I bought these after buying a different brand at a local retailer and these are by far superior. I use the sleeves for coupons rather than trading cards and they are incredibly durable, and even cheaper per unit than the cheap-o ones I bought before. I couldn't be more satisfied and HIGHLY recommend them. Ultra-Pro has me sold, I won't consider another brand for this product. MLB Ultra Pro 9 Pocket Pages "Silver Series" (100 pages)
I purchased these baseball card pages to hold coupons in my coupon binder. As another reviewer mentioned, the quality is miles above what a particular discount store sells. The pages are durable and the seams hold up well even when I have to store a stack of multiple coupons in a slot.
This is a 3 part review. The first is to rate the product for it's quality and how it was intended to be used (card collecting). The second part is for those of you looking to organize your coupons or craft/jewelry items. The third part is a warning about different kinds of plastics and the importance of choosing the right kind.
USING THESE 9 POCKET PAGES AS HOLDER FOR CARDS & COLLECTIBLES:
I've worked in the antiques and collectible business for many years and Ultra Pro is the product all professionals and serious collectors use. They have different grades of pages, "Silver" (this item) being one of the better ones, specifically because it is "non-pvc" plastic (acid free). But all of Ultra Pro's products and pages hold up to regular use and are high quality. Ultra Pro's Platinum Card Game Supplies Ultra Pro 100 Nine-Pocket Pages is slightly better (and more expensive) only because the plastic is a little thicker. If you don't plan on taking the items in and out of the page over and over and over then Silver is all you need.
Although the description of this item states "card game supplies", 9 pocket top load pages are perfect for housing collectible trading cards of all kinds, including traditional sports cards (baseball, football, hockey, etc). Also good for Pokémon and similar cards.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
USING THESE 9 POCKET PAGES FOR COUPONING, JEWELRY & CRAFT ITEMS:
I tried using these pages to hold my coupons in a binder. I found the 9 pocket pages not to be practical for this. The reason is the pockets are a bit small for quick picking and gathering of coupons. When I want to get my coupons I don't want to have to struggle to get them. These pockets are made "tight" on purpose so the collectible cards don't easily fall out. Well, that "tight" fit also keeps your coupons in tight, and I found that makes them hard to retrieve easily and quickly. Also, most coupons are much larger than the cards these pages were made for, so if you want to put a coupon in the pocket you often have to fold the coupon. When you fold your coupon you cannot see all of the info on the coupon at a quick glance. And as any good couponer knows, accessing/picking, gathering, storing, and assessing/viewing your coupons quickly is important.
I find the same problem when I tried to use these 9 pocket pages for small craft items and jewelry. I once tried to use these pockets so I cold display jewelry items in a binder, but it did not go well. If the item is something a bit bulky (like a piece of jewelry or crafting parts) then the "tightness" of the pocket (intended to keep cards from falling out) creates a problem holding jewelry and tiny craft parts. Although if you're going to house jewelry or craft items long term you really do want the non-pvc archival quality pockets. You just need to realize this size pocket is intended to hold one or two thin cardboard cards only, it really isn't intended for larger or thicker items. The pages will hold up, but the item (thicker or uneven craft item or jewelry) may not lay properly or fit well in the pocket.
For bulky items with odd shapes you should consider using hard plastic boxes. Make SURE they are the clear hard plastic type, not the pliable milky or opaque plastic because the milky or opaque usually are not archival qualit and are not good for long term storage, regardless of what they are marketed to be used for. How can you tell the difference? One way is to push on the box. If it has any give to it at all it most likely is not archival quality and is not to be used for long term storage for ANY item. If it is very hard, with no give, and is very clear (like glass) then most likely it is not acidic and will be okay for long term use. When it comes to food items there are numbers assigned to plastic containers. Some are more toxic than others. But the data from researchers and health & safety groups changes regularly so please see my note below about using plastic to hold food items and collectibles.
