Why Sort?

[ClarkeCollects]

I am trying to streamline my selling process. I was wondering: Does anybody else not sort their bulk cards. I am going to be scanning my cards in Card Dealer Pro or Kronozio. If I get a bulk of several unsorted boxes, is there any issue with just scanning them unsorted. I would keep them in order as I scan and then put a unique SKU for each. Sleeve them and add a small removeable SKU sticker. This would save me a bunch of time trying to sort by sport, then brand, then year, then card number.

When orders come, I pull based on SKU number which should be quicker than search for a team or year box. It would also guarantee the card being sent is the one in the scan.

The only possible sorting might be dark and light borders to set different scan backgrounds.

Is there any issue you see doing this? Thanks for any thoughts!

[Breesus85]

Only downfall is it’s much faster on CDP if cards are from the same or similar type sets to fill out the info in the spreadsheet view if the AI doesn’t recognize a large portion of the cards.

[beauspencer]

I do not sort as it takes up more time than it's worth it for me. I use eBay's custom label/SKU.

It is quicker to do batches on Card Dealer Pro by set, but I only do this when I'm ripping new product, or acquire bulk already sorted.

[jamcas997]

Originally Posted by ClarkeCollects

I am trying to streamline my selling process. I was wondering: Does anybody else not sort their bulk cards. I am going to be scanning my cards in Card Dealer Pro or Kronozio. If I get a bulk of several unsorted boxes, is there any issue with just scanning them unsorted. I would keep them in order as I scan and then put a unique SKU for each. Sleeve them and add a small removeable SKU sticker. This would save me a bunch of time trying to sort by sport, then brand, then year, then card number.

When orders come, I pull based on SKU number which should be quicker than search for a team or year box. It would also guarantee the card being sent is the one in the scan.

The only possible sorting might be dark and light borders to set different scan backgrounds.

Is there any issue you see doing this? Thanks for any thoughts!

I do , but it is for select product that I have quantity for each card of 50 or more

[nam812]

I would rather use the sleeve and sticker time to sort. That's just me though.

[premium1981]

In theory, what you are saying is true. You don't technically have to sort. But the problem most sellers would end up with if they were just grabbing random unsorted stacks is that your store would up filled with junk and your sell through rate would become abysmal. That hurts more than you would think, then the good stuff would start hurting because it was lumped in with so much junk. In addition, unless you have unlimited space, you would quickly run out of storage space. Spreading your goods out over more and more boxes (which would mainly be unmovable inventory) you are also slowed down on the pulling because you have to move around more to get the goods.

I have watched a lot of sellers go from solid stores, to trash stores when they start bulk listing random stuff. More isn't always better. I personally like to take the time on the front end to make sure the right stuff is getting listed. I believe there will be a lot of bulk listers having to pivot in the next year when they realize how much stuff has ended up in their stores that will never move.

Here is another backend example. When I feel like I have "gotten the good" out of product and it has stopped moving I can lot it out because it was sorted ahead of time and its all together. For example, I opened a bunch of 2021 Topps Update that I just recently felt like needed to be cleared out. I made a large amount of profit from that product over the last 2 years. But sales pretty much don't happen much any more. And if they do its a buck here or there at a time. I took the cards and lotted them out and was able to make more in a week from leftovers than I would have in another year selling them one or two at a time. It also cleared out old inventory, and storage space, which was replaced with new inventory. You have to keep your store turning over and prevent it from getting stale.

[beauspencer]

In theory, what you are saying is true. You don't technically have to sort. But the problem most sellers would end up with if they were just grabbing random unsorted stacks is that your store would up filled with junk and your sell through rate would become abysmal. That hurts more than you would think, then the good stuff would start hurting because it was lumped in with so much junk. In addition, unless you have unlimited space, you would quickly run out of storage space. Spreading your goods out over more and more boxes (which would mainly be unmovable inventory) you are also slowed down on the pulling because you have to move around more to get the goods.

I have watched a lot of sellers go from solid stores, to trash stores when they start bulk listing random stuff. More isn't always better. I personally like to take the time on the front end to make sure the right stuff is getting listed. I believe there will be a lot of bulk listers having to pivot in the next year when they realize how much stuff has ended up in their stores that will never move.

