Care and storage
How to store and protect your Pilot Trading Cards
Pilot Trading Cards are pieces of aviation history. Most collections get damaged not from accidents, but from years of small, avoidable mistakes.
What kills cards
Moisture
Warps card stock and breeds mold. Aim for 40 to 55% relative humidity.
UV light
Fades ink and yellows paper gradually. Indirect indoor light still causes damage over time.
Temperature swings
Fluctuations warp and crack cards faster than steady heat. Never store in a car or attic.
Skin oils
You can't see the damage right away, but it accumulates. Always handle cards by their edges.
Storage
Do this
- Acid-free penny sleeves on every card
- Double-sleeve into rigid top loaders
- Store upright in a dedicated card box
- Keep a silica gel packet inside the box
- Room temperature, away from windows
Never do this
- Rubber bands around a stack
- Standard binder pages, usually PVC
- Stack cards loosely face-down
- Store near a window or vent
- Basement or garage storage
The mistake that is easy to miss
Most binder pages are made from PVC plastic, which off-gasses over time and slowly breaks down card surfaces. Look for pages labeled “archival safe”. Polypropylene is the standard you want.
Tips worth knowing
- Sleeve immediately, every time.The moment a card leaves its sleeve is the moment something can go wrong. Develop the habit of re-sleeving before putting anything down.
- Photograph cards when you get them.A quick front-and-back photo at the time of collection makes it easy to log them in the app and helps you spot condition changes later.
- Replace your silica gel.Desiccant packets absorb moisture until they're full, then stop working. Check them every few months and swap in fresh ones to keep your storage dry.
- For your rarest cards, consider grading.There are professional grading services that encase cards in tamper-proof slabs, protecting them against almost everything, and a graded card in strong condition commands a meaningfully higher value.
- Be careful when cleaning a card.Even a soft, dry cloth can leave hairline scratches under the right light. If a valuable card needs cleaning, take your time and handle it gently, or let a professional grading service handle it.
- Cotton gloves for vintage cards.For older or particularly fragile cards, thin white cotton gloves make handling them completely hands-off. Overkill for common cards, essential for irreplaceable ones.
How to judge the condition of a card
Keep track of every card you protect
You're taking care of your collection. PTC Binder helps you catalog it: track condition, log where you found each card, and photograph the front and back so you always have a record.
Free to download. No account required.