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Revisting the good 'ol days- hand collating a set......

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MaineMule

Active member
Aug 7, 2008
5,454
0
Maine of course......
Cleaning my closet this afternoon and stumbled across a 700+ count box that I forgot I had. Opened it up and it's a 1988 Topps set (year I graduated college and had really stopped collecting for those 4 years). I have no idea how I acquired the set but it is/was not in numbered order.

This immediately reminded me that when I was a young teen, I worked on occasion for a local hobby shop hand collating sets (into #'d order). This was probably circa 1978/80. I would sort by the 100's, then break each 100 into the 10's, and wallah, the cards would be in order. I know I was compensated in some way for my time and I certainly spent the money at the shop.

So......I have 150 of the 792 cards in order as of now (my old eyes needed a break) and will knock off the rest while watching/listening to Sox and Pats tonight. It has been great fun to flip over the cards to see many names from my late youth. I was reminded that Topps would always put the biggest stars on cards #d 50, 100, 150, etc.... I ran across a Mike Schmidt and George Brett (both in that sequence) and an early card of Tom Glavine (with a random # since he was an unknown). Other stars also were on card numbers ending in 0's and 5s.

Anyone else remember sorting cards like this, either for fun or for a hobby shop?
 
Jun 27, 2013
539
0
Seattle, WA
You bet! I still like to put together a hand-collated Topps set every year. I also really enjoy putting all my cards in numbered order. I find it relaxing. I try to put cards from busting wax in order as soon as possible...otherwise they start piling up quick (the current dilemma I find myself in).
 

Austin

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2008
5,706
41
Dallas, Texas
I would sort by the 100's, then break each 100 into the 10's, and wallah, the cards would be in order.

Anyone else remember sorting cards like this, either for fun or for a hobby shop?
For set collectors such as me, that's basically the only physical and logical way to put together sets from packs. (Not counting factory sets)
Same for dealers and sellers of sets on eBay.
If there's a more efficient way, I'm not aware of it.
I've been doing it since 1985.
We're not extinct yet.
 
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MaineMule

Active member
Aug 7, 2008
5,454
0
Maine of course......
For set collectors such as me, that's basically the only physical and logical way to put together sets from packs. (Not counting factory sets)
Same for dealers and sellers of sets on eBay.
If there's a more efficient way, I'm not aware of it.
I've been doing it since 1985.
We're not extinct yet.

.....nice!!!!

.......600 sorted, one missing at this time- hoping to find it in the next stack......
 

MaineMule

Active member
Aug 7, 2008
5,454
0
Maine of course......
One card missing from '88 Topps set #377 Sam Horn........about 5 years ago I went to a charity softball game that Horn attended. I vaguely remember that I must have gone through the cards until I found his card. My oldest son says he has the signed card.

Anyone have an extra '88 Sam Horn? ;)
 

olerud363

Active member
Jun 14, 2010
3,212
14
Ontario, Canada
That's how I used to sort cards too... first by hundreds and then by tens. The only difference was those Fleer sets that were ordered by team. Those were really fast to sort!

- Rodrick
 

MartinFFcollector

New member
Aug 7, 2008
1,615
0
CA.
This immediately reminded me that when I was a young teen, I worked on occasion for a local hobby shop hand collating sets (into #'d order). This was probably circa 1978/80. I would sort by the 100's, then break each 100 into the 10's, and wallah, the cards would be in order.

Anyone else remember sorting cards like this, either for fun or for a hobby shop?

Did it the same way. I'm fast. At least I think I am. Always thought I'd be best suited for sorting @ the P.O. There should be a card collating olympics.
 

bongo870

Well-known member
Sep 30, 2009
3,574
485
Marlton NJ
I used to LOVE sorting them that way. I would have stacks by the thousands sorting them over and over. Thats what made collecting fun for me back in the 80's early to late 90's
 

jbmm161

Active member
Dec 19, 2010
1,377
1
Ft Worth
Did the same thing when I built my Topps Chrome football sets. I put them in groups of ten. Chrome football is a smaller set so no big deal.

