[cwaldo5252]

Hey guys,

Back after 15+ years and was wondering how you guys go about sorting news cards you get. I just bought 2 boxes of 2017 optic, how would you personally separate them and then store them. The way I am doing it now isn't very feasible. I'm putting every card that isn't vet base in a penny sleeve and toploader. I put all autos in mags. This is causing me to go through a ton of top loaders and a lot of space. Since I new to the hobby again and the hobby has changed A LOT, I am seeking advice on what to sleeve, toploader and then what can just go in a storage box.

And this is for cards overall, not just optic, as I have 3 contenders boxes, 2 prizim and 1 illusions to rip and want to make sure I'm not wasting supplies. Thanks!

[dogger99]

My PC players, I keep in separate boxes and put the non-base in top loaders and in a team bag (to keep down the scuffing). Recently I transferred some of those (Aggies) that really only have 1 year of cards into a binder (for each player). Still kept the autos and gu'd in the boxes. There are a lot of star players, current and former that I have pulled as well. I keep those in storage boxes as well. At one point, I had all of the rc and inserts of those star players in top loaders. Going through tons of top loaders as well, I also recently pulled all of the cards under $3 bv out of the top loaders, though still in the penny sleeves. This easily freed up over 1000 (basically 1 case+) of top loaders. For all of the other cards I bust open, I keep in numerical order for each brand and have in either the 5000 ct boxes or in card houses (have 24 of those, each one holds 12 500 ct boxes). And also keep all autos and gu'd in top loaders.

[cwaldo5252]

Thanks for responding. I like the idea of checking values and maybe having cut-off amounts for what goes in mags, loaders and just sleeves.

I'm also struggling with what exactly I'm going to collect. I've gone back in forth between football and baseball. I've bought cards and sold them right after buying g because I change my mind. I went from PC'ing zeke, to Dez, to Luck and now Ty hilton. So in addition to trying to figure out a good sorting and organizing method, I really need to figure what I want out of collecting.

It was so much easier as a kid. I just kept everything from nfl, nba and mlb. The hobby has changed so much and it makes me want to collect everything from mlb and nfl and I know that is t feasible. I hope it clicks soon so I can stop wasting money on what I really don't want.

[maizenblue73175]

BOTTOM LINE IS WHO U WANT TO COLLECT N WHO U WANT TO COLLECT. IMO.

[DCM7734]

What I do is penny sleeve everything, sorted by the year, and then by the order Beckett has it. I also put them in the big boxes with multiple rows, having base seperate from inserts, variants, etc.
If the card is an exspensive one (I don't have a number, but I have 1 $40-50 card that is top loaded), it gets top loaded. But otherwise, I just penny sleeve my PC, and if the card is worth $5 (or close to it) or more, it's base, and not in my PC, it gets sleeved. If it's not much, it doesn't get sleeved. But then again, I try to take good care of my cards, so there's that too.

[jonathani]

Everyone collects something different, and it takes a while to figure it out. Me, I like players that spent their entire careers in Chicago, are in the HOF, and have their numbers retired by their teams, but I was born on the North Side, so the White Sox are automatically eliminated. This leaves me one Cubs player, one Blackhawks player, and eight Bears players. I like younger players on and off and collect some players that played their whole careers in Chicago that are in the Hall whose numbers are still active (e.g., Singletary and Hampton), but I've narrowed it down quite a bit since I was a kid. You'll figure it out. Don't force it. It'll happen. And when it does you'll have loads of awesome cards you no longer need you can use as trade bait. Trust me.

[kerryandbeth]

I feel bad for cards slapped into a storage box, so I penny sleeve and 3-ring binder sheet all my PC cards, with $8 or more value in a toploader separately stored. Yes, it costs more but I can show others my collection and I can remember what I own.
As others have said, it is about feeling good about what you decide to do and stay within budget.

[jplarson]

I was born on the North Side, so the White Sox are automatically eliminated.

+100000000000000000000000000000000000000

[Jquinn83]

Everything $6 and up goes in a mag or top loader. Anything in the $2 - $6 range goes in pocket pages in a binder. All sets and PC's in pocket pages and binders. Anything les then $2 goes in cardboard storage boxes.

[bakerman8419]

If you can afford it Id always suggest protecting every card as if it were a 1/1. If you have something I need/want that books at $2 and its just sitting somewhere on a shelf unprotected then I wouldnt be as confident to buy/trade from you. Example: you have a $20 Tom Brady insert well protected and have a $2.00 base card of Zach Thomas just collecting dust well that sucks for me as I would pay for the Zach Thomas and wouldnt want Brady for free lol.

As for collecting ONLY you can make that choice. Id suggest collecting the one or two things that make you happy and stick with it for 6 months to a year and when the time comes look at what you have and see how you feel. Good luck!