How do you protect your Magic cards? At the game's start in 1993, nobody was asking that question. The goal was playing with them, early and often. The cards were often released in cardboard 60-card deck boxes like this:
And these were probably the most common method for transporting your decks to a friend's house or local tournament. These boxes (which I love and still prefer) had room only for the cards themselves and a rulebook. But then, Magic got popular- and valuable.
On their own, Magic cards are quick to show wear. Not from any product deficiency; through typical play, cards are subject to:
- the oils and dirt on your hands
- the friction from shuffling
- the particles and friction on the playing surface
This (apparently ancient) website gives Scrye magazine's grading system as an example of how cards wear (and are thus graded, which affects resale value):
Once Magic hit it big, the wear on cards caused two main problems:
1) It diminished a card's value, and
2) made it easier to cheat (since cards develop unique wear patterns on front and back)
Enter card sleeves.
In 1995, Ultra Pro was the first to release card sleeves (specifically designed for games), which protected the cards and made it harder to cheat by marking cards. Like any industry, over time competitors would arise, and products were refined. Today, the three biggest names in the industry (I think; this is just from observation) are KMC, Ultra Pro, and Dragon Shield. And sleeves come in as many colors, finishes, and art prints as you can imagine.
Sleeves are now the norm. Wizards now packages select Magic products with a cardboard deck box sized to hold sleeved cards. More tellingly, they've produced double-sided cards (starting with the Innistrad block in 2011), meaning they expect players to sleeve up. Finally, using sleeves has become so common that they're mentioned in the Magic Tournament Rules:
But wait- there's more! I don't know when they came into use, but many players now double-sleeve their cards. Yes, double-sleeve. Why? Single-sleeved cards are still exposed to the air, dust/dirt can still get inside, etc. A second sleeve- smaller and placed on the card from the opposite side- creates an air-tight pocket for your card, prevents contact with any contaminants, and thus provides extra protection. This video shows the how and why of double-sleeving:
You can even play under water, apparently (start at 11:13):
Wow.
Let's talk sizes.
63mm x 88mm - Magic card size
64mm x 89mm - typical inner sleeve size
66mm x 91mm - typical outer sleeve size
See how tight those inner sleeves are. Impressive.
Now, the downsides of single- or double-sleeving:
- it's more expensive (perhaps $2-3 for a pack of 100 inner sleeves and $10 for 100 outer)
- it takes a long time to sleeve your cards
- it's more laborious to swap cards into/out of your deck
- sleeved cards take more room to store
It's not for everyone. And if you're playing with cheap cards, I say forget about sleeving entirely. But if your deck is full of $20+ singles, and/or you play with the same decks repeatedly, and/or you have young children with no regard for your personal property, sleeving may be the right choice for you. Personally, I've never double-sleeved, but I do keep my absolute favorite decks single-sleeved, ready to go.
And these were probably the most common method for transporting your decks to a friend's house or local tournament. These boxes (which I love and still prefer) had room only for the cards themselves and a rulebook. But then, Magic got popular- and valuable.
On their own, Magic cards are quick to show wear. Not from any product deficiency; through typical play, cards are subject to:
- the oils and dirt on your hands
- the friction from shuffling
- the particles and friction on the playing surface
This (apparently ancient) website gives Scrye magazine's grading system as an example of how cards wear (and are thus graded, which affects resale value):
Once Magic hit it big, the wear on cards caused two main problems:
1) It diminished a card's value, and
2) made it easier to cheat (since cards develop unique wear patterns on front and back)
Enter card sleeves.
In 1995, Ultra Pro was the first to release card sleeves (specifically designed for games), which protected the cards and made it harder to cheat by marking cards. Like any industry, over time competitors would arise, and products were refined. Today, the three biggest names in the industry (I think; this is just from observation) are KMC, Ultra Pro, and Dragon Shield. And sleeves come in as many colors, finishes, and art prints as you can imagine.
Sleeves are now the norm. Wizards now packages select Magic products with a cardboard deck box sized to hold sleeved cards. More tellingly, they've produced double-sided cards (starting with the Innistrad block in 2011), meaning they expect players to sleeve up. Finally, using sleeves has become so common that they're mentioned in the Magic Tournament Rules:
3.10 Sleeves
Players may use plastic card sleeves or other protective devices on cards. If a player chooses to use card sleeves, all sleeves must be identical and all cards in their deck must be placed in the sleeves in an identical manner. If the sleeves feature holograms or other similar markings, cards must be inserted into the sleeves so these markings appear only on the faces of the cards.
During a match, a player may request that a judge inspect an opponent’s card sleeves. The judge may disallow the card sleeves if they believe they are marked, worn, or otherwise in a condition or of a design that interferes with shuffling or game play. In the interest of efficiency, the judge may choose to delay any change of sleeves until the end of the match.
Competitive and Professional Rules Enforcement Level tournaments impose additional restrictions on sleeves. Highly reflective backs are not allowed. Sleeves with hologram patterns across some or all of the sleeve front or back are not allowed. Sleeves with artwork on their backs may be subjected to additional scrutiny, especially if there is no solid border around the edges.
When using sleeves on double-faced cards, sleeves must be completely opaque.
The Head Judge is the final authority on what sleeves are allowed.Note that sleeves, like cards, can wear and thus be investigated/disqualified at tournaments. In addition, some crafty people have even figured out how to read a card by its reflection of the card sleeve under it, so be wary of sleeves with a higher degree of reflectivity. If you're playing in tournaments.
But wait- there's more! I don't know when they came into use, but many players now double-sleeve their cards. Yes, double-sleeve. Why? Single-sleeved cards are still exposed to the air, dust/dirt can still get inside, etc. A second sleeve- smaller and placed on the card from the opposite side- creates an air-tight pocket for your card, prevents contact with any contaminants, and thus provides extra protection. This video shows the how and why of double-sleeving:
You can even play under water, apparently (start at 11:13):
Wow.
Let's talk sizes.
63mm x 88mm - Magic card size
64mm x 89mm - typical inner sleeve size
66mm x 91mm - typical outer sleeve size
See how tight those inner sleeves are. Impressive.
Now, the downsides of single- or double-sleeving:
- it's more expensive (perhaps $2-3 for a pack of 100 inner sleeves and $10 for 100 outer)
- it takes a long time to sleeve your cards
- it's more laborious to swap cards into/out of your deck
- sleeved cards take more room to store
It's not for everyone. And if you're playing with cheap cards, I say forget about sleeving entirely. But if your deck is full of $20+ singles, and/or you play with the same decks repeatedly, and/or you have young children with no regard for your personal property, sleeving may be the right choice for you. Personally, I've never double-sleeved, but I do keep my absolute favorite decks single-sleeved, ready to go.
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