Of all the cards around one particular card accessory seems to stand out as apart of the trading card scene, is the protective card sleeve. During the boom of Magic the Gathering, protective card sleeves found themselves in a exclusive niche market boom. The players that bought these card sleeves enjoyed the protection for various rarity cards, protection while shuffling cards, and the look it gave for a sleek appearance, which is the reasons it drove sleeves to move into its evolution.
Sleeves are the standard for card game players across the hobby and almost every card game player prefers if not already owns card sleeves for their card decks. The card sleeves protect the cards after they are simply placed inside and then placed in a deck case and then a deck box for further protection, optimum transportation, and ease in identified selection. But, card sleeves were not always made to fit cards and weren’t even designed to be shuffled. Card Sleeves were most commonly placed on collectible sports cards and were shaped for larger cards and were light in thickness in comparison to today's standard card game sleeve. When the game Magic the Gathering hit stores and people had various rarity cards as sports cards, but could play with them it created an ever growing need to protect both investment and usage of the card. Card sleeve makers needed to make a harder sleeve that was durable for shuffling to both be protective and survive constant use. The card game industry lists some of the characteristics that make the difference between a lack luster card sleeve and a good one. Elements like high melting point for resistance on high temperatures, mold resistant, waterproof, bacteria resistance, and rigidity are all important to a quality sleeve. A common material that fits many needs of card sleeves is polypropylene, but people also sometimes use glass sleeves, and mylar depending on the sleeves purpose. With the importance of sleeves to the card game industry and its growing popularity made it clear that it was apart of card gamer identity. Eventually, several companies stepped up to the plate and created specialty versions of card sleeves to make the different types of card sleeves. These would test durability that protects against sleeve splitting and breaking, tightness of the card seal, card sleeve overall appearance, and thickness of the sleeve. The following types that emerged were: Collectors Sleeves [extra high durability, high tightness, firm thickness], Shuffle Sleeves [high durability, medium tightness, moderate thickness], Temporary Sleeves [low durability, moderate tightness, moderate thickness], and Sales Sleeves [really low durability, low tightness, low thickness]. The popular brands that plowed the way for other brands for these sleeves were Dragon Shield Collector Sleeves, KMC Super Series Shuffle Sleeves, Ultra Pro Sales Sleeves, and Penny Protection Sales Sleeves. After types of sleeves were categorized there was a new problem that occurred with game cards. The problem was wear-and-tear still took its toll on card decks and spills still heavily damaged cards, so a solution was seeked out to lower the chances of damages to cards. A technique that was made was named double sleeving. Double sleeving uses Shuffle Sleeves to sleeve cards from the top in a clear Shuffle Sleeve and a choice Shuffle Sleeve from the bottom to extend color and lesson damage from dust and external liquid. This technique became popular with people who were playing with Game Decks that were worth more than 80$ in worth. The varieties on appearance of card sleeves has a wide range of colors, patterns, and graphics. Most people have their own sense of sleeves they are attracted to, so sometimes when it comes to patterns its after a biblione company brand they like, a favorite sort of wearing color that matches the rest of their attire, or a coordination of shapes and colors for some creative card fashion. Sleeves can also be used as a type of uniform equipment with the logo of the school with the school colors for people playing for their school card game team, for example Magic the Gathering.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
|