Binders
Table of Contents
Terminologies
The binding of the binder
This refers to the outside of the binder. It can be made of different materials and some binders come with nice artwork on it.
Sheets/pages
The sheets in the binder are the pages where you slide in your cards. There are top en sideloading sheets and even options to store your toploaders en semi regids.
Binder size
The size of the binder refers to the total of cards you can store on one sheet, often referred to as pockets. The most common sizes are 4, 9, 12 and 16-pockets. Most popular zip binders come with side loading sheets.
Binder capacity
The capacity of the binder refers to the total cards you can store in the binder. For a 9-pocket binder 360 cards is very common and for a 12-pocket 480 cards.
Binding types
Zip Binders
A zip binder is a binder that closes with a zipper around the edges. This binder keeps everything sealed so cards don’t fall out or get dirty.
Pro: Offers great protection against dust en moisture.
Cons: A bit bulkier en more expensive than strap binders. Smaller sized binders don’t lay flat on the surface.
My favorite brands: Gemloader and Vault X
Strap Binders
A strap binder uses an elastic band to keep it closed instead of a zipper. It doesn’t fully seal, but it still holds your cards securely in place. These binders are usually sleek, lightweight, and easy to flip through, which makes them great for casual use, deck building, or taking to local events.
Pro: Lightweight and less expensive
Con: Doesn’t seal all the way, so cards have less protection from dust, moisture, or accidentally slipping out.
Ring Binders
A ring binder uses metal rings to hold card sheets, allowing you to easily add, remove, or rearrange pages. If you choose this type of binder, it’s important to use a D-ring binder. O-rings or round rings don’t align the sheets evenly, which can cause pressure on the inner edge of the pages. Over time, this can bend or damage cards stored near the ring area.
Pro: Easy to rearrange, add, or remove sheets.
Con: If you use the wrong ring type or overpack it, your cards can get damaged.
Sheet types
Side loading
With side-loading sheets, you slide your cards into the pocket from the side instead of the top. This design helps hold the cards more securely in place, especially when you are flipping through the binder or carrying it around.
Pro: Cards stay more secure and are less likely to slip out.
Con: Maybe a little harder to slide the card in the pocket.
Top loading
Top-loading sheets allow you to slide cards into the pocket from the top. However, because the opening is at the top, cards can shift or slide out if the binder is stored upside down or handled roughly.
When I started collecting the “base set” as a kid, top-loading sheets were the standard. As a returning collector a lot of binders now contain side loading sheets.
Pro: Fast and convenient for inserting and removing cards, especially when reorganizing.
Con: Cards are more likely to slip out if the binder is tilted, shaken, or turned upside down.
Toploader & Semi Regid
Toploaders and semi-rigid sleeves are hard or semi-hard protective holders designed to keep cards safe from bending, scratches, and other physical damage. They are commonly used for high-value, graded, or collectible cards. While they are bulkier and don’t fit in standard binder pages, there are now specialized sheet types made specifically to hold toploaders and semi-rigid sleeves, allowing you to safely store them in binders as well.
Pro: Makes it possible to protect your expensive card and put them in a binder.
Con: Bulkier than regular sheets.
My favorite brand: Gemloader
