[onoxxxregretso]

I've been collecting cards since about 2002, but haven't as much as looked at them since about 2005. Last month I started going through cards and buying/trading once again.


I decided to take them out of the big box they were neatly placed in and find a better way to organize them. I had some of them organized in alphabetical order by last name, but I am going to buy some of the cardboard storage boxes and was trying to think of a better way to organize. I have a wide variety of brands and just wanted to see what other collectors were doing to keep things organized and easy to find certain cards when needed.


Do any of you catalog your collection so you know exactly what cards you have? I have Patrick Roy (my favorite player) cards and Colorado Avalanche team set cards cataloged in an Excel spreadsheet. I also want to try to find an easy way to catalog the rest of my collection so I can see what I have and try to build complete sets. Any suggestions?

[frankthefrowner]

My box that has my personal collection is organized alphabetically by player.
My box that has traders is organized by year & brand, so that it's easier to find what I have to send out.

I use the Beckett online organization to catalog my collection and traders. It's not 100% complete (I have a few items they don't list at all), but it's nice to have it in one place. I just wish they had an export function so that I could keep a backup on my computer.

[onoxxxregretso]

I use the Beckett online organization to catalog my collection and traders.

Do you need to be a 'full member' to buy, sell, and trade? I know I can't use organize as a free member so I am considering becoming a paying member after I get my collection sorted out a bit more, but I run a hockey blog which I have used to create a section dedicated to my collection and buying/selling some cards.

Is it possible to use that site as a way to buy or sell with members of this site or is that frowned upon? Organize seems like the easiest, and best, way to keep my collection organized online, but since I'm already entering them into Excel I might as well continue that so I have a backup to refer to as you wish you did.

This is my first real experience talking to others about their collection I usually just buy what I like on eBay, but sometimes the prices are outrageous and I would like to be able to trade with people to save money while still building the parts of my collection I am really into and helping out other collectors at the same time.

[hockeynick1721]

Sounds like the best way for you to organize is by year then by set.

[bigbadbert44]

You can buy just the hockey subscription I think it costs me like $6 a month or something, then you get prices, full organize etc which is helpful. I also have mine in an excel spreadsheet like you said. I also make a note of any serial #'s , colors of jersey or patches etc and Beckett high and low prices.
I had only used organize before, but a spreadsheet is alot easier to work with. Takes a bit to get it done the first time, but trust me once its done its worth it. Once it's done it doesnt take long to add or remove the new stuff as you buy and trade. This list will be your saviour if A) you ever decide to insure your collection or B) sell part or whole , as you have an easy to read, easy to understand and easy to calculate database of your stuff.
I had used binders before only because I liked to look at the cards and didn't care about value, and now even though I still like the cards for what they are, cards, I have them all penny sleeved in storage boxes, high end in toploaders, alphabetically as per my spreadsheet. Makes it super easy to find and add cards, especially as your collection grows!

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I should metion I organize it that way because I don't collect sets just my four players and Canucks, so there is no need to have it seperated at all.

[onoxxxregretso]

You guys have been really helpful! I have all of my Roy cards already typed up in an Excel spreadsheet that includes notes such as serial numbers, patch colors, and how many I have of each card. I also have a book value, but since I'm not a member of Beckett yet I used www.checkoutmycards.com and another site I can't remember to look at prices. All of my Roy cards are in penny sleeves and top loaders.

You are right about the spreadsheet it took me a few hours a day over the course of several days just to list my Roy cards, but now as my collection grows it is extremely easy to insert a new column to add the new card. I haven't sold a single card in my 25 years of life, but I want to get rid of some of my duplicates. That's why I decided to create a spreadsheet for my entire collection, but it is definitely a very tedious project.

I wasn't aware you could subscribe to just the hockey part of the site, and I think I will definitely go that route after I finish my spreadsheet and transfer everything over onto here and hopefully start trading.

Right now my cards are in a storage bin alphabetically by player...the ones I have got to anyways. I'm running out of room and need to find something else to store them in. I'm thinking about buying the cardboard storage boxes and if I'm close to having a full set I will throw all those together otherwise I plan on organizing them how they are now, but putting in paper slips to denote popular players as well as the alphabetical letter for each new group.

[bonnev659]

I also put them into my photobucket (Scans) and it is set up to go via year for most of my Whalers so far

I have them in binders, and boxes

also a top loader binder too for ones i like enjoying looking at

[bluefrozencanuck]

I put all my cards in penny sleeves then boxes. I use a program to keep track of my pc, I use organize hockey subscription for trading and it is almost always more up to date. I posted in an earlier post about some cabinets I use. The program I use is card collector.