How to sort and organize Pokemon TCG collection?
Organizing and sorting Pokemon cards
There are several popular ways to sort Pokemon cards. There is no perfect method, most depends on our personal preferences, however, with a larger number of Pokemon cards, it is worth rethinking how to sort. Repeatedly changing the organization of our collection is not only a waste of time, as well as exposing it to damage. Ways to sort Pokemon cards:
- According to type
- According to their degree of rarity
- According to numbering
- By evolutionary lineage
- According to the Pokedex
The most popular method, is to arrange the cards according to their numbering. Each Pokemon TCG set contains a specific number of numbered cards. Other methods can be combined, although they seem less effective when you have a large number of collected cards.
What to store Pokemon cards in?
1. Binders
Binder to a very good method for sorting cards is also sustainable in terms of funds we have to sacrifice to get a decent result. So what is worth paying attention to when choosing a binder? We can use practically all models available on the market, but this is not necessarily the best solution. We can buy office binders for as little as a few euro, saving money to protect our collection is undoubtedly a bad idea. The first thing we need to pay attention to is the rings. It is best to avoid binders with two rings, the ideal choice is 3 or 4 hooks. Also, their shape is an extremely important issue. Let’s always look for D-shaped rings, the so-called O-Ring can cause deformation of the pages to the binder, resulting in bending of the pages and our cards, even in extreme cases imprinting the ring on the cards. The next parameter we should look at is the size of the binder. If we take small binders, we can only keep one set of Pokemon cards in them, which is very aesthetically pleasing and practical, although it dramatically increases the cost we have to pay. Large binders are certainly an economical option, although with a large number of cards and shirts we can also expose our collection to unwanted damage.
What is the best binder to choose for your Pokemon TCG card collection?
So the choice should be considered mainly in terms of our personal preferences. One of the best solutions seem to be Esselte A4 4DR/20-40mm offer binders, we can fit a reasonable number of pages into the binder. Their undoubted advantage is the ability to insert a fully customized spine, as well as a front cover. Unfortunately, they are not the cheapest binders on the market, we have to reckon with the cost of about 2 euro per piece.
If we decide on binders, we must also choose the right pages for them. We usually have two varieties available, thinner and thicker. Of course, it is not worth investing in pages that are less durable. Their thickness makes them stiffer, thus further protecting our collection. Also, we recommend Ultra Pro Platinum shirts. We just need to make sure that they will fit into our binder, so it is best to buy shirts with eleven holes than those with three. If we manage to get shirts where we insert the cards sideways, this is also a better option than those where we insert them from the top, but this will not be an easy task, also we should expect to choose the former. If we need to further secure the cards, then slim fit cards will fit into the shirts.
PROS
Perfect customization and reorganization of the collection
We can conveniently browse the entire collection
Reasonable value for money
The cards look nice on the shelf
CONS
Requires purchase of separate pages for binders
Takes up a lot of space
Need to be careful when transporting cards in binders
2. Boxes and Elite Trainer Boxes after Pokemon cards.
A very budget way to hold cards. If we open Elite Trainer Boxes, they can serve us perfectly as a place to hold Pokemon cards. They can also be bought second-hand at a reasonable price. Each such box will hold several hundred cards. You can also buy dedicated cardboard boxes for this purpose, but they are not readily available in our country. In the empty ETB we can put cards in shirts or string bags. For segregation, we can use the dividers added to this set. Each Elite Trainer Box, comes with a set of shirts in the set, we can use them to secure the most valuable cards. However, we should remember never to use rubber bands for segregating Pokemon cards. The pressure of any rubber band can damage the edges of the cards, and if it is too loose, it will not do its job. In addition, the most important thing is the issue of material, very often such a rubber band can simply dry out after a long time. Then it will destroy all the cards. Its removal, without damaging the cards, will no longer be possible.
We can also simply look for a box in which the cards will fit. Such a solution will be ideal when we do not have many cards and investing in more expensive methods is not yet necessary for us.
PROS
Very economical solution
Takes up the least amount of space
Easy to transport
CONS
Heavy access for browsing the collection
Lots of space inside, which can damage cards
3. Pokemon Albums
Dedicated albums are a solution similar to binders. If you buy albums, it is worth paying attention to several issues. Let’s always check what kind of pages the product has, there is no way to replace them, so the cheapest albums often have poor quality pages. The best albums are those in which we can insert the cards from the side, we must be careful when inserting the cards so as not to damage them, although the undoubted advantage is that the cards do not meet with their backs and thus eliminate unnecessary friction and potential damage. This is a solution that is not the best in terms of price, assuming the purchase of ordinary Binders from Ultra Pro, we have to reckon with the expense of about 20 euro per piece. This album will hold 360 cards. If we choose more expensive albums that have a lock instead of a rubber band closure, the price may increase. In addition to the price, there are several other problems here, the pages are not replaceable, also any damage to the album is permanent and affects its performance. Also, the number of cards is strictly limited, we can not add or subtract pages, also such albums are best suited, for storing the most valuable cards. There are intermediate options, such as an album with a lock, which has spaces inside for pages for a binder.
4. Toploaders for most valuable Pokemon cards
To store the most valuable cards, we can use Toploaders. This is by far the most secure option. We can secure the cards with shirts, so they are protected from all sides. We can keep Pokemon cards in Toploaders in separate boxes, or possibly in special albums. Unfortunately, the cost of the album is much higher than those from regular cards. This is a way that we can, and even should, use by segregating Pokemon cards in every possible way. When expensive cards appear in our collection, it makes no sense to expose them to any damage. The cost of a pack of Toploaders is low.
Before choosing the method of sorting Pokemon cards that is right for us, we should think carefully about our choice. This will help us save not only time and money, but also, in extreme cases, avoid damage to our cards. It is a good idea to keep an inventory of our cards, whether on a piece of paper or in an Excel file.
