Why I hate sleeving games, but I loved them sleeved. - Let's Chat 

Honestly, I don't mind sleeving things. It's simple, and in a way, therapeutic. I prefer everything being sleeved in my collection.

I’ll echo that Sleeve Kings are a great balance between premium feel, right fit, and thickness. They’re not loose, they feel well, and they’re thin enough to store and stack much easier. That being said, I really do like GameGenic mattes for my next level up, but they’re really hard to find locally.

Love sleeving. Its basically therapy. Slow, monotonous and calming. Maybe thats just me. Also the resell argument and shuffling. All good things.

If the cards of the game are going to be shuffled regularly then I will sleeve them. If the cards are hardly used then I don't worry about it. I use Sleeve Kings. When I first got into gaming I was not into sleeving. Over time I changed my mind. I also DO NOT allow food or drink anywhere near the game or the table, even with sleeved cards.

Shuffling is the key. So easy to shuffle and I don’t like having to bend my cards shuffling them the traditional way.

I sleeve all my games in Dragon Shield matt sleeves. Not sure where you get Dragon Sleeves for $5.00. I thought they were closer to $15 a box. I am likely going to start gaming at a meetup gaming group. I don't trust that they won't get dirty fingers on them. And most of my games are Kickstarter games and replacing a damaged card is way to costly to consider. I've double sleeved some games in the past. That was when I was playing Magic and some of my cards were stupid expensive so protecting them was a must.

Confession - I can't shuffle unsleeved cards, it feels like I'm knocking two blocks of wood together. Luckily I actually enjoy the sleeving process, it's kinda zen.

In the past I did tried to kept every card sleeved. In my experience this is just not practical at all for several reasons: 1. If you sleeve a game and a year later an expansion shows you have to hunt for the very same sleeves, which you may even not remember. 2. A topical card game may have from 300-500 cards. This may add a cost of about 30 to 50 dollars more, unless you use really cheap sleeves. 3. Usually most game inserts don’t work with sleeves cards. 4. Sometimes sleeves comes in weird sizes. 5. If your local gaming store doesn’t have a varied supply of sleeves you have to wait for sleeves and buy them on line. The main reason I still sleeve cards is when you shuffle a lot. This protects the cards and also feels good. You really become addicted to sleeping. My advice to new people in the hobby is “Don’t sleeve” unless you are playing collectible card games like Magic, and you are playing with expensive cards, If you buy a game or two and play only those games, sure sleeving is ok. This I also recommend, “Don’t succumb to FOMO!”.

Pros: - Shuffle (by far the biggest reason to sleeve imho) - Protection Cons: - Cost - Time to sleeve, (although I do this while watching a TV show or movie most of the time) - Boxes/Inserts that are not designed to hold sleeved cards As someone whose game group likes to enjoy some craft beers and snacks during our boardgame nights I generally prefer to have my games sleeved. That being said it also depends on the cost of the game if I either: Don't sleeve at all, use lower quality sleeve/just partially sleeve, or use premium quality sleeves (at least for standard sized cards).

We only sleeve games that require constant shuffling example deck builders. And even then only buy penny sleeves, 1000 sleeves for $10. We do have sleeves for MC just for the deck we play and change each game. The last game we played didn't sleeve because it was Sinister Motives and would have to sleeve and unsleeved during the campaign.

I pretty much sleeve everything. I know I sleeve things I don’t need to but I do it anyway. It makes shuffling way easier, especially for me since I physically can’t do “traditional” shuffling. Money wise, I stick with sleeve kings unless they don’t make the size I need, then I try for paladins. Big reason for that is the thickness. I adjust storage to sleeved cards. My OCD would probably force me to re-sleeve if something new came out for a game and the company changed. But maybe not, cause townsfolk tussle is sleeved in sleeve kings and paladins… though the change is exclusively to the card size. I think I’d probably keep the cards separate for the new content unless I really wanted to leave it permanently mixed in to the base. I actually find it kinda cathartic to sleeve while watching something or when I just need to do something mindless. And my wife actually enjoys it, so she probably does around 75% of the sleeving.

I don't sleeve anymore. "Dogeared just means well loved" to paraphrase NRB Adam. And, if a game is well and truly ruined, a replacement is typically cheaper and more convenient anyway. One thing that you sort of touched on with shuffle quality is the difference in card stock quality across games and sometimes even between expansions of the same game. Sleeves help homogenize that gap. NRB Adam also highlighted that deluxe Radlands has more robust plastic cards in his 10 Best Board Games For The Pub video, which is an upgrade that probably isn't that hotly demanded, but something I wish more games would offer.

