General Forum

Something I have been thinking about.  How did people used to track their collection before computers were a common thing? Also, how did anyone know about variations and determining what cards you even had?

i don’t have a very large collection compared to most people, but even my collection feels like to would be very tough to keep track of before being able to do so on a computer.

Also, even with computers how did people track their collections before using a website like this?  The reason I ask is because I would like to maybe start tracking my collection in an alternate way that is less reliant on computers and websites as a backup.

I am curious to hear feedback from people.  

Pen and paper. I probably still have my notebooks somewhere.

How were you able to organize pen and paper? Especially with adding cards to a set?

I made an 11x17 sheet full of rectangular grids that were 3x3--emulating a 9 pocket holder.  The grids were numbered 1-9, 10-18, 19-27, etc. and I think I was able to fit up to #846 or something like that on 1 page.  Then I made copies for each set I was REALLY interested in completing first (I think Topps '67-'77, Fleer '81-'85 and Donruss '81-85, maybe).  Then those 20-or-so sheets were 3-hole punched and put into a small 3-prong folder.  I marked the rectangles off with X's as I had them, with a different color for "have it, but want to replace it".  And that folder went with me pretty much everywhere just in case card stores came along.  Still used them in the days of a PC and eBay made shopping easier.  But then I found TCDB...sooooo much better.

I used 1/4" grid paper. Write out each number 1-792. Make multiple photocopies. Each set got their own sheet. Shade in each square as packs were opened. Oh those were the days.

Kari

Back in 1991 after my re-entry into collecting there was a 4"x7" pocket booklet ,if you will, that was simply called a Card Collectors Checklist. A booklet which contained a "table of contents" where you would note the page(s) and the corresponding set name. On the subsequent pages were preprinted #'d boxes which you would check off. These pages came in varied cards quantities, e.g. 1-800, 1-400, 1-250, 1-100 etc. It was somewhat crude but compact and concise considering the "boom" was only really getting going with the miriads of set, subsets,parallels, inserts etc which were to follow. 

I kept track of the sets I had, but not the individual cards in the sets. For cards I was missing within a specific set I had a cheat sheet that I wrote out the numbers I was missing and would mark off the cards as I picked them up. When the set was complete I tossed the cheat sheet. I tracked my Griffey collection and my vintage cards on a legal pad.

i had purchased a collecting kit that included a #'d checklist....i just made a bunch of copies of it and went from there...i actually still have the binders full of my marked checklists.

I had a checklist guide back in the late 70’s? that I used and think I still have in a box downstairs some where. Don’t think it had prices but helped out a lot at card shows and flea markets.

This is why sets came with checklist cards with handy little boxes next to the names.