How To Stop Your Cards From Falling Out Of Sleeves

The reason we sleeve cards is to protect them. So when the card slips out of the sleeve and we’re unprepared, it’s ironic that this can damage the card. We’ve provided some helpful; tips and tricks to keep your cards snug in the sleeve, and protected. 

Ensure Proper Fitment Of Your Sleeves

I wish it was as simple as just purchasing sleeves and using them, but it’s not.

There are an unlimited amount of sleeves on the market. We have many different sizes and different brands that use different materials and… you get the idea. If the sleeves you bought don’t properly fit your cards, then you’re at risk of damaging your cards. 

Sleeves too big will result in the card sliding around and perhaps falling out. Sleeves too small can apply pressure to the card and bend it.

Another risk of small sleeves is damaging the corners of the card when sleeving. For example, most sports cards have squared corners that should be protected at all costs. If you have a tight-fitting sleeve, then the corner can catch when inserting it and damage it.

It all comes down to what size of card you are protecting.

Card Sizes

When it comes to trading cards, there are two sizes that you will find, poker and bridge. 

Pretty much all trading cards (Sports, Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering) are poker-sized, which is 64mm X 89mm or 2.5 X 3.5 inches. Any sleeve this size or greater will fit most cards.

Yu-Gi-Oh!

YuGiOh is the odd one out since their cards are smaller. These are bridge-seized cards, which are 57mm X 89mm or 2.25 X 3.5 inches. 

If you place a YuGiOh card in a regular sleeve that’s 2.⅝ X 3.⅝ inches, then it’s going to slide around and fall out. 

The sleeves we recommend for YuGiOh cards are the same size as YuGiOh cards, so they fit nicely and snugly. You can usually pick up a pack of 10,000 for around $15. (Link to Amazon)

Different Size Sleeves

Sleeves come in many different sizes, so it’s important to pick the right one. 

If you want to stop your cards from falling out of sleeves, use slim fit or perfect fit sleeves (Link to Amazon). These are sleeves that fit the card exactly and hug the card so there is no movement.

Sleeves That Seal All Four Edges

There are special sleeves that seal all four sides so it is impossible for the card to fall out. These are made by DragonShield and are actually a genius design. 

These sleeves use no adhesive and are reusable forever (Link to Amazon).

Use Painter’s Tape

Some collectors opt to use painter’s tape to seal their sleeves or top loaders. Painter’s tape has a very mild adhesive that does not leave a residue behind.

If you have a gentle touch then it’s possible to apply, peel, and reseal sleeves using the tape. 

Use Top Loaders Or Card Savers

(Check out our Top loader Vs. Card saver article!)

Card savers (also known as semi-rigid sleeves) hold your card tightly in place and will not allow it to move. You should always sleeve your card before placing it in a card saver.

Top loaders (also known as rigid sleeves) can be used to further protect your card. Again, your card should be sleeved before using a top loader.

Many collectors will insert the card upside down into a sleeve and then insert that sleeved card the opposite way into the top loader. This prevents the card from ever falling out. 

Double Sleeving Your Cards

The last method is to double-sleeve your cards. This is a combination of using two different sleeve sizes and inserting a small sleeve into a larger sleeve. This is common practice among many collectors and protects your card double.

Final Thoughts

So there are unlimited sleeve designs and sizes on the market, but that’s okay. Learning how to stop your cards from falling out of sleeves is easy if you implement the proper techniques and follow our tips. Match up the correct sleeve to your cards, and you should be on the right road to never damaging a card again.