I sleeve cards that are going to be shuffled a lot, and only ever all cards in a boardgame if it's a game I know I'm going to have in my collection for a long time. In collectible card games, I sleeve and often double sleeve all the expensive cards, but not the lesser value cards. In LCGs, spesifically Arkham horror LCG, I sleeve everything EXCEPT the player cards. They go into binders, and are only removed and sleeved when they are being used in a deck. Sleeves offer the benefit of security, easier shuffling and easier handling when picking up and flipping cards on a table, but they can get expensive if you're an avid sleever and don't do it correctly. If I had Marvel champions, I would probably do the same as in other LCGs and store the cards in binders, and sleeving up what I use when I use it

Also I only sleeve games if I can manage to get 10 plays of it in a month. If so the game warrants having the sleeves since it will inevitably get warm out at that rate of play. If I play a game less than 10 times a month it probably won’t need the sleeves. I had to sleeve the game hidden leaders because my game group played that game 10 in less than two weeks. So i sleeved that game up in order to limit the wear and tear which was pretty bad with all the scratches and bends on cards. Other than that I don’t sleeve my games mostly. Only two of my games are sleeves right now. I wish I did it more cause I love sleeving games!

I end up having most of my games sleeved. But I have a small collection and would only sleeve if: a) something needs to be shuffled a lot (wear and tear) b) marked cards for deduction/bluffing would be a problem c) I am convinced I still want to play this in 10+ years.

I sleeve most of my games, for both shuffling and protection. The protection part is not just on wearing, it also protect the cards from water, which a tiny drop will easily ruin a card and makes the whole game unplayable. Especially for games that are expansive, or not easy to obtain again (e.g. KS games)

I found this video while I was sleeving cards for an expansion. :)

I tend to sleeve everything, though if a game doesn't shuffle the cards I'm less worried. I do sleeve to protect the cards, but the main benefit for me is shuffling: the cards feel better, and shuffle far easier - if the cards are not sleeved they tend to be difficult to shuffle without damaging. Another benefit is that if the game has poor quality cards, a premium sleeve can turn that flimsy piece of card that bends easily into something more resilient. And aye: the cost can be high. I have spent hundreds of pounds on sleeves. Though there is something that you could have done to reduce the cost for LCGs like Marvel Champions: most of the cards will sit in the box unused 90% of the time, so what I do for mine is sleeve all the villain cards and store all the player cards in a ring binder using sleeve wallets from ultra-pro. When I build decks, I take out the cards I want and then sleeve the completed deck. Far-fewer sleeves are needed, and flicking through the cards to build your deck is far easier. It also means that the collection is easier to manage as I find rifling through a massive pile of cards can be hard to find specific cards / hard to keep in order. For the time: I just have some videos or a film on and sleeve at the same time: it is mindless enough that it requires little-to-no thought to do (depending on if you're using clear or matte, since the matte are only smooth on one side you need to make it consistent.. :) There is one other issue with sleeves that you didn't mention: they slide... So many times - especially with new sleeves - I have had to baby-sit a freshly shuffled deck as when it is just sat on the table it will slide out. I need to either get or make some deck holders to avoid this issue.

I'm very new to board gaming. Thanks to RU-vid I now know that board games can be incredibly fun and not the slog that is Monopoly and what not. I haven't sleeved anything but sit on both sides. It's already a fairly expensive hobby, I tend not to play with anyone bar my partner and we tend to have big sessions at the weekend, or sometimes not. Work and life sometimes go that way. So the cards are typically stored anyway. But I think I agree with the point "If I'm playing a game that much to the point of damage then maybe it's time to play some different games" Food is a no no, hands must be washed before play but much to my dismay there are drinks at the table. But we can't always have it our way. I don't have a LCG but planning one soon, whether that changes my mind on sleeving remains to be seen. Shuffling isn't a problem for me. Like people have soothing experiences with sleeving I'll sit with a deck and make x amount of face down piles, then draw them together for one final basic shuffle. Works for me. Sleeves at this moment of time seem like too much of an added cost, added space and added chore.... At this time anyway.

I love sleeving my newly-bought cards. It's a nice way of enjoying the smell of it while staring at the other components. That and because my game is Unmatched. 31 cards per deck isn't a hassle compared to a majority of other games with cards. And oh, shuffling IS a bonus that I love. The only thing that MIGHT make me reconsider sleeving is if game manufacturers produce good quality plastic cards that Playing Card manufacturers make - cards that can endure insane amounts of careless riffles.

I try to sleeve cards whenever I can because it makes shuffling the decks a lot easier for new cards and protects them better for shuffling. Because some games can have quite a lot of cards I usually do it in stages as I watch youtube or some movies. The only thing that gets annoying for me is when it becomes difficult to get oranizers and inserts that will fit the sleeves. I've actually had two games where the sleeves were just slightly too big so after coating around 200 cards I had to go back and with scissors snip a bit off the top of the card sleeves to get them to fit. My OCD on keeping things as undamaged as possible makes it hard for me to avoid sleeving a game unless its something I just don't worry so much about or feel I can replace if needed.

+1 to Sleeve King. It is great! I only sleeve the cards that are regularly held in hands. In Marvel Champions' case, I only sleeve the heroes that I play. The rest are left un-sleeved to save money, space and time. On shuffling, I actually prefer the un-sleeved cards. It shuffles much better without the sleeves. The feeling of your skin on paper is not the same as plastic...

I HAVE to sleeve my games, even the well used copy of splendor given by my friend, even at the cost of tossing away the insert. It just makes the game feel so much better.

After sleeving don't forget to compress, it will cut down on the size needed to store them. I usually compress in piles of 30 or so for 24hrs under other heavy board games or books.

