How do YOU sort your cards?

We all have them, we all need them, but how the hell do you find them when you need to? Are your cards just shoved in a shoebox or are they lovingly entombed in alphabetical order within an oaken casket? How much time is taken when deck building is actually fishing out the cards and what can we do to minimise the time taken to merge broken down decks back into the fold? Do players find inventory tools like in FELD and ARDB useful and worth the time to input. If so, which is the better of the two for robustness and ease of use? What is the most efficient way to order and organise our cards? And the burning question for my own collection, what to do with those pesky multi-discipline cards that don't seem to fit anywhere?! Feel free to attach glorious photographic example of your efficiency or lack thereof. Aaron Archbishop Adelaide

I have big binders for my complete collection. Vampires are sorted by sect/clan, grouping and capacity. Library cards by type and/or special trait (masters: discipline, locations, archteype, trophy, out-of-turn, etc.) or discipline or clan. One binder for each type of card (sometimes 2 or 3). pckvtes.wordpress.com

My vampires are sorted by clans, i find that enough My cards are sorted by disciplines, and within that by type (action/reaction/modifier/combat...) My masters are biggest problems, as they are sorted in groups only understandable to me like this : clan masters / master disciplines/ rarely used masters/ often used masters Multidiscipline cards go with the discipline where they "feel " more at home (for instance, scalpel tongue goes with presence, and mind of the wilds with animalism and so on...) To take all cards out and sleeve them into a deck - around 15 minutes. As for deckbuilding tools i do not use them. i prefer pen-and-paper, though i do use FELDB to remind me of some cards i may have missed off the top of my head

I have all my cards sorted alphabetically, crypt cards and library cards separately. I used to have a card type and requirement sorting system. Changed my system because of the design of some cards; Multi-discipline cards, Ancestor's Insight, Bowl of Convergence, Codex of the Damned, Spontaneous Power and Kaymakli Fragment, to name a few. I love this system, no vagueness and it's extremely quick to find as well as sort cards. Attachment cardcollection.jpg not found Adam Esbjörnsson, Prince of Örebro

> Xaddam wrote: > I have all my cards sorted alphabetically, crypt cards and library cards separately. > Stupid as it might sound I have never even considered this but I really ought to do it. I build all my decks using ARDB anyhow so I never need to look in my binders for inspiration. Even better I should sort them the exact way they appear from the top to the bottom using ARDB as a deck builder. Card Type and Alphabethically. Now I just need to find the time to rearrange. www.lordoftheclog.blogspot.com

Unce upon a time I used to trade a lot, via mahasamtman, succubus club and tournaments, so I organized my whole collection to make the trade easier. I've 2 large boxes for the commons. Common cards are organized alphabetically, then by edition. The same goes for uncommon. Vampires are treated differently, organized by clan and then by name, then by edition. Rares are divided in 2 binders. 1 big binder is for the cards that I'm trading away. The other is for cards I'm collecting for decks under construction. In the binders card are organized by type, name and edition. Next step, recognize my OCD.

Starters are left as is, cards by extensions are sorted alphabetically, with Crypt/Rare/Unco separated from the common. "Old" cards (<= CE) are put all together because they're 'staple' cards and sorted by type/discipline/alphabetical order. Bloodlines are separated though and sorted by discipline/alphabetical order. Vampires <= CE are put together (sorted by clan/alphabetical order), so are vampires from the 3rd edition. I'm using mainly big cardboard boxes, but also little drawers. Prince of Paris, France Ratings Coordinator, Rules Director

My vampires are sorted by clan, then group then capacity. The library cards are sorted by Discipline/Clan/Sect, then alphabetically. The generic cards are sorted by type, then alphabetically. I used to hold the cards in display boxes but it ended up taking a lot of time to dig for a card even when I knew where it is. So I have just bought two super monster boxes . Now I just have to fill them

I break the library cards down by card type and then alphabetize them. Combo cards go in a separate section. My combat cards won't fit in the same box as the other library carrds, so they have their own box. I also have an imbued box and an extra/give away box because I haven't done anything with them yet. Crypt cards are broken down by clan and alphabetized, although I currently keep my group ones separate from the group 2 Camarilla and those separate from the rest. This is just because I didn't used to have group two or three anything and haven't combined them yet. Be careful when you fight the monsters, lest you become one. -Friedrich Nietzsche brandonsantacruz.blogspot.com/

By Type (different drawers) then by requirement (different separators), then alphabetically. Better that strict alphabetic because for a deck often requires cards with the same requirements.

