BCW offers numerous sizes of boxes to store collectible trading cards. The boxes are named by numbers, implying they can store that many cards. An example is the BCW 930 Count Box – its title implies it holds 930 cards, however the description claims it holds 825 cards. So why do BCW box names not match what the boxes actually hold? Is there a system to help collectors understand the box naming system vs. the actual box quantity amount?

This is a frequently asked question at BCW Supplies. To understand the answer, a brief history lesson in baseball card collecting is needed. Between 1956 and 1981, Topps was the only manufacturer of baseball cards and they used an 18 point card stock. In 1981, the MLB added 2 more licensees which were Donruss and Fleer. By 1989, The Upper Deck Company, Score, and other brands started emerging. With competition came innovation and card companies started making cards with a little heavier card stock and UV coating which made them a couple of points thicker. One manufacturer of football cards, Action Packed, even started embossing their cards. Then, the card manufacturers started making thicker “premium brands” of trading cards and adding pieces of memorabilia to some of the special cards, usually referred to as inserts.

So, the answer is that, for the period between 1956 and 1989, cards were approximately 18 points thick (18/1000th of an inch) and the boxes were originally designed for these cards. As your cards might be thinner or thicker than 18 points, the card box will hold more or less depending on your situation.

The 1000 Count TCG Card Storage Box is sized to hold 1000 game cards, such as Magic: The Gathering (MTG), Pokémon, and KeyForge. These gaming cards on a pressed, glossy paper that’s thinner than traditional sports cards. A MTG card is about 11 points thick (11/1000th of an inch), while a 1980’s Topps baseball card is about 18 points thick (18/1000th of an inch). BCW card boxes have been named for the cards they were designed to hold. So the 1000 Ct. TCG Box is designed to hold 1000 gaming cards, while the 800 Ct. Box will hold about 800 traditional sports cards. This explains why (in the picture below) the 1000 Ct. Box, designed for the thinner game cards, is actually smaller than the 800 and 930 Ct. Boxes, that were designed for the thicker sports cards.