Sleeves: the Unsung Heroes of TCGs

I have some slightly used KMC Black sleeves. Not sure if you'd want them :v

Alice wrote:

So here's what I actually WANT for my decks:

Spike Brothers: Purple Legion with a green legion for starter
Stern: Black KMC or something similar. Maybe matte KMC if they're good
Giraffa: Black KMC or a dark dark green or Megacolony Bushiroad
Tachikaze: Dark or medium red or dino-print KMC/Legion

Also Kaji how are Dragon Shield OMG EXPENSIVE? They're like 10 bucks at most, same as bushiroad. Sometimes really cheap at 5-6 if you get them at the right time and place (CSI had them for that once)

I'm not used to seeing sleeves over the $4-mark. I've usually bought $4 sleeves at most. I don't even remember how much my Player's Choice sleeves are (they might be over $5, but that was two years ago, so I don't remember now).

But hey, if you're looking for quality, I guess price shouldn't matter. THough I'm interested in KMC sleeves. What's the difference between smooth-backs and rough-backs, quality wise? Is there any degradation difference between the two?

Kaji Motomiya wrote:

Alice wrote:

So here's what I actually WANT for my decks:

Spike Brothers: Purple Legion with a green legion for starter
Stern: Black KMC or something similar. Maybe matte KMC if they're good
Giraffa: Black KMC or a dark dark green or Megacolony Bushiroad
Tachikaze: Dark or medium red or dino-print KMC/Legion

Also Kaji how are Dragon Shield OMG EXPENSIVE? They're like 10 bucks at most, same as bushiroad. Sometimes really cheap at 5-6 if you get them at the right time and place (CSI had them for that once)

I'm not used to seeing sleeves over the $4-mark. I've usually bought $4 sleeves at most. I don't even remember how much my Player's Choice sleeves are (they might be over $5, but that was two years ago, so I don't remember now).

But hey, if you're looking for quality, I guess price shouldn't matter. THough I'm interested in KMC sleeves. What's the difference between smooth-backs and rough-backs, quality wise? Is there any degradation difference between the two?

For most companies, matte are thinner and more likely to split; but don't get microscratches like smoothbacks. That's really the only difference.

AbysmalDragon wrote:

Let's see here...
Megacolony: PM Koizumi from The Legend of Koizumi, I'm not sure what I was thinking when I bought these.

Oh my God where did you get these, I need these right now.

Usually Max Pro (ones with the graphics, ALWAYS) or Ultra Pro (the one with the art from Generals Order).

Oh, and some of the Bushiroad sleeves are sexy...Like spectral duke's.....i love how that foiling is placed..........

But as for Bushiroad sleeves, I only own Elly sleeves for my Bermudas and the card back designs (which i got for cosplays)

As a retailer, here's the feedback from my community (with my own experience too)

Players choice are great, resilient to breaking, but a bit shiny for most.

Kmc, while we haven't tried with small card size sleeves yet, are great in standard size. Regular can be a bit slippery at first, but hold up well, and the mattes are considered the go to sleeves amongst our top competitive players.

Dragon shields are nearly impossible to get a hold of for us, so I have no experience with small sized, but our magic community loves them and they are regarded as the best along with kmc matte, but also the most expensive (outside of bushi)

Bushi sleeves are enjoyed by some, hated by some. The players who are rough shufflers hate them because they are far less durable then players or kmc. Also obnoxiously priced. Seriously, the store pays more for a pack then we can sell the ultra pros for.

Ultra pro break terribly, but the textured backs are good for some people. Universally detest the shiny dots that cover the grade level. Cheap as hell though. Good for draft decks or proxy testing.

Deck prot are basically ultra pros without the dot or the brand recognition.

So basically you just said everything I did. And yeah, I'm one of the rough shuffler types so I know I won't like Bushisleeves. I like to mash quickly, and hard flat edges don't work well for that. I prefer the wedged edges of something like dragon shield.

But thanks for the info on KMC, I might be switching brands now.

Alice wrote:

For most companies, matte are thinner and more likely to split; but don't get microscratches like smoothbacks. That's really the only difference.

I ask because whenever I get smoothbacks, like Player's Choice, they have a tendency to stick, especially during shuffling. I wanna avoid that, because I don't wanna get in trouble with officials next time I go to something like Qualifiers if I were to "double-draw".

That said, I just need to hunt for some KMC minis at whatever I can order them from...

Kaji Motomiya wrote:

Alice wrote:

For most companies, matte are thinner and more likely to split; but don't get microscratches like smoothbacks. That's really the only difference.