For me, I'm a big sleeve fan just for the extra protection, I'm buying into rather expensive games and I want them to last. And that's especially true for limited and special edition versions, or versions out of print. I also have great pleasure in the sleeved shuffle, it's so much smoother and for games with large card shuffle needed, that matters a lot. I also came from the mtg community so it was just the standard for me. I do get selective on what things are sleeved though, if they're cards that don't require shuffling or a lot of player handling, I'll probably put off sleeveing. I'm also not going out of my way for the more expensive sleeves and stick to more of the Gamegenic Prime variety, they sell in a bulk size that's cheaper and they're just generic clear sleeves meaning it's easier to find replacements if they do stop making them.

I sleeve based on how much shuffling there will be for the game. I find sleeves make for better shuffling just like you showed. I also like it for games where cards get passed round a lot or are for casual games where some food or drink is around (like Deception Murder in Hong Kong) I started with dragon sleeves and ultra pro. I moved to penny sleeves for most of my games though because it was getting too expensive otherwise. I actually find sleeving a meditative and relaxing practice. I can put on a movie or show and the sleeping keeps focussed enough to not fall asleep while not distracting from what’s going on in the show.

The likelihood for me to want to sleeve a game depends on a ratio of how often the cards are shuffled and how many cards are involved. For example. I will always want to sleeve every deck-builder. The tiny starting decks are a pain to shuffle and sleeving them makes it easy, plus they're shuffled a lot even in a single game. Oh, there are also a couple of examples of a game with, as you mentioned, hidden information, where it matters A LOT if there are any visible differences between cards. So I do like to sleeve those as soon as I've confirmed that I like them just to make sure I don't know what my opponent is playing.

I love sleeving games. Protecting games i want to keep in my collection. Especially when shuffling alot.

Very passionate subject here. I sleeve most everything. It's therapeutic. I also have a 3 and 5 year-old in the house, so protection is a must. I also play with adults like myself that probably need to use sippy cups. It's worth it to me to protect the game, make shuffling easier, and is part of the upgrade process for me, even if it is clear sleeves. I also use dragon shield only for select games. Most just get the cheap clears that are 100-200 per $1.

I feel that I’m extending the life of the cards by keeping wear and tear to a minimum by sleeving. Especially when it comes to backed games that may never see life beyond the original campaign. These cards can literally be one of a kinds, irreplaceable. I tend to buy the majority of my sleeves from one company. If I have to buy other sleeves, I leave the package in the game, so I know what I need to buy for future expansions.

Sleeve everything!!! Dragon Shield on Villain and Encounter decks, Ultra Pro black gloss on all Heroes, Clear sleeves on all double sided cards, is what I'm currently doing. I use the Artist Cases from Hobby Lobby with dividers from Tesseract Games and Artist Case inserts from Broken Token, to organize EVERYTHING. The way i chose sleeves was based on cost and protection available. Ultra Pro Black Gloss bought in bulk are the best bang for your buck, while the Dragon Shields offer great protection but are not needed in the raw number as Hero Packs, aside from the big box expansions. But when its's all done and organized, it is very rewarding and impressive to the average hobbyist. Secret tip: Buy in bulk, buy often, buy proven products that have been around a long time. Sleeves do cost extra and make the overall game more expensive, but so do the dividers. But even with all that, I wouldn't do it any other way. Happy with my choice even with the additional costs. To me, it's and investment and that's just how I choose to view it.

I have been trying to sleeve everything because I have a Cat that jumps up on the table, and I have had damaged cards were they have fallen on the floor and such. I tend to go for the sieves offered on the kickstarter because those are usually the best fit for the game, even though they are more money.

I like sleeving all types of card games including board games which could be both harder to find replacement and expensive to find cards for the board games either retail or funding projects like Kickstarter, GameFound, etc. I like them not only to protect them from damage and also to expand their cards' lifespan and prevent them from wear and tear.

To quote a comment I made on discussion on this topic in a Discord server I'm in: "Considering I have a player who will sometimes cough or sneeze across a table without seeing it as an issue, well... I'm glad I have all of Middara (and other games, but that's been the most recent long term table resident) sleeved." The immediate response from somebody else in that discussion was "BAN". To which I didn't disagree with in principle, but circumstantially has not happened yet. In either case, while I fully acknowledge there isn't a need to sleeve everything, I still do it anyway. To use the Middara example, there is functionally no point sleeving the Discipline and Item Upgrade cards, as they are never shuffled. Items are occasionally shuffled and drawn from, but not often, except for Consumables. Really, only Initiative, and the aforementioned Consumable Item, cards are constantly shuffled (and soon potentially Variant Monster cards), and thus really deserve sleeves. Now, something like ISS Vanguard, which has nearly 3,000 cards (many of which are triggered-draw specific, and not shuffled), or Aeon Trespass: Odyssey with around 2,000 cards (which again, has likely more than half of the cards as being never shuffled), we'll see what I do or don't for sleeving. I don't expect to be playing either of those games with the same player mentioned in the quote, due to the time investment of either game, but if I do, I will likely fully sleeve them, as well. ----- That all being said, I looked at my spreadsheet, and fully sleeving (or purchasing enough sleeves to fully sleeve upon arrival of future games) my games has cost a little under 8% of the cost of the games themselves. I have bought two pledges of Paladin sleeves, at $1.20 per pack of 55 sleeves, when purchasing at their $360 tier. I still have about $200 worth of sleeves that are not already slated for use with existing or pending games. Mostly in the more common sizes, but also 2 or more packs extra of the uncommon sizes.

