Ultra Pro Platinum page issue
 

I buy the Ultra Pro Platinum pages. I was loading my 57 and 61 sets that I'm building in the pages. After a while, I noticed that the seventh pockets were dished in and it made the cards take on the shape of the pockets. I immediately took them out. I noticed in the binder that they all curved up and wouldn't lay flat. Anyone have the same issues? Are there any other pages that are good and flat?

I have noticed my pages are bending at the bottom of the binders as well. I have taken to storing all of my binders on their backs instead of on their sides. I use the same sheets as well as some older Ultra Pro sheets as well.

I don't believe it is a problem with the sheets specifically as much as it is a problem with the sheets not being supported all that well when the binders are in an upright book type position with the spines facing outward. JMHO.

Instead of binders, I use Itoya portfolios for my sheets.

https://itoya.com/products/presentat...-art-profolio/

Doug

The quality of Ultra-Pro toploaders has been diminished as of late. I *think* their raw materials and/or production processes have been subpar for the past year or so. The pandemic *may* have been a contributing factor.

This is purely anecdotal, based upon a few dozen personal observations.

On a related note, I wish there were packs of toploaders out there that weren't curved. The ones at every store I've visited in 2021 - and those I received from two different online sellers - were similar.

I put a one pocket page every 30 pages or so with a cardboard backer in it. It helps support the pages. I’ve had mine stored for years and never had any sagging issues.

Alternatively, you can store your binders flat (but then can’t/shouldn’t stack them) or I’ve seen them stored vertically with the spine up (which isn’t terribly attractive to look at on a shelf, imo).

I've done a couple of things to combat the 'sag' which is especially prevalent when the binder is not filled with cards/sheets to it's width.

One idea which is not quite so appealing to the eye is to alternate which direction the binder is facing. Put one with the binding on the outside (which most folks do) and the next one with the binding towards the back. That way they stack together like wedges.

The other thing I'll do is put some type of padding or foam in the front of the binder so that the front lays flat when it is laid on its back - the binder is 'full'.

The worst thing for binders is for the binder not to be full and give the pages room to sag or wave.

I recently went through all my albums, and found several creased cards in 9-pocket, 6-pocket, and even 1-pocket sheets; all due to the pages sagging. It's really a problem with all sheets, regardless of the number of pockets, not just Ultra-Pro.

You basically have to over-stuff the albums, and then make sure they are packed tightly together on the shelf, so there's no way for the pages to sag.

Steve

Thanx for the feedback everyone.

I found that storing the albums with spine up and pages hanging down - gravity keeps them all from bending and impacting cards.

I find thick page lifters placed front and back in the album help avoid that sag.

I take 8.5 x 11 document pages and stick a backing board in it to make a thin but effective flattener and I put them in a few places in each album including front and back. That seems to help. Plus I don't use traditional binders, I use Unikeep clamshell binders with flat rings so there is never any unnecessary gap between the cards and the cover.