Cardboardgold

What Cardboardgold does

Cardboard Gold, Inc. is a family-owned private company founded in 1985 by Jack Mayes in a UC Irvine dorm room, operating as a niche manufacturer and direct-to-consumer retailer of trading card protective supplies. The company produces three core product lines: Card Saver semi-rigid holders (CS1 through CS5, over 600 million units sold since 1987), 3x4 Top Loaders in thicknesses from 35pt to 240pt for standard through memorabilia-grade cards, and PVC-free soft sleeves including Perfect Fit sleeves co-branded with the PSA logo. All manufacturing is conducted at a single factory in China owned by the same Taiwanese family since 1988, giving Cardboard Gold a stable, low-cost supply chain that supports factory-direct pricing. The Card Saver 1 holder has been the official PSA-recommended grade submission holder since 1991, anchoring the brand's authority in the sports card and Pokémon/memorabilia protection category.

The business model is factory-direct e-commerce through cardboardgold.com, supplemented by wholesale distribution to brick-and-mortar stores, show dealers, auction houses, and box/case breakers. Products are sold only by the case (500 to 10,000 units depending on item) with tiered quantity discounts and free shipping to the 48 contiguous states. The company enforces strict channel discipline, permitting only one authorized master distributor to sell on Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and other third-party marketplaces. Primary customers include the three major grading companies (PSA, SGC, CGC), leading auction houses (SCP, Goldin, Memory Lane, Robert Edward Auctions, Huggins & Scott, Lelands), high-volume box/case breakers, and individual collectors. The Cardboard Gold and Card Saver trademarks are registered in the U.S. and in major export markets including the EU, Japan, China, Canada, and Australia.

The company is operationally lean with 11-50 employees, a privately-held balance sheet with no external funding or institutional investors, and a multi-generational family ownership structure following the 2020 onboarding of all four Mayes daughters. Currency is traded primarily through niche channel dominance, the 35-year PSA endorsement, and event-driven marketing via the title sponsorship of Front Row Card Show, the largest card show promoter in the United States.

Name

Cardboardgold

Legal name

Cardboard Gold, Inc.

Website

https://cardboardgold.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cardboard Gold is a family-owned private manufacturer and direct-to-consumer retailer founded in 1985, producing trading card protective holders (Card Savers, Top Loaders, and Soft Sleeves) at a single Chinese factory, selling factory-direct to collectors, dealers, auction houses, and grading companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trading Card Protection Products

NAICS

Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459)

SIC

Plastics, Foil & Coated Paper Bags (2673)

akta.pro primary industry

Tech & Utility Accessories (Phone Cases, Watch Bands, Key Holders) (CRAAAJAK)

Keywords

• Trading card holders
• Card protection sleeves
• Top loaders
• Card savers
• Collectibles supplies

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales: Factory direct online sales through cardboardgold.com. Quantity discount pricing available. Ships free to 48 states. Products sold by case lots only.
2. Wholesale/B2B Sales: Serves brick & mortar stores, show dealers, auction houses, and box/case breakers. Quantity discount pricing competitive with other brands' master distributor prices.
3. Product Bundling: Combined products like Card Saver 1 with soft sleeves in single packages. Also offers matching perfect fit sleeves for graded slabs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cardboard Gold manufactures and sells trading card protection products including semi-rigid Card Saver holders (the original and PSA-recommended brand since 1987), rigid 3x4 Top Loaders in multiple thicknesses (35pt to 240pt) for varying card stock, and PVC-free Soft Card Sleeves/Penny Sleeves. The products are sold factory direct via the company's own website at case-lot quantities, serving individual collectors, box/case breakers, brick & mortar retailers, show dealers, auction houses, and grading companies (PSA, SGC, CGC).

