Storing booster packs ?

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magic-belgium
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Storing booster packs ?

Post by magic-belgium » Fri Sep 11, 2009 8:02 pm

Hello,

Is anyone collecting full booster packs ? How do you store them so that they can be displayed ? (I don't like cards to be put in boxes but rather in 9 pocket pages for instance).

9 Pocket pages are not good as the packs are too heavy.

Please help.

GlobalBoosterHunter
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Post by GlobalBoosterHunter » Sat Mar 17, 2012 12:07 pm

I know this is an old thread and you have already solved the problem but I thought it would save starting a new one on the same subject.

Up until recently all my boosters were stored in cardboard shoe boxes, which have the benefit of being stackable, offer good protection, and thanks to my wife, are in plentiful supply.

However, living in the sub tropics, the humidity and lack of circulating air in the cupboards has caused the boxes to become mildewed. Fortunately all the boosters were sealed in ziplock glad bags with all the silica bags which came with the shoe boxes.

I also got to the point that despite having a spreadsheet I had to keep going through the boxes, e.g. to find out if the boosters were traditional or simplified Chinese and it was a bit of a mess.

I decided to look at other options for storage and found a few solutions.

For the extras and the foreign boosters I have put them into Cigarette Card Albums

http://www.cigarettecards.co.uk/storage.htm

The 3 vertical pockets (No.3) are 175mm high by 74mm wide and fit quite snuggly, occasionally a little too tight on some of the boosters. I noticed the Fourth Edition wrappers are a lot looser than other editions and tend to wrinkle. I guess the pages will eventually stretch but I might just get some cardboard forms to do the stretching.

Image

Unfortunately you can’t get a full set on one page but the dust jacket is a bonus and there is a clip to hold the pages down so the rings won’t dig into the boosters if the album isn’t handled properly.

Each album can hold 30 15-card boosters.

Image

For the English language collection I have them housed in Lighthouse Grande (A4 sized) albums with dust jackets.

Image

I had a look at a few different pages to house them. The Ultra-pro 6 card pages are too tight to fit the boosters. The Cosmic 6 pockets are also too tight at 70mm wide.

I found some pages designed for holding medals which are the right size, made by safe albums http://www.safealbums.co.uk/Zen/index.p ... ts_id=2103

Not cheap at £0.90 but when you buy bulk, which you need to, the price drops to about £0.82 each

Between the pages I used the Lighthouse black interleaves, not necessary but they make the albums look a bit better.
http://www.lighthouse.us/epages/lightho ... /GRANDEZWL

Image

Each album will hold 36 15-card boosters. You can get an extra large version but I had already bought the smaller size and they don’t come in black.

Image

I also put the boosters in polypropylene bags sealed with tape, this gives them a bit more protection from the damp and from scuffs. Probably not necessary but it makes them easier to handle without damaging.

I also ordered some self adhesive flags, the idea being that I am going to have all the boosters with the same wrapper on the same page with the flags to help distinguish them.

Image


The only reason I am allowed MTG in the living room...

Image

So I am keen to know how others store, protect and display their boosters, I saw the impressive laser cut carry case, what else is available?

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Post by dry cereal » Sat Mar 17, 2012 5:03 pm

that post just blew my mind

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Post by Keevy Bogsbury » Sat Mar 17, 2012 6:09 pm

Wow...

That is so cool. Your organization skills are amazing. =D>

Seeing this, especially the photo of the nice booklet with boosters displayed in it makes me want to start collecting boosters! I must resist! :-P

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Post by Gits » Sat Mar 17, 2012 9:45 pm

Wonderful

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Post by caquaa » Sat Mar 17, 2012 10:05 pm

GlobalBoosterHunter wrote:I also ordered some self adhesive flags, the idea being that I am going to have all the boosters with the same wrapper on the same page with the flags to help distinguish them.

Image

German, French, Japanese, etc, ..... Pirates?! Or are the skull and crossbones ones for the boosters your wife will kill you if you buy? beta, summer, etc... heh

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Post by yvel » Sat Mar 17, 2012 10:09 pm

caquaa wrote: German, French, Japanese, etc, ..... Pirates?! Or are the skull and crossbones ones for the boosters your wife will kill you if you buy? beta, summer, etc... heh
Or if she discover prices, she will kill him :)

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Post by Hayden » Sat Mar 17, 2012 10:47 pm

Awesome post. The albums look amazing. =D>

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Post by GlobalBoosterHunter » Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:33 pm

I justified getting the Jolly Rogers because I have some fake boosters, but really, who wouldn't want pirate flag stickers anyway?

