Collecting Storing Pokemon Cards Upright vs On Their Side?

[NERVPilot01]

Hey everyone, I've got a question that I can't seem to find any discussions on anywhere else around the web.

I usually use those cardboard boxes that house the cards on their side for my TCG collection, but I recently purchased a shoebox from BCW that allows the cards to stand upright rather than on their side.

I really prefer this method, especially because it's easier for me to locate cards, but was wondering if there's any cons to storing them like this, particularly whether or not the cards are more prone to bending when stored upright rather than on their sides.

If it makes a difference each card is in a penny sleeve (holos, reverses, and more rare cards double sleeved).

 

[Shiny Shinx]

Mirror holos, early BW-block secret rares (Pikachu BW & Meowth NV), WotC-era holographic rares (particularly those with star foil, rather than cosmos) and certain ex-series reverse holos are prone to bending naturally, due to the materials used in them, and there's not a whole lot that can be done about it. It happens faster with cards that are frequently handled or played, but even NM cards can warp over time. I don't think the storage orientation matters too much, storing them on their sides might be a little bit worse for the problem cards I listed above, since their weight would push down along the same axis as the bend in the card, but with ordinary non-holo cards, neither orientations should pose any sort of problem.

~SS

 

[NERVPilot01]

Mirror holos, early BW-block secret rares (Pikachu BW & Meowth NV), WotC-era holographic rares (particularly those with star foil, rather than cosmos) and certain ex-series reverse holos are prone to bending naturally, due to the materials used in them, and there's not a whole lot that can be done about it. It happens faster with cards that are frequently handled or played, but even NM cards can warp over time. I don't think the storage orientation matters too much, storing them on their sides might be a little bit worse for the problem cards I listed above, since their weight would push down along the same axis as the bend in the card, but with ordinary non-holo cards, neither orientations should pose any sort of problem.

~SS

Thanks, Shiny. I never considered that storing certain cards on their sides might actually be worse. Definitely makes me feel better about deciding to go with storing them upright!

 

[Purrloin]

I haven't noticed any difference in storing cards on their side vs. standing, when it comes to bending. It seems to happen to me in either case. I do take a few steps towards preventing bending, however:

- I put every Ultra Rare and particularly valuable card into soft sleeve and hard sleeve.
- Every holo goes into a Binder in back-to-back style, so their natural inclination to bend fights against each other and tends to stop it pretty well.
- Every reverse goes into a sleeve and into a rowed shoebox, and I put a piece of foam (the same width of the row, though snug enough to not move) at one end of the row of cards which keeps all the reverses tightly packed together. I highly recommend this method for at least reverses; every card shop I've been to have had some of these pre-cut for purchase, otherwise you can go to a hobby store for a larger piece of foam to cut.