I ask because whenever I get smoothbacks, like Player's Choice, they have a tendency to stick, especially during shuffling. I wanna avoid that, because I don't wanna get in trouble with officials next time I go to something like Qualifiers if I were to "double-draw".

That said, I just need to hunt for some KMC minis at whatever I can order them from...

I've really never had this problem, so I can't relate :V

My Local shop has basically switched to only selling KMC Minis and Ultra Pros.



Also I have a sad announcement to make. When I first build my Pale Moon deck, I put them into some Ultra Pro, Sky Blue coloured sleeves, and this was about two months ago, last night during tournament grand finals they finally tore. RIP :(

Longest lasting set of sleeves by Ultrapro I've ever had :P

My longest Ultrapro are my pinks that John left me with before he went AWOL back in like June or so. And only because I rarely used them (they were on Tachikaze) and even then, I was super careful and gentle so they wouldn't split. Before that, my longest Ultra Pro were 2 weeks. Fail.

I want the KMC sleeves, but my locals only have Magic-sized.

-cries-

My locals don't carry anything but UP, Deck Prot, and overpriced PC

My longest Ultra Pro are the ones that I have now (bougth them a month ago). 60 sleeves and 11 are damaged and I can distinguish them too easy in the middle of the cardfight, so now I have 49 usable sleeves and 11 broken crap. I have to use a damaged sleeve for the starter, and now I have shuffle super carefully.


Never buying Ultra Pros again unless absolutely necessary.

Alice wrote:

My longest Ultrapro are my pinks that John left me with before he went AWOL back in like June or so. And only because I rarely used them (they were on Tachikaze) and even then, I was super careful and gentle so they wouldn't split. Before that, my longest Ultra Pro were 2 weeks. Fail.

So I'm not the only one that put tachikaze in pink sleeves. It just feels so... right.

My longest Ultra Pros lasted for like 3 weeks or so.
Traaaaaaaaash.
Luckily my locals carries a variety of different brand of sleeves :v

smellmybox wrote:

Alice wrote:

My longest Ultrapro are my pinks that John left me with before he went AWOL back in like June or so. And only because I rarely used them (they were on Tachikaze) and even then, I was super careful and gentle so they wouldn't split. Before that, my longest Ultra Pro were 2 weeks. Fail.

So I'm not the only one that put tachikaze in pink sleeves. It just feels so... right.

Before that, Spikes were in it. And I knew FIVE other people who put them into pink UP

What the dickins.

I'm going to be putting my Spike Bros deck in pink or light blue. I love having sleeves that just don't match the deck. Like my Shaladins are in white, Bermudas in Pink(This does match), Pale Moon's in Blue(I have to have my Pales in blue). Golds in Silver, Royals in Purple(Had to) and it goes on

As for me, I want my spikes in purple or green. If only I could have both.

My Kagero are in red shields, and I'm getting blacks for SP, green for Mega, and Spikes will get purple. I love Dragonshields.

Werekill wrote:

My Kagero are in red shields, and I'm getting blacks for SP, green for Mega, and Spikes will get purple. I love Dragonshields.

I have like 2 foil red sleeves with what looks like BT01's SP pattern on them. I want these in 50count so I can put them on Tachikaze.

Alice wrote:

Werekill wrote:

My Kagero are in red shields, and I'm getting blacks for SP, green for Mega, and Spikes will get purple. I love Dragonshields.

I have like 2 foil red sleeves with what looks like BT01's SP pattern on them. I want these in 50count so I can put them on Tachikaze.

OH, I KNOW THE ONES YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!

Where do you buy those? I've been looking for them!

Turns out they're Ultra Pro. Nevermind wanting them. But I got them randomly through trades and stuff.

I see. (Yea, I have 1 orange one from a trade which was standard size and held 4 Palamedes until recently; I was wondering for a bit why you were fine with them being ultra pro actually...)

Gonna try to find them at the shop this week...

So, if the king of g invented sleeves, how did tace jelleran get some to show? or did he use the time rift over bollarian acadimy to go back and forward in time to do so?

Anyways, I've always been a fan of dragon shields for my mtg commander decks. there solid, durable, and usually have more then 100 a box, so even edh players have room if a sleeve gets damaged.

for vanguard, I usually just use random designs I like. (example, my DPs are sleeved in "Pure Jank") that said, for some other cards, I wanted to use dragon shields, to protect them.but a friend of mine advised somthing.dragon shields are made for cardgames with larger cards, (mtg, ufs (do people even remember ufs?)) and have a tendancy to curl at the sides for smaller cardgames.so he recomended a brand(don't remember the name) that seem to be decent quality, and perfect size for vanguard cards.that said, I pray to heck there even half as good as dragon shields.