I've got mine sorted like this (in importance order) Vampires: By Clan By Capacity By Name Library Cards: By Type By Clan By Discpiline By Name All my Imbued Cards sit inside a beaten up starter box with the word "IMBUED" written on the top that usually gets shoved around and squashed to fit in more card sleeves. Retired Baron of Sydney, Australia, 418

I have 3-4 slot boxes sorted by set with multiple sets in each box. Sets are separated into vampires (sorted by clan, then capacity largest to smallest) and library cards (by rarity, then type [Masters and Events, non clan first, then clan. Library cards--Action, Equip, Politics, Retainer, Ally, ActMod, Reax, Combat, Combo...no requirements first, then clans, then disciplines, then alphabetical). I have a single large 4-slot "play" box filled with the cards I use uncommonly. I also have two single slot boxes, one generic, one specific to Assamite disciplines and clan cards, which have the cards I use most commonly of all. This way I don't have to go through the depths of my collection too often and makes it easier to find what I need. I also have a couple boxes dedicated to my set collections. Those remain untouched unless I need something specific for a tournament. When you are anvil, be patient; when a hammer, strike. pckvtes.wordpress.com @pckvtes

If you exclusively use a computer tool like ARDB or FELDB to build your decks, the most efficient way to sort cards is: Library A-Z (six 5000ct boxes, in my collection) Crypt A-Z (two 5000ct boxes, in my collection) I never, ever hold stacks of cards and look at them anymore. Nor do I look at all my "[card type]" and think how I could use these cards. Since I'm doing all that on the computer and I never build a RL deck without having testing it online for several games and having dozens of friends comment on it, Library A-Z and Crypt A-Z is the way to go. No other sub-sort is relevant. Kevin M., Prince of Las Vegas "Know your enemy and know yourself; in one-thousand battles you shall never be in peril." -- Sun Tzu, *The Art of War* "Contentment...Complacency...Catastrophe!" -- Joseph Chevalier Please visit VTESville daily! vtesville.myminicity.com/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/129744447064017

For PRE-CE cards with the old layout, I have them sorted out: Vampires By Clan Alphabetically By Set By Card Condition Clan Cards By Clan Alphabetically By Set By Card Condition Discipline-Requiring Cards Alphabetical by Discipline Alphabetically (within a Discipline) By Set By Card Condition All Others By Type (Master / Equipment / Political / Disciplineless) Alphabetically By Set By Card Condition For CE cards and afterwards, it is: By Set By First Print vs Reprint Status By Rarity (Rares / Vampires / Uncommon / Common) {By Clan for Vampires} Alphabetically By Card Condition * I like to keep things organized by set, since most expansions have distinct smells (due to the ink printing jobs), and keeping the cards of the same expansion together (in a plastic card box) maintains such a smell. pckvtes.wordpress.com @pckvtes

> echiang wrote: > * I like to keep things organized by set, since most expansions have distinct smells (due to the ink printing jobs), and keeping the cards of the same expansion together (in a plastic card box) maintains such a smell. > I've heard of anally retentive, but dude it sounds like you're missing an exit pipe! I understand the idea of 'old book smell', but "VTES CARD SET SMELL?????" Retired Baron of Sydney, Australia, 418

I sort vampires by clan, library cards by discipline then type (action, reaction, combat, modifier where applicable), master cards by type and then clan specific cards by clan. Stored in multiple boxes divided with printed dividers — PSD template available here (simply print to 6x4 photo paper and cut along markers). The visual cue helps when scanning for cards. Amaranth Deck Building Tool : VTES NZ : VTES ANZ Facebook

