How do you classify your collection !

[GoHabsGo89]

Hi everybody!

I'm new at collecting sports card (I collect memorabilia for 10years)

I wanted to know how do you classify your cards, how is your set-up? I need some advice before getting too much card and beeing lost in it!

Base cards? Rookie? Personnal collection?

In boxes... Binders?

You can post pictures too !!!

 

[Stadium Sports]

You can never have enough.

But having fun is all that matters

 

[wreckless]

quality over quantity.

 

[bigzippy]

Idiocy.

 

[GoHabsGo89]

What I meant is: Do you try for exemple : Auto's card together, Rookies together, Base card in boxes for completing all sets, Graded card together etc...

 

[bamlinden]

Everybody is different. That's the great thing about this hobby....it can be whatever you want it to be.

For me, I'm a player collector. I store all my cards in top loaders and in monster boxes. I have a few small inexpensive side projects that are just for fun.

And that's the key - FUN.

I would suggest looking at what others have done and see what you like about what they do. Start slowly and build your collection up. Be mindful of your budget and collecting goals and make sure neither get out of control.

What do you like? Favorite player? Favorite set?

That's the starting point. Good luck.

 

[GoHabsGo89]

Everybody is different. That's the great thing about this hobby....it can be whatever you want it to be.

For me, I'm a player collector. I store all my cards in top loaders and in monster boxes. I have a few small inexpensive side projects that are just for fun.

And that's the key - FUN.

I would suggest looking at what others have done and see what you like about what they do. Start slowly and build your collection up. Be mindful of your budget and collecting goals and make sure neither get out of control.

What do you like? Favorite player? Favorite set?

That's the starting point. Good luck.

Thanks a lot ... very nice answer !!

That was the point of my post: Looking other people's project and seeing what I like!

I like Edmonton's RC, Patch & autos, Same for the Montreal Canadiens.
I collect UD Young Guns too.
I'd like to build a collection of Sidney Crosby.

I just didn't know how to classified them yet. I started on November 2012. My best cards are: -Taylor Hall Young Guns BGS 9.5
-Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Young Guns BGS 9.5
-Steven Stamkos Young Guns 9.5
-Sidney Crosby Young Guns BGS 9.5
-PK Subban RC Debut Thread Patch Auto /25

And a lot more cards but nothing else more than 100$ value. I just don't know how to classify them, and I want it to be clean !

 

[bamlinden]

I think being aware of what you have and trying to classify your collection is a good start.

I think there are some who "collect whatever" and never really enjoy what they purchase.

Always asking yourself "why am I buying this" is a good habit to have.

Be creative in your classification. Maybe it's "My 100 top cards" and the collection consists of your 100 favorite cards. Add one to the collection and card 100 comes off the list and into the trade box. Whatever you can think up. Sky's the limit.

It'll take time to see what others do so don't rush.

Hockey card collecting is not a race. IMO.

 

[GoHabsGo89]

Great idea!! Thanks for the answer!!

 

[foley2k]

For me

My Roy Collection.
From earliest date to most current date while keeping the set names in alpha numeric order. All in top loaders. I spend most time on this collection. Also I got for quantity over quality. His cards can get expensive.

Sets, I just put them in binders.

Avs collection. I separate them by rookies, autos, memorabilia.


Vintage collection. I keep mixing it up. Currently, rookies, gretzkys, checklists, stars wtc... Most are kept in top loaders.

 

[habsheaven]

I am mostly a team collector. If you take a look at my bucket you can see how I categorize my cards. I store them in toploaders & magnet one-touches and separate them by category in 2 & 4-row boxes. My base cards are stored in binders because of the sheer volume (about 6,000 now).

 

[tiger tiger]

Idiocy.

+1.

Seriously.

2 groups: PC and traders.

PC: depending on the PC.

If I'm a set collector, I keep RCs in the set, unless there's a definite division to separate the rookies from the set. ie. YG, FW, etc. But I'll store them with the corresponding base set by year.

Usually I split auto/GU from RC/Inserts. Then I split again based on player or category I collect.

I keep projects all together.

Traders:
Split by GU/auto and RC/inserts. All separated by team.

