Magnetic card holders
One-touch holders, sized by card thickness in points.
A magnetic card holder — commonly called a one-touch — is a two-piece rigid acrylic holder that closes with magnets, sized by the maximum card thickness it accepts in points. One point equals 0.001 inches, so a 35 pt holder takes a card up to 0.035 inches thick. Getting the point size right is the entire decision.
Sizing is the whole product
Magnetic holders look interchangeable and are not. They are sold by point rating, and the point is a real measurement: one point equals 0.001 inches, or 0.0254 mm. A 35 pt holder accepts a card up to 0.035 inches thick.
Both errors have consequences, and they differ. A card in an oversized holder can shift, and a card that moves inside a rigid enclosure wears at the corners each time the holder is handled. A card in an undersized holder is worse: the halves close under magnetic pressure, so an over-thick card is either held compressed or prevents the holder seating properly.
Standard modern base cards are around 20 pt and go into 35 pt holders comfortably, allowing for a sleeve. Relic and autograph cards typically need 75–100 pt, patch and jersey cards 120–180 pt, and booklet cards up to 360 pt.
What a one-touch protects against
Rigid acrylic on both faces means bending and crushing are handled well — better than a toploader, because the card is enclosed rather than held in an open sleeve of plastic.
The magnetic closure seals the holder, which excludes dust in a way an open-topped toploader does not. That makes one-touches a genuine storage format rather than only a transport one, which is unusual among rigid holders.
What they do not stop is light. Acrylic is not reliably UV-blocking unless the product says so, and light damage to printed material is cumulative and irreversible. A one-touch on a sunny shelf is still fading.
Sleeve inside, or not?
Opinions split, and the point rating settles it. If the holder's rating accommodates the card plus a penny sleeve, sleeving first is the safer choice: the sleeve stops the card contacting acrylic as it is positioned, and positioning is when scratches happen.
If sleeving pushes the card past the rating, do not force it. Move up a point size instead. A 20 pt card in a 35 pt holder has room for a sleeve; a 100 pt card in a 100 pt holder does not.
Insert with the holder open and flat rather than sliding the card in from an edge. The design exists so the card can be placed rather than pushed, which is the advantage over a toploader.
When a one-touch is the wrong choice
They are expensive per card, which makes them wrong for volume. A collection of ordinary cards is better served by sleeves and a storage box; the money spent on one-touches for bulk buys a better storage location instead.
They are also the wrong format for grading submission. Graders ask for semi-rigid holders, because a card can be removed from those without force — a rigid magnetic holder has to be opened and the card lifted, which is fine for you and impractical at grading-intake volume.
Their proper use is a small number of cards that are individually valuable and either displayed or stored long-term. For those, the sealed rigid enclosure is the best non-slab option available.
Common questions
- What size magnetic holder do I need?
- Match the point rating to the card thickness and allow room for a sleeve. Standard base cards are around 20 pt and fit 35 pt holders; relic and autograph cards need 75–100 pt; patch cards 120–180 pt.
- Should you sleeve a card before putting it in a one-touch?
- Yes, if the point rating leaves room. The sleeve prevents the card contacting acrylic during positioning. If sleeving exceeds the rating, move up a size rather than forcing it.
- Are magnetic holders good for long-term storage?
- Yes for a small number of valuable cards — the magnetic closure seals out dust, unlike an open toploader. They do not stop light, so storage location still matters.
- Can you send cards to grading in a magnetic holder?
- No. Grading companies ask for semi-rigid holders, from which a card can be removed without force. Magnetic holders are a storage and display format.