What Thickness of Card Holder Do I Need?
With the increased popularity of memorabilia sports cards comes increased confusion on what thickness of card holders you need to protect your prized cards. Card thickness (depth) is often measured in points. One point is equivalent to .001 inches or .0254 millimeters.
A simple method to determine the correct thickness of a card is to use a Card Thickness Point Gauge. These gauges are located on BCW toploader and magnetic card holder packages. You can also download a printable Card Thickness Point Gauge (PDF). If you print the gauges, make sure to print the sheet at 100% scale (no print scaling like “fit to page”) to get accurate sizing.
There are lots of choices when deciding how to protect your cards. You can use 9-Pocket Pages to place cards in an Album, or you can use individual card holders. We have listed most of the BCW and Pro-Mold Card Holders below. To simplify the decision, first determine what size you need. Most cards are 2½ inches wide x 3½ inches high, but dimensions can vary. Then check the thickness using your Card Thickness Point Gauge. After you have determined the size, select your desired closing method: snap, 1-screw, 4-screw, magnetics, toploaders, or semi-rigids.
Interior W x H in Inches | Depth in Points | Description | Brand | Closing Method | SKU |
2½ x 3½ | 20-pts. | BCW Mini Snap | BCW | Mini Snap | 1-MS |
2½ x 3½ | 20-pts. | Pro-Mold Mini Snap Display Box | Pro-Mold | Mini Snap | PM-PC1D |
2½ x 3½ | 20-pts. | Pro-Mold Mini Snap Blank Packaging | Pro-Mold | Mini Snap | PM-PC1B |
2½ x 3½ | 20-pts. | BCW Regular Snap | BCW | Snap | 1-RS |
2½ x 3½ | 20-pts. | Improved Mini Snap | Pro-Mold | Mini Snap | PM-PC1II |
2 5/9 x 3½ | 70-pts. | Action Packed Mini Snap | Pro-Mold | Mini Snap | PM-PC3 |
2⅔ x 3 8/9 | 30-pts. | Pre-57 Holder | Pro-Mold | Mini Snap | PM-PC4 |
2 5/9 x 3½ | 120-pts. | Real Thick Card | Pro-Mold | Mini Snap | PM-PC20 |
2 1/16 x 2½ | 30-pts. | 1948-1950 Bowman | Pro-Mold | 1-Screw | PM-PC48 |
2 3/16 x 3 | 20-pts. | Topps & Bowman Minis | Pro-Mold | 1-Screw | PM-PC21 |
2 1/16 x 3 1/8 | 20-pts. | 1951-1952 Bowman | Pro-Mold | 1-Screw | PM-PC51 |
2 5/8 x 3¾ | 30-pts. | 1952-1956 Topps | Pro-Mold | 1-Screw | PM-PC52 |
2 ½ x 3¾ | 30-pts. | 1953-1955 Bowman | Pro-Mold | 1-Screw | PM-PC53 |
2½ x 3½ | 20-pts. | Regular 1-Screw | BCW | 1-Screw | 1-1S |
2 9/16 x 3 9/16 | 50-pts. | Thick Card 1-Screw Holder | BCW | 1-Screw | 1-1S-THICK |
2 9/16 x 3 9/16 | 120-pts. | Super Thick Card1-Screw Holder | BCW | 1-Screw | 1-1S-STHICK |
2½ x 3½ | 20-pts. | Regular 1-Screw | Pro-Mold | 1-Screw | PM-PC5II |
2 5/9 x 3½ | 20-pts. | 1-Screw with Stand | Pro-Mold | 1-Screw | PM-PC13 |
2½ x 3½ | 20-pts. | 1/2″ 1-Screw | Pro-Mold | 1-Screw | PM-PC14 |
2½ x 3½ | 50-pts. | 1/2″ 1-Screw Thick Card | Pro-Mold | 1-Screw | PM-PC15 |
2½ x 3½ | 110-pts. | 1/2″ 1-Screw Real Thick Card | Pro-Mold | 1-Screw | PM-PC16 |
2½ x 3½ | 180-pts. | 1/2″ 1-Screw Super Thick Card | Pro-Mold | 1-Screw | PM-PC17 |
