Every Magic: The Gathering player knows the thrill of cracking open a powerful or uncommon card. That feeling of inserting a desired mythic rare from a booster pack is at the heart of the MTG experience. But what happens after that? Irrespective of if your collection is a binder full of your favorite rares or a box of commons to create a deck, protection is important. A protected collection maintains its condition, conserves its value, and keeps your cards battle-ready for years to come.

If you are a new player or an old-school collector, this book will guide you through how to properly care for and protect your valuable MTG cards. The First Line of Defense: Card Sleeves

If you only do one thing to protect your cards, make it this. Card sleeves are the single most important tool for preserving the condition of your collection, especially for cards you play with.

Why They're Needed: Sleeves protect your cards from the most common types of abuse: shufflemat wear, surface scuffs, fingerprints, and minor spills. Playing with unsleeved cards ("raw-dogging it") will quickly lead to whitened edges and scuffed surfaces, dramatically reducing a card's condition and value.

Choosing the Right Sleeves:

• Inner Sleeves ("Perfect Fits"): These are the thin, snug inner sleeves that wrap closely around your card. They are used in addition to standard sleeves for "double-sleeving," giving absolute protection from moisture and dust.
• Standard Sleeves: These are what most players use on their decks. Dragon Shield, Ultimate Guard Katana, and Ultra Pro Eclipse are favorites within the community due to the durability and shuffle-feel they provide. Choose a color and finish (matte or glossy) that you like!
• Penny Sleeves: The economical option, these thin, transparent sleeves are great for storing bulk commons and uncommons that you're not playing with right now.

Pro-Tip: Sleeve every card that you plan to play with, even the inexpensive ones. Consistency is the best policy. Storing Your

Collection: Binders and Boxes

Once your cards are sleeved, you'll want to store them somewhere safe. Your storage method will likely be a function of the value and utilization of the card. Binders are the classic way of flaunting your most sought-after cards, which are readily accessible and traded.

Best Practices for Binders:

• Use Side-Loading Pages: Standard top-loading pages can cause cards to fall out. Side-loading pages keep cards much safer.
• Seek Quality: Spend money on a sturdy, zip-up binder. This adds another level of protection from dust and possible mishaps. Companies such as Ultra Pro and Ultimate Guard make great, high-quality binders specifically for collectors.
• Don't Overstuff: Never try to fit more than a single card in one slot unless the page is specifically designed for it. This can bend your cards in the long term.

For Your Decks and Bulk: Storage Boxes

For the majority of your bulk and your pre-constructed decks, storage boxes are the way to go.

• Deck Boxes: A good deck box is an essential item for every player. Search for strong, hard-plastic boxes that will keep your deck safe in your backpack. Several deck boxes even have a dedicated area for dice and counters.
• Bulk Storage Boxes: For your commons and uncommons, you can utilize cardboard longboxes (typically available at your friendly neighborhood game store) as an inexpensive and effective way of storing thousands of cards. Alphabetize them, by set, or by color so that it'll be a breeze to build decks off of them in the future.

Environmental Factors: The Silent Killers

Where you store your collection is just as important as what you store it in.

• Avoid Humidity and Direct Sunlight: Humidity can bend and warp cards, and direct sunlight will slowly cause the artwork colors to fade. Keep your collection in an unheated, dry place with no windows. Basements and attics that have fluctuating temperature and humidity levels are typically not ideal.
• Keep Them Safe: Keep your collection off the ground in order to prevent it from being damaged by accidental spilling or flooding.

By following these easy measures, your Magic: The Gathering collection will be kept in top form, ready for your next game night and safe as a long-term asset.