Product overview

Cardboard Gold is a family-owned company established in 1985, manufacturing trading card holders and protective supplies. The company produces Card Saver semi-rigid holders (Card Saver 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) in various sizes for cards from 1952 to present, which debuted at the 1987 National Sports Collectors Convention and have sold over 600 million units. The product line also includes rigid 3x4 Top Loaders in multiple thicknesses (35pt to 240pt) for various card types including memorabilia and jersey cards, soft card sleeves (penny sleeves) in standard, thick, premium, notched, and tabbed varieties, and Perfect Fit sleeves for graded slabs. Additional offerings include resealable team bags, graded card bags, photo top-loaders, and memorabilia protectors (bat tubes, comic book holders, poster holders, ticket holders). The company imports from the same factory in China with Taiwanese family owners since 1988. PSA officially recommends and uses Card Saver 1 since 1991. Primary customers include box/case breakers, retailers, and show dealers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Card Saver®: Semi-rigid trading card holders recommended by PSA for grading submissions. Available in multiple sizes: CS1 for standard cards, CS2 for standard cards since 1989, CS3 for tall cards, CS4 for large cards up to 4x6 inches, CS5 for currency and tickets.
• Top-Loaders
• Soft Card Sleeves

Products and services

• Card Saver 1 (CS1) Semi-Rigid Trading Card Holder Semi-rigid trading card holder with 1/2" lip for easy insertion, slightly oversized for standard and most oversized cards including many sports cards dating back to 1952. Made from 9 mil super clear plastic and recommended by PSA for grading submissions since 1991. Sold by case of 2,000.
• Card Saver 2 (CS2) Semi-Rigid Holder Semi-rigid holder for standard-size trading and sports cards. Measures 3" x 4" plus 1/2" lip. Not recommended for grading submissions. Sold by case of 2,000.
• Card Saver 3 (CS3) Semi-Rigid Holder for Tall Cards Semi-rigid holder sized for tall cards such as Gameboy cards or vintage 60s/70s football and basketball cards. Measures 3 1/3" x 5 1/2" including 1/2" lip. Sold by case of 1,000.
• Card Saver 4 (CS4) Semi-Rigid Holder for Large Cards Largest Card Saver holder for items up to 4" x 6". Used for promo cards, postcards, and PSA submissions of larger or thicker cards. Measures 4 1/2" x 7 1/8" including 1/2" lip. Sold by case of 1,000.
• Card Saver 5 (CS5) Semi-Rigid Holder for Currency and Tickets Semi-rigid holder for currency, tickets, and other items up to 3" x 7". Measures 3 1/2" x 7 3/4" including 1/2" lip. Sold by case of 1,000.
• Card Saver 1 Plus Sleeves Bundle