2½ x 3½ | 50-pts. | Thick Card 1-Screw | Pro-Mold | 1-Screw | PM-PC6II |
2 5/9 x 3 5/9 | 120-pts. | Extra Thick Card 1-Screw | Pro-Mold | 1-Screw | PM-PC18II |
1.517 x 2.717 | 20-pts. | 1-Screw T-206 Topps Ginter | Pro-Mold | 1-Screw | PM-PC206 |
n/a | n/a | 4-Screw Non-Recessed | BCW | 4-Screw | 1-4SNR |
n/a | n/a | Pro-Mold 4-Screw Non-Recessed | Pro-Mold | 4-Screw | PM-PC9 |
2½ x 3½ | 4-Screw Recessed | BCW | 4-Screw | 1-4SR | |
2½ x 3½ | 30-pts. | Pro-Mold 4-Screw Recessed | Pro-Mold | 4-Screw | PM-PC11 |
2½ x 3½ | 4 Screw Black Border | BCW | 4-Screw | 1-1CS-B | |
2½ x 3½ | 35-pts. | 35-pts. Magnetic | BCW | Magnetic | 1-MCH-35 |
2½ x 3½ | 55-pts. | 55-pts. Magnetic | BCW | Magnetic | 1-MCH-55 |
2½ x 3½ | 75-pts. | 75-pts. Magnetic | BCW | Magnetic | 1-MCH-75 |
2½ x 3½ | 100-pts. | 100-pts. Magnetic | BCW | Magnetic | 1-MCH-100 |
2½ x 3½ | 180-pts. | 180-pts. Magnetic | BCW | Magnetic | 1-MCH-180 |
2½ x 3½ | 360-pts. | 360-pts. Magnetic | BCW | Magnetic | 1-MCH-360 |
2½ x 3½ | 20-pts. | Pro-Mold Regular Magnetic | Pro-Mold | Magnetic | PM-MH1 |
2½ x 3½ | 50-pts. | 50-pts. Magnetic | Pro-Mold | Magnetic | PM-MH2 |
2½ x 3½ | 120-pts. | 120-pts. Magnetic | Pro-Mold | Magnetic | PM-MH3 |
2 9/16 x 3 9/16 | 180-pts. | 180-pts. Magnetic | Pro-Mold | Magnetic | PM-MH4 |
2½ x 3½ | 80-pts. | 80-pts. Magnetic | Pro-Mold | Magnetic | PM-MH5 |
2½ x 3½ | 150-pts. | 150-pts. Magnetic | Pro-Mold | Magnetic | PM-MH6 |
2¾ x 3½ | Approx.30-pts.. | Acrylic Card Stand Vertical | BCW | Pressure Fit | 1-ACS-V |
2¾ x 3½ | Approx.30-pts.. | Acrylic Card Stand Vertical with Header | BCW | Pressure Fit | 1-ACS-VH |
2¼ x 4¼ | 1/4″ Acrylic 4-Screw | BCW | 4-Screw | 1-A025 | |
2¼ x 4½ | ½” Acrylic 4-Screw | BCW | 4-Screw | 1-A050 | |
2¼ x 4½ | 118-pts. | ½” Acrylic 4-Screw with 3MM Insert | BCW | 4-Screw | A050–A050-I-3MM |
2¼ x 4½ | 1″ Acrylic 4-Screw | BCW | 4-Screw | 1-A100 | |
2¼ x 4½ | 118-pts. | 1″ Acrylic 4-Screw with 3MM Insert | BCW | 4-Screw | A100–A050-I-3MM |
2¼ x 4½ | 235-pts. | 1″ Acrylic 4-Screw with 6MM Insert | BCW | 4-Screw | A100–A100-I-6MM |
2 1/16 x 3 1/8 | 20-pts. | Tobacco Card Toploader | BCW | Topload | 1-TLCH-TBC-25 |
2¾ x 3 7/8 | 20-pts. | 25-Pack Standard Toploader | BCW | Topload | 1-TLCH-N 1-TLCH-100 |
2¾ x 3 7/16 | 20-pts. | 25-Pack Premium Toploader | BCW | Topload | 1-TLCH |
2¾ x 3 7/8 | 20-pts. | Toploader with “Rookie Card” | BCW | Topload | 1-TLCH-RG (Gold) 1-TLCH-RW (White) |
2¾ x 3 7/8 | 20-pts. | Toploader with Color Border | BCW | Topload | 1-TLCH-BK 1-TLCH-BL 1-TLCH-RD 1-TLCH-GR 1-TLCH-WH |
2¾ x 3 7/8 | 50-pts. | Action Packed Toploaders | BCW | Topload | 1-TLCH-TH-1.5MM |
2¾ x 3 7/8 | 79-pts. | Thick Card Toploader | BCW | Topload | 1-TLCH-TH-2MM |
2¾ x 3 7/8 | 108-pts. | Thick Card Toploader | BCW | Topload | 1-TLCH-TH-2.75MM |
2¾ x 3 7/8 | 138-pts. | Thick Card Toploader | BCW | Topload | 1-TLCH-TH-3.5MM |
2¾ x 3 7/8 | 168-pts. | Thick Card Toploader | BCW | Topload | 1-TLCH-TH-4.25MM |
