Double Sleeving Gaming Cards

To protect Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, and other TCG’s with valuable cards, some players prefer to double sleeve their cards. The cards are first protected by an inner sleeve that’s barely larger than a standard card, and then insert the card/inner sleeve inside a regular gaming card sleeve.

BCW offers three varieties of Inner Sleeves:

Regular Inner Sleeves are top loading, but a better description might be bottom loading. When inserting cards in these inner sleeves, it’s recommended to insert the card in the bottom. Then insert the card/Inner Sleeve in the regular sleeve in the normal top loading orientation. Using this process, the card will have no edges exposed at the top of the regular sleeve, providing extra protection against a spilled drink.

Continue reading

BCW Card Boxes are Ideal for Model Trains

At BCW, we love it when hobbyists find uses for our products in ways we never envisioned. One great example comes from model train collectors. BCW has developed numerous corrugated boxes designed to protect trading cards. In the hands of a model train collector, these boxes are perfect for storing and shipping miniature trains. Model trains come in several scales that fit nicely in the various sizes of BCW boxes, leaving just the right amount of space to add bubble wrap or tissue.

Model train in BCW storage box

John from The Virginia Foundry and Model Works stated, “I make and sell HO scale kits and ship them in your boxes. I have made literally hundreds of shipments in your boxes with not a single claim of any damage due to the box. … They’re just great for this purpose and stand up admirably to any post office abuse. And many of my kits have been shipped overseas with the same excellent results.”

BCW Boxes are perfect for model trains

Please measure your model trains to get the box that’s the correct dimensions for storing or shipping your models trains.

 Box NameRowsInterior Box Dimensions in Inches
 100 ct. Box12 1/2 x 2 3/4 x 3 3/4
 200 ct. Box13 1/2 x 2 3/4 x 3 3/4
 300 ct. Box15 1/8 x 2 3/4 x 3 3/4
 330 ct. Box14 7/8 x 3 x 3 7/8
 400 ct. Box17 x 2 3/4 x 3 3/4
 500 ct. Box19 x 3 x 3 7/8
 550 ct. Box19 7/8 x 2 3/4 x 3 3/4
 660 ct. Box111 3/4 x 2 3/4 x 3 3/4
 1000 ct. Box112 3/4 x 2 3/4 x 3 3/4
 800 ct. Box114 1/8 x 2 3/4 x 3 3/4
 800 ct. Box (2 Piece)114 1/8 x 2 3/4 x 3 3/4
 930 ct. Box116 1/2 x 2 3/4 x 3 3/4
 Graded Trading Card Box18 x 5 1/2 x 3 3/8
 Vault Box115 3/4 x 3 1/2 x 4 1/2
 Super Vault Box116 x 6 x 3 3/4
 Shoe  Box213 3/4 x 6 1/2 x 4 (3 1/8 row width)
 Graded Shoe Box27 1/8 x 5 3/4 x 14 1/8 (3 3/4 row width)
 Super Shoe Box39 7/8 x 4 1/4 x 17 7/8 (3 1/8 row width)
 Monster Box414 x 12 3/4 x 3 7/8 (2 7/8 row width)
 3200 ct. Box (Full Lid)414 1/8 x 12 x 3 3/4 (2 3/4 row width)
 Super Monster Box517 x 15 7/8 x 3 7/8 (2 7/8 row width)
 5000 ct. Box (Full Lid)517 5/8 x 15 1/8 x 3 3/4 (2 3/4 row width)
Boxes by interior dimension

BCW also offers Card Houses and Shoe Box Houses, used to organize their respective boxes. These can be used to store a large amount of model trains.

What Size of Bags and Boards Do I Need to Protect my Comic Books?

While today’s comic books are normally 6 5/8 inches wide by 10 3/16 inches high, these dimensions were not always standardized. Publishers have made comic books of varying sizes throughout history (learn more from this article).

BCW’s comic book bags and boards can help preserve your comic books, but you should purchase bags and boards sized appropriately for your collection. BCW has simplified these historically different sizes into three distinct groups or ages to help you choose the bags and boards that will best fit your needs.

  1. Golden Age – circa 1938 to 1955
  2. Regular/Silver Age – circa 1956 to 1969
  3. Current/Modern Age – circa 1970 to present

If you’re not sure what size of bags and boards you need, please measure your comics and compare them with the sizes listed below.

