General Forum

Can't say I have seen the sorting tray before from the first post in this thread.  I just picked up my own sorting tray for the first time two weeks ago.  BCW Supplies: https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/dz8AAOSwUKxYjN8J/s-l640.jpg.  Now that I have one, I can't image sorting cards without it.

As for method of sorting, I was going by hundreds first, then tens, then ones.  I will definitely have to try Hawkeye's method.  Looks like it will be much quicker, assuming I can understand it .

I also have a BCW sorting tray (two actually) when I use them, while sorting larger amounts of cards, they are a great help.

That method came from the original the Card Collector software user manual. I still have a copy of the manual even though the program does not exist anymore. 

I have used this method and found it works well, just never did a time comparison the the stacking in piles of 100.

my method of sorting by card number is close to what spaz outlined above.

I do not use a sorting tray

nice topic!

mark

Sometimes I ask my wife to help me put a stack of 100 in order.  But I make sure not to ask if she has just eaten Hot Cheetos or Takis.  (She likes spicy snacks).  

Good call.  No one wants a burnt tongue surprise when they lick their cards.

I sort similarly to Spaz too, break it down by 1-99, 100-199, 200-299, etc. Then I break each stack down by 0-9, 10-19, 20-29, etc. Then I put them in numerical order and stack them face down in order. Then I move on to the 100-199 stack and repeat. I have enough space on my computer desk where I can organize and coallate unless I am dealing with lots of cards from multiple sets. I have considered trays before, they are a great idea, but I am not a set builder any longer so I am dealing with individual player cards.

If I am organizing a player's collection for the first time I break down the cards by years (decades if needed) then by manufacturer; Topps, Panini, Upper Deck, etc. Then I break them down by individual set; flagship, Chrome, Prizm, etc. Then I organize by set in alphabeitcal order.

When I am doing a small wave of 5000 or so cards, I use my card table. Literally, a fold up card table, I don't just call it that because I do cards on it.

When I do the entire collection, I use the floor...

That photo is from 2011.

I'm currently in a long process of getting my collection documented. I have it all on paper, but now I'm scanning them. After I scan them, I place them in one of 42 plastic cases. You can see some of my paper listings on the top left above. It's up to 12 binders now, 4 each for NBA and NHL, two for NASCAR, one each for Non-Sports and Multi-Sport, which I have the WNBA and NCAA in as well. I put some of the less-card heavy sports into Non-Sports as well (Olympics, Indy cars, etc) just because I had space in that binder as well.

Believe it or not, those cases hold about 5000 cards, give or take. Each wave is different due to the thickness variations on the cards, and yes, I do document how much is in each wave.

I then sort them by letter, first letter of last name. Then I sort each letter by person, and enter them all into my Excel charts. Then I put them back in boxes, labeling each box with a small S that stands for "scanned"

The most recent wave I did a little differently. Instead of those cases being only NBA and everything else going into different cases, I did a mixture of everything, as I scanned it, into those cases, so now each wave is whatever I've done with any cards, which I really enjoyed so I think I will do that going forward. The NBA was still the vast majority of it anyway. Each wave takes me about 2 weeks to type into Excel. The most recent wave took me from July 5th to July 22nd to type in. I fill the cases with cards scanned on average twice a year, although this year will probably be three times since the first wave was in January and the second July. Just since I finished typing two days ago, I've already filled 2 and 1/4th of those clear cases with scanned cards.

Eventually, when I get them ALL scanned, which I predict will be 2021 at the earliest (but probably later, especially as I keep getting new cards) I will sort them by set. It will look a lot similar to the sorting shown in the first image, which is sorted by letter. Instead of by letter, I will sort them by year, and then I will sort down each year by set, eventually getting to the level where I can sort each set numerically.

When I sort a set by number, I do it in three rows. For example all cards in the 30s will be directly above all cards in the 130s and they will be directly above the 230s, as needed. (most modern sets for the NBA rarely go above 300 cards). Then, when I put them in the boxes they will be in for the forseeabe future, they will be sorted as Base first, parallels second, and then inserts and finally Samples. I know inserts will be in alphabetical order, but I can't decide yet if parallels will be in alphabetical order or order of rarity. These days, with mutliple parallels of similar rarity, it's harder to choose. Back in the 90s when it was (for example) Ultra Gold Medallion and Platinum Medallion, that's a lot easier to figure out. My gut reaction is to do them by rarity but that's not logical. I have plenty of time to decide. Each box will then get the contents labeled on the end cap...probably. I tend to resort my collection fairly often, but it's gotten kind of large now to do that; I broke it apart from sets in 2004 and have not gotten them back together since then, there's so many and it's so slow.

All of these processes just evolved naturally over time. The current format of the plastic cases then the typing only came about in 2013; I don't remember what I did before then.

I do have a self-imposed rule that I try to stick to, though- I try not to scan anything and put it in the cases until it gets fully listed. (Paper and the Excel file where I track the exact order a card joins my collection). I have been breaking that rule a little bit lately, and I need to work on getting better. I broke it just today when I did the cards from the Essential blaster I got, which I have not gotten a paper list created for yet. I think I'll go do that now...

the Card Collector manual pages

I have a BCW Sorter myself and love it, you can still find them on Beckett and eBay under Sorting Tray's for around $15.00 Now are you talking sorting into a set as in cards 1 to 350 or sorting into Teams, Brands, Years? I just start by sorting 0 to 99 in one stack, 100 to 199 in another you can go on from there. Funny I use my tray for lose cards.