How to store K-pop photocards so they don't scratch, bend, or fade

Start with the size of the card

Most K-pop photocards measure about 55 by 85 millimeters. Mountain Pop Music's organizing guide and Paysable's storage guide both give that size, and Paysable notes that sleeve makers typically build photocard sleeves around a 56 by 88 mm standard. A standard trading card is bigger: Ultra PRO sizes its regular sleeves and top loaders for 2-1/2 by 3-1/2 inch cards, which is 63.5 by 88.9 mm.

That difference decides what you buy. A photocard in a trading-card sleeve has several millimeters of room to slide, so look for sleeves sold in photocard sizes. Paysable suggests inner sleeves of 56 x 87 or 57 x 89 mm for a standard photocard, a 59 x 92 mm outer sleeve if you double-sleeve, and a top loader of 76 x 102 mm (3 by 4 inches) or larger. If a card in your collection looks unusual, measure it before buying sleeves in bulk.

Sleeves and top loaders: the plastic matters

The U.S. National Archives' guidance for family photographs is to avoid PVC plastics, because they generate acids that can fade a photograph and the plastic can stick to what is inside. It recommends enclosures of uncoated polyethylene, polypropylene, or polyester, and points out that none of those has an odor, while PVC has the strong new-car smell. Photocards are printed on card stock rather than photographic paper, but this is the clearest public guidance for anything kept in plastic for years.

KollectPop's storage guide makes the same call for collectors: sleeve every card, even the common ones, and check that sleeves and pages are labeled PVC-free. Paysable's guide names polypropylene and polyester as the sleeve materials to look for.

Top loaders are the rigid holders. KollectPop suggests them for valuable cards, anything you ship, and your favorites. Many are rigid PVC; Ultra PRO describes its regular top loader as made with super clear, rigid PVC plastic. Putting the card in a soft sleeve first and then sliding it into the top loader, the order Mountain Pop Music recommends, keeps the card itself from sitting directly against that plastic.

Binders: pages that hold cards in place

Binder pages come in pocket counts that follow the binder size. Paysable lists 4-pocket pages for A5 six-ring binders, 6-pocket pages for wide A5 binders, and 9-pocket pages for A4 binders with three or four rings. KollectPop recommends side-loading pages because they help keep cards from slipping out.

Leave room in the binder. Paysable's guide says to fill a binder to only 70 to 80 percent of its capacity and add another binder when you run out of room. For order, Mountain Pop Music suggests sorting by group, by member, or by album era, whichever matches the way you collect.

Where to keep the collection

Slow damage comes from the room the binder lives in. The Library of Congress recommends a relatively dry (30 to 50 percent relative humidity), cool (70°F or below), and stable environment for photographs. The National Archives gives a similar range: 65 to 70°F and 35 to 50 percent relative humidity.

Both steer you away from the usual storage spots. The Library of Congress says to avoid attics, basements, places close to vents, fireplaces and radiators, and exterior walls. The National Archives adds that finished basements are often cool but usually too damp, and that above-ground interior closets keep fairly constant temperatures through the year. KollectPop puts hot cars and garages on the same list and suggests silica gel packets in storage boxes if you live somewhere humid.

Light is the other slow problem. KollectPop notes that sunlight fades ink over time, so keep binders away from windows and don't display cards in direct sun. The Library of Congress also advises limiting light exposure for photographs.

Handle them like photographs

A sleeve only protects a card while the card is in it. The Library of Congress suggests handling photographs with clean hands or clean nitrile gloves and holding them by the edges instead of touching the image area. The same habit works for photocards: wash your hands before sorting, and pick cards up by the sides.

When the cards are sleeved, store them flat or upright, never crushed, as KollectPop puts it.

Common photocard storage mistakes

Using trading-card sleeves. They are made for 63.5 x 88.9 mm cards, so a 55 x 85 mm photocard moves around inside. Buy photocard-size sleeves.

Trusting any clear plastic. If a sleeve or page smells strongly of plastic, the National Archives' description of PVC fits it. Choose polypropylene or polyester sleeves, and keep a soft sleeve between the card and a PVC top loader.

Overfilling the binder or keeping it in the attic, basement, or car. Stop at 70 to 80 percent full and keep the binder in a cool, dry interior room.

Not noting a card's condition when it arrives. If you ever wonder whether a crease was there from the start, a record answers it. PocaBinder keeps your own photo of each card with a memo line for where it came from and its condition, so that note stays with the card on your phone.

Frequently asked questions