I mostly sleeve deck builders (dominion style) because the starting hands get beat sooo much more than “market” cards and you can always tell the difference between them if you don’t sleeve (which unfortunately a lot of deckbuilding games have cards that say things like reveal the top card if it has a cost, do x). Sleeve kings (60 microns) are the way to go: cheap and better quality than “penny sleeves”

I never used to sleeve anything until a few years ago. When I really got into board game and realized how expensive they are.

I've gotten one shipment of Sleeve Kings ... I like them, but I don't have a ton for comparison purposes. I sleeve cards that have a lot of hand holding... Moonrakers for instance, I sleeve the standard cards (Reactor, Thruster, Damage, Shield and Miss), but I do not sleeve the Contracts, Ship Parts or Objectives.

Also a Sleeve Kings Kickstarter backer and have PLENTY of sleeves for the foreseeable future, not to mention at a fair price. Does bum me out when they don't fit back in the box, other than that it a process I enjoy.

All my Nemesis content is sleeved, color coded by expansion and they are Matte finish, Dragon Shield brand which run aboout $12 a box. My Dice Throne sets are Sleeved that's about it. Other games I have can wear down they'll live. Probably should sleeve ISS Vanguard when it arrives

I just bought 3,000 sleeves for Marvel United...yes, I sleeve :D As for why, my best example is my copy of RoboRally (1994 version), which I bought long before I ever sleeved anything. Those cards now sit together as one large clump, and you have to break them apart before starting to shuffle...

I have too many games to sleeve everything but I do tend to sleeve when possible. With Marvel Champions specifically I tend to use matte coloured Dragonshields because I really like the fan-made custom content. And the easiest way to play with it (for me) is by just having everything sleeved and then slotting the fanmade printouts in a pre-made sleeved deck :)

I usually sleeve games that have a lot of shuffling in them, for both reasons, protect the cards, and are easier to shuffle. In games where the cards are hardly shuffled, I only sleeve if the game sees a lot of table, and I want to protect them. As for the process of sleeving... I do it in front of the TV, so it is not a huge issue for me. When I started sleeving it was with Marvel Legendary, and I already had over 1000 cards there.... this was a big pain, but once you have the logic of sleeving when you get a get, it is not that hard.

I’ve never felt like I had to sleeve. I did sleeve Nemesis since my son and I spent so much to get everything for the original. I also sleeved the most used cards in 7th Continent. So far that is it. The one regret I have is not sleeving Marvel Legendary. We played so much that the starting cards began showing wear and now it is easy to tell. I just got Marvel Champions core box and I’m really tempted to sleeve it.

I sleeve all my games *and* I use a corner punch to round all the corners. The rounded corners makes them so much nicer to handle. No flimsy pokey corners to deal with.

Once you find the right sleeves you tend to start sleeving everything for the feel and shuffle of the cards. I have about 2 larger (for me that is 500+ card count or higher) games worth of sleeves in reserve (varying sizes of course). And once I sleeve a game I backorder that amount so that I always have them on hand. I agree with the storage problem, but I am also a 3d printer owner so my printer is always printing inserts designed for sleeving. I have been known to remove the sleeves from a game here or there because of the storage problem. One thing I have found over time in sleeving that the penny sleeves don't seem to work as well as the thicker sleeves. I have thin sleeves for example on my Aeon's End collection and I keep sleeving with the same thin sleeves and have not yet replaced them. Every once in a while I have to refresh the thin sleeves that are used because they get oils from your hands which makes them hard to do that shuffle (they stick together). This doesn't happen with the thicker sleeves. So If I do ever start another large collection I will start with thick sleeves 90 or 100 microns only.

I tend to use sleeving cards as an opportunity to randomise the decks before the 1st game, distributing the sleeved cards unevenly across 5-6 piles, and cutting the unsleeved deck a number of times to mitigate repeated patterns. If I'm being really diligent I might shuffle each of the 5-6 piles before combining It's not true 'random' but it's a lot more random than I'd have the patience to shuffle to get an equivalent result. In addition it barely adds any time to the sleeving process (and might make it less tedious).

I sleeve if shuffling a lot, or handling a lot. I like Sleeve Kings for thick enough sleeves, but not too thick. But there are exceptions, such as Wingspan with two expansions: I sleeve special cards, but not those hundreds of bird cards.

Depends on how much you’ll be handling shuffling the cards: Nemesis: sleeve the character action and contamination cards. Nothing else really needs it. Dominion: The card quality is low and you’ll constantly be shuffling, sleeve it all. Arnak: constantly shuffling, sleeve. Aquatica: you’ll be shuffling once before the game. Don’t bother sleeving.

