how do you do it?

[oldmarine0311]

How do you guys keep track of your cards? i have made a couple of data bases but they never seem to give me what i want when i want them to, then again im a rookie in databases too lol, but what do you guys do to organize and track your cards?

dave

 

[yank23rulz]

I have a master list of Mattingly cards and just Mark it down everytime I find a new one i need...Always editing the list when i find cards i don't have and don't have listed

 

[lprimus]

I utilize Beckett's organize program as well as maintain a list on MS Word of all the cards I own.

Jason

 

[lprimus]

I utilize Beckett's organize program as well as maintain a list on MS Word of all the cards I own.

Jason

 

[bubby01]

I have a monster box and separate all cards by year and brand.
Then every week or two I go through the box and edit the trade list.
Don't feel bad, we all go through that. And no matter how good a system
you have you will still run into problems. Best o luck

 

[Kekamba]

Best thing is to figure out whats the easiest way for you based on the time you beleive you'll have to spend on them in a given time frame. It seems to me, that if I organize everything by year/set then suddenly I'll run into 100 guys looking for teams instead of set builders. If I switch them over now Im running into set builders. If a team guy knows the cards he/she is looking for then its no big deal. But not all do especially if they are just starting.

What Im currently tryin to do is sort everything by teams. Then transfer that information over into a personal data base before coping it to my trading page. However, any new product that I buy a box or several packs of. I'll list to fit the set builder till that product seems to loose steam. Then I'll resort it and put it into teams. Another thing I do is post the last time I update the over all page that away if a guy see's Ive not update the site in a few weeks. I feel he'll be more understandable about asking for a card thats no longer available.

 

[Trishlp]

I use excel for my inserts/parallels and try to update it as trades happen but that doesn't always happen. I include the year, brand, insert/parallel type, card #, player name and team name that way I can sort by player, brand or team. The cards them selves are in monster boxes by year and brand.

 

[kugelmanco]

not very good with databases...
i use numerically/alphabetically ordered lists on notepad. then copy/paste onto webs. i update as soon as a trade is made or when i need to add more cards to the list. to find a player i use ctrl+f

 

[just-for-cards]

Semper Fi!
I don't organize them per se.
I have them in monster boxes by year, set, and number. It's fairly easy to find a card or see what you need. I don't have the time to put 50 - 100,000 cards into a database to make just a few trades appear to be easier.

 

[oldmarine0311]

SEMPER FI just-for-cards, yea i have the same issue too, i am thinking of rebuilding my monster boxes too, i only have 14 of the dam things now and just got in 400 more cards yeeepppppeeeeeee lol. i like to buy the bulk deals thats not sets persay, but allows good stock for my TTM projects. but maybe if i set them up in year and then card numbers it would make it easier to look for a specific card to trade then. uggggggg anyone wanna come help lmao.....

 

[teammaddux]

While I was in college, a good friend of mine who actually created databases for companies as part of his parents business, created an Access database for me to be able to use. I also have the capability at any time to convert whatever I need into Excel as well. In addition, I keep a Word copy of all my Maddux, Clement, Youk and Varitek cards, plus also have a printed Master Checklist for my Maddux and Clement collections. So by the time I'm all set, for each Maddux card I get, it probably is listed in 3 or more places.

John

 

[tribefan]

I use an Excel spreadsheet and maintain the following fields: type, year, brand/description, card#, team pictured, a "HOF" flag, a "notes" field, Beckett BV and the date I looked up the BV. For football and basketball, I also have a college field.

The "type" field includes... base, RC, SP, parallel, insert, refractor, serial-numbered, jersey, auto, multi-GU, jersey-auto, patch, QUAD, oddball, etc.

In the "note" field I make comments like "heavy crease", "mis-cut" or info about the card like the subset "team leaders" or the serial number.

I don't add every "base" card (that would be insane) but have some in my database, mostly vintage of higher value. My base singles are kept in numerical order by year, set. I store all my non-base cards by year in set/card number order. This all makes if fairly easy and fast to find items.

Then, using filters on every column, I can quickly list, "game used, autographs, Jets, Rutgers, and HOFers only".

I've got separate tabs in one Excel sheet for each sport. I suppose you could make it one database by adding "sport" as another column. I don't because I have over 30K cards in my database total and that would slow down the filtering some.

I've thought about adding a "serial #" field alone so I could also quickly filter serial #d GU from non ser #d.

The toughest part is keeping it current. You have to have discipline with each trade. Before I package cards for shipment, I delete the record from the database. I do a pretty good job but occasionally make an error... it's usually that 2:30 a.m. trade when my mind isn't sharp!

I usually do a complete inventory about twice a year to fix the mistakes... literally going through the 30K cards, one-by-one. It sounds brutal but isn't bad while watching a baseball game particularly if there aren't a lot of errors!

I generally don't make trade pages (websites), because for some reason that has been harder for me to keep them current. You also lose flexibility with searches plus webspace is an issue with the size of lists I'd have. The other reason, and some of you may not like this, is that I don't care for cherry pickers!

If anyone is interested in this Excel spreadsheet, I'd be happy to make an empty one and send it to you. PM me your e-mail.

 

[oldmarine0311]

Yea I do Excell too, but i have got bitten by the TTM bug bad too. i am thinking of redoing my system to allow me a way to find what i have of who, sure i can do the ctrl+f and find stuff on a the sheet that i have seperated out by years and numbers with names. but it takes alot of time to go through 30 years of sheets too. and excel works fine too, but i try to keep track of all my cards not just a player or two. maybe thats what makes it so huge too. ah well intresting thread here, appreciate all the feedback guys. thanks...

 

[David K.]

Can't help you.....I have my stuff in these huge 3,000 count boxes and yes....they not label! Best regards, David

 

[bombie1138]

I keep it all in my brain,.
I do separate my subsets and parallels and keep them in a separate boxes.I use provided checklists for my sets.RC's and Sp's in penny sleeves,..

Clint

 

[cadets68]

I have somewhere between half a million to a million cards. I have been trying to get organized since 1980. I do not anticipate it will ever happen.

Good Luck!

Shawn

 

[Tankp]

What works for one might not for another. What I do is have an excel spread sheet for GU's and one auto's. I use a post it on the back of my cards to coincide with the number on the spread sheet. When I make a trade I go to the number and spread sheet Gu or auto which ever it is and I mark the card traded or sold and add the one I just traded for. I have moved several hundred GU's so it has become easier to manage. I find this works for me. It is some work but it beats the hell out of hunting for cards for hours. That does remove the fun of trading for me anyway.
Hope you find something that works for you guys. Good luck!!!