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.

There are lots of choices when deciding how to protect your cards. You can use 9-Pocket Pages to place cards in an Album, or you can use individual card holders. We have listed most of the BCW and Pro-Mold Card Holders below. To simplify the decision, first determine what size you need. Most cards are 2½ inches wide x 3½ inches high, but dimensions can vary. Then check the thickness using your Card Thickness Point Gauge. After you have determined the size, select your desired closing method: snap, 1-screw, 4-screw, magnetics, toploaders, or semi-rigids.