The title says it.. I often find I have so many cards that its hard to keep them organized. Is there an easier way? How does everyone else organize their cards? I am in the process of going through the entire collection and organize them by player... omg taking forever but when Im done should be the easiest way to find cards. The only cards I dont add to the players is completed sets. Just curious to see any other ways maybe I have not thought of.
I have my Pistons in their own boxes, organized chronologically, alphabetically and by number. I then have a box for my mini PCs (Wings and Tigers) also the same way, but sorted by sport first. Then I have my tradeables which are sorted the same way, so when I do my trades, I go in the exact order as the invoice. Mind you, it's not fun when you get a lot of cards from a box of cards you don't need, because then you have to put them back in order, but it works for me, or has for the last three years.
i put mine by them and i put the good and decent ones sepret sorry cant spell too good
I just did this the other day. I went to Wally World and bought a $9 thin storage bin. Then I went through all my cards(very time consuming) and seperated each player into stacks. Then I Cut pieces of cardboard a little taller than toploaders and labeled them for each player. I used long pieces of cardboard to make three rows inside the bin. Then I layered the cards like you would see at a "record store" (not sure what they are called now a days). When I got to my cards that I dont really care for, I just put them in a stack of "random game used and autos" to save time and sanity. It slides under my bed nicely so the wife doesn't get mad. Thats only temporary until I get some display shelves that I can put my PC on.
Right, display shelves are expensive.
Mine are all in one Dresser Cabinet. Low value regular sets with inserts go into the 5000 CT collector boxes, high value sets go into clear cases and are displayed, pc's into padded 3-ring collector binders, GU's into the 9 slot page albums, autos into the 4 slot page albums, high value/rare au's/gu's into screw downs and displayed. Doubles go into old 2000 ct collector boxes and into desk draws.
This is what I do and I find it works well. If I need a particular card I will have it in my hands in less than 2 min. I use the database program Filemaker Pro. Its pretty cool cause you can create custom field to store info about the card such as a scan or pic of the card,serial number, how much you payed for it, what the BV is all kinds of things. Each entry in the database is assigned a number, first card 1, second card 2 etc. Currently I am about 3800. So every card in the data base goes into a sleeve even base. Then I can number the card. I use a sharpie to put the number on the sleeve. Then all the cards go into Monster box's in order. So lets say Im looking for a particular card or player. I use the search function on my database and type in the player Im looking for and it will sort the results. once I find the card Im looking for it will give me its assigned number. Then I walk over to my monster box's and since they are all in order i just thumb threw them and wha la. Card found. Anyways it works well for me, hope this helps.
1. I have about 20 (more or less) big binders of all BASE cards and they are in alphabetical order by player's last name. However, recently I've grown VERY lazy and haven't been putting away base. So, there's boxes full of base on my desk that need to be put away. Also, I need to be in a mood to put the base in alphabetical order, I have no clue where that mood went, I hadn't had it for a long time, lol!
2. All numbered base cards (refractors, x-fractors, parallels) and non-numbered refractor cards are stored in their own boxes in hard sleeves and in alphabetical order by player's last name.
3. All Jersey cards are stored in their own boxes, in hard sleeves and in alphabetical order by player's last name.
4. All rookie cards are stored by their rookie years in their own binders, in alphabetical order by players last name. Therefore, I cherish my 03'04 rookie card binder, lol. But ever since Panini has taken the reigns, my rookie binders have become less & lesser.
5. All regular autograph cards (by regular autos I mean there's no memorabilia at all on the card, just simply the player's signature) are stored in my infamous (if you know me personally) autograph card binder in alphabetical order by players last name
6. All high-end autograph cards, autograph jersey cards, autograph patch cards, 1/1s (superfractor, white whales etc.), patch cards are stored in their own boxes. In hard sleeves, magnetics and then sleeve/magnetic protectors.
One day I'll make a YT vid of my room which includes one of my most prized possessions. A framed, autographed blazers swingman jersey of Rasheed Wallace. But yea..there is a method to my madness, lol
Thanks for the ideas guys.. lots of different ways to do this. I have been collecting for years and never once sorted my cards. Now that I am on this site and into trading its making things way more difficult then I like. So im starting off going through the cards and putting them in stacks of first letter of the last name. Then I will take the stacks and sort through alphabetically by the players. Why I waited 15 years or whatever to do this is beyond me but it has been taking me some time. I did get some ideas from everyone that I might implement so thanks for feedback!