I have a very simple sorting system : when I buy boxes of cards, I make neat little piles and then sort them by number and put duplicates aside. I'll then enter them in my spreadsheet and verify that I need any Blue Jays in there (there was a time when I didn't need to, because I knew each and every one of my cards by heart. That was before I got old and had to make a living, instead of looking at cards all day). Of course, the next step, and that's new, is to select the ones I want to scan and show on that blog. Then I put the Blue Jays in my Blue Jays binder, the Griffeys in my Griffey binder (I am VERY well organized as you can see. My four years of college are finally paying off) and I select the cards from the pile that will make it into my miscellaneous binders, organized by brands and by year. I put in there the players I like and the cards I find cool. I used to have two mini collections (hey Nick !) : broken bats and a card that had the same action shown on the front and back, at different moments.
The rest of the cards go in 300 or 500 count boxes I have lying around.
A quite simple, normal process.
And tonight (yes, it's 6 pm on the east coast, it's the 8th inning in Kansas City and it's midnight here) I was sorting through those boxes trying to make some room for my october packs when it hit me : I hardly know any of the cards in there. And the thing is : I love commons and to just learn about players by reading the backs of the cards ! So why am I just storing them away without a look ? Am I being lazy in this relationship ? Am I being ungrateful ?
The reason is simple : I'm buying too many cards and the romance can't keep up. I'm getting 3 000 new cards per month. That's the problem when suddenly you have more money than just your allowance (and of course, I'm lucky enough to be able to buy whatever cards I want. Or to be more precise, to have a monthly budget that's amply sufficient to satisfy my needs). Now it seems that I'm just accumulating and not giving each card the time it deserves.
It's the same thing with music. Nobody listens to full albums anymore, it's all about how many you store in your MP3 player. How many out there know what song is about to come up next ?
So yeah, maybe there is such a thing as too many cards. But I won't be taking them for granted any longer (because let's be realistic, I'm not planning on stopping seeing other cards ( a lot of ing in there). It's one of my major flaws. I'm obsessed. But I'm working on it.
How about you guys ? How many cards in your collections ?
Number of cards? Besides what I put in Zistle, I am not sure.
ReplyDeleteHowever. one statement you said struck a cord with me, because I thought the very thing maybe 6-9 months ago:
"I hardly know any of the cards in there."
When I was building a couple of sets, I think I accidentally flipped over a card or two, and because of that, actually LOOKED at the card, instead of just the number on the back. Wow - that looks really cool! That was when I realized I am not taking the time to enjoy what I acquire, and was more focused on just having to have. So now, I'll put the cards in order. Then, I turn them over and go through them and appreciate the front.
my kind of collector ! Having to have. That's exactly it. Let's not follow that pattern
DeleteOther than my player collections, I have no clue how many cards I have. No clue.
ReplyDeleteit's because you have several tens of thousands and you're affraid your wife will read your answer !
DeleteOne of the reasons I started my blog was to get a better appreciation of cards in general. I was becoming bored of my process of buying cards off eBay and filing them away in my collection. After starting my blog I have brought a few friends who were collectors out of retirement and we talk cards all the time and even host a monthly box break.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea how many cards I have. It's a lot as I never really stopped collecting my entire life.
great idea ! Always better to share in person. Looks like I'm the only one obsessed with numbers !
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