I have a mixture of cards from 10th edition, Lorwyn-Shadowmoor and Shards. I don't know exactly how to store them properly. I was thinking of having a binder for each block and just putting the cards in by white, blue, black, red and green. But what order should I put the card types in? Creature, sorcery, instant, enchantment, artifact and land? I know there's no "proper" way to do this but I wanted to do it in a way that was commonly done or at least looks neat.
The most obvious way would be to sort by collectors' number.
I personally just throw the cards into one binder per block, artifact, land, multicolor, wubrg order, first commons in totally random order, then uncommons in random order. Rares go into two seperate binders (one with cards I want to keep and one with cards I trade)
(Wasn't there a fairly large thread about storage organization somewhere around here? Can't find it right now)
e: Wasn't that large after all, but here.
First off, binder are only for trading, not storing (it takes up too much space). I use a large binder for my trade stuff, a small binder for my FOIL trade stuff, then emtpy booster boxes to store the rest. You can fix a TON of cards in booster boxes (tournament pack boxes even more so, but I guess they're doing away with them). The best part is you get one whenever you buy a box and most stores just throw theirs away so you have a free way to get storage. I usually keep stuff seperated by set (but I draft A LOT so I have a ton of spare commons/uncommons). I'll have a box or two of Commons and an uncommon box for a main set (like Shards) and one of each for an expansion (like Conflux). However the sets are going to be around longer now (an extra month each) so I may need more than that. But it's very helpful because if you're looking for a card from a particular set, you know what set the box holds because it's name and art are on the box cover.
As for FOILs, make sure whatever you do that they're stored in a solid place (because they can warp). Keep them out of the cold and in low moisture areas. If you keep them in sleeves or binder pages, they'll be fine. If you keep them out of those (like for bulk FOILs), I suggest you put them into a tournament starter pack and fill it to the brim with spare basic lands so they don't warp in there. Keep it tight (oh, they're getting rid of those boxes=DOH!).
Well yea maybe I didn't say it clear enough. I do have a couple of big boxes with leftover commons/uncommons for people to take them if they need something. My binders have only 4 of each card.
True, binders take more space than just throwing everything in boxes, but it's also a lot easier and more convenient to go through and the cards don't get worn when sifting through.
White acid free card boxes are $1 a pop. I put my sets together and sort them by color and then alphabetical. (This equates to numerical too....)
It takes some intial investment in time (a whole set of Timespiral takes you maybe 1.5 hours to sort?) but then it makes deckbuilding infinitely easier.
Like others have said - keep your trade stuff in some kind of binder.
I haven't noticed the warp some folks describe with foils - outside of the warping you see fresh out of packs anyway. I keep my foils in with regular stuff - so this is probably why ( no one seems to trade for foils in my area)
The nice thing about having them sorted by set is when stuff rotates out - you just write the name of the set on the top of the box, and then add it to the large "trunk of extended" in my closet... lol
Same as vatech. I sort by set, then by color, then rarity, then alphabetically. It saves space when you have a very large collection to use boxes instead of binders. For instance, I have cards going all the way back to Unlimited. I have one 1000-count longbox full of Alpha -> urza's destiny for EACH color. Then I have another 1000-count longbox full of Mercadian Masques -> Dissension for EACH color. I have one longbox each of nonbasic lands, artifacts from Alpha ->Urza's destiny, and Mercadian Masques -> Dissension. Sets after Dissension are arranged by color and rarity in their respective Fat Pack boxes.
Warping foils depends on what sort of climate you live in. Hot humid climates like the midatlantic and southeast tend to be the worst on foils. Cooler or drier climates are better for cards overall and minimize foil curling. That said if your roommates are fond of steam baths, your foils will curl anyway. Put them in toploaders or store them in binders with non-foil cards to minimize foil warping.
I store My Decks in a a small plastic box and all my spare cards in a cupboard in an order of colours. It also doesn't take that long to order them in colours so when I want to make a deck I get the piles of the colours I want to make the deck out of and select the cards from there.
I used to have my entire collection meticulously sorted by set/colour/rarity/casting cost and could find any given card that I owned in about a minute.
Then I lent these boxes (all my unused cards i.e. not decks / trade folder) to a friend who played many years ago to have some fun with. A couple of months later I got the cards back, but all my careful filing had been destroyed.:-/
My current storage system is; on my desk / on my table / on the floor / everywhere. I've been meaning to do something about this for sometime, but it can be quite a daunting task when faced with thousands of loose commons all over the place.