That sorter is awesome and would be an invaluable tool for big breakers.
 

KLARNOLD

Well-known member
Sep 17, 2008
1,409
147
Owensboro, KY
I use to sort all my cards from the '80s. I liked sorting Fleer best because the checklists were numerical by teams (ex: the A's were cards 1-20, the Braves were cards 21-40, etc...). If you have a bunch of '88 Topps left, if you glue them together they will make a nice fire starting brick.
 

MaineMule

Active member
Aug 7, 2008
5,454
0
Maine of course......
I use to sort all my cards from the '80s. I liked sorting Fleer best because the checklists were numerical by teams (ex: the A's were cards 1-20, the Braves were cards 21-40, etc...). If you have a bunch of '88 Topps left, if you glue them together they will make a nice fire starting brick.

......I would never do that :D- it was actually a complete set that for whatever reason was not sorted by number. I am guessing the way they were printed had something to do with why it was complete but not in order.
 

MaineMule

Active member
Aug 7, 2008
5,454
0
Maine of course......
One card missing from '88 Topps set #377 Sam Horn........about 5 years ago I went to a charity softball game that Horn attended. I vaguely remember that I must have gone through the cards until I found his card. My oldest son says he has the signed card.

Anyone have an extra '88 Sam Horn? ;)

Big thanks to [MENTION=3266]bcubs[/MENTION] for sending me the Sam Horn!! Bill [MENTION=3266]bcubs[/MENTION], I have pmd you as well.

Set is complete!!

Anyone by chance have # 769 Richie Zisk from 1982 Topps, which is the one card from that set I need as well to wrap it up? I have many cards available for trade from 1968-1984 if anyone needs help with a set.
 

rsmath

Active member
Nov 8, 2008
6,086
1
For set collectors such as me, that's basically the only physical and logical way to put together sets from packs. (Not counting factory sets)

I must be an oddball set collector/builder. I don't sort my cards when I open packs.

When I get ready to start a set, I print off my checklist (1-***) and then I open packs here and there. The first thing I do is put the card in a penny sleeve if it's chrome - nothing I hate more than when I buy a h/c set on ebay instead of build my own, someone else's fingerprints are on them. People should not eat greasy foods while ripping cases or else handle the cards better. Next I inspect the cards in the pack looking for dinged corners or other factory damage. If the damage isn't too extreme, I'll put a line through the card because it'll be acceptable but I prefer a better quality one for my PC set if I run across a duplicate later. None of the cards with dings or other factory damage get listed for sale if they are a duplicate -- they get tossed in a box that I use for potential TTM attempts in the future. Once I quality control the cards, the numbers get marked off my worksheet and placed in a box to hold the non-dups. Duplicates are already marked off and go into another box to be listed for sale to try to get rid of them. Once I've marked off every card on the worksheet, I'm ready to sort them in number order. I used to do it by hundreds, then tens, then ones but I learned of a new sorting routine in a FCB post about 2-3 years ago so I've been using that so they are all magically in order by the time I go through the process of 2-3 levels of methodical sort.

as for factory sets, I only collect one football release every year - base topps football. I like how the cards in the factory set are not in order so it gives me the opportunity over several winter nights to enjoy the cards as I do my sort into number order.

my sort isn't rapid --- doesn't have to be as it's done for the PC plus I take the time to enjoy each card as I come across them in the sorting process. I could do the sort quicker if I had to list them quickly or bust a huge amount of wax but that hasn't happened and likely won't as I like to take a long time to bust a box of cards.
 
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I must be an oddball set collector/builder. I don't sort my cards when I open packs.