 

Modern Backing Boards
Same width as Current comics
6 5/8 x 10 1/2 inches100/pack
1000/case
1-BBMOD
1-BBMOD-BULK
Current Backing Boards
Slightly wider than Current Comics
6 3/4″ x 10 1/2 inches100/pack
1000/case
1-BBCUR
1-BBCUR-BULK
Regular Backing Boards
Same width as Silver comics
6 7/8 x 10 1/2 inches100/pack
1000/case
1-BBREG
1-BBREG-BULK
Silver Backing Boards
Slightly wider than Silver comics
7 x 10 1/2 inches100/pack
1000/case
1-BBSIL
1-BBSIL-BULK
Golden Backing Boards
Slightly wider than Golden comics
7 1/2 x 10 1/2 inches100/pack1-BBGOL
Modern/Current Bags
Fit with Modern or Current Boards
6 7/8 x 10 1/2 inches100/pack1-CUR
Modern/Current Bags
With Resealable Strip
Fit with Modern or Current Boards
6 7/8 x 10 1/2 inches100/pack1-CUR-R
Modern/Current Bags
For Thick Comics
Fit with Modern or Current Boards
7 x 10 1/2 inches100/pack1-CUR-THICK
Modern/Current Bags
With Resealable Strip
For Thick Comics
Fit with Modern or Current Boards
7 x 10 1/2 inches100/pack1-CUR-R-THICK
Regular/Silver Bags
Fit with Regular or Silver Boards
7 1/8 x 10 1/2 inches100/pack1-SIL
Regular/Silver Bags
With Resealable Strip
Fit with Regular or Silver Boards
7 1/8 x 10 1/2 inches100/pack1-SIL-R
Regular/Silver Bags
For Thick Comics
Fit with Regular or Silver Boards
7 5/8″x 10 1/2 inches100/pack1-SIL-THICK
Regular/Silver Bags
With Resealable Strip
For Thick Comics
Fit with Regular or Silver Boards
7 5/8 x 10 1/2 inches100/pack1-SIL-R-THICK
Golden Age Bags7 5/8 x 10 1/2 inches100/pack1-GOL
Golden Age Bags
With Resealable Strip
7 5/8 x 10 1/2 inches100/pack1-GOL-R
Golden Age Bags
For Thick Comics
8 x 10 1/2 inches100/pack1-GOL-THICK
Golden Age Bags
With Resealable Strip
For Thick Comics
8 x 10 1/2 inches100/pack1-GOL-R-THICK
2 Mil Mylar Current Archivals7 x 10 1/2 inches50/pack1-CUR-M2
4 Mil Mylar Current Archivals7 1/4 x 10 1/2 inches25/pack1-CUR-M4
2 Mil Mylar Silver Archivals7 1/4 x 10 1/2 inches50/pack1-SIL-M2
4 Mil Mylar Silver Archivals7 1/2 x 10 1/2 inches25/pack1-SIL-M4
2 Mil Mylar Golden Archivals8 x 10 1/2 inches50/pack1-GOL-M2
4 Mil Mylar Golden Archivals8 1/4 x 10 1/2 inches25/pack1-GOL-M4
Current Premade
Bags and Boards
6 7/8 x 10 1/2 inches50/pack1-CUR-BAGBRD
Current Resealable Premade
Bags and Boards
6 7/8 x 10 1/2 inches50/pack1-CUR-R-BAGBRD
Silver Age Premade
Bags and Boards
7 1/8 x 10 1/2 inches50/pack1-SIL-BAGBRD
Silver Age Resealable Premade
Bags and Boards
7 1/8 x 10 1/2 inches50/pack1-SIL-R-BAGBRD

Do you need larger bags and boards?
Treasury-size comic bags and boards
Magazine and book supplies
Graded comic bags

See all of BCW’s comic book supplies.

Which BCW Cardboard Boxes are Large Enough for Card Holders or Graded Cards?

Most BCW cardboard boxes are only large enough to hold standard 2½ x 3½–inch cards or cards in sleeves. However, several boxes have wider rows to accommodate cards in protective holders such as semi-rigids, toploaders, one-screws, magnetics, or other holders or cases. Other BCW boxes are designed to hold graded cards or tall cards. A few boxes have both wide rows and increased height.

If you are trying to decide which BCW boxes are right for your collection, the list below shows the sizes. If you store cards in protective holders, you’ll need a box with WIDE rows. If you have graded cards, other tall cards, or you have four-screw card holders, get a box labeled GRADED.

Continue reading

Protecting Your Booklet Cards

Booklet cards are hot for sports cards collectors! They are often extra thick with jersey patches and/or autographs. These cards can be stored in a closed format in a hinged or slider box, but most collectors like to store their booklets in the open position to get the full presentation. BCW offers sleeves, toploaders, and bags to enclose the toploaders (the bags can also enclose a magnetic booklet card holder). The supplies listed below are available for booklets in horizontal and vertical formats.

Horizontal Booklet Card Supplies

Horizontal Booklet Card Supplies

Horizontal Booklet Card Sleeves

Horizontal Booklet Card Toploaders

Horizontal Booklet Card Holder Bags

Vertical Booklet Card Supplies

Vertical Booklet Card Supplies

Vertical Booklet Card Sleeves

Vertical Booklet Card Toploaders

Vertical Booklet Card Holder Bags

Four Methods for Displaying Comics on a Wall

BCW offers several options for displaying your favorite comics on the wall. Which of the four methods below is best for your needs?


