Why We Built You a Better Binder
Christopher Posa
I’ve been a baseball card collector since I was six years old. Early on, I was probably like most kids — I didn’t care a whole heck of a lot about the condition of my cards. I kept them in nothing safe: wood suitcases (yep, wood), cheap shoeboxes, or just out in the open on my desk… or bedroom floor.
But I was constantly flipping through them — and then putting them right back wherever — unprotected.
When I was 10, I joined a Pop Warner football team and met this kid who was a hardcore baseball card collector. I went to his house one day, and he showed me his collection. He had all his cards in these amazing clear pages and binders! I was instantly hooked.
What a great way to flip through your cards and not damage them.
I’ve pretty much used binders ever since — through nearly four decades of collecting.
Two Problems That Never Went Away
In all that time, two problems with binders have remained the same:
They don’t stand up. And they don’t look cool.
I don’t think I’ve ever met a collector who’d disagree. Every binder I’ve used — and I’ve tried plenty — tips over with just a few pages of cards inside. So you’re forced to either butt them up against a bunch of other binders (conspiracy!) or use something heavy to prop them up so they don’t fall down and knock everything else over.
Let’s just say… not ideal for a kid with slight anger issues.
The combo of thin cardboard and vinyl? Never got it done.
Then there’s how they look on the shelf. For a while, the DIY thing seemed ‘cool’: using my dad’s 1950s label maker to slap a “1981 Topps” raised white letter label on the spine… or plastering the things with those Fleer logo stickers (which I LOVE by the way)...or sliding a card into the little built-in sleeve.
But in the end, they all looked the same — cheap materials, boring colors, and for a few more bucks, maybe a screen-printed “Baseball Cards” on the front. Oh, boy!
Come on, man.
We’re a passionate bunch. We love our favorite teams, players, and sets — and we want to display them with the same kind of pride and style because we’re so excited about what’s inside! But nothing out there could really do that.
So We Built One
That’s how Throwback Binders came to be.
About a year ago, I decided to create something collectors like us could be proud to own. Something that:
-
Stands tall on the shelf
-
Feels solid in your hands
-
Looks like it belongs on display
In the office, above the bar, in the man cave, or on your bookshelf — wherever you store your favorite stuff.
These binders are built with thick chipboard, have a curved front spine with hidden magnetic closures, and feature graphics printed directly on the surface. No vinyl. No inserts. No plastic overlays.
And that reinforced front spine? It makes the whole thing stand up, even when fully loaded with 700 cards.
You can use top-loader pages and graded card sleeves in them, too.
Oh — and the printed-on design? It’s perfect for autographs.
(We found that out the day they arrived!) The very first one off the line is already signed by Miguel Cabrera and Alan Trammell, and I plan to add lots more Tigers legends.
Even the finger pull in the spine was added so you don’t have to squeeze the life out of the thing just to get it off the shelf. Small detail — big impact.
We tried to make this the sturdiest, most functional, and best-looking baseball card binder you’ve ever owned. I hope you feel the same way.
More to Come
We’ve got plans for more binders in the very near future
(hint: we’re a Detroit-based company…)
but of course we need to sell some Tigers binders first. That’s where you come in.
Take a look at all the photos on our site and see for yourself. We’re excited to send one your way. Every custom printed binder is bubble-wrapped and shipped in a crush-proof box, so it arrives safe and sound.
Thanks for joining us on this journey.
We’re just getting started — and it’s going to be a fun ride.
