How to Display Cards?

[xdrx]

Hello everyone, new guy on the block here. Just Googled and found this site It seems very cool.

Some quick background. I collected lots of cards as a kid in the late 70s early 80s. New issues at that time, as well as older stuff back to mid 50s. Those cards have been stored now for almost 30 years. I have sold a bunch of them, and plan to sell most of the rest. While they have meaning to me, I just can't see the value in having them sit in a fireproof lock box. I can take them out once in a while and go through them, but that gets old kind of fast for me.

So, my question: Does anyone have a good way to display vintage (and sometimes fairly valuable) cards? If I can hang them on the wall like art (which they really are, to me) and appreciate them every day then I might be more inclined to keep them. But I don't want to damage the cards in order to display them. I can imagine a custom framing job with archival foam board cut out to allow card to fit snugly as a backer and UV blocking glass, but if a solution exists I'd much prefer not to re-invent the wheel.

Thanks for any ideas. My only fear is that I'll start hanging around here and want to buy more cards instead of selling what I have. But you guys aren't enablers that way, right?

[almostdone]

Let me be the first to say welcome to the boards! I also am fairly new but have found my experience valuble and informative.
As to the display I think it depends on the quantity iof card you want displayed. I have made display cases myself for parts of my collection ranging from a basic shadow box for 10 -15 cards upto 5 locking wall mounted cases that each hold up to 40 graded cards to display my HOF collection.
There was a thread a few months ago called "Let's see those displays" (or something close to that). Try to do a search on it and maybe you can get some useful ideas but beware this is when the enabling starts.

Again welcome,
Drew

[steve B]

you don't even need foamboard.

I've framed a few things by putting them in a mylar sleeve and attaching the sleeve to the back of the matboard with archival photo corners. I cut my own mats so it works out nicely. I either use off the shelf frames, or the framing shop near me that caries the UV blocking glass has frames that you assemble. They come in packs of 2 sides, so you can make a good array of sizes. And they're deep enough that you can use a few layers of matboard. Most ready made frames are too shallow for more than one mat and a thin cardboard backer.

The craft store nearby also sells a card display case, but I'm not positive it does any UV blocking


Steve B

[xdrx]

Thanks for that link Drew. The search function...doh! Great info in there.

I'm thinking I'd probably do smaller displays, 1 to 5 cards max, though that thread gave me some great ideas about how to display my 57 Dodgers team set. Nothing I have is graded.

[xdrx]

Originally Posted by steve B

you don't even need foamboard.

I've framed a few things by putting them in a mylar sleeve and attaching the sleeve to the back of the matboard with archival photo corners. I cut my own mats so it works out nicely. I either use off the shelf frames, or the framing shop near me that caries the UV blocking glass has frames that you assemble. They come in packs of 2 sides, so you can make a good array of sizes. And they're deep enough that you can use a few layers of matboard. Most ready made frames are too shallow for more than one mat and a thin cardboard backer.

The craft store nearby also sells a card display case, but I'm not positive it does any UV blocking


Steve B

Thanks Steve. Any chance you can share a photo of what you've done? It sounds great, but I am concerned about the look of framing cards in sleeves. I'm guessing the mylar is super-clear. That does certainly mitigate the issues I am thinking about relative to trying to frame an unprotected card.

[steve B]

Sorry for the delay, I had to get one out and take a picture.

Not cards, but nice stuff. Uruguayan cyclist Julio Capdepont. A few items from the 20's - Poster, photo, racing license, and a few medals including a national championship medal. The medals are hung from the hanging loops by fishing line sewn through the back piece of matboard. The license and photo are attached to the back piece of mat by archival photocorners. And the poster is attached with archival photo corners with a Mylar overlay to keep it from collapsing out of the corners as it's very thin, almost like tissue paper.

Near match to Bianchi green for the front mat and a dark green back mat. The lower medal required 3 layers of mat because of its thickness.

The matboard was something like $5 a sheet, the frame was roughly 30-40 for the sections. The Glass is glare free UV blocking, the most expensive part. I think it was around $50. The poster is about 8 1/2 x11 so that will give you an idea of size.

Steve B

[steve B]

I don't have a pic, and it's not here for me to take one, but the fanciest I've done was for a marriage sampler my wife made for my sister.

Silver front mat with a fancier shape cutout, and I carved designs into the matboard which is silver metallic front with an acid free black core.

So you could probably carve in team logos or names if you were framing cards. Especially if the mat has contrasting outer and inner layers.

Steve B