7 boxes with commons from all eras. WUBERGAL there. Apart from that, I have a few cards that I want to keep close in a small binder. Lastly, sets I am collecting have their own bigger binders. that's about it.
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I put my rares, foils, and tokens (a surprisingly large number of people in my area want tokens) in a binder, then I sort the rest of my commons and uncommons into large, 3200 card boxes that my store sells. And right now I'm using boxes from a fat pack I bought a while back until I can pick up another of the big boxes. I sort first by color (White, Blue, Black, Red, Green, Multicolor, Artifact, Nonbasic Land), and then alphabetical in both the binder and the boxes. I find this is by far easiest when deck building and trading commons with friends. Non basic lands go wherever I have room, right now they're in a stack in a plastic bag on my dresser
My collection is currently sorted by set, in Binders, 9 Pocket Pages, from Beta to Shards of Alara, in addition to this, I have 2 binders just for my Foil/Promo cards. Yes, that is a lot of binders, almost 30 as of now, all neatly stored in a shelf perfect for binders. I have approx. 200,000 cards. I might be able to get scans of this if anyone wants to see, it's my pride and joy
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Thanks to Darth Monkey from Scuttlemutt Productions for my Sig!
My collection is currently sorted by set, in Binders, 9 Pocket Pages, from Beta to Shards of Alara, in addition to this, I have 2 binders just for my Foil/Promo cards. Yes, that is a lot of binders, almost 30 as of now, all neatly stored in a shelf perfect for binders. I have approx. 200,000 cards. I might be able to get scans of this if anyone wants to see, it's my pride and joy
I would like to see. That sounds intense.
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"Sickness and healing are in every heart. Death and deliverance are in every hand."-Speaker for the Dead
I have a 5-inch binder for every color (grey for artifacts/land/multi-colored) that is sorted alphabetically by set from Alpha - Shards. I'm pretty much at the binder's limit though, so I guess I need to expand.
i have a binder for every cycle, can seperate ones for every 2 cores sets. i put all my commons and uncommons in those. all my rares go into my trader binder, and i have a foil binder. now, if i have more than a playset (4 cards) of a common or uncommon, i put them in my fat pack boxes in order of set and color.
Artifacts (all together, by set)
Land / Multicolor (all together, by set)
Once my binders got too big, I started a new set of binders with everything since 8th Edition (new card frame)
Maybe a bit anal, but it really helps get them organized. I can find any card in my collection in about 5 seconds. If you're not using binders, you can still organize your collection pretty well using this approach.
It takes a while to get it done, but as each new set comes out, it's easy to add them. The initial push is the hard part.
I actually organize my cards by creature/noncreature for each color, artifacts, gold, and hybrid. I don't do it by set, though, since I have really large binders. The creatures are sorted by power from highest to lowest (I'm a power timmy so get over it :D) and the noncreatures are sorted by cmc from highest to lowest. Lands get their own binder that they share with tokens and I have almost every land with a nonmana ability in Magic. (good for EDH purposes)
Dedicate each set to a binder, then organize the binder by set number until I have 4x a card in each pocket. Extras are organized the same way in 5000 count boxes.
If you start from scratch, this project takes a while. But the ability to find anything on a moment's notice outweighs the effort.
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Throw them all into a luggage box and never look at them again!! just kidding....
I arrange them by set, and within that set I arrange them by number.
I do sometimes keep a seperate folder for most often used cards that I interchange for decks and if you like to trade a lot or sell cards then I would suggest making a folder specially for that purpose. Most people dont want to look at commons and uncommons other than commonly used ones. I tend to fill a set folder at no more than 4 cards per slot...as in a play set. Any extra I have unless they are rare or commonly used commons and uncommons, I actually just leave in the corresponding set box...(as in if you had bought a box of Alara boosters...extra cards that arent rare and commonly used commons and uncommons would be put into this box, arranged by color appearance according to set numbers...white, blue, black, red, green, etc etc). It also depends on how many cards you actually have as well to how you want to arrange it. I dont like having tons of folders...so I normally only ever have 3 folders for the newest and current block that is standard format. Then the older block before that I would probably only have the rares and commonly used commons and uncommons, in a folder. I've been into Magic since beta...so the amount of cards I have is fairly rediculous and there is just no way I would have a folder dedicated to each set. But then again, I dont really care too much about the dollar value of cards, but the playability. So it's different for me. If you care about keeping all your cards in pristine shape...then you probably should invest in a folder for each set. That is just my opinion. All in all, you should just find something that works best for you. Just cause something works for one person, doesnt mean it'll work for you. Try different ideas till you find something you like and stick to it. That's the hardest part IMO...sticking to your organizing.