2¾ x 3 7/8 | 197-pts. | Thick Card Toploader | BCW | Topload | 1-TLCH-TH-5MM |
2¾ x 3 7/8 | 240-pts. | Thick Card Toploader | BCW | Topload | 1-TLCH-TH-7MM |
2¾ x 3 7/8 | 360-pts. | Thick Card Toploaders | BCW | Topload | 1-TLCH-TH-9MM |
2¾ x 4 7/8 | 20-pts. | Tall Card Toploader | BCW | Topload | 1-TLCH-TALL |
3 3/16 x 4 1/4 | No inset | Semi-Rigid Holder 1 | BCW | Semi-Rigid | 1-SR1 |
2 7/8 x 3 3/4 | No inset | Semi-Rigid Holder 2 | BCW | Semi-Rigid | 1-SR2 |
3 3/16 x 5 1/8 | No inset | Semi-Rigid Holder 3 – Tall | BCW | Semi-Rigid | 1-SR3 |
Pingback: Card Thickness Scale - Blowout Cards Forums
I am looking for a magnetic loader for a Panini Immaculate Cleat Card. Super thick card, way thicker than my BCW gauge shows, it ends at 360 pt. and the card is thicker than that. I have a few copies of the size guide laminated for ease of use. Any help is appreciated. Thanks
For cards thicker than 360 points, I would recommend a slider box or hinged box. For example, our 25 Count Slider Box has an interior depth of 7/16 inch (437 points).
See all of the sizes at:
https://www.bcwsupplies.com/trading-card/card-cases
I am curious to know what you ended up doing with the Panini Immaculate Cleat Card as I have run into the same exact issue. I tried a 360 pt. case and the cleat portion of the card does in fact protrude beyond that. Did you end up trying a slider or hinged box as one of the comments suggested? I am just curious if that worked, I would like for the card to be secure within the case and not move. Any advice/feedback would be greatly appreciated!
Would love a gauge if there is still one available. Would even consider paying if I have to – first one I have ever seen offered.
Thanks
Please download and print the Card Thickness Gauge from here:
https://www.bcwsupplies.com/pub/downloads/retail/PT-GAUGE-LTR-2018A.pdf
If you cannot print it, let me know. Thanks, Ted
Hi Ted,
This is a broken link
Hey Robert,
It should be working now. Sorry about that!
Hello John-
I am trying to print the scale off and the link is not showing anything again. Thanks.
I’ll pass that along, thanks.
How do I get a card thickness guide? Are sizes referred to differently in Canada? Thanks in advance
Dean, You can print a Card Thickness Gauge here: https://www.bcwsupplies.com/pub/downloads/retail/PT-GAUGE-LTR-2018A.pdf
Point size is a common scale for the card hobby, although many of card products are listed in points and in metric on our website. As an example, these toploaders are listed as 168 points, but the product SKU is 1-TLCH-TH-4.25MM, the equivalent thickness in millimeters. https://www.bcwsupplies.com/thick-card-topload-holder-168-pt
Do they make pages for thicker stock cards so that I can use a binder? If not, what’s the max thickness a standard 9 card page can hold safely? Thanks.
Our 9-Pocket Pages are intended for standard thickness cards, so 35 points thick or less is recommended. For storage I would recommend thick card sleeves, thick toploaders, and a Shoe Box.
