Buy 8, get 2 freeFree US shipping over $49.99
Cardboard Alpha gear
Alpha Loader
$4.99Top loader guard with slide lock
Buy 8, get 2 freePro members pay $4.49
Violet · shown with Shown with Gengar VMAX · Fusion Strike. Card not included.
Colour Violet
Add 10, pay for 8. 2 guards are on us.
Every order earns Cardboard coins: 5% of what you spend, back in your account.
- FitsStandard 3" × 4" top loaders
- ShipsIn 1 to 3 business days
- Free shippingUS orders over $49.99
Product detailsThe Alpha Loader is a top loader guard with a slide lock: a rigid, squared-off frame for a standard 3" × 4" top loader.
The Alpha Loader is a top loader guard with a slide lock: a rigid, squared-off frame for a standard 3" × 4" top loader. The front cover slides open, the top loader sits in the tray, and the cover slides back and locks. Every Alpha Loader ships with a clear top loader already in the box, so the only thing you add is the card.
A top loader on its own keeps a card flat, but it is slick, sharp at the corners and easy to scuff or crack when it is dropped or stacked. The Alpha Loader takes those knocks instead. Its raised frame keeps the face of the top loader off the desk, its wide flat border takes the hits that chip bare plastic, and its fine sparkle texture gives you something to hold on to.
It is also a display piece. Nine colours let you match the frame to the artwork: Scarlet for a Charizard, Onyx for a dark alternate art, Volt for a Pikachu, or your team colours for a rookie card. Stand it on a shelf, line a set up on a desk, or put it behind you on stream.
- Top loader guard with slide lock for standard 3" × 4" (35pt) top loaders
- One clear top loader included with every guard
- Protects the edges and corners a bare top loader leaves exposed
- Nine colours for Pokémon, One Piece, Magic, sports and other trading cards
- The card slides out of the top loader whenever you want it back
Card not included. The cards in the photos show how each colour frames real artwork.
Fit and compatibility
The Alpha Loader is sized for the standard 3" × 4" top loader, the regular 35pt size that nearly every raw trading card is stored in. That covers standard-size Pokémon, One Piece, Magic: The Gathering, Lorcana and Yu-Gi-Oh! cards as well as baseball, basketball, football and soccer cards, sleeved in a penny sleeve the way you already keep them.
The included top loader is that same standard size, and you can swap in any standard top loader you already own. Slide the cover open, set it in the tray and slide the cover shut until it locks; open it the same way to take it out.
It will not fit thick-card top loaders (55pt and up, used for jersey and patch cards), one-touch magnetic holders, semi-rigid card savers or graded slabs from PSA, BGS or CGC. Those are different sizes.
Shipping and returns
Orders leave within 1 to 3 business days and ship within the United States only for now. Orders over $49.99 ship free. For smaller orders the shipping rate is shown at checkout, before you pay, along with sales tax for your address.
You will get an order confirmation by email as soon as the payment clears and a second email with tracking when your guards ship.
If anything arrives wrong or damaged, tell us and we will replace it.
The frame
A top loader guard with a slide lock.
A bare top loader is slick, sharp-cornered and quick to scuff. The Alpha Loader holds it in a squared-off frame with a wide flat border, so it sits in the hand, stays where you put it, and meets the desk before the plastic does.
- Fine sparkle texture on every side
- Raised frame keeps the top loader face off the table
- Front cover slides over the tray and locks shut
Nine colours
Nine top loader guard colours. Match the frame to the card.
A frame changes how artwork reads. Scarlet makes a fire card burn hotter. Onyx lets a dark alt art glow. Pick the one that finishes the picture.
OnyxUmbreon VMAX
GlacierLugia V
Deep BlueMagikarp
EmeraldRayquaza VMAX
ScarletCharizard ex
VioletGengar VMAX
VoltPikachu ex
EmberDragonite V
SakuraSylveon VMAX
Thirty seconds
How to use a top loader guard
- 01
Sleeve it
Slide the card into a soft penny sleeve, the way you already do.
- 02
Load it
Drop the sleeved card into the included 3" × 4" top loader.
- 03
Guard it
Set the top loader in the tray, then slide the cover shut until it locks.
Alpha Loader specifications
- Fits
- Standard 3" × 4" top loaders (35pt)
- Finish
- Textured matte, all four sides
- Material
- Rigid plastic
- Colours
- 9
- In the box
- One Alpha Loader guard and one clear top loader
- Not included
- Card and penny sleeve
- Works with
- Pokémon, One Piece, Magic, sports and any standard-size card
Alpha Loader reviews
Top loader guard questions
What is a top loader guard?
A top loader guard is a rigid protective frame for a top loader, and the Alpha Loader has a slide lock: the front cover slides open, the top loader sits in the tray, and the cover slides back and locks. A wide flat border covers all four edges of the top loader, so the card inside is protected from knocks and looks finished enough to put on a shelf.
Is a top loader included?
Yes. Every Alpha Loader comes with one clear standard 3" × 4" top loader. The card is not included: the cards in the photos are there to show how a card looks in each colour.
Which top loaders does the Alpha Loader fit?
Standard 3" × 4" top loaders, the regular 35pt size most raw trading cards are kept in. You can use the one in the box or any standard top loader you already own. Thick-card top loaders, one-touch magnetic holders, card savers and graded slabs are different sizes and will not fit.
Do I still need a top loader if I have a guard?
Yes, and that is why one is included. The top loader holds the card flat and sealed; the guard protects the top loader, which is the part that normally scuffs, chips and cracks.
Will a sleeved card fit?
Yes. Put the card in a soft penny sleeve first, slide it into the top loader, then set the top loader in the Alpha Loader and slide the cover shut. That is the same sleeve-then-top-loader method collectors already use.
How does buy 8, get 2 free work?
Add 10 guards to your cart, in any mix of colours, and you pay for 8. Add 20 and you pay for 16. The free guards are taken off automatically; there is no code to enter.
How much is shipping?
US orders over $49.99 ship free. Smaller orders ship for a flat $4.99, shown at checkout before you pay. We ship within the United States only for now, and orders usually leave within 1 to 3 business days.
Does it work for sports cards and other trading card games?
Yes. Anything that fits a standard 3" × 4" top loader fits the Alpha Loader: Pokémon, One Piece, Magic: The Gathering, Lorcana, Yu-Gi-Oh!, baseball, basketball, football and soccer cards.
What are Cardboard coins?
Cardboard coins are the reward currency on Cardboard Alpha. Every Alpha Loader order placed while signed in earns coins worth 5% of what you paid for the guards, added to your account once the payment clears.
On the shelf
You pulled it. Now show it.
The card you chased for a year should not live in a drawer. Framed in an Alpha Loader it stands out on a shelf, a desk or a stream background, and it is still one pull away from being back in your hand.