# Semi-rigid card holders, 3 5/16 x 4 7/8 in, 50 pack > The holder size grading companies ask for, with a half-inch lip. - Card protection, Best value - Typical UK price: £8 to £14 (a typical band, not a live price) - Platforms: Whatnot, eBay, Vinted, TikTok Shop, Depop, Etsy - Orders a week: 0–500 - Not yet checked by a person A sleeved card slides in and out without catching. Check your grader's current submission rules for the holder size they ask for. The plastic flexes, so post it inside a rigid mailer. ## Kit rankings - #4 in [Best card protection for posting trading cards](https://sellersetups.com/kit/card-protection) ## When to use semi-rigid holders These holders suit you if you send cards off for grading, sell raw cards that buyers plan to submit, or trade with collectors who dislike prying cards out of a tight toploader. A 50 pack fits a part-time card shop: a single grading run of twenty cards, plus a few high-value eBay or Whatnot sales each month. If you sell hundreds of commons a week, toploaders cost you less per card. ## Size, lip and flex The outer size is 3 5/16 by 4 7/8 inches, wider and taller than a standard toploader. A sleeved standard card sits inside with room to spare, and the top edge has a short cut-away lip so you can pinch the sleeve and slide the card back out. The plastic is thinner than a toploader and bends under light pressure. The soft plastic lets you remove the card by hand, so the holder needs a stiff outer layer in the post. Choose clear, flat sheets with straight welds down both sides. Warped or cloudy holders make cards look worse in your listing photos. ## Packing a card in a semi-rigid holder Sleeve the card in a penny sleeve, then push it into the holder until the sleeve sits below the lip. For a grader, follow that company's own packing instructions for labels and stacking. For a buyer, lay the loaded holder between two pieces of card or slide it into a board-backed mailer. A strip of painter's tape across the lip stops the card riding up, and the buyer can peel it away without a blade. Write the card name or your stock code on a small label stuck to the outside of the holder, leaving the card sleeve clean. ## Other card holders and when they fit better 35pt toploaders, 100 pack, are the fallback and the stiffer option. Pick them for cards you post as Large Letters where bending is the main risk and the buyer does not plan to grade. A penny sleeve goes inside each holder. A sleeve alone guards against scratches and nothing else. Put the holder in a board-backed card mailer, which stiffens it for the post. Resealable team bags, 100 pack, close a toploader neatly, but they are cut for that size, so a semi-rigid holder sits loose in one. ## Cost per card and when it pays £8 to £14 for 50 works out at about 16p to 28p per holder. That is more per piece than a toploader, so save these for cards where the buyer or grader wants easy removal. If a grader returns your holders in good condition, reuse them for the next submission. Bin any with a creased lip, as the crease catches sleeves. ## Common mistakes - Add a board-backed mailer or two pieces of card around the holder; on its own, it can fold in the post. - An unsleeved card scratches on the holder walls. Put a penny sleeve on first. - Ink on a penny sleeve can transfer to the card, so label the outside of the holder instead. - One short tab of low-tack tape is enough. Tape across the whole lip forces the buyer to cut near the card. - For cards worth a few pounds, toploaders or sleeves on their own cost less than these holders. ## Questions ### Why do grading companies prefer semi-rigid holders? Graders take the card out by hand, and the softer plastic and the lip let them do it quicker and with less risk than pulling a card from a toploader. Check your chosen grader's current submission rules before you pack. ### Will a thick patch card fit? The holders take standard-thickness cards. A very thick relic card may not slide in cleanly, so test one before you pack a submission. ### Can a semi-rigid holder go in a team bag? It fits loosely in some, but team bags are cut for toploaders. Close the team bag over it if you must, but a tab of painter's tape over the lip keeps the card in. ### Is a semi-rigid holder enough protection on its own? No. It flexes, so it needs a board-backed mailer, a box or stiff card around it before it goes in the post. ### Do buyers on Whatnot or eBay expect this holder? For a raw single, most card buyers expect a toploader. Use a semi-rigid holder when the buyer has said they plan to grade, or note it in your listing.