Storing your Cards

The most popular way to store cigarette cards is in an album. Although many card manufacturers produce specific albums for their sets, it is generally better to store cards in the special cigarette card albums available at many shops as these protect the cards better. Also, many set albums require that the cards be stuck in, and while this may look nice it usually ruins the cards (and their value). Corner mount marks caused by early slot-in albums also reduce value.

In the UK there are two sizes of special album widely available. Both use plastic sheets into which the cards slot which are held in ring binder albums. The most common size of sheet is about 25cm by 20cm (10 by 7 inches); the other is more than twice as large. Obviously, the latter can hold more cards (up to 25 per sheet).

The "standard" sheet of the common size is split into pockets to hold 10 cards. They are also widely available to hold 8, 6 large, 6 Typhoo/Doncella and 4 cards, and some other sizes are also available. The larger the cards, the larger the pockets you will need to hold them and so the less you'll get on a sheet.

The sheets for medium cigarette cards can also be used to store telephone cards.

It is possible to frame cards. Cardboard backing plates are available in which the cards sit. A sheet of glass (sometimes non-reflective) is then inserted in front of the cardboard and placed into a frame. A sheet of glass is often applied to the rear so the backs can be read. If it becomes necessary to fix cards into the frame then photographic corner mounts can be used to hold the cards to the glass.

It is also possible to obtain plastic sheets which clip together, holding one card between. These come with a stand and may be stood in either portrait or landscape format. This is recommended for cards of high monetary or sentimental value, and is quite common for baseball cards in the United States.