That time a buddy said 'just sleeve your deck without sleeves' and I actually tried it

So back when I first got into deck building games, my friend Mark told me I didn't need card sleeves. He said just shuffle carefully and it'll be fine. I listened to him for like 6 months and my Lord of the Rings LCG cards got so beat up they looked like I'd run them through a washing machine. The corners were all bent, edges frayed, and some of them started sticking together from drink spills during game night. I finally broke down and bought a pack of Dragon Shields for $10 and it made a huge difference. Now I sleeve everything immediately, even my cheap party games. Has anyone else gotten bad advice like that from a friend who just didn't care about card condition?

2 comments

2 Comments

palmer.henry1mo ago

Honestly, that Lord of the Rings comparison hits hard because I've seen the same thing with Arkham Horror cards. What kind of specific damage did your buddy think was "normal wear and tear" versus just straight up neglect? Like, when the edges start fraying after a few months, did he seriously think that was acceptable for cards you paid good money for?

ray_webb61mo ago

My neighbor treats his car the exact same way-drives it into the ground then acts surprised when the engine blows.