STORING TRADING CARD WRAPPERS - Three Techniques
A Guide By CaptKirk42

This Guide talks about three ways to store Trading Card Wrappers safely. I'm not sure if anyone else has written a guide like this.

For those folks who collect the wrappers that trading cards are packaged in, there are several ways to store your precious wrappers without damaging them. I'm not talking about tossing them into the back of a junk drawer, or into the bottom of a storage/filing box where it won't be uncovered until your next move or when your family is cleaning up your estate after your funeral. There may be many more ways to keep them safe but I am going to talk about three that I have either used, still use or plan to use. Each of these techniques will keep your precious wrappers safe from the elements. Of course keep them out of direct sunlight too.

SOME BACKGROUND ON TRADING CARD MANUFACTURING AND WRAPPERS
(I might be wrong on some of my facts but this is the basic gist).

First before I go into the storage techniques I'd like to mention how Trading Cards are packaged. There are usually two main ways cards are packaged. The first and most common is for the cards to be randomly packed into a wrapper made of plastic, mylar, cello, foil or paper 4, 5, 8, 10, 15 or so to a pack. These numbers vary from set to set. In the old days, when cards were packaged with gum (thus the name Gum Cards), they used wax paper so these packs are often called "WAX PACKS". Now-a-days the packs are usually some form of plastic or foil. These newer packs are often harder to open without damaging them. Up until the early 1990s trading card packs used to also be sold with a stick of bubble gum, so some folks call trading cards GUM CARDS (The decendants of the tobacco cards which started the whole trading card mess). Individual packs are packed in a display box of 36 packs or so, and then the boxes are shipped to the card shops in cases of 6 or 12 or 24 or whatever boxes to a case. The other way is for the cards to be packaged directly into a box as a FACTORY SET without a wrapper. This is a full set of a particular card series individually packaged specially for collectors, each box is then part of a case that is sent to the stores. Now there are some collectors of the Packs, and some people collect the boxes, and maybe a few extreme collectors with big bucks will go for the full cases.

Now first if you want to collect wrappers unopened and still sealed, then congratulations you are a WAX PACK Collector. But if you just want the art work of the wrapper, then this guide has three different ways you can enjoy your collection. Some collectors prefer to have the wrappers almost prestine and completely flat. Others may want to have them still folded looking like they have cards in them.

FROM PACK TO WRAPPER
Now then unless you manage to get a prestine wrapper fresh from the factory that has never been sealed around a handfull of cards, you will have to unwrap or unseal a pack of cards. The older style WAX PACKS are much easier to unwrap without damaging than some of these plastic and foil wrappers. I haven't figured out the best way to store the foil ones.

Storage Technique One:
One way to store the wrappers either flat or folded (rewrapped as it were) is to place them in protective sheets like trading cards and then place the sheets into notebook binders with either "D" shaped rings or "U" shaped rings. A two pocket sheet seems to be almost the right size for fully flat wrappers, and possibly a 4 pocket sheet for open (but not fully opened flat) modern foil and plastic wrappers that don't like opening up all the way. Regular notebook binders with a standard "O" ring will curl not only the sheet but also the cards, or in this case wrappers closest to the binder rings. Of course you don't want to overload your binder because this will also cause damage to your collection. This is the way I have stored my wrappers for several years, before that I used to just keep them loose in a small box UGH. Most of the wrappers in my personal collection are stored in a binder in this way.

Storage Technique Two:
For those collectors who like to keep their wrappers flat, here is a way I think is real cool. First place your wrapper on a sturdy piece of cardboard, or cardstock that is of course slightly larger than the dimentions of your wrapper. Then either place it in a protective sleeve or bag and seal if you wish. You can also use plastic wrap to wrap-around the cardboard, keeping the wrapper in place. This technique I noticed when I was shipped a wrapper from another Ebay Seller. I think for flat storage this is the greatest, especially if the cardboard or cardstock is good acid-free. I have tried using this technique with the newer foil wrappers or plastic wrappers but they have a tendancy to rip and tear often making it difficult to open up completely keep them for collecting. The newer wrappers also have to be opened very carefully to be displayed flat or to even be considered to be part of a collection of wrappers. If you want it to look pretty, then you need to use white cardstock or make sure the side you are going to mount your wrapper on is a solid color or maybe has a pattern of somekind that compliments the wrapper. I plan on using this technique for wrappers I plan on selling.

Storage Technique Three:
This technique I found out about when I got a card set shipped to me with the wrapper. I have been using it since for my personal collection and in the process of making it the only way for my collection. By using this technique you can store your wrappers with the cards that came in them. First you get a piece of cardboard or cardstock and cut it down to the size of the cards your wrapper originally contained. Then you carefully "rewrap" your wrapper around this faux card in the way the cards were originally wrapped in the pack. The fold lines on the wrapper help you out in this. You could use a regular card that you don't care about or maybe a very common super-over-produced card from the series that is from your wrapper, but I use the plain cardstock/cardboard way. That way there is no wondering what card is still in there? Do Not tape or glue the pack shut, unless you don't ever plan on reselling your wrapper. Then you carefully very carefully put your wrapper (that is now wrapped around a piece of cardboard) into a penny sleeve or a team bag if you want extra room. And now you have your wrapper looking like a faux wax pack and can store it along with the cards that originally came in it. I have tried using this technique with the newer foil wrappers or plastic wrappers but they have a tendancy wrinkle and crinkle up making it difficult to display them nicely.

Thank you and happy Collecting,

CaptKirk42

AKA: Kirk Andersen

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Original Draft Submitted on 23 January, 2007 - Left in Guide Glitch Limbo until 20 February, 2007 -  Updated 23 February, 2007 by Kirk L. Andersen