When I get ready to start a set, I print off my checklist (1-***) and then I open packs here and there. The first thing I do is put the card in a penny sleeve if it's chrome - nothing I hate more than when I buy a h/c set on ebay instead of build my own, someone else's fingerprints are on them. People should not eat greasy foods while ripping cases or else handle the cards better. Next I inspect the cards in the pack looking for dinged corners or other factory damage. If the damage isn't too extreme, I'll put a line through the card because it'll be acceptable but I prefer a better quality one for my PC set if I run across a duplicate later. None of the cards with dings or other factory damage get listed for sale if they are a duplicate -- they get tossed in a box that I use for potential TTM attempts in the future. Once I quality control the cards, the numbers get marked off my worksheet and placed in a box to hold the non-dups. Duplicates are already marked off and go into another box to be listed for sale to try to get rid of them. Once I've marked off every card on the worksheet, I'm ready to sort them in number order. I used to do it by hundreds, then tens, then ones but I learned of a new sorting routine in a FCB post about 2-3 years ago so I've been using that so they are all magically in order by the time I go through the process of 2-3 levels of methodical sort.

as for factory sets, I only collect one football release every year - base topps football. I like how the cards in the factory set are not in order so it gives me the opportunity over several winter nights to enjoy the cards as I do my sort into number order.

my sort isn't rapid --- doesn't have to be as it's done for the PC plus I take the time to enjoy each card as I come across them in the sorting process. I could do the sort quicker if I had to list them quickly or bust a huge amount of wax but that hasn't happened and likely won't as I like to take a long time to bust a box of cards.

Do you mind me asking your magical ordering (collating) system? I still do it by the 100's, 10's then,1's.
I wasnt on the board 2-3 yrs ago.
Or if somebody has the link?!
Thanks in advance
 

rsmath

Active member
Nov 8, 2008
6,086
1
i don't mind you asking. Lemme pull a set to sort and write steps as it's been about 3-4 months since I"ve done the magical sort method -- I want to make sure I get the sort sequence right instead of trying to post by memory and have something so wrong that one would have to start from scratch. ;)

steps to follow soon.
 

Laxcat

New member
Sep 6, 2013
264
0
I sorted for my dad at his shop. I can't tell you how many '89 Score football I took for my "payment"
 

rsmath

Active member
Nov 8, 2008
6,086
1
ok, much faster than I thought to posting the sorting steps. When finished sorting, I like my card #1 to be at the top of the stack when viewing the set from the picture front side and card #*** (last) to be the last card I see the front side of.

I picked a less than 100 card set for these steps. Get out your sorting tray, sorting box or a flat desk that can support 10 stacks of cards and a cardboard storage box large enough to hold the set as you will have to recombine the 10 stacks a few times and if you did that on a desktop, the stack might be so tall that it might fall over accidentally and damage some cards.

Apologies to the FCB member who originally posted about this magical sorting method.

1) Sort the cards by the ones place into the 10 stacks.
2) You will have to take the 10 stacks and put them back into one big stack again for the next sort. How you reassemble the 10 stacks back into one main stack matters or the sort will be messed up and you have to start over. Pick up the 9 "ones" stack and place it in a cardboard box card-number side up. Pick up the 8 "ones" stack and place it in the box card-number side up, then the "7" ones, and so on. When done, the "0" ones stack should be card-number side up at the top of the master stack.
3) Do your next sort of the master stack by the "tens" column starting from the very top of the master stack. Single digits like "1" are "zero" in the tens column so they go in the zero "tens" column stack.
4) With the set of less than 100 cards, all you have to do is combine your stacks into the final master stack. Put the "zero" "tens" stack front-side down at the bottom, the "1" "tens" stack front-side down on top of the "zero" "tens" stack, etc. When done with the steps followed, your cards should all be in numerical order.

If you do sets of 100+ cards, you may have to differ the order you pick up the 10 stacks to put them in the main stack after the "ones sort and before the "tens" sort. With 100+ card set, the final sort into the final master stack is by the hundreds column (so cards 99 or less will be a "zero" hundreds column stack and you should have fewer than 10 "hundreds" stacks since most sets are under 1000 cards.

I suppose if you are doing a Yankee Stadium Legacy or Documentary set sort, you will have to do another sort for the "thousands" place at the end to make your final master stack. I am nowhere close to finishing my Documentary set to have tried sorting that one by this method.
 
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