Rigid holders that keep a sleeved card flat.
Typical price
£12 to £18
Why we pick it
- Typical price
- £12 to £18
- Works with
Buyers on Whatnot and eBay expect any card worth more than a few pounds to arrive sleeved and top-loaded. A bent card means a refund.
Good for
- Any card worth a few pounds
- Posting in a board-backed mailer
Not for
- Thick patch cards, which need a deeper toploader
Our approved alternative for the same job: Penny sleeves, 1,000 pack
The guide
Each step in the order you'll need it.
Card sellers who go through toploaders
Toploaders suit you if you post single cards worth more than a few pounds: hits from a Whatnot break, graded-candidate rookies on eBay, or chase Pokémon cards on Vinted and TikTok Shop.
At ten singles a week, a 100 pack lasts about ten weeks. If you break and ship each hit separately, buy in 200 or 500 lots.
Sizes and thickness ratings
The standard toploader is 3 by 4 inches on the outside and holds a 2.5 by 3.5 inch card up to 35pt thick. That fits base cards, most inserts and standard Pokémon cards in a penny sleeve.
Thicker cards need a thicker toploader. Patch and memorabilia cards are rated in points too, often 55pt, 75pt or more, so check the card's thickness before you force it into a 35pt holder.
Pick rigid, clear PVC with smooth edges and no seam along the open end. A sharp edge can nick the sleeve as you slide it in.
Loading a card the safe way
Sleeve the card first, then slide it into the toploader with the sleeve opening facing down. Hold the toploader upright on the mat and let the card drop in rather than pushing on its corners.
Seal the open end with a team bag or a strip of painter's tape folded over at one end so the buyer can pull it off. Packing tape across the opening makes the buyer cut it, and the blade can catch the card.
Put the loaded toploader in a board-backed C6 mailer, which keeps the order flat and usually inside Large Letter size. Royal Mail publishes the Large Letter thickness limit in its size guide, so measure a packed card against it once.
Kit for this step
Sleeves, board mailers and team bags around it
Penny sleeves, 1,000 pack, are the cheaper layer inside. On their own they stop scratches but not bends, so use them alone only for bulk cards you post in a box.
Board-backed card mailers, C6, 100 pack, add stiffness on the outside, and a card between two pieces of card in a C6 mailer can work for low-value commons without a toploader.
Resealable team bags, 100 pack, close the toploader. Buy them with the toploaders and sleeves so the order matches what card buyers expect.
Pence per card order
At £12 to £18 for 100, each toploader adds roughly 12p to 18p to an order. With a penny sleeve and a team bag, card protection still comes in well under 25p per card.
Toploaders are reusable. Buyers often send them back in trades, and any clean, uncracked holder from cards you buy can go back into stock after a wipe with a dry cloth.
Common mistakes
Each one costs you money or reviews, and each has a fix.
- A thick patch card forced into a 35pt toploader can dent at the edges. Check the card's point rating and buy a thicker holder for it.
- Seal the open end with a team bag or a folded tab of painter's tape; tape across it makes the buyer cut near the card.
- Load the sleeve opening down. Opening up, the card slides out when the buyer tips it.
- A toploader loose in a padded envelope can flex, so post it in a board-backed mailer or between two pieces of stiff card.
- A scratched or cracked toploader clouds the buyer's photos of a mint card. Keep scuffed holders for your own storage.
Ranked in
Where it places in our rankings, and the reason.
Setups that use it
Complete kits this product is part of.
Guides that use it
Step-by-step help where this product does a job.
Questions
What does 35pt mean on a toploader?
It is the thickest card the holder takes, measured in points (thousandths of an inch). 35pt fits standard base and insert cards; thicker relic cards need 55pt or above.
Do toploaders fit graded slabs?
No. Graded slabs are much bigger and come in their own hard case. Ship a slab in a padded box or slab-sized sleeve instead.
Can I post a toploader as a Large Letter?
Yes, inside a board-backed C6 mailer, as long as the finished parcel meets Royal Mail's Large Letter thickness and weight limits. Royal Mail's size guide lists the current figures.
Do I need a team bag on every toploader?
For anything you post, yes. The bag stops the card slipping out of the open end and keeps damp off it in a wet postbox.
Should Japanese cards go in standard toploaders?
They fit, but they move about. Put them in small-size sleeves first so they sit tight in the toploader.
Alternatives
Other picks for the same job, cheaper and pricier.
Resealable team bags, 100 pack
A team bag over the toploader holds the card in place and keeps moisture out, for a few pence a card.
Typical price£4 to £7
See on AmazonPenny sleeves, 1,000 pack
Stops surface scratches before the card goes into a toploader. At this pack size each sleeve costs well under a penny.
Typical price£6 to £10
See on AmazonSemi-rigid card holders, 3 5/16 x 4 7/8 in, 50 pack
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.
Typical price£8 to £14
See on Amazon