I've pretty much lost hope for screwdowns and other hard holders for most cards. I recently took some cards out of screwdowns after about 10-15 years. Fortunately the cards were ok, but the screwdowns had some weird decay pattern. Looked like they'd been rained on from the inside, and the fluid had left dents. Only about 3 out of 6 of that particular type had the damage, but it's enough to make me start transfering any card in a screwdown.
I do have one really old screwdown that has a black insert with box lining. And nylon screws. Very nice holder that wasn't marketed for long. I think it was just too far ahead of its time.
The really old ridgid holders - The folded plexiglass type- hold up better, but if the card is really that nice having it pinched on one end probably isn't good either.
Mostly I use penny sleeves in toploaders. Usually pretty good for protection and they store nicely. But some of the toploaders turn yellow or even brownish with age.
I had some concerns about the grading holders for awhile. It's possible that some acidic cardboard could get worse with time if the acid and cardboard were totally sealed. But I've since learned that at least the SGC holders are slightly vented by their construction.
So I've finally gotten into grading a little, only really nice cards that I think will grade well. I'm pretty much ok at spotting 1s and 2s . And I went with SGC mostly because they had sensible answers to a few technical questions, plus the holders are nice, and they don't have a silly $100 cover charge before I can spend money with them.
Steve B
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