Chief Technical Officer
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So the sleeves included with S&S are out of stock, and it appears they have been for quite some time. What's the current "closest approximation"?
They're very much in stock here at Paizo, and have been continuously since release. Were you looking at a different product, perhaps?
I think he meant these, which had a sample in S&S:
The insert that comes with them tells you exactly what they are: "10 Standard Ultra•PRO Deck Protector Sleeves (Stock #82667)." They are the same as these.
Oops. Yeah I was specifically looking for the clear ones from the S&S box. While they sell for about $11.45 for a pack of 200 on amazon.com, they sell for $10.98 for a mere 100 on amazon.ca. There just doesn't seem to be a reasonably priced equivalent in the Canadian market. Do we have a tariff on clear plastic or something?
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Look for bigger lots. When I've ordered clear sleeves, I would look for 600 or more. The other thing, if you're playing more under direct light, try the Pro-Matte version.
600 Ultra Pro CLEAR PRO-MATTE Deck Protectors Sleeves Standard Size MTG Pokemon
I get sleeves from Potomac Distribution, though that may not help folks in Canada and elsewhere given their international shipping prices. The ones that match the samples from S&S are Ultra-Pro Standard Sleeves. (The link is to a lot of 100-count packs; there's also boxes of 50s available if that ends up cheaper.)
FWIW, I use KMC sleeves: WVersion for single/outside, Perfect Fits for the inside if doubling.
That's my advertising post for the evening, I guess. :)
Sigh... Being Canadian is brutal sometimes...
Even trying to follow the very helpful pointers in this thread (sincerest thanks for the help, everyone:) is totally stymied.
Bigger lots? Not on Canadian Amazon.
Ship from American Amazon? Not allowed.
Alternative Canadian company? I don't think they exist.
Alternative American company? Shipping is almost as high as the purchase price!
If I was American, I could sleeve a whole AP comfortably for $60-$80.
For me, the baseline price is going to be $120, and that's before I apply our terrible currency conversion.
Going to go cry in my Timbits... ;)
I'll tell you that when I first was looking into sleeving my RotR set Paizo was out of the Clear Standard Deck Protectors, as they are now. They came back in stock by the time I was ready and I suspect that they will be back in stock again before much longer.
In regards to the thinner ultra pro sleeves that are meant to be doubled with the larger ones, they fit the wrath of the rightous cards no problem. I have been using them since the beginning and have been trimming 1 mm off all my cards. I mean I'll never sell them so who really cares once sleeved all looks the same.
But the new cards are the same size as magic cards and I've had no problems and I can sleeve a whole game for like $30 instead of $60-75.
The main issue I've had with the UltraPro inner fit sleeves versus other brands is that the sleeve height pretty much exactly matches the card itself, leaving very little extra plastic on top. This may be desirable for some, but I prefer HCD and other brands that add a bit more to the sleeve height. Purely cosmetic though as the UltraPro sleeves work just fine (the inner fits are the only ones I'll ever buy from them because they don't have that idiotic hologram that blocks text/art).