But if you insist on using pages in a binder I recommend larger pockets, even if the bulky item is very small, because you want to be able to get your fingers (at least 2 fingers and your thumb) in and out of the pocket, possibly deep at the bottom of the pocket, to retrieve the part or jewelry item easily. This is unlike taking a card out of the pocket, when the card can easily be accessed at the very top.
For couponing and other items that are not cards, I recommend 3 pocket pages. 100 Pro 3-Pocket Dollar Currency Collecting Storage Pages or 4 pocket pages. 20 (Twenty Pages) - BCW Pro 4-Pocket Page (3.5 X 5 Cards, Postcards or Photos) Four pocket pages are usually used to hold post cards and photos (do not use them for this reason unless they are non-pvc type). Three pocket pages are made for holding collectible paper money. Three pocket pages are usually not archival quality (because collectible paper money or "notes" are never place inside the 3 pocket page w/o first being housed in a archival sleeve) but that's okay because you really don't need archival acid free plastic for your coupons. Bottom line, you don't need non-pvc or expensive brand pages for your coupons. You just want pages that have good welds and won't tear. I've used both the 3 pocket and 4 pocket pages mentioned above and so far they are holding up fine. If I run into problems with them (if they tear) I'll be sure to update this review.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
ABOUT PLASTICS FOR HOUSING COLLECTIBLES (and food):
When using any pages or plastic holders to house collectible items it is extremely important to get what is called "non-pvc" acid free pages/plastic, or "archival quality" pages/plastic. The reason for this is that any other kind of plastic (soft Polypropylene) will eventually excrete an oily gaseous acidic chemical that will ruin your cards (or anything else you put in the pages) and make them worthless. This leeching of acidic chemicals takes time, months or years, but once it happens irreversible damage is done to the item.
The chemical found in pages that are NOT described as non-pvc is what allows the plastic to be pliable and soft. That's why non-pvc & archival quality plastics seem harder or crisper, less easily bendable; they don't have this acidic chemical that makes plastic pliable, or they have much less of it. This chemical is put in the plastic to help it bend and that chemical is what comes off the plastic over time (in a gas form) then attaches itself to the nearest thing - the item you placed in the pocket page. When the gas chemical attaches to the item it becomes sticky and slimy. This is extremely evident if the item you house is made of metal or hard plastic. After a while you can actually see a yellowish or green film on the item and you can feel the sticky slimy oily chemical. For paper or cardboard items you will notice a discoloration and possibly notice a slimy tacky feeling. Ether way the chemical is corrosive and as I said, ruins any thing it gets on. You can't really see it happening day to day because it's such a slow process. But it does happens and one day you'll go look at your collection and find it's discolored and ruined. Even if you try to clean the chemical damage off your item any professional will be able to see the damage with a loop, so you won't be able to clean the items and sell them to a dealer.
So, NEVER buy any plastic to hold collectible items or items you will house long term unless the plastic is described as "non-pvc" or "archival" quality. If the sleeve, page or bag is described as "soft" then most likely it is NOT archival quality.
As a side note, this acidic corrosive chemical (pvc) is found to some degree in food grade plastic bags and pliable food containers. For this reason NO FOOD items should ever be held long term (more than a few weeks) in a soft plastic bag or pliable container and you should NEVER microwave your food in these containers. You also want to stay away from BPA containers when storing food and collectibles. BPA-free is best if you must use plastic.
All food grade plastics are assigned a number; 1 thru 7. With some believing 3 and 7 to be the worst. For more info on these numbers and what they mean please do an internet search for EcoVillageGreen or plastic recycling numbers. No plastic is really 100% safe for food items but BPA-free is the best. Please be sure to educate yourself on using plastics before you use them with food items.
To be safe, always use glass for long term food storage and microwaving. Yes, you would think the FDA would not allow this kind of plastic to be called "food grade" but that's a whole other issue for another day.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I hope this review helps you save money by allowing you to make an informed purchase. Happy collecting and couponing to you!! - Coupons - Sheet Protectors - Trading Card Sleeves - Sleeves'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information
