Our Best Card Storage Ideas for Your Collection

Avid collectors and card gamers have one outstanding need: storage and protection for their cards. That is, you’ve got to have someplace safe to keep your cards where dust, spills, scratches, curious kiddos, and other potential mayhem can’t reach those cards. The right solution for this is finding intentional card storage that protects your cards and allows you easy access to them whenever you’ve got a game or want to peruse the artwork.

You may already have some storage on hand (deck boxes and binders) but if you’re looking for better organization or new storage solutions, you’re in the right place. We’ve scoured the most popular products and lined up a collection of binders, card pocket pages, carrying cases, and stay-at-home card storage options to fit any budget or style.

What to Consider Before Purchasing Card Storage Solutions

Several factors can impact the ideal card storage for your collection – so you’ll want to keep them in mind as you peruse the list below.

• Card size: Many cards come in the standard size of 3.5” x 2.5” inches, like Magic: the Gathering and Marvel Champions, but not all collections are equal – Vanguard and One Piece, along with others, come in larger sizes.

• Collection size: How many cards do you currently own? How big do you plan to grow your collection in the near future? Be sure your card storage will accommodate not only your current collection but cards to come.

• Budget: Not everyone has a hefty budget to invest in their card storage. Thankfully, many reasonable options exist, with card storage from $20 upward. Be sure to stick to that budget, though, and go for as high-quality options as possible to ensure your storage cases remain in top-notch condition for years to come.

• Type of storage: There are numerous styles of card storage. You can use binders (both 3-ring binders and ringless), carry cases, large deck boxes, deck box cases, or a combination thereof. Consider the various types and ensure you wind up with storage that will suit your preferences as well as your gaming habits. If you travel out for game nights a lot, for example, you’ll want card storage that accommodates travel.

How Best to Sort Your Cards

Once you’ve chosen your card storage options, you’ve still got to sort and store things properly. Hopefully, these tips will help make your gaming easier.

• Sort by set: If you collect games like Magic: the Gathering that come out in new sets as they release, you can sort your cards by set using different deck or commander boxes.

• Sort by specific gaming deck: If you frequently hit up the local game shop for a tournament or game night, you’ll want to keep your best playing decks sorted and ready to go. Be sure to get card storage options that allow you to do this easily. Ideally, this means deck boxes with a carry case.

• Sort by game: And, of course, you’ll want to keep your cards sorted by game. You don’t want that moment when a Pokemon card pops up when you’re playing Marvel Champions.

• Sort by color: If you do play Magic: the Gathering, World of Warcraft Card Game, or other color- or element-based games, you may wish to sort your cards by color/element. This can help you easily and quickly create that game-winning deck.

• Sort by rarity: Finally, many folks opt to sort and store their cards by rarity. Common playing cards they use frequently stay in the card decks that get brought out to game nights, while rare cards may be stored in binders, special deck boxes, or separate card cases.

The 10 Best Card Storage Solutions for Any Budget

Budget Friendly Card Storage Box with Deck Boxes

If you’re in the market for card storage but need to keep it budget-friendly while still keeping your cards protected and secure, consider the all-in-one card storage kit from Saichotoy. The no-frills but plenty of space option comes with a semi-transparent storage box, with 11 individual deck boxes and built-in divider plates. This helps you keep your cards organized, safe for travel, and easy to access quickly. The case holds up to 800 cards total, up to 20 top loaders, and an assortment of game accessories.

The set is designed for standard cards (3.5” x 2.5”) and smaller, meaning you can keep your Pokemon, Final Fantasy Cards, Magic: the Gathering, or any collectibles like baseball cards all in one secure place. Each deck box is also specifically designed for a snug, secure fit with right angles on the corners (instead of rounded edges) to help protect cards from moving around and potential scratches. Each deck box holds about 70 cards and everything is waterproof and dust-proof.

Fageverld Card Storage

The Fageverld Card Storage solution offers you a budget-friendly choice for keeping up to 7,200 cards organized and safe. The drawer-style storage set comes with four sets of drawers with three drawers each, and 50 card dividers to keep things separate, organized, and logical for your various card collections. This storage solution works for 2.5” by 3.5” cards (Marvel Champions, Pokemon, baseball cards, and similar), in sleeves, as long as you’re not using top loaders. Assembly is fairly easy (no glue, staples, or tape required) – so you’ve got your storage setup in minutes, ready to protect those cards from dust and disorganization.

AllPrimo Trading Card Case

If you’ve got – or aspire to! – a large card collection, the AllPrimo Trading Card Case is an ideal card storage solution for those cards. The large, portable storage case holds up to 2,700 cards, ideally suited to card games like Unstable Unicorn, Final Fantasy Cards, and Digimon Cards. The trading card case uses 2 inner trays and dividers to easily organize your cards in sleeves, in deck boxes, top loaders, or magnetic card cases. Because of the vast flexibility of the case, you can also include larger card boxes, dice boxes, and other game paraphernalia for the ultimate gaming experience on the go. Two mesh pockets add additional storage space for pens, notepads, game mats, or anything else you might want to keep with your card storage. The case comes in sleek black.

Portable Deck Box Case with Acrylic Deck Boxes

Coming in an attractive black finish with red accents, the Proijeunt Card Case Set is one of the best card storage solutions you’ll find at a reasonable price. The large case comes with 6 clear acrylic deck boxes that fit neatly into the case for easy sorting and viewing. The case set holds over 600 double-sleeved cards, with each box individually holding 100+. The case uses dividers for efficient organization, with plenty of space for over 600 double-sleeved cards in total.

