Hi!
I’m having a bit of a dilemma about which binders to use.
I was using D-ring binders from Ultra Pro when I was still collecting full sets. That was end of XY and beginning of Sun and Moon. It was fine for a while, but the sheer amount of cards made me switch to other binders. I moved to storing anything above holos in Ultra pro premium strap binders, and holos and below in regular storage boxes (modern only).
I’m now 10 binders in. My allocated shelf row is full of them. They do look amazing, and feel great to the touch. However, I noticed two issues the other day and I can’t not think about them.
One. While I’m confident that the strap itself is not applying bad stress to the cards (I double-sleeve, binders are full, the strap is far from the cards), the bulge where the strap is attached to on the cover is inducing some bending on the third column of the first and last pages. No lasting damage, but that was a clear deal breaker for me, on top of the strap being an annoyance when taking out and putting back the binders on the shelf. I had a strap get entangled in the binder next to it too many times, and that’s not good. As the binders age, I’m afraid the cardboard is going to loosen up and apply pressure further through the pages. Some covers of my recently purchased ones already look bent.
Two. The spine bulge. This is a known issue that starts to happen sometimes not even half-way through filling the binder. Doing a bit of research, this seems to be an issue for all but the Dragon shield codex, which is no longer produced (and gets a strap anyway, so a no go for me).
Bonus : I can’t open them like a binder and have them laying flat on your desk/table/whatever. Also depending on what you put in binders, you can’t rearrange easily without shifting everything.
So I’m asking you people: did you run into these issues, and if yes, what did you do about it?
I’m considering two options:
Deal with the spine bulge and go for zip binders (looking at the Ultimate guard xenoskin 9-pocket ones). Vault X didn’t convince me on the bulge, seems the Ultimate guard is better in that regard. I don’t really need the zip as they’re staying home and the shelf is closed with a door, so no dust particles getting in anyway, but at least there’d be no strap getting entangled…
D-ring binders, but thinner ones to have less bulk and weight inside of them. I still have my black side-loading pages from ultra pro. The ultimate guard slim binders look nice enough, but I’m wondering if “dual” D-ring binders exist, or if even thinner ones exist.
I personally have noticed the cover and first page warping on one of my strap binders too. Ive really only started noticing the spine buldging recently.
For the former, as you mentioned, zipper binders might be a good alternative, but be aware (i use the ultra pro zips) they tend to be a bit larger than the standard strap binders, to the point that they literally do not fit on the same shelf for me lol. Additionally, i have some hard cover strap binders from ultra pro, which is basically the perfect answer imo if u dont want zip binders, they fit on my shelf, and the hard cover protects against the warping.
As for spine buldge-- i think until they start binding binders like books we may be SOL lol. I dont know the name of that typical binding style, but you get the point. I know a lot of people on e4 swear by ring binders, which would probably also help.
I’m still on my own binder / album / portfolio journey, so I can’t claim to have the answer - but perhaps you might like to check out Dragon Shield’s Card Codex Zipster Binder? I have not tried them myself, but they look to meet some of your requirements;
Excellent point for the added size. I checked and they actually would not fit. Thanks for the heads-up!
As for the Ultra pro hard cover strap binders, that’s exactly what I have. I’m just getting bad feeling about the strap itself and attach point. The cards near it in full binders actually get bent where the strap is.
The sideview also show a bit of compression towards the extremities. I’m not using the straps anymore, but they get entangled easily, so maybe I should just cut them and try to remove the bulge on the cover.
I don’t think the bulge is a concern, as it’s possibly the covers bending, but not the card pages. Still, I generally don’t use the strap unless I’m taking it somewhere, just in case. I prefer Protection Dex binders, myself. Their covers are a bit sturdier than UP and others, and the strap is thicker, so less focused pressure. (It still bends a little). The covers on Dex are also padded more, which takes up a little more room, but protects a little better at times.
The Japanese Pokemon Precious Collector box binder is absolutely the best I’ve used, even when compared to Ultimate Guard(which imo is the best/luxury brand for collection). I swapped out all my old binders and bought 5 of those precious binders. I’ve always had issues sliding in cards with standard Ultra Pro penny sleeves because they get caught in the sides but never had issues with this one. Highly recommend.
I’ve never understood why people use strap binders. Best scenario, it does its job to hold everything together. Worst scenario, it damages the cards and leads to more dust/particles to enter your binder pages. Just seems useless when zippers exist.
My recommendation is to buy a zipper binder and to store them with the spine of the binder facing upward. That will prevent the cards from laying heavily on each other as they will be hanging.
I see… something ive also considered doing that you could try is stretching the strap so its not as tight. Like leave it open and stick something between the strap and cover for a day or few to stretch the strap out a bit. Ive some binders where the strap is more tight than others. Just a potential thought!
I’ve always been against ringed binders and they will eventually end up creasing the cards in the column up against the rings. VaultX and many others make amazing zipper binders. If you are worried about warping as can happen with long term storage, you can lay them flat and stack them so the weight is distributed evenly. It’s always good to review how you’re archiving things, such as replacing the penny sleeves after every couple years (or less), moisture that may have gotten in, etc etc. Generally as long as you don’t over utilize ringed binders, you’re in the clear - it’ll just be small stuff that bothers you personally.
