{"id":9464,"date":"2025-06-13T12:29:41","date_gmt":"2025-06-13T12:29:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bcwsupplies.com\/blog\/?p=9464"},"modified":"2025-06-13T12:29:43","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T12:29:43","slug":"pack-sports-cards-flight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bcwsupplies.com\/blog\/2025\/06\/13\/pack-sports-cards-flight\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Pack Your Sports Cards for a Flight"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Sal Barry<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Boxes<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Summer is here, and so are some of the biggest sports card shows in the hobby. The Chantilly Show in Virginia and Fanatics Fest NYC take place this month. And of course, later this summer is the National Sports Collectors Convention. Even the fall has several large card shows that are worth the trip, such as the Dallas Card Show and the Chicago Sports Spectacular. Some of these conventions may be within driving distance from you, but others might require you to fly there. So, if you plan on traveling, here is some advice on how to safely and efficiently pack your cards for the flight home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Any trading cards that you buy should be put in either a carry-on bag<\/strong> or a personal item bag<\/strong>, and not in your checked luggage. Luggage that you check in with the airlines is subject to inspection, items from it can get stolen, or the luggage can get lost. Even if none of that happens, items in a checked piece of luggage can sometimes get damaged in transit by baggage handlers who, frankly, don\u2019t care about the two dozen Shohei Otani rookie cards inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carry-On Bags<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A carry-on bag<\/strong> is typically a small suitcase that measures approximately 22 inches in height, 14 inches in width, and 9 inches in depth. You can also use a large, flat-bottom duffel bag of comparable dimensions. The bag must be able to fit in the overhead bin on your flight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caution: <\/strong>Crowded flights often run out of overhead compartment space. Some travelers \u2013 usually economy-class passengers boarding last \u2013 still must check their carry-on bags. At best, a checked carry-on bag will be given to you on the boarding bridge when you get off the plane. Sometimes, you may have to go to the luggage carousel to retrieve it. That said, if you are bringing a graded Michael Jordan rookie card home with you on a flight, put it in your personal item bag instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Boxes<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A carry-on bag can nicely fit four 14-inch Toploader Storage Boxes<\/strong>, five 5-inch Toploaders Storage Boxes, <\/strong>and <\/strong>one Graded Trading Card Box. <\/strong>The <\/strong>reason <\/strong>I like <\/strong>this <\/strong>configuration <\/strong>is <\/strong>that it <\/span>maximizes <\/strong>the <\/strong>use of the carry-on bag\u2019s inner dimensions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Assuming your cards are in sleeves<\/a> and toploaders<\/a>, here is how many cards each box fits and what it weighs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n