Should You Sleeve All Your Pokémon Cards?

We all know that Pokémon cards increase in value over time. Keeping them in the best condition possible is going to secure that investment for you, especially if you’re looking to get some graded. Sleeving your cards is the easiest and simplest way to protect them, so why not sleeve them all?

Why You Should Use Card Sleeves

Sleeving your Pokémon cards is an important way to protect your valuable collection from damage and wear. Here are some reasons why it’s important to sleeve your Pokémon cards:

1. Protection from wear and tear: Pokémon cards are made of card stock, which can easily become damaged with frequent use (particularly the corners and edges). Sleeves provide a layer of protection from scratches, bending, and other types of wear and tear that can occur during gameplay or storage.

2. Preservation of card condition: Keeping your cards in sleeves can help maintain their condition, which is important if you plan to trade or sell them in the future. A well-preserved card in a sleeve is generally more desirable and valuable than one that has been moderately played or damaged.

3. Protection from dirt and oils: Our hands naturally produce oils and dirt that can transfer to our cards during play. Over time, this can cause the cards to become discolored and dirty. Sleeving your cards can help prevent this from happening, as the sleeves act as a barrier between your cards and your hands.

4. Easier shuffling and handling: Sleeved cards are typically easier to shuffle and handle than unsleeved cards. The sleeves provide a smooth surface that allows the cards to slide easily against each other, which can make gameplay smoother and more enjoyable.

Should You Sleeve All Your Pokémon Cards?

So should you be sleeving every single one of your cards? Well, it’s up to you, but most collectors do not sleeve every card.

However, casual and competitive players of the Trading Card Game do. It’s actually required that you sleeve your cards during games.

This protects your cards but also makes them unidentifiable from the back. For example, if a card has a marking or specific damage, then the player could potentially identify it before drawing the card from their deck.

So having your entire deck sleeved removes this advantage from the game, creating an even playing field. 

Should You Sleeve All Your Foil Cards?

So from a collector’s perspective, which cards do you sleeve and which ones do you leave unsleeved?

Most trainers agree that foil cards should be sleeved. But there are some nuances to this. For example, many vintage cards are worth a lot of money, even though they aren’t foil.

Also, each booster pack guarantees a holo card and a reverse holo. Many reverse holo cards aren’t worth much more than a regular common, so there’s no point in preserving the card’s condition.

Again, it’s a personal preference. Some collectors use a monetary value as a cut-off. For example, any cards worth more than $5 will be sleeved, and anything worth less than $5 will not be sleeved.

When Sleeves Are Required

As touched on earlier, cars must be sleeved if you plan on playing competitively. 

But there are many other scenarios where cards must be sleeved.

1. Using binder pages: Cards should be sleeved before being inserted into binder page pockets. Sleeving your cards is going to help them stay snug inside the binder pockets, plus protect them from any dust or dirt particles that have made their way into the pockets over time.

2. Using top loader or card savers: Both top loaders and card savers are designed to hold a sleeved card. Top loaders are susceptible to catching dust and dirt particles if not stored upside down. Card savers hold your card tight, and not using a sleeve will result in possible scratches.

3. Selling your cards: If you are selling or even trading your cards, be sure to sleeve them first. This is a common courtesy and highly appreciated by the buyer. A sleeved card represents a clean and organized seller. 

Final Thoughts

So, should you sleeve all your Pokémon cards? Well, it’s a personal preference. For those of us who enjoy the methodical organization of collecting, sleeving every card might be a part of that process. But all those common cards you get in booster packs might not be worth it.