BCW Comic Book Toploaders
Current Size: 1-TLCH-COMIC | Silver Size: 1-TLCH-SIL | Golden Size: 1-TLCH-GOL
BCW Toploaders are designed for storing comics on a shelf or in a box, hence they do not have a hanging mechanism. However, with some simple MacGyvering, Comic Book Toploaders make an economical method for displaying comics on the wall. The simplest method is adhering a BCW Hang Tab on the back of the toploader and hanging over a flat tack or nail. Adhesive backed flat magnets or Velcro work great in many instances. You can also look in the hardware aisle at your local home center or craft store to find hanging systems from 3M and others.

Comic toploaders with various adhesives


BCW Snap-It
1-BCW-SI-CB-BLK
The BCW Snap-It is a modular system designed to create an attractive display for your comic books.


BCW Comic Book Showcase
Current Size: 1-CBS-CUR | 1-CBS-CUR-UV | Silver Size: 1-CBS-SIL | 1-CBS-SIL-UV
The BCW Comic Book Showcase has a crystal clear cover that snaps over a black, wall mountable back. They’re available in standard and UV Protection varieties.


BCW Comic Book Frame
Current Size: 1-CBF-CUR | Silver Size: 1-CBF-SIL | Golden Size: 1-CBF-GOL
The BCW Comic Book Frame is an attractive black frame with a glass front. Your comic is neatly displayed in a mat border you can easily access from the rear.

Dimensional Weight Shipping

Traditionally, shipping companies established delivery costs based on the weight of a package – the heavier the package, the more the shipping expense. However large packages that are lightweight are not profitable to the shipping companies since these light packages earn very little money while they take-up a lot of space in a truck. Hence a lot of fuel is spent to deliver fewer packages.

By January 1st, 2015, both UPS Ground and FedEx Ground will be charging for shipping based on billable weight. This includes shipments originating from BCW Supplies. There are two factors that determine the billable weight. The first is the weight of the package. The second factor is the package’s dimensional weight. The dimensional weight is the package’s density – how much it weighs for its height, length and depth. The shipping company then compares the package’s overall weight and the dimensional weight. Whichever value is greater is the package’s billable weight.

Worker measuring BCW package

Recording an accurate weight and dimensions of packages is key to efficient shipping.

These changes are expected to impact the shipping costs of BCW products. For example, a box of 200 unfolded BCW trading card boxes (1-BX-660) is lightweight (43.1-lbs.), yet has a relatively large size (5.16 cubic feet). The old shipping cost was based on the package’s overall weight, but the cost for the dimensional weight is greater. Therefore the billable weight for this example has increased.

In general, consumers will see shipping costs increase for large, yet lightweight goods. Smart hobby supply distributors and retailers will be able to use this change to their advantage. Because it will be more expensive for consumers to buy goods online, consumers will turn to their local hobby shop to purchase their hobby supplies.

For consumers ordering at www.bcwsupplies.com, users can select their delivery method and see the shipping costs before checking-out. UPS Ground is our default shipping service based on their cost and reliability to deliver goods on time and undamaged. BCW is constantly evaluating the price of our products, the shipping costs, and the potential delivery methods in order to provide the best products and service at the best price.

For BCW partners utilizing BCW’s Drop Shipping program, they should refer to BCW’s Wholesale Price Sheet (updated 12/1/14) to utilize the most up-to-date dimensional weight data to establish their shipping costs.

From more information regarding shipments from BCW Supplies, please view our Shipping Policy.

NOTE: BCW Distributor and Wholesale Partners should sign-in to their www.bcwsupplies.com account in order to view their relevant Shipping Policy and Price Sheet details.

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.

When it comes to protecting your cards, there are plenty of options. For standard-sized cards, 9-Pocket Pages offer a convenient way to store them in an album. However, thick cards require a different approach for optimal protection. For these, consider using toploaders, magnetic card holders, or other specialty holders outlined below.