 

[Leafsfan1967]

I mainly collect autographed cards, but not just hockey. I have a pretty nice diversified autographed nascar collection, and I've tried to get at least one autograph of every prominant driver past, and present. I also have a smaller than my nascar PC, golf auto collection going, as well as a non-sports auto'd collection. I'm trying to do the same thing with golf, as my nascar collection, and the non-sports autos I have are from favorite series like the Sopranos, and favorite TV shows like CSI, and CSI Miami, Married With Children, and that sort of stuff. I also have a few musicians like Ozzy Osbourne, Raine Maida from Our Lady Peace, and I even have a Justin Bieber auto that I got for my teenage daughter. Honest!!! :laugh:

I have the majority of my collection stored in soft sleeves, and top loaders. I have 3 different fireproof, waterproof safes that I keep all my autos, game used, and good rookie cards in. I have tons of sets from the 90's, and up all stored in 9 page sleeves, and binders, plus I have many completed hand coallated sets stored in proper sized shoe boxes to fit each set individually.

I don't really collect many things specifically, although I do collect Toronto Maple Leafs stuff more than anything else. I also have a decent sized autograph PC, of both Phil Kessell, and Rick Nash.

As many here have stated, collect what you like, and do it for fun. This hobby should not stress us ever, and should be an escape for us all to get our mind off the daily grind of life. Never collect cards for investment purposes. You'll soon find out what a mistake that really is. There are hundreds of other things to invest in to make you profit. Cards for the most part is not one of them.

The most important thing to remember is to have fun. It is also nice if you can help a fellow collector out here, and there. Those unselfish acts will not only make you feel good about yourself, but may come back in your favor someday, when you need a helping hand. Don't do it expecting it back in return, but more so because it's a nice thing to do. The hobby is what you make of it. This site is a great start. The people on here are the best of members you'll ever meet online. Most here really get it, and that is huge for the community.

 

[capsfan30]

I used to be a player collector, but I lost interest in that a few years ago when cards that player started and continued going for unreasonable sums of money. Some people took that as EVERY card that had that individuals likeness on it was worth the owners' weight in gold.

At that point I moved on to being a team collector, of all RC's and RC parallels of players to ever lace up for the Capitals. I have thoroughly enjoyed putting this PC together so far.

I also have a few other PC's that I pick up stuff for once in a while, but this is my main PC.

 

[wreckless]

how do i organize my collection? i built a book shelf in my office lol.

all 4 bottom doors contain my collection, organized as follows:

(used LV boxes from my ex gf since they are sturdy, nice, and have cloth liners lol) - the same set up is in the left side of the bookshelf (binders at the bottom, can hold 8 binders vertically) and the boxes hold 60 one touches each - non high end's just go in small white cardboard holders.

keeps my cards safe, out of the way (somewhat hidden) and organized.

 

[SNobles]

I collect my favorate player, but since he had some many cards I had to focus the collection to just his Between the Pipes cards /10 or higher.

I still collect his base/inserts when I can as well.

I also started a side project of #1-99 autographs which has been fun.

Pics are not updated but I was displaying the Roy cards like this:

Good luck and have fun.

 

[penguinfan]

I have some in displacy cases. Some in binders. Some in top loader binders...others I have in storage boxes or plastics storage boxes

 

[neo1370]

All my PC cards and traders are in storage boxes.

My Penguin RC PC is organized by year and alphabetically by player.

My Tangradi PC is organized by card company, low end to high end.

Penguin base/inserts are in binders, alphabetically by player.

I have switched thinks up so many times though. Sometimes it just makes sense to have your collection organized a certain way. It is fun when you change it up, sometimes you rediscover some awesome cards you had forgotten about.

 

[chakhae1]

I display all my better looking cards, auto patches, higher end stuff on my desk on those display stands. Everything in my boxes is organized by box breaks and pc teams. Makes for easy sorting and picking things out when I want to see them or if I complete a transaction.

 

[gallinator]

I separate by value and then by year, oldest to newest:

Base and sets - 5000-ct monster boxes
"Dollar" cards - BV $1-$5 - 3200-ct boxes
Low $$ cards - $5 - $15 - in penny sleeves - three-row boxes (3000-ct?)
Mid $$ cards - $15 - $50 - penny sleeves and top loaders - two-row shoeboxes
High $$ cards - BV $50+ - penny sleeved and top loaders or one-touches - shoebox

I really only do it this way to know what to save first in case of a fire - a couple of longboxes of comics and 6-7 shoeboxes of cards!

I also keep a spreadsheet of the entire collection with a tab for each year and a summary page, alphabetically with set name, subset name, player name, numbering (as applicable), quantity and BV. That way I have a record for insurance purposes and can search by player or issue as needed.

Finally, for the odd times I want to go for a master set of a particular issue, I'll keep it in its own box - I've done that with 96/97 Flair, 00/01 SPGU, 10/11 ITG Decades 1980s and now 11/12 Dominion.