I have several of them, even ones from the manufacturer and I hate every single one of them. They don't keep cards from falling out and the general dimensions make them horrible to store. If you get too much in one, gravity starts to take over if you keep them standing up. So it's better to keep em flat....and rotated every other one.

For many years I opted for the ultra pro 10 page 9 pocket portfolio. Dimensions are even and they store nicely. Main problem is you can't add pages and often times you run out of book before you run out of collection.

Since then Ultra Pro has come out with some very nice 360 card binders but they are designed for game cards. Can't see the backs.

Recently I saw a seller trying to push a zip up notebook with added card pages for about $45. I looked closer at the notebook and saw nothing remarkable so I decided to hunt it down.

Gave my local economy a shot and went to Staples. Cheapest I could find in this style was $36 with far more features than I needed. To be fair Staples does not exist to accommodate the mass ocean of non sports trading card collectors.

Found it on amazon for 19.88 and decided to test it out. It holds 30 pocket pages very well and could probably go to 35 or 40. It is flexible, it zips up all the way around and fills out nice a square. Plus there are flat side pockets just in case you want to keep any notes or want lists with the set. I just ordered a few more, time to trash my binders.

I wont link it but you can just search "Freeprint Zippered Portfolio Binder 3 Ring" or similar item result on Amazon.

Note: I am NOT a Freeprint spokes person.

As well as collecting trading cards I also have a large collection of cigarette cards which I store in binders. These binders have the option to be purchased with a slip case. Admittedly the cards are a lot smaller with only 10 to a page for the standard size binder. I do have one binder and slip case that has 25 cards to a page.

In all I probably have over 150 binders of all sorts for all types of cards including postcards. These binders have rigid covers and include those from the card manufacturer. For example James Bond cards look much better in the binder designed for them.

I also use binders marketed by Topps for their "Attax" brand of cards which have plastic covers where you can insert your own design binder cover. These have between 22-32 9 pocket pages which stores 198-288 cards and I usually purchase these for about £6. They have to be stored flat. If I want a 4 ring hard cover binder I usually buy the brand "Exacompta Kreacover" which come in various spine widths. These have small inside pockets. These usually cost under £10 for the sizes I prefer. I have to get them from Amazon as well as we don't have the Staples stores any more.

regards

John

Yeah, the plastic ones split along a seam and I have one that has a bad pin/rivet - one of the two that holds the ring bar against the spine. The pin is still there but it popped out back through the spine and won't pop back in. I don't want to throw it out, though. It was a limited-issue by the post office with dinosaur art from one of the stamps of the 1990's or 2000's. I want to use it to store miscellaneous dinosaur cards (promos, small sets).

I also store some of my binders in alternating layers.

I can't say I hate binders, though. The idea of having a keeper for the cards from the same company with a logo/artwork is good.

Jess

quote:

Originally posted by mykdude:
I have several of them, even ones from the manufacturer and I hate every single one of them. They don't keep cards from falling out and the general dimensions make them horrible to store. If you get too much in one, gravity starts to take over if you keep them standing up. So it's better to keep em flat....and rotated every other one.

For many years I opted for the ultra pro 10 page 9 pocket portfolio. Dimensions are even and they store nicely. Main problem is you can't add pages and often times you run out of book before you run out of collection.

Since then Ultra Pro has come out with some very nice 360 card binders but they are designed for game cards. Can't see the backs.

I'm guilty of stuffing binders with as many pages that won't bend the cards at the edges. I lay them flat in a stack. Periodically I see that a cover is breaking away along the seam. Less often I find that the side clamps no longer open the ring bar. Then I have to buy a new binder to replace it. What can I say? I make no effort to buy anything special or of any better quality.

The problem with my manufacturer binders is that many of them are wrinkling. I don't know why.

quote:

Originally posted by cardaddict:
The problem with my manufacturer binders is that many of them are wrinkling. I don't know why.

I also run into to the issue of too much binder for not enough card set. My AVP binder has 3 different alien sets in it. Including my 1979 Topps set.