Interior
W x H
in Inches
Depth in PointsDescriptionBrandClosing
Method
SKU
2½ x 3½20-pts.BCW
Mini Snap
BCWMini Snap1-MS
2½ x 3½20-pts.BCW
Regular Snap
BCWSnap1-RS
2½ x 3½20-pts.Regular
1-Screw
BCW1-Screw1-1S
2 9/16 x 3 9/1650-pts.Thick Card
1-Screw Holder
BCW1-Screw1-1S-THICK
2 9/16 x 3 9/16120-pts.Super Thick Card1-Screw HolderBCW1-Screw1-1S-STHICK
n/an/a4-Screw
Non-Recessed
BCW4-Screw1-4SNR
2½ x 3½ 4-Screw
Recessed
BCW4-Screw1-4SR
2½ x 3½ 4 Screw
Black Border
BCW4-Screw1-9CS-B
2½ x 3½35-pts.35-pts. MagneticBCWMagnetic1-MCH-35
2½ x 3½55-pts.55-pts. MagneticBCWMagnetic1-MCH-55
2½ x 3½75-pts.75-pts. MagneticBCWMagnetic1-MCH-75
2½ x 3½100-pts.100-pts. MagneticBCWMagnetic1-MCH-100
2½ x 3½180-pts.180-pts. MagneticBCWMagnetic1-MCH-180
2½ x 3½360-pts.360-pts. MagneticBCWMagnetic1-MCH-360
2½ x 3½35-pts.35-pts. MagneticBCWMagnetic1-MCH-35-BLK
2½ x 3½ x235-pts.35-pts. MagneticBCWMagnetic1-2MCH-35-BLK
2½ x 3½ x335-pts.35-pts MagneticBCWMagnetic1-3MCH-35-BLK
2½ x 3½ x435-pts.35-pts. MagneticBCWMagnetic1-4MCH-35-BLK
2¾ x 3½Approx.30-pts..Acrylic Card Stand VerticalBCWPressure Fit1-ACS-V
2¼ x 4¼ 1/4″ Acrylic
4-Screw
BCW4-Screw1-A025
2¼ x 4½ ½” Acrylic
4-Screw
BCW4-Screw1-A050
2 1/16 x 3 1/820-pts.Tobacco Card ToploaderBCWTopload1-TLCH-TBC-25
2¾ x 3 7/835-pts.25-Pack Standard
Toploader
BCWTopload1-TLCH-N 1-TLCH-100
2¾ x 3 7/1635-pts.25-Pack Premium
Toploader
BCWTopload1-TLCH
2¾ x 3 7/835-pts.Toploader with “Rookie Card”BCWTopload1-TLCH-RG (Gold)
1-TLCH-RW (White)
2¾ x 3 7/835-pts.Toploader with
Color Border
BCWTopload1-TLCH-BK
1-TLCH-BL
1-TLCH-RD
1-TLCH-GR
1-TLCH-WH
2¾ x 3 7/850-pts.Action Packed
Toploaders
BCWTopload1-TLCH-TH-1.5MM
2¾ x 3 7/879-pts.Thick Card
Toploader
BCWTopload1-TLCH-TH-2MM
2¾ x 3 7/8108-pts.Thick Card
Toploader
BCWTopload1-TLCH-TH-2.75MM
2¾ x 3 7/8138-pts.Thick Card
Toploader
BCWTopload1-TLCH-TH-3.5MM
2¾ x 3 7/8168-pts.Thick Card
Toploader
BCWTopload1-TLCH-TH-4.25MM
2¾ x 3 7/8197-pts.Thick Card
Toploader
BCWTopload1-TLCH-TH-5MM
2¾ x 3 7/8240-pts.Thick Card
Toploader
BCWTopload1-TLCH-TH-7MM
2¾ x 3 7/8360-pts.Thick Card
Toploaders
BCWTopload1-TLCH-TH-9MM
2¾ x 4 7/820-pts.Tall Card
Toploader
BCWTopload1-TLCH-TALL
3 3/16 x 4 1/4No insetSemi-Rigid Holder 1BCWSemi-Rigid1-SR1
 2 7/8 x 3 3/4No inset Semi-Rigid Holder 2BCWSemi-Rigid1-SR2
3 3/16 x 5 1/8No inset Semi-Rigid Holder 3 – TallBCWSemi-Rigid1-SR3
Comparison of BCW card holders

Protecting Your National Geographic Collection

National Geographic has been publishing some of the best photography, social stories and science news for over a century. For collectors that want to preserve their yellow-bordered magazine collection, BCW bags, backing boards, and boxes are an ideal solution. While BCW offers supplies to protect traditionally-sized magazines, BCW’s products sized for Silver Age comics books are perfect for National Geographic. The Silver Age is an era in comic book publishing from 1956 to 1969 when comics were similar in dimensions to National Geographics.

National Geographic magazines in BCW Short Comic Box

To get the correct comic bag for a National Geographic, use the Silver Thick Comic Book Bag along with a Silver Age Comic Book Backing Board.

To hold a group of five National Geographics, try a Comic Book Stor-Folio.

The BCW Short Comic Box can hold approximately 56 National Geographics in bags and boards, with room for a few BCW Comic Book Dividers. A BCW Long Comic Box can hold about 100 National Geographics. For a premium box solution, try a BCW Comic Book Bin with a partition that acts as a bookend to keep your National Geographics upright in the bin.

National Geographic magazines with various BCW Comic Stor-Folios