Collecting "old school"

[jasonc]

I am going to really consider storing my collection in 1600ct shoeboxes and putting the stars in penny sleeves, since my vintage sets and partial sets are not high grade, I thought this would be a cool way to collect. Easy to store as well (Stack them on shelves)

--Not to the point of rubberbands and regular shoeboxes, but using the supplies I mentioned.

Anybody store their sets this way, is there any other old school methods you use.

Another option would be using top loaders for all of the cards, or just the stars, but do not know whether it is worth it -- when I look at my collection, I tend to be careful with them, but of course this would provide the best protection.

Just looking to change it up a bit and getting away from binders.

How do some of you non-binder guys store your collection?

Also, wouldn't mind hearing some stories of those of you who collected in the 50's and 60's stored your collection, I imagine rubber bands were put on them and in regular shoeboxes? Scrapbooks? tacked to the wall?

[edjs]

People laugh, but all my cards are either on a shelf in my closet, or, for my PCL cards, in a Bishop's Petit Wafers cracker tin. No boxes, no binders, just laying there.

[drcy]

My childhood collection was stored au natural in boxes for years in a closet next to Wisconsin garage that got damn cold in winter. I learned that cold doesn't harm cards.

[tschock]

I go with the box storage method for most of my sports collection. Almost all cards go into penny sleeves, with the nicer/more expensive then going into top loaders. I then generally put them into 2-row shoe boxes. Topps and Bowmans fit as 1-2 sets per box. A box for T205, a box for T206, and a box for miscellaneous pre-war. Not saying it is better than binders, but it is better for ME.

A lot of how anyone stores/displays their stuff depends on what you have, what you want to have, what kind of access you want to provide to the items, and the limitations of your storage space.

As to non-sports... Those are all in pages in 3 ring binders (about 30 of them). Why? Because the kids have little interest in baseball cards but enjoy looking through the various non-sports sets and binders make this much more accessible for them.

[Joshchisox08]

Most of my graded t206's are in a display case the rest are in a shoe box (waiting to be displayed when I can buy another case and have room).

All of my other cards are in binders and boxes.

[jerseygary]

I'm not a huge card collector but all my cards (33-34 Goudeys, Diamond Stars and Play Balls) are in those clear rigid Ultra-Pro sleeves and stored in a couple of metal cigar boxes on a shelf in my studio. I like pulling them down when I'm not busy or have writers/artist block, dumping them out on my desk and flipping through 'em.

I say go for it! (Without the rubber bands of course...)

[trdcrdkid]

Most of my pre-WWII tobacco and caramel cards are in Card Saver II holders in three big boxes, with each box having room for two rows of those holders. This includes my non-sport N, T, E, and R cards, which used to significantly outnumber the sports cards, though now the numbers are much closer. The handful of graded cards that I've picked up since joining this forum are in a couple of stacks on the bookshelf where I keep the boxes. Some of my pre-war cards are in an album in 18-pocket pages, of which I've posted some pictures in this forum, and the same album contains most of my Goudey, Play Ball, and miscellaneous cards from that era in regular 9-pocket pages, followed by early Topps and Bowman cards in appropriately sized pages. The first album goes up through about half of my 1956 Topps, and the second album starts with the rest of the the 1956 Topps and goes from there chronologically up through 1972. The first page of this second album includes the biggest stars I had from 1956 Topps in 1982, when I put the album together, and these have not been touched since then:



I still remember where I got some of these: the Williams cost me $20 at the Will County Fair in about 1982; the Koufax came from a Saran-wrapped lot of 1956 Topps cards that I bought at one of my first card shows in Chicago in 1980; this Koufax was visible on the top of the pile, and there was another Koufax (which I later traded away) inside! I think it was a lot of 25 cards, and I can't have paid more than $20 or $30 for it.

Anyway, my 1967, 1969, 1970, and 1971 Topps near-sets are in plastic pages in binders. My 1968 Topps set is raw and naked in an 800-count box, except the stars are in Card Saver IIs, and the Seaver, Bench, and Ryan are in those thick clear screw-down holders. My 1974 and 1975 sets are similarly raw in 800-count boxes except for the stars, which are in holders, including some PSA holders. Miscellaneous other cards from the 1950s through 1970s are in penny sleeves in 800-count boxes, and pretty much anything from the 1980s on is raw in boxes.

[tonyo]

I usually try to find some form of cabinet or other semi-unique method of storage. Shown below are t206's (next to the old glove), 33 goudeys, 52 bowmans, 72 topps, and a couple of old file-type cabinets that are filled with cards.

[tiger8mush]

awesome pictures!

[Exhibitman]

Boxes are a PITA. I put them all in Cardsaver I's and then into four pocket pages in albums, so I can pull and enjoy looking through an album casually. Like I did this morning while everyone else was asleep and it was quiet around the house.

[mattsey9]

Binders for sets I have that are complete/working on. Shoeboxes and Velveeta boxes for singles.

Some of my Velveeta boxes are nearing 30 years of holding baseball cards.

[DaveW]

You could go really old school and paste them into a scrapbook. Use a flour-based glue so they can be easily soaked off later. You might have to trim a few down so they fit nicely on the page.
But seriously, I'm old school - no graded cards, just top loaders or pages in a binder.

[LuckyLarry]

Originally Posted by mattsey9

Binders for sets I have that are complete/working on. Shoeboxes and Velveeta boxes for singles.

Some of my Velveeta boxes are nearing 30 years of holding baseball cards.