Bottom line is binders don’t hold up well, no matter what manufacturer provides them. Many of my Inkworks binders have spilts in them. Better to get generic binders and customize them yourself.

I would have no problem paying $5 for artwork I could download from the manufacturers and use to make my own binder I am surprised that has not been offered yet as they say they don’t make money on the binders that they offer.

I have actually been trying to find manufacturer binders for some of my sets. When I get one I replace my generic binder with the official. Problem I find is what people are asking for them. Don't care that much to get an official binder when they are wanting $150 for it. Just figure if I get it great, if not, oh well.

Have yet to have a problem with any of my binders splitting or other issues. The one I worry about the most is Valyrian Steel with the weight of the set. That one I always laid flat. Been thinking about making small shelves to lay them all flat.

You may not have experienced split covers yet just because you do have the binders standing up. I think its the weight of the binders laying on top of each other that contributes to the seams splitting for me.

But besides losing the space, when I stand binders up like a book on a shelf, I have problems with the pages sagging and the edges of the pockets curling a little. So if its a choice, I would rather find that I have damaged binders later on than damaged cards. I guess it really depends on your storage space.

"Some" of my binders that I "hate".:

Geez, I didn't even know they made official binders for Olivia.

Between your cards, books, DVDs, autographs, sketches, figures and whatever else, you must have wall-to-wall collections over there. Impressive!

Clearly, they made binders for Olivia!

I stopped using binders long ago. I use penny sleeves and boxes. Some top loaders.

quote:

Originally posted by cardaddict:
Clearly, they made binders for Olivia!

Yes, I was complementing you on the completeness of your collection.

Back in the '90s I picked up a handful of her signed cards and also some Phone Cards signed by Olivia, Boris and Julie Bell. The custom pre-paid phone card was a fad thing back then too.

I never sort those titles out and knew of only one hobby store that carried any of them. Its one of those things that in hindsight I should have taken more interest in at a time when they were new.

quote:

Originally posted by cardaddict:
"Some" of my binders that I "hate".:

Very nice! I have a tendency to be a bit more subtle type of collector and prefer something that does not stand out so much on the shelf. This is another reason binders bother me.

I know many of the sets you are showing have big binders but small sets. Do you combine them and if so do you keep it the same title? I have a couple of walking dead binders and keep 4 of the releases in them.

quote:

Originally posted by pcetodd:
I stopped using binders long ago. I use penny sleeves and boxes. Some top loaders.

I keep my autographs in this fashion as it is easier to store them in the order of my database. I can easily find them and they are protected.

My biggest problem with using boxes for other cards is I tend to forget them.

I have combined many sets in the binders.
The early X-Files ones are groaning!

The clearly Olivia comment was supposed to be a pun, get it?

I have several official binders, and several unofficial binders I picked up a Target or Walmart. I try to keep most sets at one to a binder, but have a few sets where I missed out on the binder and add them to a similar set - several Star Trek Sets in one binder. The problem with this is cards get kind of lost - I put my proms / autos / high end chase at the front of the binder, and then the base cards. With multiple sets in a binder, the Autos get tucked away in the middle somewhere.

I like the binders because I can pull one out when needed and quickly go thorough a set of cards to see what I have and what I am missing. For sets with no binders (Mostly TOPPS Star Wars), I usually forget I have them, and when I find them in a stack, the cards are stuck together.

I agree with Batman that manufactures should make downloads of binder covers available for a small cost. - Maybe even put a card in each box with a link and code. Then you could buy your own binders and print out the cover art.

Have not have many issues with binders splitting. Do have issues when binders are not full enough and the pages start to bend a bit.

quote:

Originally posted by cardaddict:
The clearly Olivia comment was supposed to be a pun, get it?

Ahh, sorry no, I'm lost. And since i don't know what you're talking about, I'd better shut up.

quote:

Originally posted by cardaddict:
I have combined many sets in the binders.
The early X-Files ones are groaning!

X-Files Do you have the foreign language versions as well?

regards

John