Card savers and toploaders both protect a card, but they do different jobs. Toploaders are rigid and great for storage and shipping. Card savers are semi-rigid and are what PSA and most grading companies prefer when you submit. Here is when to use each one.
What Is a Toploader?
A toploader is a hard, clear plastic holder that a sleeved card slides into from the top. The standard size is 3″ x 4″ and 35pt thick, which fits most base cards and parallels. Thicker cards such as patch cards, relics and autograph cards need thicker toploaders (55pt, 75pt, 100pt and up).
- Very rigid, so the card cannot bend
- Cheap and easy to find
- Ideal for long-term storage, shipping and storage boxes
Shop toploaders or read our full guide on how to protect your cards.
What Is a Card Saver?
A card saver (the best known is the Card Saver I) is a semi-rigid holder with a wider opening and a half-inch lip. It is softer than a toploader, so graders can pull the card out without damaging corners or edges.
- Flexible enough to remove the card safely
- Preferred by PSA for submissions
- Lighter, so it is cheaper to ship in bulk
Shop grading supplies and semi-rigid holders.
Card Savers vs Toploaders: Side by Side
| Toploader | Card Saver | |
|---|---|---|
| Rigidity | Hard | Semi-rigid |
| Best for | Storage, shipping, display | Grading submissions |
| Removing the card | Can catch corners | Easy and safe |
| Thick card options | Many sizes | Limited |
Which One Should You Use for Grading?
Use a card saver. Put the card in a penny sleeve first, then into a semi-rigid holder. Do not tape the top shut and do not use screw-down holders or toploaders for submissions. A grader has to pull every card out, and rigid holders make that harder. See our step-by-step PSA submission guide for Canada.
Which One Should You Use for Storage and Shipping?
Use a toploader in a penny sleeve, then a team bag to keep dust out. For shipping, sandwich the toploader between two pieces of cardboard or use a bubble mailer with a rigid insert. For your best cards, a magnetic one-touch holder looks great on display. If you live somewhere damp like the BC coast, read our guide on storing cards in a humid climate.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Putting a card into a toploader without a penny sleeve, which can scratch the surface
- Forcing a thick patch card into a 35pt toploader, which can ding corners
- Sending cards for grading in toploaders or screw-downs
- Taping over the opening of a holder you are sending to a grader
Shop Card Supplies in Canada
Card Tings stocks penny sleeves, toploaders, magnetic holders and grading supplies, shipped tracked across Canada from Vancouver, BC.
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