I don't think OP is talking about listing random cards with no method to the madness. I interpret it as sorting into years, products, etc. That takes way too much time in volume.

[Budler]

If that is what you want to do and feel it is saving you a lot of time. Go for it!!!!!

I take it you have not looked at the cards in the box before you start scanning them. If not, are you scanning all of them? Are just the ones you want to scan? If that is what you are doing it is so sort of sorting. Keep in mind the platforms you are selling on and your customers. Can they sort through your cards and find all of one set without looking though all of your cards.

No matter what you do. It will all come down to, not how you organize them but you knowing where they are and can find them fast and easy.

[jamcas997]

Originally Posted by Budler

If that is what you want to do and feel it is saving you a lot of time. Go for it!!!!!

I take it you have not looked at the cards in the box before you start scanning them. If not, are you scanning all of them? Are just the ones you want to scan? If that is what you are doing it is so sort of sorting. Keep in mind the platforms you are selling on and your customers. Can they sort through your cards and find all of one set without looking though all of your cards.

No matter what you do. It will all come down to, not how you organize them but you knowing where they are and can find them fast and easy.

If I have bought say a 3 row at a show I will break it up by autos , numbered , and other cards I can sell and try to prioritize for listing.

[beauspencer]

Here's my process when buying in bulk.

First, I (almost) always do some type of sorting upon acquiring bulk. It depends on the purchase, also. If it's a random bulk box I will go through and set cards aside that I am going to bulk list. And that's all the sorting I do. It could be 1970 Topps, 1985 Donruss, 2018 Bowman, etc. I don't organize it by product, year, etc. It goes by the SKU in eBay.

[smanzari]

I sort Vintage (so I know where to focus on buying and/or if I move any off of eBay) but not really the rest

[Raleigh504]

For baseball, anything pre-1980s I sort by card number and have it sorted by year (easier to see how much vintage I have as well as if I have (for instance) too much 1972 cards, I can create starter sets/lots to move more cards at once and create some space).

For sorting I sort by pulling out stars/rookies/#/auto/inserts/parallels out, then by sports and then will sort/scan by decade. I have categories by sport and decade in my store and helps me move faster in listing.

Agree about moving stale inventory out, I plan on doing that soon with rookies from the past 4+ years and bulking them all together as well as parallel lots of 3/4+ year cards (Chrome & Paper) to give me some additional space. I don't need it now, but I can see in the future running into that problem. I plan to do this in January/February especially if I am able (like I have been) to keep up and getting my listings set up in advance. Right now about 10 days out of scheduled listings are done.

[livealoha]

Originally Posted by ClarkeCollects

I am trying to streamline my selling process. I was wondering: Does anybody else not sort their bulk cards. I am going to be scanning my cards in Card Dealer Pro or Kronozio. If I get a bulk of several unsorted boxes, is there any issue with just scanning them unsorted. I would keep them in order as I scan and then put a unique SKU for each. Sleeve them and add a small removeable SKU sticker. This would save me a bunch of time trying to sort by sport, then brand, then year, then card number.

When orders come, I pull based on SKU number which should be quicker than search for a team or year box. It would also guarantee the card being sent is the one in the scan.

The only possible sorting might be dark and light borders to set different scan backgrounds.

Is there any issue you see doing this? Thanks for any thoughts!

what kind of SKU stickers do you use? Thanks

[phillyspecial17]

I personally like sorting but I find it to be therapeutic when listening to videos. I could see why others don't.

I have tried automated sorting services but find that they incorrectly identify the cards more often than not. Seemed like a big waste of money so I went back to doing it by hand

[Stifle]

Originally Posted by Budler

If that is what you want to do and feel it is saving you a lot of time. Go for it!!!!!

I take it you have not looked at the cards in the box before you start scanning them. If not, are you scanning all of them? Are just the ones you want to scan? If that is what you are doing it is so sort of sorting. Keep in mind the platforms you are selling on and your customers. Can they sort through your cards and find all of one set without looking though all of your cards.

No matter what you do. It will all come down to, not how you organize them but you knowing where they are and can find them fast and easy.

I thought I was organized, this member ^ has his collection
better organized than most libraries. He is a great member/collector !

You don’t win in the game, you win in the preparation and Budler receives 5 stars for having his collection cataloged.