I recently bought some Topps Museum collection bass cards I need to know what size OneTouch for them
Does a 20 point or 30 point card holder work for regular cards like 70s 80s cards . Does both work or which do your recommend . If I but one touch holders . Also on penny sleeves and top loaders do I just order standard sleeves and top
Loaders and what point 20 and 35 either ? I am OCD bad and keep wondering all the time sometimes I get 20 point and 35 point both seem
Ok but does it matter . I usually collect 60, 70 , 80, and 90s cards . Thank you very much .
The 20 point and 35 point holders about the same. The difference is 15/1000th of an inch, so it’s hard to notice the difference when the card is in a magnetic. I recommend the 35 pt Magnetics. The penny sleeves (1-SSLV) are best for standard cards. If you have thick cards, we also have Sleeves for Thick Cards (1-SSLV-THICK). For toploaders, our Standard Toploaders are the best value (1-TLCH-N for the 25 ct. packs, or 1-TLCH-100 for the 100 ct. packs). If you have thicker cards, you can view or Thick Card Toploaders at https://www.bcwsupplies.com/catalogsearch/advanced/result/?sku=1-TLCH-TH
What about like Chrome cards? What size mag holder would I need? Thanks
The 35 pt. magnetics are likely the size you would need. However I don’t recommend magnetics for Chromes. It’s my experience the Chromes can scratch easily, so I suggest you get Chromes in a penny sleeve, and then in a toploader.
So many options on what to use to protect my cards. Each one has their own pros and cons. My head is swimming. I know penny sleeve and Toploader are the most common way but toploaders are so hard to store. they don’t fit in your regular white boxes. then there are the snap-tight ones, they do fit in the white boxes but have been known to bend corners and edges. What is the best way to store a card collection?
Eric – We have some boxes that have wide rows to accommodate toploaders, magnetics, and other holders. Our Shoe Box (2 rows) and Super Shoe Box (3 rows) are great for toploaders. More info on this other blog post – https://www.bcwsupplies.com/blog/2017/01/11/boxes-card-holders/
I’m looking for a one touch vertical booklet for a 16 – 20 pt card. I have a Garbage Pail Kids Panoramic Sketch card that I’m looking for a magnetic one touch for. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
BCW only offers magnetics for single cards. For booklet cards, we have toploaders, sleeves, and bags for the toploaders. https://www.bcwsupplies.com/booklet-card-topload-holder-vertical
I have quite a few low numbered 20-21 Leaf ITGU hockey cards and was wondering what size one touch to use and which do you recommend from your site? Looking to purchase asap.
All of the BCW magnetics are sized for 2.5 x 3.5 inch standard cards. The only difference is for the depth of the card. If your cards are thick, you can use a Card Thickness Gauge to determine which Thick Card Magnetics are best for your cards. A link is above where you can print a Card Thickness Gauge. Thanks
Can I put a 59 point hockey card In a 55 point top loader will It fit at all or will this damage my card?
BCW Toploaders are available in a 59 pt. thickness, so your card should fit just right in those. https://www.bcwsupplies.com/3×4-topload-card-holder-59-pt
Hi I am looking for a Toploader for the bass card of 2021 recon basketball. Does anyone know what point it is?
What mini snap would fit a 30 pt (credit card thickness) card?
You can see all of our Mini Snap style card holders here – https://www.bcwsupplies.com/trading-card/holders/snaps . Most are sized for 20 pt. thick cards. A 30 ct. card is 1/100th of an inch thicker, so those 20 pt. snaps should close, but the card will be tight. Please see your Twitter DM reply for other details.
I have a few autographed art sketch cards that are vertical 3-pane booklet (2 folds). The width is slightly wider than 3 standard sized cards side by side.
What options are there? I was considering the large currency holder, but am worried it might not be tall enough.
This custom frame manufacturer might work good for your needs – https://www.ebay.com/str/hardball34sportcardbookletcases
rookie gear card measures 75 pt. exactly…is that size to get or go 1 up?
If the card is unsleeved, use a 75 pt. card holder. If the card is in a Thick Card Penny Sleeve, the sleeve will add about 4 pts. to the depth, so you could go to the next largest size.
Thank you so much! Card companies should print the point thickness on all packs.
