General Forum

because it's easier for you?

Getting back to the question: I've moved to the two row boxes because I can fit top loaders in both rows.  The 3 row boxes, for whatever reason I am unable to fit top loaders into all 3 rows.  I also like the 2 row boxes for limiting the weight as I have them on a rack in my closet so bending down to pick up heavy stuff is getting more risky

More and moreI'm moving to shoe boxes for cards that are keepers but not good enough to put in binders (think non-stars from teams I PC ) and also they're much easier to lift if there's things to add into a specific box oir just to occasionally look through.

Since I'm primarily a set builder, I store complete sets in boxes big enough for that set.  I will combine a lot of smaller sets into a 2 Row box.  For sets that I am building I use the 2 piece 800 count boxes.  For older sets where I put most cards in card savers, I use the two row boxes.

To me, using the 3200 count and larger boxes only encourages me to acquire more cards and I need to build barriers to that!

I keep my FST cards in 4 3200 count boxes. The collection is in binders on IKEA shelves. Have 2 of the 3200 CT boxes filled with cards in penny sleeves. Found toploader boxes on Amazon that are a perfect fit. Use an 89 Bowman box for the larger cards.

No you don't, keep on going! Like the majority of collector's on here need encouraging 

The 900 count boxes were my favorite, but they are no longer made and haven't been for quite a while. The 800 has replaced them. The majority of what I use are 800 count and 550 count. There is(and were several other) local card shops that sell them filled with mixed cards in them. I reuse them. 

I have a few 5000 count boxes but they are hard to manouver. Sometimes I don't physically have the ability to and need my brother's help just to get into them. 

I use a few different sizes for oversized cards. A top loader box for slightly oversized cards (think 50s Topps, like World on Wheels size), and I use a graded card box for larger cards that don't fit into the top loader box. Bigger still cards are stored in a shipping box that something arrived in that was a perfect size so I repurposed it. That can hold cards as big as full pages from SI for kids and whatnot. But the box I use is full so I need to find another soon. 

I don't know what setup I will use when I get my collection fully scanned and back into order. That's years away so I have plenty of time to think about it.

During the scanning project I've been putting the scanned cards into the 800 count boxes, even buying new ones after every "wave" of scanning,  which I usually finish two a year, averaging between 3500 and 4200 cards per wave. But in thinking about it, if I keep doing that, when I do finish everything will be in the large boxes but I'll have dozens of smaller boxes that are empty. And while I will need some for collection expansion/waiting to be scanned new additions, I don't really like the thought of having a bunch of empty smaller boxes, plus some of them hold some sentimental value to me, which I've even written about on Cardboard History. 

I was doing so much scanning before I reinjured my arm last year that I already had a small stack of empty small boxes, although considering I wasn't really able to scan like normal from March of last year to January this year the majority of them got filled up with new additions. 

I really have to give this serious thought, especially because I'm about 4 days away from finishing another wave. I need to determine if I value consistency enough to buy a bunch more boxes or to use what I already have, but I'm leaning towards the latter. I used them for my card storage long before I ever had a scanner, or even a computer for that matter, but I've been doing it the other way so long now that I'm not sure how I want to proceed. (I've been using the boxes since the 1990s, and the scanning project started in 2009. I estimate I'm at about 70% of the way towards completion, although the fact that I keep getting new cards....1800+ in 2022 already...and the nearly lost year of scanning due to my injury, I may be overestimating. And I'm not known as the world's best estimator to begin with, since I originally estimated that I would finish scanning in 2016...)

For sets, I use a single row box that is 930 count, and just cut a spacer to fill the back end. I don't like them to be packed in too tight and like them to have a little moving room so they don't brick up. If it's a smaller set I go for a box closer to the set size. but still larger than the card count. I also go in the card room every few months and open each box and give the boxes a small shake. To check them and see if any are trying to stick together.  You have to treat them like a fine wine. 

For extras, I got boot boxes from a cowboy boot store. They give the boxes away for free. The box is a little shorter than an 800 count box, but can hold 7 rows of cards perfectly as if they are made for them. I cut up a thin poster board to make rows in the boxes, so the cards don't move around and get mixed. It is so nice to go to one box with all extras from one company to pull cards. And as always all boxes and rows have a silica gel pack in them to keep the cards dry. 

I have about 50 of these 800 ct. on a rack with casters. Each box holds about 600-700 sleeved Dodgers of a particular year.

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