Very much for sleeving cards. Big into tcg games and that is a must practically. The real issue was the pricing and quantity needed for sleeves that I felt were worth using like dragon shields or ultra pro. I have luckily stumbled on a pretty good option that is thinner yes, but still functions perfectly fine from my experience so far, is cheaper, and comes in much larger quantities. Sleeve Kings Card Game Card Sleeves (63.5x88mm) 60 micron. I was hesitant because I am used to the thick sleeves of tcg's, but they do seem fairly good for what they are, a nice in between kinda. Only 2.50 on amazon for each 110 and have yet to run into faulty ones so far. I would recommend just trying a few for a game to see if you like them. They do feel a little thin which worried me, but once sleeved and actually handling it was fine. Maybe just be a tad more gentle maybe, but idk how necessary that really is honestly. Not sponsored, literally just happy with the find and performance so far and thought I might recommend others that may be struggling to find options.

I sleeved my Marvel Champions because I play it a lot and I know it would get worn. I made the mistake though of going with Mayday Standards to sleeve my first 1500 cards. Then when it came time to get more the exact same sleeves were now somehow shorter than the originals I had. I contacted Mayday and they sent another batch, and this time they were shorter than my originals but longer than the most recent set. So now I have a lot of sleeves of various sizes but it's to late/expensive to change now

I always sleeve my board games, I prefer to keep them protected. My only exception is living card games like Marvel Champions or Arkham. In that case I only sleeve the cards I am currently playing with. This makes storage easier and I only need a couple of boxes of Dragon Shields.

I sleeve my games in 90% of the time, mostly to keep them in good condition. Same with the game boxes - if I get a game for a gathering I put the box in a plastic bag or transfer the content into a temporary box and leave the original at home. For my 50+ open games I've migrated 1-2 times to a bigger box and 2-3 times removed the original insert. Back to card sleeves - I found that 60-80 microns work fine for deck builders and other games with that shuffling intensity, so I almost never go for the extra premium ones. Via several KS compains and group orders I've acuired enough for my un-opened games and have some extra for the most popular sizes. I buy individual packs only for odd sizes or unexpected expansions. Or games with plasic insert that required perfect, exact fit. About the LCGs - probably you are right. I try to avoid them. I usually do the sleaving while watching movies/youtube, so it is rearly annoying process.

I have two games CURRENTLY that are sleeved, Marvel Legendary & Pathfinder ACG, but I did buy a bunch of sleeves from the last Paladin campaign. The problem I have though is that I did write down the games that I have coming & planned to sleeve, but that little note is somewhere in the trash and long gone :D Oh well, I have a couple of thousand sleeves for random purposes and kickstarters that'll come over the next year or so.. Games that involve a lot of shuffling, games that I really appreciate and that are pretty - those are the ones I'll sleeve. But ONLY if the game box / tray can fit the sleeves.

I sleeve all my games, mainly for protection from both spills and well my shuffling. I have played cards pretty much my whole life and when I get a normal deck of cards in my hands I tend to riffle shuffle them, and not carefully lime you did in your demonstration but rather gast and rough. When I grab a sleeved deck it makes me stop and realize not to do that and put a bend into the deck over time. I also try and have my 7year old niece play games whenever I can and you don't want to take a risk of getting cards messed up with kids handling them. I do agree with your point about the expense tho, I have found sleeve kings to be a good sleeve at a good value. And keep a stock of 8810 and 8808 on hand ( the 2 most commonly used sizes) along with a few other random sizes leftover from previously sleeved games.

I’ve never been a sleever bc of the cost. The one or two games I have sleeved I used cheap ones which poke and tear easily. The only games I might consider sleeving in the future are deck builders I play often and gloomhaven (OG, JotL, & Frosthaven 😳) primarily for ease of shuffling, but I also hate the feel of cards that have been handled A LOT. They get that gritty sticky feel, even from clean hands. Just oil and dirt build up. But again that extra cost is killer, especially these days with things already getting more expensive. 🤷‍♂️

I like sleeved so newer cards don't get marked vs older cards from normal wear. Some games I sleeve, some I don't... Depends on how much I like the game. Love the sleeve jam shuffle, hate big decks that fall over. I use KMC hypermat and perfect fit double sleeve. Android Netrunner was an FFG LCG, but seems impossible to find right now. My Marvel Champions is half sleeved, I haven't played in a while yet I keep buying it.

It all depends! If the game involves picking up cards often, i find it very useful to sleeve since i normally play on hardwood tables and it's easy to damage cards with nails ( and they're hard to pick up). If the price of the game is high or it has KS exclusives i care about, I'll definitely sleeve before bringing it somewhere. Help protect cards from people and the elements. I mostly buy sleeve kings based on Alex's recommendation. I'm starting to want 200 sleeves for the top 8 or so sizes board games come in. I use super cheap penny sleeve for my unmatched collection. I sleeve as i watch standup comedy or hokey highlights, or it's fun to check out the art on the cards, so i don't mind sleeving the cards. I also don't play board games as frequently as you so i only sleeve a game or 2 a month. I just wish all inserts made room for sleeved cards..!

