Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time in my basement office where the bulk of my APBA card sets are located. I’m becoming increasing dissatisfied with how I have them organized and stored.
I’m not the kind of person who has bought APBA sets every year since the fifties but I have a good 20 seasons or so. I don’t have a collector’s mindset… I buy them to play (or at the very least, get out of the envelope and look at). However, I don’t like the idea that I have valuable (maybe not monetarily but they are APBA cards, after all) card sets sitting unlabeled.
About five or six years ago, I actually took some steps to organize them and store them in a reasonable fashion. I bought some cardboard boxes from an office store which would store three or four seasons each. I even labeled them. Now, the whole thing has fallen into disarray. It’s about time to start from scratch and re-organize them.
I’m wondering how those of you with decent sized APBA card collections organize and store your APBA collection. What efforts do you go through to make sure they are safe and easy to find. Also, do any of you go through the effort to inventory your collection and document it in a computer database or spreadsheet? I’ve thought about doing something like that.
Experiences, thoughts, and ideas are welcome in the comment section.
Microsoft Excel is the best for digital storage.
Small plastic bins (6″ X 12″) with dividers and no tops.
Each holds about 80 teams.
Two of those fit into a larger plastic bin with a detachable top.
I use photo boxes which can hold two of the current season sets (30 Teams) or upto four of the original 16 Team season sets. Got them stored in tall storage cabinet. They are organized enough to know what shelf a particular decade of season sets are on Buts thats about it. lol The misses will tell anyone that I have way too many and not enough time to play with them all. I’m beginning to think she’s right but I won’t ever go down that road to agree with her :)
I’m doing a digital database with my 2007, 2008, Greatest Teams of the Past Volumes 1-3, three other great teams & Negro Leagues all in the computer.
Meanwhile, I’m doing a tournament of 64 teams, and with my digital database, I plan to do a thing called “The B League” — nothing but ‘B’ pitchers against hitters between a .700 & .850 OPS (On Base + Slugging).
Shaun,
How do you scan thesse for use. Do you save them by player name, or do a whole team scan. Also how easy is it to use once you have them scanned and saved. I am not the most computer savvy person.
I have picked up a couple of the storage boxes on APBA’s site and while I only have 3 seasons they work well for me.
Excel with a page for each sport, teams across the top of the columns and years down the left side of the rows works for keeping track of teams with the file stored in Dropbox for access from any device. I use 6.5 quart plastic boxes with Dymo LetraTag lable-maker to keep track of the seasons in each box. Fairly simple.
My storage has evolved with my moves that I have made and as the collection has grown. My main focus was to be able to get to any team anytime rather than salt them away. I use two forms. CD boxes, purchased at Staples, title of game edition and year and the other, pigeon hole container that you put together and can be stacked, purchased at Lowes. It works great for me as I have total access and all sets are labeled.
I bought an old library card catalog a few years ago at a garage sale. It has plenty of room for my collection which is around 50 or so complete seasons. Unfortunately, it doesn’t hold the older, longer style of envelopes so I have to store my GTOP in a plastic shoebox I picked up from the dollar store.
Right now I’m just doing my own keeper league with this years cards then when my season is over I just throw them away but I do have the BATS 2 set that I plan on playing with eventually stored in one of those company issued storage boxes which I then put into a rubbermaid container.
I have purchased the APBA season storage boxes and label each on ends and top. Then have them stacked and organized by year in old 2 door metal
Cabinet.
Dr. Doug Weston
PS Does anyone have a 59 White Sox team that they would be willing to sell? Original or new print set.