How to sort and organise your Pokémon card collection
A pile of cards only becomes a collection once you sort it. Here's how to organise by set and number, track what you're missing and store your duplicates.
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- A pile of cards only becomes a collection once you sort it. Here's how to organise by set and number, track what you're missing and store your duplicates.
Sorting your Pokémon cards feels like a big job until you have a fixed approach. With a few simple steps you'll know exactly what you have, what you're missing and where every card is. That keeps collecting fun, even as your collection grows.
Start with a pile per set
Lay all your cards out on a big table and first make rough piles per set. You can tell the set from the set symbol and set code at the bottom of the card, next to the card number. Not sure what those symbols mean? Read How to read a Pokémon card.
Take out the Energy cards and duplicates right away. They go into your bulk later. That way you keep working with smaller, clearer piles.
Then sort each pile by card number. The number is at the bottom, for example 045/132: the 45th card of a set with 132 numbered cards. Cards numbered above the set total, like 178/132, are secret rares. Put those at the back.
A binder per set
A binder is the handiest home for a sorted set. With one set per binder, in number order, you see at a glance which pockets are still empty. Just leave those pockets open: that's where the card you're still hunting will go.
Prefer sorting by type or by Pokédex number? That works too, especially for a collection of one Pokémon or one type. But sorting by set number is the easiest to keep up, because every card has one fixed spot. Read how to choose a good binder in How to choose a binder, and for a big collection see Binder for a big collection. You can also browse our binders.
Not sure where a card goes? With our free Bindermap you pick your set, your binder with 4, 9 or 12 pockets per page and what you collect. It shows the page and pocket for every card, and how many pages you need.
Tracking your collection
Sorting is one thing, keeping track of what you have is another. There are three ways, from simple to detailed:
- A paper checklist. One list per set with every number, which you tick off. In the Bindermap you tick off cards online, or have the checklist sent to your inbox as a printable PDF.
- A spreadsheet. Add columns for set, number, name, version (regular or reverse holo), condition and quantity. Handy if you also want to know which cards you have twice.
- An app. There are apps that scan and track cards. Do check that the app picks the right set and version.
Update your list every time you open a booster or trade a card. Ten minutes after each purchase is easier than recounting everything once a year. Want to complete a full set? Read How to start a master set.
Where do duplicates and bulk go?
Not every card belongs in a binder. Duplicates, Energy cards and commons you don't need are called bulk. Store them upright in a box, sorted by set, with a divider note between sets. That way you find them quickly for trading, for example at a Pokémon trade fair.
Cards worth a bit more go into a penny sleeve first, a thin plastic sleeve. A pack of Ultra PRO Penny Sleeves 100ct covers a decent stack. Sorting a big collection? The Ultra PRO Penny Sleeves 5-Pack with 500 sleeves is better value.
Your most valuable cards then go into a toploader, a rigid plastic holder. The Ultra PRO Toploader Combo contains 25 toploaders, 25 sleeves and a box to store them upright. Need more? There are separate Ultra PRO Clear Regular Toploaders in packs of 25. Read more about storage in How to store Pokémon cards safely.
A sorted collection gives you peace of mind: you know what you have and what you're still looking for. Start with one set and build from there. Below you'll find the sleeves and toploaders from this article, shipped from Oudenburg in 1 to 2 business days.