The Proijeunt Card Case Set was designed with trading and collectible card games in mind, so you’ll easily fit 100+ double-sleeved Magic: the Gathering, Marvel Champions, or Dragonball Super Cards in each deck box. Each set also comes with 6 card dividers for even easier organization for those on-the-go game nights.

WPGear Deck Cases Set

If you’re looking for an all-in-one option, take a gander at the WPGear deck cases set. This kit offers you some of the most versatile card storage possible and comes with a nice game mat for smooth playing. The deck case set includes one 3-row storage box, 4 deck cases, 1 game mat, 4 foam dividers, 8 plastic dividers, and 2 removable foam inserts. The 3-row box holds up to 3,200 sleeveless cards or 1,900 single-sleeved cards. Each small deck case holds 200+ sleeveless cards or 100 single-sleeved cards.

Made from PU leather, the WPGear deck case set is waterproof, scratch-resistant, and pretty snazzy looking at that – coming in black with red, green, gray, and blue lining on the deck cases. The set is designed specifically to be as versatile as possible, with space for top loaders, magnetic card cases, and loose or sleeved cards from just about any card game you can collect.

Card Pocket Pages for Binders

If you’ve got a binder already and need some additional pocket pages, the highly-rated pack of binder pages is your trick. A total of 18 pockets per page (9 pockets on each side), across 30 pages, means you’ve got space for 540 more cards in your binder. The pockets are made of non-toxic, acid-free, PVC-free clear polypropylene, with dimensions of 2.6” by 3.6”, perfect for cards with sleeves. You can load in your Magic: the Gathering, Pokemon, Skylanders, baseball cards, or practically any other kind of collectible card with these. This pack of pages uses top loading design for easy-access.

Hard Case Top Loader Carry Box

If you’ve got loads of cards in sleeves, with top loaders and magnetic card holders on hand, you’ll want to consider the premium card storage found in this Hard Case Top Loader Carry Box by HZGXQN. The case holds up to 600 top loaders, 135 magnetic holders, and thousands of sleeved or sleeveless cards. You can keep card slabs, collectibles, rare cards, and more in this, thanks to the lock and key system – meaning your cards are protected and secure from curious hands at game nights.

The case has a soft foam padding on top for protection and a hard shell for safety in transit (or homes with cats!) and protection against damage. The carry box comes in a sleek black finish.

TCGuard Binder

Anyone looking for a stylish, affordable way to display and protect their cards can turn to the TCGuard Binder for all their card storage needs. The easy-access binder provides you with zipper protection on the premium PU leather make and clear polypropylene, acid-free pockets for storing 3.5” x 2.75” cards. This means you can get your sleeved, standard game cards into the pockets for easy carrying, storage, and protection. The 9-pocket sleeves use side-load for easy in-and-out access, a ringless design to avoid losing those sleeves, and soft leather for the binder itself for the ultimate experience for active players. The binder comes in numerous colors and styles, as well, for your personalized experience:

• Black (3 styles)

• Light blue (styles)

• Dark blue

• Brown

• Dark green (3 styles)

• Gray

• Aqua

• Orange (3 styles)

• Dark purple (2 styles)

• Medium purple

• Sky blue

• Wine

• Yellow

TopDeck Ringless Binder

Another great option for those who prefer binders as card storage is the TopDeck Ringless Binder. The trusted brand uses top-notch craftsmanship of high-grade leather, reliable zippers, and plenty of card sleeves for an easy way to store your collectible cards. The TopDeck binder is easy to organize and divide your rare and less-often-used cards for display and occasional use. Real-life users love this ringless binder, recommending it for rare Magic: the Gathering, Pokemon, Marvel Champions, and other playing cards and collectible trading cards, thanks to its durability and good looks.

Ideally, we’d recommend using this binder in combination with deck boxes for your collection so you’ve got easy access to your regularly played cards, and this fantastic clear-view display for your less frequently played cards. This binder holds up to 500 cards total, protects the cards from spilling out (or getting spilled on!), and comes in black, blue, white, or yellow.

10-Piece Top Loader Storage Box

For those with heftier sleeves and protectors for their cards, the 10-piece top loader storage box is probably one of your best card storage solutions. This set comes with a clear box to store the smaller deck boxes in and 9 clear deck boxes for easy tracking of what you’ve got and where. It’s the ideal way to protect your cards from water damage, scratching, or other issues in either storage or travel. This setup works for standard sleeveless cards, sleeved cards, double-sleeved cards, 3×4 top loaders, and magnetic card holders.

The durable plastic will protect your cards for years to come, plus, the box storage set is stackable – so you can keep as many of these as you like to protect your entire collection in a neat, organized unit.

Conclusion

Ideally, you’ll want to keep a few card storage solutions on hand: at least one stay-at-home storage unit, and at least one travel storage unit. This enables you to easily mix and match your cards for given tournaments and game nights while keeping the rest safe and protected at home. For your storage collection, you should also ensure you’ve got deck boxes and smaller cases on hand to make transport easy, as well as make your cards accessible for quick play.

Also Read: The Best Board Game Accessories for Your Game Night Adventures

Card Storage FAQ