Glossary
Penny sleeve
Also called: soft sleeve, penny sleeves
A penny sleeve is a thin, soft, clear polypropylene sleeve that fits a standard card and is sized to slide inside a 3 × 4 toploader.
The name comes from the cost: bought in bulk they work out at roughly a cent each. BCW's standard sleeves measure 2⅝ × 3⅝ inches, are made of polypropylene, and are sold as acid-free.
They are deliberately loose. A penny sleeve is not meant to grip the card the way a deck sleeve does — it is meant to add a barrier that stops surface scratches while still sliding easily into a rigid holder.
This is the sleeve grading companies expect. PSA's submission process puts each card in a clear penny sleeve first, then into a semi-rigid holder. Opaque or coloured sleeves cause delays, because the grader cannot see the card through them.
Penny sleeves are not a long-term solution on their own. They offer no rigidity, so they do nothing to prevent bending.