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 600 million Card Savers sold since 1987
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSA is the largest and most respected authenticator of sports cards and memorabilia in the world. They use Card Saver 1 and Card Saver 4 for grading submissions. Most major PSA dealers also use Cardboard Gold products. Company has supplied PSA since they started grading cards in 1991. Jack Mayes personally delivered products monthly to PSA's old office.
• Front Row Card ShowflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor of FrontRowCardShow.com - the largest show promoter in the country. Brings together collectors, vendors, and hobby fans through premier events featuring Sports Cards, Pokémon, TCG, Comics, and Collectibles across the country.
• Sports Collectors DailyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sports card and memorabilia industry information source with new card release dates and over 14,000 archived articles. Cardboard Gold is an advertiser on the platform.
• Sports Collectors DigestminorGTM or Marketing Partner"Voice for the Hobby" publication. Cardboard Gold placed their first advertisement in SCD in December 1985 when it was a weekly publication.
• SCP AuctionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOne of the largest and most respected auction houses for sports cards and memorabilia in the world. Cardboard Gold has known them for almost 30 years and recommends them for consignments.
• GoldincoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor auction house customer for card protection products. Listed among the Who's Who of the trading card industry.
• Memory Lane AuctionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor auction house customer. Listed among the Who's Who of the trading card industry customers.
• Robert Edward AuctionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor auction house customer. Listed among the Who's Who of the trading card industry customers.
• Huggins & ScottcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor auction house customer. Listed among the Who's Who of the trading card industry customers.
• LelandscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor auction house customer. Listed among the Who's Who of the trading card industry customers.
• ToppsminorOthersMajor trading card manufacturer. Listed on Cardboard Gold's industry links page.
• Panini AmericaminorOthersMajor trading card manufacturer for NFL, NBA, Baseball, Hockey, NASCAR and Collegiate Sports Trading Cards. Listed on Cardboard Gold's industry links page.
• Upper DeckminorOthersPrivate trading card company founded in 1988, headquartered in Carlsbad, California. Listed on Cardboard Gold's industry links page.
• Leaf Trading CardsminorOthersCollectibles manufacturer dedicated to delivering an exceptional collecting experience for Sports Trading Cards and Collectibles. Listed on Cardboard Gold's industry links page.
• The Cardboard ConnectionminorOthersValuable source for the latest news and information for new trading cards. Listed on Cardboard Gold's industry links page.
• Sports Card Guaranty (SGC)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor card grading company. Huge customer of Cardboard Gold products.
• CGC (Certified Guaranty Company)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor card grading company (primarily comics). Major customer of Cardboard Gold products.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ultra Pro International: Ultra Pro is the largest direct competitor to Cardboard Gold, manufacturing trading card sleeves, top loaders, deck boxes, and binders. Cardboard Gold's own blog explicitly compares its 3x4 top loaders against Ultra Pro's Platinum series, confirming head-to-head competition in the same product category serving the same collector and dealer customer base.
• BCW (Brand Crafters Workshop): BCW Supplies is a major manufacturer of trading card storage products including top loaders, sleeves, storage boxes, and comic bags. It competes directly with Cardboard Gold across the same dealer and hobby shop channels and is frequently cited as the primary alternative brand in card protection.

Emerging players

• VaultX: VaultX is a newer premium card protection brand focused on graded card slabs and top loaders with a design-forward brand. It competes with Cardboard Gold's Perfect Fit and Top Loader lines, particularly among younger collectors and Pokemon/sports card influencers.
• Sleeve Kings: Sleeve Kings is a smaller manufacturer of trading card sleeves and penny sleeves selling through online and Amazon channels. It represents the lower-cost competitive tier that pressures pricing on Cardboard Gold's entry-level sleeve SKUs.
• Dragon Shield: Dragon Shield is a manufacturer of premium TCG sleeves (primarily Magic: The Gathering and Pokemon). It competes with Cardboard Gold in the TCG sleeve segment and represents a branded alternative in the same retail channels.
• Ultimate Guard: Ultimate Guard manufactures TCG accessories including deck boxes, sleeves, and playmats. It overlaps with Cardboard Gold's Pokemon and TCG customer segments and competes for the same hobby retailer shelf space.

Others

• PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator): PSA is the largest third-party sports card grading company and a major Cardboard Gold customer since 1991. While not a product competitor, PSA's grading volume is the primary demand driver for Card Saver holders, making it both a customer and a key ecosystem partner.
• Beckett Grading Services (BGS): Beckett is the second-largest sports and TCG grading company and a customer of Cardboard Gold (BGS-graded Perfect Fit sleeves are stocked). It is both a customer and a complementary ecosystem player driving demand for graded card accessories.
• Topps: Topps is a major sports and entertainment trading card manufacturer. While not a direct competitor in protection products, Topps is listed on Cardboard Gold's industry links page and represents the upstream issuer whose cards drive protective-product demand.
• Goldin Auctions: Goldin is one of the largest sports memorabilia and trading card auction houses and a documented Cardboard Gold customer. It represents the auction channel customer base and is a meaningful downstream driver of high-end card protection demand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• TikToktiktok.com/@thepackcardshop
• Xx.com/cardboardgold
• Facebookfacebook.com/637470209629040
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cardboard-gold

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cardboardgold