As I discovered last year, it is never too late to start a booster collection, it just gets more expensive as time goes on.

The trick is to get shipments of boosters delivered to your sister in the next town or your Mum in the UK. Then smuggle them into the house. Once they are in the house they all look the same to her anyway!

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Post by mystical_tutor » Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:41 pm

I am specially interested in the clips. Are these something that came with a certain binder or were you able to find these seperatly?

Gary

Humm, no Korean or Russian Federation flags.....
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Post by GlobalBoosterHunter » Sun Mar 18, 2012 12:22 am

The clips came with the smaller albums, I am still on the lookout for clips for a 4-ring binder.

There are probably Korean flags in there somewhere, I went with the USSR flag because it is more easily recognised as Russia than their new flag, just laziness on my part really.

Edit: Apparently they are called 'compressor bars' and sofar I can only find them for 2-ring binders http://www.bcwoffice.com/cgi/products.p ... 4&t=65&r=1

but I will keep looking for the four rings

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Post by mystical_tutor » Sun Mar 18, 2012 3:36 am

Actually, my binders are three ring. If you see any for that size please let me know. Wonder if there are any way of adapting them.... probably not.

Thanks much for the research.

Gary

Hay buddy, I was just kidding about the flags.....

GlobalBoosterHunter wrote:The clips came with the smaller albums, I am still on the lookout for clips for a 4-ring binder.

There are probably Korean flags in there somewhere, I went with the USSR flag because it is more easily recognised as Russia than their new flag, just laziness on my part really.

Edit: Apparently they are called 'compressor bars' and sofar I can only find them for 2-ring binders http://www.bcwoffice.com/cgi/products.p ... 4&t=65&r=1

but I will keep looking for the four rings
Gary Adkison
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Post by GlobalBoosterHunter » Sun Mar 18, 2012 5:52 am

Three ring is an American thing as far as I know, most of the companies I go through are European.

They don't look hard to make though (famous last words)

Alibaba has quite a few wire and plastic verisons but I don't need 1000 minimum order. I did see some of the plastic ones with three holes, not equidistant, so probably adaptable for either 2 or 3 ring.

http://www.stationerybrands.com.au/stor ... ategory=73

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Post by mystical_tutor » Sun Mar 18, 2012 3:45 pm

Just to show my lack of knowledge about international collecting. I didn't realize that difference existed--just assumed the whole world was 3-ring...doh.

Actually the 3-ring is equidistant so those would not work. The design looks good though.

At present I am using rubber washers that I buy at ACE hardware. No quantity price and ackward to use.

Thanks much for the info though. I might be able to buy a couple of those, cut them up and get bottom clips that would prevent page slippage.

Gary
GlobalBoosterHunter wrote:Three ring is an American thing as far as I know, most of the companies I go through are European.

They don't look hard to make though (famous last words)

Alibaba has quite a few wire and plastic verisons but I don't need 1000 minimum order. I did see some of the plastic ones with three holes, not equidistant, so probably adaptable for either 2 or 3 ring.

http://www.stationerybrands.com.au/stor ... ategory=73
Gary Adkison
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Knowledge is proud because it thinks it knows so much; wisdom is humble because it realizes it knows so little.

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Post by Alien_Starfighter_Pilot » Sun Mar 18, 2012 11:12 pm

mystical_tutor wrote:I am specially interested in the clips. Are these something that came with a certain binder or were you able to find these seperatly?

Gary

Humm, no Korean or Russian Federation flags.....
I see that it is the Korean and Italian flags that are missing.

Curious, also, that you are using the Brazilian flag instead of the Portuguese flag (yes, I know they speak Portuguese in Brazil - I'm something of a purist at times though) and USA instead of UK.

But I absolutely love the work you've put into the presentation aspect of your collection. Truly professional-looking! I was putting packs in those 4-pocket pages (you know, for Vanguard cards, etc), and this just blows my method of storage/presentation away.

Do you have a list of the boosters you are looking for online somewhere?

Clay

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