Hello all, I hope that you are enjoying the current Pokémon season and are excited for the upcoming rotation.

As a Pokémon TCG player or collector, keeping your cards in pristine condition is essential for preserving their value and playability. Therefore, investing in the right protective accessories can prevent damage from wear, spills, and environmental factors. This article will give a rundown of the key products I recommend for playing with and collecting Pokémon cards!

Sleeves

Card sleeves are a must-have for protecting your Pokémon cards from scratches, dirt, and minor spills. In competitive settings, opaque (ones you cannot see through) are mandatory for competing. There are multiple types of sleeves:

Penny sleeves: These are cheap sleeves that you can usually buy in large quantities. They are often used for giving quick protection to freshly pulled cards, or those stored in collections. They have a loose fit and are rarely used for cards during play. There are several brands that produce penny sleeves; in the UK, Ultra Pro is perhaps the most recognizable.

Opaque/Matte Sleeves: These are the sleeves that come in various colors and brands. As long as they are opaque, they will be suitable for tournament play. The feel, color, and brand are often down to personal preference. Ultimate Guard Katanas, Duel Spec, and Dragon Shield are all very popular in my local scene. Personally, I am a huge fan of Dragon Shield matte sleeves, often ensuring I have a fresh box before a big event!

Inner sleeves: These are sleeves that provide an additional layer of protection to your cards from dust and outside elements. They often fit snugly to the card and are used inside standard-sized sleeves. There are two types of inner sleeves that I recommend: Dragon Shield and KMC perfect sleeves are soft inner sleeves that provide that extra layer of defense. I am also a huge fan of KMC perfect hard inner sleeves; they are stronger inner sleeves and help to protect the corners of my deck. Be aware, however, that using inner sleeves will make the size of your deck bigger (especially perfect hard), which can sometimes mean that you need to store your deck in a larger deck box than normal. Using these alongside standard-sized sleeves is often referred to as ‘double sleeving.’

Character sleeves: The Pokémon Company makes a wide range of sleeves depicting various Pokémon and characters from the Pokémon world. They have various great designs, so you can always find a design that you like. These sleeves fill the same role as opaque and matte sleeves. However, to help protect these sleeves (especially if it’s a design you love), I recommend using outer sleeves. Make sure that you only use official Pokémon character sleeves if attending an official event; other artworks may cause a judge to ask you to resleeve.

Outer sleeves: Another form of additional protection for your cards. These are usually used when you also want to protect the standard-sized sleeves your cards are stored in (e.g., character sleeves). Using these alongside standard-sized sleeves and inner sleeves is often referred to as ‘triple sleeving.’ I am a huge fan of triple sleeving, though the cards and deck will feel much bigger than normal, so be cautious of shuffling difficulty and deck storage if not prepared for the size increase. There are two brands of outer sleeves that I recommend: Dragon Shield clear outer sleeves are great outer sleeves and can be easily found in the UK. Broccoli sleeve protector, size M Emboss, and clear are by far my (and many others’) favorites when it comes to outer sleeves; they can be a little trickier to find in the UK and slightly more expensive than Dragon Shield, though personally, I feel like they are worth it!

Playmats

These are popular amongst players as they stop cards from being scratched on table surfaces when playing in events. They are also a great way for players to mark out their own area, especially as an event table can sometimes get a little tight between players.

As well as providing protection, playmats are a great way for players to express their personality. The Pokémon Company has a huge range of mats available, and companies like Ultra Pro also provide a wide range of art options. Finally, lots of players also like to get custom playmats made; I personally use my BathTCG mat at many events.

Binders

These are great for storing your collection while protecting them from scuffs, bends, and scratches. There’s a huge variety in size, color, and design available in today’s market.

My personal word of warning is to be careful when using ring binders as, over time, they can unfortunately bend cards out of shape, possibly damaging your expensive collection.

Zipper binders have become really popular lately; the zipper helps to protect your cards from outside elements, while the pages do not pose the damage risk that ring binders do. They also often come in 4, 9, or 12 card pages, giving collectors the option of how they’d like to display their cards.

VaultX makes some of my favorite zipper binders; they are sturdy, come in a huge range of colors, and never seem to stay in stock for very long!

Deck Boxes

Deck boxes are an essential accessory for Pokémon TCG players, designed to store and protect your deck of 60 cards. They help to prevent damage when transporting your deck while also keeping your cards organized and easily transportable. Whether you’re a casual player or a competitive trainer, purchasing a nice deck box is a great way to keep your deck or favorite cards protected.

There are three recommendations I have for deck boxes:

Ultimate Guard Boulders: This compact and sturdy deck box has a minimalist design, made with hard plastic, in a wide variety of colors. The Boulder 100+ fits single or double-sleeved cards perfectly and works well for those who want a simple yet highly protective case for their deck or collection.

Ultimate Guard FLIPnTRAY 100+: This is my personal favorite deck box for the Pokémon card game. It’s a somewhat high-end deck box featuring a removable tray for dice, damage counters, and other small accessories. This small storage box is perfect for all of the damage dice and counters you may need at a competitive Pokémon event. The magnetic closure also helps to keep your deck secure, while the soft interior protects your cards from scratches. The wide range of colors also makes it an excellent choice for players who want both style and functionality. It is definitely my go-to deck box for transporting my TCG decks.

Pokémon Ultra Pro Alcove Case: These boxes share many of the positive qualities of the FLIPnTRAY boxes. Instead of a small storage compartment, they have magnetic tokens that can be detached from the case to use during games; these have regional themes. For example, the Kanto one would have a token for Bulbasaur, Charmander, Pikachu, and Squirtle. These boxes are increasing in popularity, and I often see many players using these at local and regional events.

Dice and Counters

In the Pokémon TCG, dice and markers are essential for tracking damage, status conditions, and other in-game effects. While the game provides cardboard damage counters and status markers in theme decks and Elite Trainer Boxes (ETBs), many players prefer upgraded dice and markers for better durability, readability, and style. Luckily, there are a plethora of cool markers and dice available, whether looking in your local game store (like Bath/Norton TCG) or browsing online marketplaces such as Etsy.

There are two main sources I use when collecting markers and dice:

ETSY: Pokémon has a massive fanbase, including many amazing artists that produce a huge variety of awesome Pokémon-themed dice and tracking markers. If you want something really specific or unique, I definitely recommend taking a look.

Mystery Dice Goblin: This company makes some of my favorite dice; they come in an assortment of colors, or filled-dice based on a plethora of themes, like magic, animals, or elements. They also produce mystery bags, which, much like ripping Pokémon booster packs, are very fun to open, truly living up to the quote that “you can never have too many dice.”

Clothing/Apparel

While specific clothing is not needed for the Pokémon card game, the Pokémon Company makes some awesome apparel, such as shirts, hoodies, hats, and jackets. Traveling to locals or larger events is often a great excuse to wear some of these goods and represent your favorite Pokémon or theme.

When traveling to events with friends, it can also be nice to wear matching apparel, whether to represent the local store where you usually play or just a Pokémon that you all like. I often wear my Bath TCG shirt and hoodie when traveling to events, and many of my friends do the same!

Conclusion

Investing in durable and well-designed accessories helps you stay focused on the game, keep your cards in top condition, and express yourself with your favorite Pokémon designs.

I hope that this article has proved useful and helped you decide on some new supplies and accessories for your Pokémon collecting or playing journey. Make sure to check out the TCG group site: https://www.thetcggroup.co.uk/. You can find the majority of the supplies discussed there. Thank you, and see you in the next article!