Toploader sizes
The point-gauge system decoded first, then every toploader and rigid holder we track, sorted thin to thick.
A toploader's point gauge is just the thickest card it accepts, measured in thousandths of an inch. A 35pt toploader takes a card up to 0.035 inches (about 0.9mm) thick. For reference, a standard trading card is roughly 12pt on its own, which is why 35pt handles a raw or penny-sleeved card with room to spare.
| Gauge | In millimeters | What it's actually for |
|---|---|---|
| 35pt | up to ~0.9mm | the default: raw, penny-sleeved, and single-sleeved standard cards |
| 55pt / 59pt | up to ~1.4mm | thicker stock and stamped foils that bind in a 35pt |
| 75pt / 79pt | up to ~1.9mm | thick inserts and thin relic cards |
| 100pt / 108pt | up to ~2.5mm | patch and memorabilia cards |
| 130pt / 138pt | up to ~3.3mm | thick relics and manufactured patches |
| 180pt | up to ~4.6mm | booklet-class and the thickest memorabilia cards |
The split naming is a brand quirk, not a real size difference. Ultra Pro's ladder runs 35, 55, 75, 100, 130, 180. BCW's runs 35, 59, 79, 108, 138. So if a card back says 120pt, nobody sells that exact gauge in our database: you'd take the Ultra Pro 130pt or the BCW 138pt and let it ride a touch loose, which is harmless. Loose is recoverable; forcing a thick card into a tight gauge is how corners get chewed. Gauges above 180pt exist out in the hobby for extreme memorabilia pieces, but nothing we track needs one.
What we'd actually keep on hand: a hundred-count pack of 35pt for storage and shipping (see the eBay standard envelope guide before mailing one), a few semi-rigid holders (the BCW #1 below) because grading companies prefer them for submissions, and a magnetic ONE-TOUCH or two for the cards you want on a shelf. If your endgame is a binder, note that ordinary binder pockets don't take toploaders at all; the exceptions are covered in binders that fit toploaders.
Pattern across the whole category: sizing mistakes are almost never about width. The 3x4 inch footprint is universal here; thickness is the only spec that varies, and the only one worth checking twice.