I’m currently trying to decide between Ultra Pro and Cardboard Gold sleeves for my PSA collection and I am a bit torn:
Ultra Pro Graded Card Sleeves - sized for PSA Slabs: ~€4.29 for 100 sleeves
Cardboard Gold: ~€10 for 50 sleeves
So Cardboard Gold is ~5× more expensive per sleeve.
What makes me wonder:
Cardboard Gold explicitly states 2 mil OPP material on the packaging.
Ultra Pro only lists clear polypropylene / archival / PVC-free, but no thickness specification.
In hand, the Ultra Pro sleeves feel slightly thinner to me
Do you think it would be worth buying the more expensive Cardboard Gold Sleeves? Do you think they have better protection against slab scratching? They do feel a bit thicker.
At the moment, my collection consists of around 250 PSA slabs, and I’m planning to add another 250–300 over time, so the total will likely end up at around 550 slabs.
So far I stored them in shoe boxes with foam padding Today I got 3x Ultra Pro graded card cases for long term storage. The slots are a bit wide for PSA slabs, so they can shift slightly from side to side. To prevent movement, I have have to get some extra padding (~ 5-6mm) to make sure they sit securely.
No they don’t, that’s only if you don’t put them on right and hold the front and back of the case while you’re sliding it on. If you hold the side of the slab while you’re sliding the sleeve on there are zero scratches.
Thank you all for the replies and additional suggestions. I’ve put everything together into a simple comparison table for EU buyers:
Brand
Thickness
Price (EU)
Ultra Pro
thin, feels almost like penny sleeves
~€4.29 / 100
Superior Fit Innovations (SFI) – Standard Fit
40 µm
not available in EU (import only)
Vault X Exact Fit
50 µm
€6.99 / 50
Cardboard Gold
~50 µm (2 mil)
~€8–10 / 50
Superior Fit Innovations (SFI) – Premium Fit
60 µm
not available in EU (import only)
From a protection standpoint, it seems that Vault X, Cardboard Gold, or Superior Fit are the best options. Unfortunately, availability and pricing in the EU are pretty rough, either hard to get or significantly more expensive compared to the US.
If anyone in the EU is reading this and would be interested to collaborate, I’d be happy to coordinate a bulk import to reduce shipping and import costs per pack.
Thanks again for all the input, very helpful discussion.
I would say the ultra pro has a quality in that it is very clear and transparent, with a consistent surface. Sleeves seems to obey this kind of trade off between thickness/sturdiness and transparency/clarity. Since I display my slabs in sleeves this parameter is also important.
I’ve bought from this company for years, in terms of quality I havent found better.
I do prefer their thin sleeves over the thick premium ones. The thick ones i sometimes use when selling because it does add a premium feel but it’s not as good for storage
I’m contrasting these two. I like the regular ones more than the Premium because the plastic isn’t as thick. I find the small amount of extra thickness takes up more space and often makes the slab a tiny bit to wide for a lot of storage boxes
But if you like the heavier feel, the Premium are a good choice
Yep, that’s a downside to the thicker ones. If you’re using a storage case with the foam inserts (Zion case for example) the thicker ones make the slab a little too wide for the slots.
Today I got 3x Ultra Pro graded card cases for long term storage. The slots are a bit wide for PSA slabs, so they can shift slightly from side to side. To prevent movement, I have have to get some extra padding (~ 5-6mm) to make sure they sit securely.
