
On the other hand, I will very occasionally smell things I know for sure aren't there.

I think it's an ADD related brain processing error, like the hearing stuff I have. I used to think I had progressive hearing loss from years of being around loud stuff. Like at dinner in a restaurant, I'd only hear portions of the conversation at the table. But would also get portions of what people near me said. First week on ADD meds and that was fixed.

To add a bit on the original topic, some of the older toploaders will turn yellow/brown over time, even with decent storage. So I have to replace many of my oldest ones when the prices come back down.

[Mbjerry]

Originally Posted by Volod

I concur, Steve. The Cardboard Gold website (maker) doesn't seem to state specifically the type of plastic used in Card Savers, but it would appear to be polypropylene.

I'll never forget some of the first cards I purchased as I started recollecting back in the '70's: bought a lot of 1954 Johnston Cookie cards from a very reputable dealer online, and when I opened the mailer, the unmistakable stench of cheap PVC was overwhelming. The cards were not in PVC, but had obviously been stored in it at some point, so I guess the dealer was kind of nose blind.

I have looked into the material type of most brands of Card Savers. They are all PVC with the exception of the Beckett but they are slightly smaller so don't really fit my needs of filling a 4 pocket. Wish there was a Polypropylene card saver!

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[jchcollins]

I don't think you have any worries with Card Savers made after the year 2000 being PVC, if indeed they ever were. Yes, Mylar is the ultimate archival standard - but remember with the HOF and other museums putting all their stuff in there - they want it to last for hundreds or thousands of years more. My collection has no such grandiose requirements; hopefully I have another half-century. While Mylar is super clear, all of the products that I have ever tried made out of it were also super rigid, and difficult to get cards into and then back out of. CS2's and toploaders just work much better - and for the likely requirements to get me to the end of the line - I think they are well more than archival enough.

[Mbjerry]

Originally Posted by jchcollins

I don't think you have any worries with Card Savers made after the year 2000 being PVC, if indeed they ever were. Yes, Mylar is the ultimate archival standard - but remember with the HOF and other museums putting all their stuff in there - they want it to last for hundreds or thousands of years more. My collection has no such grandiose requirements; hopefully I have another half-century. While Mylar is super clear, all of the products that I have ever tried made out of it were also super rigid, and difficult to get cards into and then back out of. CS2's and toploaders just work much better - and for the likely requirements to get me to the end of the line - I think they are well more than archival enough.

Good points! Thanks for sharing.

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[Volod]

Originally Posted by Mbjerry

Good points! Thanks for sharing.

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Back in the 1980's, I wanted to store all of my cards in mylar sleeves, and I found a product called "Stampmounts" online that made excellent mylar sleeves. Most of their line of course is sized for stamp collecting purposes, but their current product line page https://www.washpress.com/stampmount.jsp
if you scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page, still has the sizes for card collecting purposes. If you are looking for thin, flexible sleeves, I highly recommend Stampmounts.

[Volod]

Originally Posted by steve B

I am too. I can't really smell most things unless they're really bad/good. I can smell stuff that would be semi hazards, like natural gas, or gasoline, and a couple other things.
On the other hand, I will very occasionally smell things I know for sure aren't there.

I think it's an ADD related brain processing error, like the hearing stuff I have. I used to think I had progressive hearing loss from years of being around loud stuff. Like at dinner in a restaurant, I'd only hear portions of the conversation at the table. But would also get portions of what people near me said. First week on ADD meds and that was fixed.

To add a bit on the original topic, some of the older toploaders will turn yellow/brown over time, even with decent storage. So I have to replace many of my oldest ones when the prices come back down.

Yeah, I hear you, Steve. Those cards I ordered from way back not only reeked of cheap PVC, they actually were kind of slimy from, I imagine, years of storage in cheap plastic. The dealer very kindly refunded the sale.
I am currently dealing with a smeller problem, myself, called phantosmia - a disorder of the nasopharynx that causes strange imaginary smells, mostly a noxious burning or chemical smell. When it first came on, it seemed so real, I searched all over for something burning in my home until finally realizing it had to be in my head. I wondered if it was a Covid symptom or just another age-related issue.

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by jchcollins

I don't think you have any worries with Card Savers made after the year 2000 being PVC, if indeed they ever were. Yes, Mylar is the ultimate archival standard - but remember with the HOF and other museums putting all their stuff in there - they want it to last for hundreds or thousands of years more. My collection has no such grandiose requirements; hopefully I have another half-century. While Mylar is super clear, all of the products that I have ever tried made out of it were also super rigid, and difficult to get cards into and then back out of. CS2's and toploaders just work much better - and for the likely requirements to get me to the end of the line - I think they are well more than archival enough.

This. +1