Mike: I remember back in the early to mid 60s, some of my trading buddies, the Kreminliff (sp) kids, carried their cards in Velveeta boxes I was so jealous because all I had were shoeboxes. The cards fit nicely in those cheese boxes.
Larry

[LuckyLarry]

When I collected as a kid (62-67) I sorted my cards by team and held them in place with rubber bands and stuffed into shoe boxes.
Today most of my cards are stored in 800 count boxes. The three binders: One holds my T206 collection, one holds Topps inserts (coins posters etc) and the other holds some over sized oddball stuff. The "Super Shoe Boxes" hold cards from sets I'm working on (mostly non-sports stuff). The four "taller boxes" hold graded cards (mostly SGC T205 set I'm working on).
Stored on shelving behind my "false wall first line of defense against theft system"
Larry


Larry

[tiger8mush]

Originally Posted by LuckyLarry

Today most of my cards are stored in 800 count boxes. The three binders: One holds my T206 collection, one holds Topps inserts (coins posters etc) and the other holds some over sized oddball stuff. The "Super Shoe Boxes" hold cards from sets I'm working on (mostly non-sports stuff). The four "taller boxes" hold graded cards (mostly SGC T205 set I'm working on).
Stored on shelving behind my "false wall first line of defense against theft system"
Larry

very neat, thanks for sharing

[Den*nis O*Brien]

Since seeing a friend store his '58 Topps in wooden cheese boxes I was sold. I was using rubber bands. These seem to be available in most antique shops/malls at reasonable prices. And they work fine for graded.

[steve B]

I use the 1600 count boxes for nearly everything. The boxes for large stuff like exhibits I leave out the divider.

The cards are in a variety of holders. Most modern stuff is loose with better or problematic cards in penny sleeves. (Like modern die cut cards, or stuff like the GQ framed ones, or the one 59 Topps with sticky tape residue. )
Older stuff or really better cards get toploaders as well as the sleeve. Prety much all my prewar is in toploaders. Haven't found good holders for the unskinned old judges.

I also use some 3200 ct boxes for modern, but the newer ones won't fit toploaders so that will end eventually

Someday I'll build a cardfile type cabinet for a lot of that, anything better looking than the boxes.
The graded ones go in this table I made.

Steve B

[yanks4]

Wood box from Penzoni...All 176 fit...Nice..Portable

[robw1959]

Believe it or not, I store mine in military ammunition cannisters. Widely available at flea markets, they are made of sturdy metal and are designed to be air-tight when sealed (no humidity issues).

[hawaiian bam bam]

What do u guys think about putting cards in a scrapbook with no glue of course maybe just in a top loader or card saver with double sided tape that way the card is safe and can be displayed old school style in a album or scrapbook?

[joeadcock]

Originally Posted by hawaiian bam bam

What do u guys think about putting cards in a scrapbook with no glue of course maybe just in a top loader or card saver with double sided tape that way the card is safe and can be displayed old school style in a album or scrapbook?

Not a bad idea.

Great avatar.

Much better, the message from John.

[Bestdj777]

Originally Posted by hawaiian bam bam

What do u guys think about putting cards in a scrapbook with no glue of course maybe just in a top loader or card saver with double sided tape that way the card is safe and can be displayed old school style in a album or scrapbook?

I like that idea. Since seeing the collection that I hope is attached (never sure with camera phone uploads), I've always wanted mine a bit more accessible.

[rainier2004]

That's a nice box Marty.

I store my cards on the wall and in cabinets...

[joeadcock]

Nice set up Steve

[RaidonCollects]

Originally Posted by rainier2004

That's a nice box Marty.

I store my cards on the wall and in cabinets...

So I'm guessing you don't like Cracker Jack

Honestly though, that looks amazing! Great job on the room, looks like paradise.

~Owen

[rainier2004]

thanks guys...me and CJs kinda gotta thing.

[curch]

Originally Posted by tonyo

I usually try to find some form of cabinet or other semi-unique method of storage. Shown below are t206's (next to the old glove), 33 goudeys, 52 bowmans, 72 topps, and a couple of old file-type cabinets that are filled with cards.

I love this setup!!!!!!

[dabigyankeeman]

All my cards are in sheets in binders. Everything from current commons to original Babe Ruth and tobacco cards.

[Leon]

As a kid in the late 60s we collected and put our cards in shoe boxes. We didn't care much about condition as long as it was a card. Wrinkles, creases, writing on them, tears etc....no card was unworthy of our collections.

[hawaiian bam bam]

Does anyone know if the glue on the scrapbook pages will ruin the card backs over time If I put them in a penny sleeve? Would that be enough protection long term or should I keep them in a top loader ? Thanks

[smtjoy]

I store most of mine in big wooden boxes (most of my collection is graded tallboy exhibits), many I make myself. More expensive cards are in a safe mainly in Roop boxes-

[T206Collector]

Originally Posted by Bestdj777

I like that idea. Since seeing the collection that I hope is attached (never sure with camera phone uploads), I've always wanted mine a bit more accessible.

The Goulston Collection is, indeed, attached by glue. Here are a couple more images that I took during my visit. You can tell from the Cobb that someone tried to lift it but couldn't.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by smtjoy

I store most of mine in big wooden boxes (most of my collection is graded tallboy exhibits), many I make myself. More expensive cards are in a safe mainly in Roop boxes-

That middle picture gave me flashbacks of elementary school and the dewey decimal system.

[TAVG]

all of my cardinals cards are in binders, older noncardinals stuff i have in toploaders. however, i dont have anything even close to what you guys have here (vintage cards)