Whether or not any card should be closed is up to the individual to determine. There are some universal consdirations covered in the Closing Credit Cards thread linked in the Helpflu Threads sticky as well as general advice such as having at least 2-3 cards for scoring purposes. However, there are a lot of subjective considerations and the individual needs to decide based on the individual's priorities.
It is not a given that any card should be kept open forever. Some may choose to keep all possible open as long as posible. Some may choose cards with certain criteira to be open as long as possible. Again, it's up to the individual's priorities and preferences. i don't keep anything of no use to me open but your criteria may differ from mine.
@Anonymous wrote:
I plan on applying for a few higher-tier cards
Dion't worry about tiers or how high they are. Sort out your needs/wants. Use that to select cards that suit you.
@Anonymous wrote:
Would this toy card of mine hamper any success in obtaining decent starting limits?
Creditors do not simply match limits. Your limits are part of your credit profile but they are not the only thing that matters. The limits that you qualify for depend on your entire credit profile versus a given product's underwriting criteria. It is not simply a matter of having one or more low limit cards or not.
@Anonymous wrote:
Also, I'll probably close my AmEx Green after I get the AmEx ED. The benefits pale in comparison to the CSP that I will (hopefully) get, plus I don't travel so much that it warrants two $95 AF cards.
You need to consider much more than just AF. Consider total cost/benefit. For programs like MR and UR you need to look beyond earn rates and consider how the methods of redemption that you can leverage will impact rewards value. You also need to consider whether or not you have sufficient spend for one, let alone two, rewards programs. How long will it take you to accrue enough with your spend and the earn rates to redeem for rewards? One program like MR or UR generally requires a lot of spend.
Wanting to travel and even amount of travel doesn't necesarily determine how well these programs are suited to an individual. For some spend levels cash back cards are a better fit. Make sure you're runnning the numbers for your spend all the way through and carefully considering. A single high value redemption on international premium cabin travel (i..e just one trip) could potentially justify one program in itself if it happens to work out for an individual.
@Anonymous wrote:
The main reason I got the Green was to get my foot in the door with AmEx.
You don't need to get your "foot in the door". Either you qualify or you don't. If you qualify for the AmEx you want then you probably would have qualified without the Green. That said, carefully compare both the ED and EDP as well as the BCE and BCP. Find the one that maximizes the rewards on your spend and methods of redemption (for the MR cards). I understand you already have MR points but unless you fully considered whether or not MR was a good fit before applying for the Green then don't stick with MR just becuase.
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