I have not sleeved a game yet but have traded for sleeved games before. I'm sleeving my first game when I get Museum in... the art just looks so amazing that I'd really like to protect those cards. I'm already somewhat regretting it though... we'll see

For marvel I only sleeve the villain and modular sets. And only sleeve up the heroes when they are gonna get played. The worst part about sleeving in other games is most of the time the cards won't fit back into the insert.

Other than the added cost, I enjoy sleeving and having everything protected. I feel anxious playing a game without sleeves, worrying about the risk of them getting damaged. Knowing everything I own is sleeved helps me sleep at night. Yes, im OCD. ; )

I don't necessarily mind the process of sleeving but I've come a long way in my idea of needing to sleeve things. Smash Up was my limit (I also, no longer own Smash Up). But I knew that any time a new expansion came out I had to purchase at least two packs of purple UltraPro sleeves for the new decks and maybe an extra pack of light blue for the location cards. That ultimately (I quit the game when the Marvel version was announced because I'm sick and tired of Marvel in board games) left me with a couple thousand cards that I had to maintain sleeves on, make sure to have spares if any tore, and continue to increase the price of my games for what is largely an unnecessary process. With very few exceptions do I think games need sleeves. Most games at this point have excellent quality cards. Tortuga 2199 was one of the few that I went out to sleeve (and of course those were obnoxiously sized cards) because of how bad of quality they were. After two plays there was serious wear on them. Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle was another I sleeved because of just how much those cards have gotten used. After two full plays of the campaign and both expansion plays, they needed to be sleeved because of how rough they were getting. Those are really the only types of cases in which I sleeve. For the most part, games either don't get used anywhere near enough to require it or they're just quality products in general. Not sleeving saves money, it saves time, it saves frustration, and it makes games infinitely easier to store. We have drinks on my table and non-debris creating snacks (no cheetos!) and I don't worry about it. I also am in my 30s and play mostly with people in their mid-20s to mid-40s and we all understand that it's much cheaper to just take care of things the first time around.

I used to sleeve every card when I first got into gaming. then I asked why when I prefer to play only solo games. I no longer sleeve and I have games from 2012 with no damage to the cards. if I was playing with a group then definitely sleeving would be the way to go. I have no issues with shuffling unsleeved cards. take care everyone.

For me, it became a must for the games I like. I dont know, but I feel like my friends' hands are pretty much dirty. Some sleeves became really dirty after just a few games, and I was like d@ F#$k... glad I sleeved that. At least i can wipe the sleeves easily compared to cards... Also, sleeving is a way to spend time with SO talking or watching something while doing it.

I have my entire marvel champions collection sleeves in clear and black matte dragon shields. All the good guys in clear and bad guys in black. I should have done all clear but it’s too late now lol

Weird because I absolutely LOVE sleeving games. And you don't have to worry about any of the cards getting dirty. It's quite calming and comforting because games where I'm from are not easy.

i sleeve my games that get handled&shuffled often like deckbuilders or other cardgames… i like the feeling if sleeved cards! i dont sleeve cheaper games that i ca rebuy cause they are cheap like „skull king“ or „crew“ i also sleeve games that are expensive or hard to rebuy (or both) like kickstarters sometimes games that have poor card quality get sleeved too so they feel better other games i dont sleeve are games where cards just get layed out like nidavellir or sth… another benefit besides the one you mentioned (protection, shuffling, feeling) is they are easyer to pick up on a flat table i use mate sleeves from gamegenic

The thing I get really curious about, as someone who likes to keep stuff as close to how it comes as possible, is how do you feel about inserts? I vaguely remember hearing Tom Vasel say in one (or some) of his videos that he usually throws out most inserts, particularly when expansions wouldn't fit into one box otherwise. For me, I generally like how inserts keep the game organized, but for example... I got a copy of Abyss in trade that came sleeved. I then got the Kraken expansion, but even though it didn't come with a ton of new pieces, the sleeves meant I either had to throw out the insert in the base game box (no!!!), deal with space being taken up by an extraneous expansion box (why?!?), or take the time to unsleeve the cards (wasted time and plastic, since I don't usually sleeve games).

I do sleeve most games in my collection with very few exceptions (I think right now PARKS and Gloomhaven are some of them, and soon Forest of Pangaia will also be). I do enjoy the process, there is something relaxing in it, and it's a good opportunity to just sit back and watch a Quackalope video. My main reason for sleevng is that I tend to have sweaty hands, which can be an issue with some game depending on how the cards are handled. I'll admit that it can increase the cost of a game considerably, especially if you are going for more premium sleeve options. And same with the space issue (which is mostly why PARKS is not sleeved).

I’m with you on all points. I sleeve games that I know I’m keeping and games that have a lot of shuffling in them. Shuffling is so much easier and I really hate the feel of the unsleeved cards after the oils from your hands and the ink from the cards start getting on the cards, they start to feel so sticky. I’ve also started sleeving my BGG Top 100 games when it’s possible for resale purposes, I like being able to advertise that the game was sleeved when played. Great topic and all reasons, both good and bad, are on point.

I sleeve any game that needs shuffling, and any game that is not readily available. Titan Shield Gaming is my go-to. I have tried MANY and I find Titan Shields the best value, texture/feel, and by FAR the best stacking sleeves, period.