Something always worth mentioning (if you DO go binder route) is that you can usually get extra binders from companies that are undergoing their yearly office spring cleaning. Software companies are KING for this, but really any medium-large office will do this. Just ask around or keep an eye out.. You can get a lot of binders rather cheaply this way. They're fairly expensive otherwise..
<20% of my collection is properly sorted right now... but it's difficult for me to make time, not to mention overwhelming in scale (several hundred thousand cards, acquired from various collections). what is sorted, and my eventual goal for the rest, is by set, then by collector number. where collector number is not available, sort using the same algorithm.
currently i'm keeping foils separated from non-foils but sorted in same order. my signed cards are for whatever reason sorted by artist. i intend to undo all of this and place foils and signed cards alongside non-foil and unsigned cards, just in sleeves. oh, any card i have with a value of >25 USD is kept in a sleeve.
my reasoning for my sorting is that ultimately, i want to sell off all of my excess cards -- I want to get myself down to a reasonable number of each card (say 10), then sell the rest on eBay, cardshark, or a similar site. i've been selling common playsets (from Champions of Kamigawa forward) and singles (everything from commons to dual lands) to people in some of my playgroups already. i have an entire room at home stuffed with piles of 5000ct boxes and i need to get rid of them.
My collection is out of control. How do you organize your cards?
I have some old complete and almost-complete sets in binders (just 1 of each card), but everything else is stored in those white cardboard boxes that cost around 75 cents at card shops. They are first sorted by set, then by color, then by rarity, then alphabetical order.
So all the green cards from Tempest are grouped together, sorted by alphabetical order within their rarity. All the rares first, then uncommons, then commons.
It's a simple system and I can find any card very quickly. If I want to see which elves from Tempest I already have it's easy to grab the Tempest box and pull all the green cards out to find the elves.
I put all the boxed cards in penny sleeves. The sleeves are only 100 for $1, and I can get 300 for $2 at a local shop. I now put 4 of the same card in each sleeve and that cuts the cost even more. It's a cheap way to ensure the cards don't get scuffed and worn when I look through the boxes, but most people probably consider this a little over the top. I think it's a lot more expensive to buy binders and 9 pocket pages though. I'd have to spend a lot of money to store all my cards that way, and the binders would take up a ton of space.
Some people toss their cards in shoe boxes and don't mind the dings or lack of organization, whatever works best for you is the right way for you to do it.
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I keep my cards (non-decks) in penny sleeves, 1 playset to a sleeve (there's plenty of room). I keep them in two small boxes, when card levels rise above box storage levels I cull the collection for $$$.
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I personally just throw the cards into one binder per block, artifact, land, multicolor, wubrg order, first commons in totally random order, then uncommons in random order. Rares go into two seperate binders (one with cards I want to keep and one with cards I trade)
(Wasn't there a fairly large thread about storage organization somewhere around here? Can't find it right now)
e: Wasn't that large after all, but here.
As for FOILs, make sure whatever you do that they're stored in a solid place (because they can warp). Keep them out of the cold and in low moisture areas. If you keep them in sleeves or binder pages, they'll be fine. If you keep them out of those (like for bulk FOILs), I suggest you put them into a tournament starter pack and fill it to the brim with spare basic lands so they don't warp in there. Keep it tight (oh, they're getting rid of those boxes=DOH!).
*Mayreturn*
I have some EDH cards and rare Magic basic lands (APAC, EURO, ARENA, etc) so message me if you're looking.
Number of members banned after I posted a BTR: 7
Looking for honest buyers, sellers, and traders.
True, binders take more space than just throwing everything in boxes, but it's also a lot easier and more convenient to go through and the cards don't get worn when sifting through.
It takes some intial investment in time (a whole set of Timespiral takes you maybe 1.5 hours to sort?) but then it makes deckbuilding infinitely easier.
Like others have said - keep your trade stuff in some kind of binder.
I haven't noticed the warp some folks describe with foils - outside of the warping you see fresh out of packs anyway. I keep my foils in with regular stuff - so this is probably why ( no one seems to trade for foils in my area)
The nice thing about having them sorted by set is when stuff rotates out - you just write the name of the set on the top of the box, and then add it to the large "trunk of extended" in my closet... lol
Warping foils depends on what sort of climate you live in. Hot humid climates like the midatlantic and southeast tend to be the worst on foils. Cooler or drier climates are better for cards overall and minimize foil curling. That said if your roommates are fond of steam baths, your foils will curl anyway. Put them in toploaders or store them in binders with non-foil cards to minimize foil warping.