Maybe I can help out together shared spreadsheet
Question: I have bought some Topps Now cards. They are 16-18 pt glossy .
Would 22pt or 35pt be better if I use magnetic holder?
BCW’s thinnest magnetic is ha a 35 point recess, while ProMold has a 20 point thick magnetic (regular or a version which is sized to hold a sleeved card). The sleeve will add about 4 points of thickness (4/1000th of an inch). So your card will be snug in the 20pt ProMold, or a bit loose in the 35pt BCW. I don’t hear of complaints about cards being too loose in the 35pt BCW Magnetic though. I think both are good options for you. https://www.bcwsupplies.com/trading-card/holders/magnetics
What is the correct way to put cards into a semi-rigid card holder? I can’t slide the card in without pushing in on the top which feels like it is damaging it. Thanks again!
We recommend you insert your card in a penny sleeve before inserting the sleeved card in the semi-rigid. If you are using the semi-rigids to submit cards to a grading company, using a sleeved card in a semi-rigid is normal. Here’s PSA’s submission guide – https://resources.psacard.com/PSA-How-To-Submit.pdf?v=2021d , but other grading companies might have a different policy. When inserting the sleeved card into the semi-rigid, I normally press on the edges of the semi-rigid, to get some air inside of the holder. The difficulty of inserting the cards is often static friction against the surfaces, so the buffer of air helps. Another thing that helps is to use the larger semi-rigids. The Semi-Rigid #2 are smaller than the Semi-Rigid #1, so you can simply use the larger size which makes inserting the card slightly easier. https://www.bcwsupplies.com/trading-card/sleeves-toploaders
card thickness for panini gold standard cards?
Please line up the edge of that card with a Card Thickness Gauge to get the thickness and identify appropriate card holder. https://www.bcwsupplies.com/pub/downloads/retail/PT-GAUGE-LTR-2018A.pdf
I’m looking for a card thickness gauge and this link is broken. Any way we can get a good link? Thanks.
Found a good link. Thanks.
https://www.bcwsupplies.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/BCW-Card-Gauge.pdf
Hi, I am looking for a reusable slab sleeves that will accommodate PSA’s large slabs for example: 1964 Topps Giants, 1970 and 71 Topps Supers, 1969 and 1970 Topps basketball.
Thanks in advance.
Do you make or carry binders or pages that cards stored in top loaders will fit in?
We don’t currently make a binder or page that holds toploaders specifically, but the Pro 4T photo pages might work. They aren’t designed for holding items that thick, so it won’t be perfect.
Cuanto demora el envío a Puerto Rico?
Desde el día en que se envía el pedido, demora aproximadamente 7 días hábiles. La información de seguimiento dará una fecha más precisa.
What soft sleeve do you use for 360 point cards (eg. Impeccable Silver Bar)? For top loader, I think soft sleeve is a must, do you also recommend soft sleeve for one touch?
Unfortunately, we do not have a penny sleeve sized for 360 pt cards. Our magnetic holders are made of polystyrene, which is considered an archival material. A sleeve isn’t needed, but can help add a layer of protection against accidental scratches, especially on chrome or foil cards. You will want to measure the card in the sleeve to ensure it will fit in your holder.
Thanks for all the good info.
(1) Are any card holders designed in large-enough point sizes to accommodate graded cards & provide them with UV protection? Or is that simply not necessary?
(2) Is there any “best” (i.e., most stable & supportive) height for baseball card stands?
Thanks again.
We don’t have any rigid holders that would work for graded slabs.
As for stands, it’s been my experience that having the height of the stand somewhere between half and 3/4 of the height of the card works best. This can also vary depending on the angle of the card being displayed. I think the best overall option is the small stand.
Thanks for your reply to my previous questions. For the best protection and display purposes, should ungraded cards be kept in a soft sleeve inside a thick (e.g., magnetic) card holder, or just in a thick holder with no soft sleeve? (Or another way?) Thanks again.
Magnetic holders and screwdowns usually don’t require for even fit sleeves, and are only needed for certain chrome cards. There are ProMold magnetics what include a tight fitting sleeve for those cards. I would use a sleeve if you use a toploader unless you’re storing it for a fairly short amount of time.
If you’re just keeping the cards in a box, a penny sleeve is usually enough for protection.