I sleeve everything and watch board game RU-vid videos while doing it. Makes shuffling much easier

I sleeve almost everything, and I love the act of sleeving - it's a nice, relaxing activity for me while watching TV or something. I hate punching out cardboard, though.

I personally use KMC hyper Matt for games that get shuffled a lot (like Marvel Champions) , and Sleeve King (their new thicker line is fantastic in terms of price/quality ratio) for everything else There's nothing more frustrating then your friend accidentally staining a card with their dirty fingers, or bending/chipping a corner with a rough shuffle... Ease of mind for a few $ is worth it

My wife and I find sleeving cards to be very therapeutic and easy to do while doing other things. If shuffling isn't a major mechanic of the game (like Spirit Island where cards are only shuffled once a game), then I won't sleeve. If the game is something which will likely never be out of print (like Uno), then I won't sleeve. Otherwise I'm 50/50 on sleeving.

I have not sleeved my Resident Evil DBG sets.. and they have been so banged up over the years from so much played.. and its OOP.. so I need to sleeve them up now. And now I always sleeve my cards directly cause I dont want my new games to get worn out!

I never sleeve. Usually I get the print and play files to make replacement decks.

Edit: TLDR of the below, don't think about sleeving to protect your games think about how you'll feel when the cards actually start to wear. Will you think this sucks and is terrible, or will you think you had a good run with the game playing it so many times the cards have even worn down? If the former, then sleeve your cards. If the later, don't. Rule 1, only sleeve things you think you'll play enough that they need to be sleeved in the first place. Dependent upon card quality and how often shuffling happens. Case in point, I think I'll probably play Imperium Classics/Legends often enough to justify the sleeves but I haven't done so yet however the cards are so prone to bending with no border around the edges for the artwork that sleeves are basically required from the get go. On the other side Maracaibo will never be played enough to justify sleeves, even if I do get to play it for several dozen hours and go through a full campaign with it. Also if you need to shuffle small numbers of cards regularly, sleeves can make a big difference (riffle shuffling sucks with small numbers, pile shuffling is tedious, mash shuffling without sleeves is like nails on chalkboard). Rule 2, only sleeve something which has the potential to be worth it at the end. This means at the end of the lifetime of the game, sleeving a game that costs you 40 dollars that you might be able to sell at a slight premium when it's out of print just isn't worth it. On the other hand a game that sells well with sleeves or has a high chance of fetching a premium when out of print and you'll be okay keeping it that long. Rule 3, don't sleeve games used for people aren't used to sleeves and/or new to gaming. News flash to sleeve types out there, they're not great to hold and play with. If you think otherwise, it's you placing your desire to have them kept in pristine condition and forcing yourself to get used to them. Normal people aren't going to instantly be onboard and comfortable with sleeved cards. Rule 4, only sleeve what is useful to sleeve and with the appropriate quality. Marval Champions for example, your hero deck should be high quality sleeves if you want to use sleeves. Decks you keep around for others to use, premium if you need to for the particular player if you've got a regular opponent, regular sleeves for those okay with that, and no sleeves as the baseline. Villain decks, either regular sleeves for shuffling if you play them enough or no sleeves. And don't sleeves your deckbuilding cards until you actually use them in a deck. Rule 5, ignore all other rules and do what you want if it makes you more comfortable/feel better. The money you save on sleeves isn't worth the panic and worry if you're the type to panic and worry about that sort of thing. This is why my Arkham/LOTR scenario cards have generic mid-range sleeves despite absolutely not needing them.

At first when starting to sleeve i was happy as can be..every single card needs a tender touch of a plastic sleeve. Then came the Dominion and its two expansions. It made me think twice before sleeving anything again

Honestly, I thought I started to sleeve Champions to protect them but once I shuffled for the first time I know that was the real reason. Absolutely love the look and feel of the character specific sleeves but they have the draw back of having a re-sleeve when building a new deck. So, I have left myself between a rock and a hard place!

I like to sleeve my games, specifically the ones that will be shuffled a lot. there is an argument for me sleeving up Legacy games such as pandemic BUT i found that using multiple colors made sorting and distinguishing specific decks really helpful. As for your argument on what sleeves to get dragon shields and ultra pro will never go out of business since their card sizes are used across multiple TCGS. But I would like to point out that not all sleeves are cut uniformly so there can be some that are cut a hairline differently. If you care about marked cards or disbursable cards, that can be an issue. speaking of marked cards, for games of deductive logic where knowing what a player has, sleeving and being able to replace sleeves to remove any distinguishing marks preserves the gaming experience.

