Wearing gloves protects your valuables from fingerprints and other debris carried on your hands. It seems reasonable to wear gloves when opening new cards, but there are dozens of issues you might encounter. After exploring the pros and cons, you might wonder if gloves are worth using when opening pokemon cards.
As a general rule, you shouldn’t wear gloves when opening Pokemon cards. Wearing gloves may leave residue on cards and cause wearers to apply too much pressure while holding a card. Some gloves have little to no grip and will increase the risk of a handler dropping and damaging Pokemon cards.
In this post, I’ll talk about whether or not you should wear gloves when opening your cards, tips to open a new pack without causing damage, and how to handle them with care.
For the sake of completeness, I’ll also show you why some people prefer gloves, despite the fact that I would advise against wearing gloves.
Is It Bad to Open Pokemon Cards With Gloves?
When handling valuable collectibles, the first thing you probably think about is how to preserve them.
Nobody wants to get a brand-new pack of Pokemon cards, find a valuable rare, and damage it because they weren’t taking the necessary precautions. However, gloves might do more harm than good.
Here’s a list of reasons you shouldn’t wear gloves when opening Pokemonn cards:
- Opening cards with gloves prevents you from knowing how much pressure you’re applying. If you open a new card package with gloves, you won’t feel the card’s surface. Not knowing how much pressure you’re putting on the deck can bend or warp the cards, not to mention the fact that you might not be holding them tightly enough.
- Some gloves come with a powder coating that can fall onto the Pokemon cards. This powder is added to prevent anything from slipping while also keeping the gloves from sticking to each other. However, the debris can make your new cards look dirty and discolored.
- Slippery gloves will cause you to drop the cards, potentially damaging them in the process. If your gloves aren’t textured, they can’t handle the cards. Pokemon cards are textured like other cards; Smooth and easy to drop. If you’re using slippery gloves without knowing the pressure you’re applying, it’s a recipe for disaster.
- Textured gloves are rough, which can scratch your new cards. Since most gloves are designed for a strong grip, they’re often far too textured to handle delicate cards. The abrasive exterior can cause minor scratches that lead to long-term deterioration.
- Most card grading companies steer clear of gloves for numerous reasons. From the previously mentioned abrasive glove material to the fact that they don’t want to drop the cards, many grading businesses leave gloves behind. Nothing beats clean, dry hands and careful attention to detail.
Does PSA use gloves? PSA does not use gloves. PSA graders are trained to handle cards without gloves in order to avoid damage that may be caused to a card by abrasive glove material. PSA recommends having clean and dry hands when handling a card to minimize the risk of damaging and devaluing a card.
As you can see, gloves aren’t as beneficial as you might think. In fact, they can be a terrible choice for many Pokemon card collectors.
But if you’re not able to use gloves, how are you supposed to open a new pack?
How to Safely Open New Pokemon Cards
Leaves the gloves in the dust when you’re opening Pokemon cards (or any other type of collectible card, for that matter). Gloves aren’t worth the potential trouble they cause.
We often think of fingerprints as the worst thing possible for opening new cards, but they’re surprisingly easy to avoid.
Follow this five-step process:
- Wash and dry your hands thoroughly before handling your Pokemon cards. ZenMarket shows there’s no substitute for clean hands. The nicest gloves in the world won’t be as efficient as using soap and water to remove oil and debris. Fingerprints only show up if there’s too much natural oil on your fingers.
- Break the back seam to prevent as much friction as possible. There’s a thin seam on the package’s backing. Put a finger behind it and pull it up to loosen the seam and break it at the top. Opening the seam before the pack will ensure it’s opened smoothly without dropping the cards.
- Always open the pack from the top. The front, sides, and bottom all open the possibility of dropping the cards or bending them. While it might seem simple, opening a Pokemon card pack can save you the headache of damaging a valuable card. It takes a few more seconds and makes a significant difference.
- Slide the cards from the pack with one hand into the other. Place your index finger on one side and thumb on the other, then gently shake the pack until the cards fall into your other hand. Taking this much care while opening cards might seem silly, but some cards are worth hundreds or thousands of dollars.
- Sort through the cards and place them each in a sleeve. It’s best never to place your cards on a table until they’re in a sleeve. Using a fixed-page binder with sleeves can prevent them from falling out of the top of the binder. It also ensures you won’t have to deal with dust or crumbs getting on the cards.
Safely opening a card pack is an exciting process that keeps you going back for more cards without damaging new sets.
However, you’re bound to want to inspect your cards every now and then.
Let’s cover a few handling tips below.
Tips for Handling Collectible Cards
After you’ve opened and placed your Pokemon cards in a binder, sleeves, or storage box, you can handle them whenever you’d like to.
However, there are many suggestions you should follow if you want to keep them in their best condition.
It’s always smart to protect your cards, even if you don’t intend to sell them.
Always Have a Designated Card Storage Spot
Before you open your cards and handle them, make sure you have a place to store them.
It’d be best never to leave open cards unprotected. Public Storage recommends storage binders, sleeves, cases, and anything else that can prevent your cards from moving, falling, getting too hot, or becoming humid.
When you’re done handling the cards, place them in the container for safekeeping.
Keep Your Hands and Pokemon Cards Dry
Sweaty, oily hands can ruin collectible cards very quickly.
Since our skin naturally produces oil, it’s important to dry them before touching or handling your Pokemon cards. It’s advisable to use alcohol wipes on your hands after drying them to remove excess moisture.
If your hands start to feel sweaty, keep a microfiber cloth nearby to remove any moisture that builds up.
Never Touch the Card’s Center
The center of a card is perhaps the primary reason it’s so valuable.
Some Pokemon cards are valued due to a blue backing, while others have unique borders. However, it’s safe to say most of the action happens in the middle. Handle your cards gently and by the edges. Don’t apply too much pressure, but make sure the card won’t slip.
Taking care of your cards starts with how you open and handle them.
Gloves aren’t necessary and can cause severe damage. Keeping your hands clean and dry is the best way to remove new cards or handle old ones.
This helpful info doesn’t always suit everyone’s needs, though. Some still intend to use gloves.
Why Do Some People Wear Gloves for Pokemon Cards?
While you’ve seen all of the reasons you shouldn’t wear gloves when opening Pokemon cards, many buyers and collectors still wear them.
Why would someone risk causing long-term damage to their new cards? Some of them might not be aware of the issues, but here are three common explanations:
- Some people are prone to constantly sweaty hands. If your hands are always sweating, you might be worried about damaging the cards. Moisture can ruin a card, but gloves are worse. Instead, use a soft cloth to wipe your hands between handling or removing each card.
- Gloves prevent your hand’s oils or debris from getting on the cards. The quickest way to work around this issue is to dry your hands with alcohol wipes, as mentioned in the previous subheading. Keep in mind that gloves can collect just as much debris as your hands, if not more.
- Some professional card handlers wear soft white cotton gloves. However, it should be mentioned that they usually only wear them while handing the cards, not opening a new package. If you want to wear gloves like professional grading companies, only do so once you’ve removed all of the cards from the pack.
Gloves might be the first thing you come up with in order to protect your cardboard collection, but it might not be the best option. Wearing gloves shouldn’t be on your to-do list when you’re opening your next Pokemon card pack, especially if you hoping to open some extremely valuable cards.
Conclusion
Wearing gloves might seem like a good idea, but they can damage your Pokemon cards. I suggest washing your hands and opening card packs without gloves.
However, you can use soft white cotton gloves to handle them once you’ve removed them from the package. Make sure you only handle one card at a time.