Then I lent these boxes (all my unused cards i.e. not decks / trade folder) to a friend who played many years ago to have some fun with. A couple of months later I got the cards back, but all my careful filing had been destroyed.:-/
My current storage system is; on my desk / on my table / on the floor / everywhere. I've been meaning to do something about this for sometime, but it can be quite a daunting task when faced with thousands of loose commons all over the place.
I would like to see. That sounds intense.
That gives me:
creatures
non-creatures
.:symu:
.:symr:
.:symb:
.:symg:
Artifacts (all together, by set)
Land / Multicolor (all together, by set)
Once my binders got too big, I started a new set of binders with everything since 8th Edition (new card frame)
Maybe a bit anal, but it really helps get them organized. I can find any card in my collection in about 5 seconds. If you're not using binders, you can still organize your collection pretty well using this approach.
It takes a while to get it done, but as each new set comes out, it's easy to add them. The initial push is the hard part.
Fully-powered 600-Card "Dream Cube" https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/dreamcube
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Cubing in Indianapolis...send me a PM!!
If you start from scratch, this project takes a while. But the ability to find anything on a moment's notice outweighs the effort.
I arrange them by set, and within that set I arrange them by number.
I do sometimes keep a seperate folder for most often used cards that I interchange for decks and if you like to trade a lot or sell cards then I would suggest making a folder specially for that purpose. Most people dont want to look at commons and uncommons other than commonly used ones. I tend to fill a set folder at no more than 4 cards per slot...as in a play set. Any extra I have unless they are rare or commonly used commons and uncommons, I actually just leave in the corresponding set box...(as in if you had bought a box of Alara boosters...extra cards that arent rare and commonly used commons and uncommons would be put into this box, arranged by color appearance according to set numbers...white, blue, black, red, green, etc etc). It also depends on how many cards you actually have as well to how you want to arrange it. I dont like having tons of folders...so I normally only ever have 3 folders for the newest and current block that is standard format. Then the older block before that I would probably only have the rares and commonly used commons and uncommons, in a folder. I've been into Magic since beta...so the amount of cards I have is fairly rediculous and there is just no way I would have a folder dedicated to each set. But then again, I dont really care too much about the dollar value of cards, but the playability. So it's different for me. If you care about keeping all your cards in pristine shape...then you probably should invest in a folder for each set. That is just my opinion. All in all, you should just find something that works best for you. Just cause something works for one person, doesnt mean it'll work for you. Try different ideas till you find something you like and stick to it. That's the hardest part IMO...sticking to your organizing.
Fully-powered 600-Card "Dream Cube" https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/dreamcube
450-Card "Artificer's Cube" https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/artificer
Cubing in Indianapolis...send me a PM!!
currently i'm keeping foils separated from non-foils but sorted in same order. my signed cards are for whatever reason sorted by artist. i intend to undo all of this and place foils and signed cards alongside non-foil and unsigned cards, just in sleeves. oh, any card i have with a value of >25 USD is kept in a sleeve.
my reasoning for my sorting is that ultimately, i want to sell off all of my excess cards -- I want to get myself down to a reasonable number of each card (say 10), then sell the rest on eBay, cardshark, or a similar site. i've been selling common playsets (from Champions of Kamigawa forward) and singles (everything from commons to dual lands) to people in some of my playgroups already. i have an entire room at home stuffed with piles of 5000ct boxes and i need to get rid of them.
I have some old complete and almost-complete sets in binders (just 1 of each card), but everything else is stored in those white cardboard boxes that cost around 75 cents at card shops. They are first sorted by set, then by color, then by rarity, then alphabetical order.
So all the green cards from Tempest are grouped together, sorted by alphabetical order within their rarity. All the rares first, then uncommons, then commons.
It's a simple system and I can find any card very quickly. If I want to see which elves from Tempest I already have it's easy to grab the Tempest box and pull all the green cards out to find the elves.
I put all the boxed cards in penny sleeves. The sleeves are only 100 for $1, and I can get 300 for $2 at a local shop. I now put 4 of the same card in each sleeve and that cuts the cost even more. It's a cheap way to ensure the cards don't get scuffed and worn when I look through the boxes, but most people probably consider this a little over the top. I think it's a lot more expensive to buy binders and 9 pocket pages though. I'd have to spend a lot of money to store all my cards that way, and the binders would take up a ton of space.
Some people toss their cards in shoe boxes and don't mind the dings or lack of organization, whatever works best for you is the right way for you to do it.
-- David Falk, Seattle Soccer Examiner, March 2009