I love sleeving my games! I find it relaxing. The only frustrating part is running out of sleeves before everything in a game is sleeved! I love clear matte sleeves. My only problem with clear matte anti-glare premium sleeves is sometimes they increase card thickness too much and keep things from fitting back in just the base box! I’ve found good sleeves in TitanShield sleeves, Dragon Shield sleeves, and BCW sleeves. I like the protection and I like that the matte sleeves feel like they make shuffling easier. :)

At first, I didn't enjoy sleeving but now really enjoy it although it does eat up A LOT of time. I really don't think there's any downside to sleeving your games with the exception of some board game inserts not accommodating them, taking up time and of course the money cost. The great thing about sleeves is that it can retain the value of your game since you're not going to be damaging the cards (considering if your handle them with sensible care) and if you don't like the game, you can simply re-use it again. In my early days I used to use a lot of FFG sleeves which were expensive as hell. These days, I sleeve depending on how the cards are going to be used. If there's a lot of shuffling and handling, I find FFG or/and sleeve kings fit the bill. If I'm just going to be touching it once and placing it on my play area (like an engine builder game) I find penny sleeves will do the job.

If it's out of production, then most definitely! Examples are Pandemic:Iberia or the Battlestar Galactica series. If its readily available, then no. Also, if there is a chance of identifing a card by the damage and gaining an advantage then it ought to be sleeved.

We sleeve our games where cards get handled the most. If it's a secondary feature of a game, we don't bother. When buying sleeves we buy by the case (multiple boxes) and always from a reputable company. That means they're never going to stop making them and you don't have the tearing issues that you get with cheap sleeves. Doesn't mean you need to go top dollar (dragon shield) either. You can often get deals on cases on eBay. I find sleeving to be a good activity to do while doing something else like TV. Also, we have friends who sleeve EVERYTHING and genuinely enjoy the process, so they'll help on big games.

I only consider sleeving a game if the cards start to get enough wear to matter and I sleeve them to extend the life of the game. Or if I want to get expansions for a base game that has a decent amount of wear (I factor the cost of sleeves into the purchasing decisions of the expansion). Also I weirdly prefer shuffling cards without sleeves

I had to sleeve Dominion because the money and victory cards were starting to wear unevenly compared to the kingdom cards I had to sleeve Terraforming Mars because the card quality was obviously getting worn. I could smell it happening. And I want to play Terraforming Mars a lot.

$5 for 100 dragon shield sleeves? That's a steal! If I look really hard on the internet, I can get them for €8 but the price in the brick and mortar stores starts at €11. That's why I switched to dragon perfect fit sleeves. They are "only" €5 and as a bonus they take up less space ;)

I sleeve everything. Usually with Arcane Tinmen board game sleeves (Dragon Shield is also their product but 120 micron is a bit much in general 😅). Sometime with sleeves from the crowdfunding bundles. I mainly sleeve as I feel it makes them easier to shuffle. Also I have kids and sleeving just eases my mind when leaving games out.

Sleeping is almost Cathartic for me. I don’t get expensive ones but it keeps things looking nice for me - especially with 4 kids… Also I like the feel when I go and shuffle them. (I cannot shuffle standard cards so…)

I thoroughly enjoy getting to see the cards I might not see for a year or so... 150+ games

I mostly sleeve games I care about the most. Kickstarters or games that are just to pretty to let them be touched by sweety hand with crumbs of chips on them. But also for protection when it is game braking as you can tell which card has been played because of a bump or scratch. In our exploding kittens one of the exploding cards has a very clear scratch in the corner and that is very game braking as you can imagine.

Of course we sleeve it all! For me those things started a 13 years old with MTG. Holy molly i have almost 40.. so 27 years of sleeving

Only thing that holding me back from sleeving most of my games is availability issue. If you sleeve one game at a time price isn't that big a factor, and I can sleeve and watch something. But I have serious issues with sleeving core and addons on different sleeves. And buying a large supplies od sleeves is questionable price wise.

Sleeve. Even before I started backing kickstarters, I had one copy of Avalon get ruined because it had been played, so people could tell which cards were which. Yes, I can just buy another copy.. OR, I can just buy sleeves and then I've saved myself the money on the new copy of the game. The cost differential means it's not even close. Secondly, replacing kickstarter games can be nigh on impossible, so sleeving those is essential to me. It also helps people who can't shuffle to shuffle, which is an added bonus. Like many others, I use Sleeve Kings as a balance between quality and cost, and got put onto them via Alex. When they run another campaign, I'll be right back there to back them again. Also, like others have said, don't ever JUST sleeve. Do it while watching tv or a movie at home or something like that. Sleeving without multitasking is not something I do - because yeah, I find it astoundingly boring.

When I was new to the hobby, and didn’t have any past experience with cars games, I ruined a couple of dice throne cards. Now I sleeve everything that I know will stay in my collection for years!

I sleeve because I like the feel of sleeved cards. I use Sleeve Kings standard sleeves, and at $2.50 for 110, I feel it is a good value. I definitely don't mind the process, it's a great thing to do while watching a show or some Quackalope playthrough videos. 😎

I guess it depends on a number of things. I’ve been sleeving my Thunderstone Advance cards… which has been a task! Haha But I won’t be able to replace these cards easily if they do get damaged and it’s much cheaper just to sleeve them

I don't generally sleeve board games, the only exception is KDM, because I received cards with manufacturing faults and they need a opaque backed sleeves to be playable.

I sleeve everything. EVERYTHING! I appreciate the protection and I like the feel of the sleeves. But I also don’t have very many games that are all cards. I’d still sleeve them tho, I sleeved Dominion and Settlers of the North.

I like the tactile feel as well.