I sort my crypt cards by clan, group, capacity (in this order). I sort my library cards by type, discipline or clan requirements, and alphabetically (in this order). V:EKN Website Coordinator

> echiang wrote: > * I like to keep things organized by set, since most expansions have distinct smells (due to the ink printing jobs), and keeping the cards of the same expansion together (in a plastic card box) maintains such a smell. > I do remember the smell of Jyhad and mostly Final Nights/CE cards. Prince of Paris, France Ratings Coordinator, Rules Director

all my cards are organized per clan (vampires AND library cards). if two or more clans share a single discipline, then the cards are asigned to the oldest clan, except for dominate, fortitude & animalism (those are kept seperate because at least three clans share this discipline and i use them practically half the time). Masters, disciplinless combat cards, disciplineless reaction cards etc are also kept seperately. none alphabetically, but i never missed that. i think i can find any card within 2 minutes max. my metal cabinets (with sliders) are key to my card organizing. each hold about 2500 cards and provide easier access than cardboxes imo as they can also be placed closer to eye level. friends of mine have to go through their cards in boxes on the floor and i feel sorry for them!

> porphyrion wrote: > my metal cabinets (with sliders) are key to my card organizing. each hold about 2500 cards and provide easier access than cardboxes imo as they can also be placed closer to eye level. friends of mine have to go through their cards in boxes on the floor and i feel sorry for them! > Do you have a picture of the metal boxes? Where did you get them?

Crypt is sorted by clan>group>cap Library is sorted by requirement>type>alphabetical My collection has allot of categories in it, but I do not want to have to use a program every time I build a deck.

I store my cards in 2400 count boxes . Used shoeboxes and such for ages but got tired on non-standard sized boxes and setteled for boxes that were designed for CCGs. Sure they cost a couple euros but are SO much easier to use and store. Library cards: When Nights of Reckoning came out I separated all cards that don't require a vampire from the rest. Not that sure if it was that hot a move, but it has been useful sometimes when I've built a deck that focuses heavily on Allies. Otherwise library cards are organized by: -cards not requiring anything (within: by cardtype) -cards requiring a discipline (within: by cardtype but combos first and multi-discipline cards are considered to be a separate discipline "AA") -cards requiring a clan (-"-) -cards requiring a sect (-"-) If a card benefits, say a clan, then those are thrown in with the cards that require the same clan. For example Siphon, certain Crusades/Paxis Seizures etc. Crypt cards are organized by clan and then alphabetically. (I have binders that contain the latest version of each card and in those vampires are organized by group within their clan) Ah, I see little benefit in involving rarity to the mix. Used to do so, but gave it up. Doesn't help deck building... Finnish Politics!

Library: * By discipline, alphabetical * Masters, alphabetical * No requirement, by cardtype, alphabetical Crypt: * By clan, alphabetical I used to have all my library alphabetical, but found that actually construcing the deck goes faster if stuff's sorted by discipline/cardtype.

I am right now in the process of re-sorting my collection after a long time, using new cardboard boxes for collectible cards. As I always use ARDB for deck-building, my cards are simply being sorted as follows: - Crypt: Clan, then alphabetically - Library: Card type (e.g. Master, Action, ...), then alphabetically Exceptions: - multi-type cards (e.g. Action Modifier/Combat) are under a single "Combo" type, then alphabetically - all Nights of Reckoning cards are on their own (sorted in the same way as the others, but separate from them) Emiliano "Sans Terre" - Wandering Player - Prince of Brussels

I break the library cards down by card type and then alphabetize them, and with combo cards, i use card color as a definer. Vampires go alphabetically by clans, then in-clan by capacity. I have exact count of all cards in ARDB. Ignorance is bliss. Cypher, Matrix

one thing that seemed obvious to me, but I haven't seen many others do, is put library cards that require a clan in with the crypt cards for that clan. Helps prompt me to include cards I might otherwise have forgotten about when I am adding vampires to my deck. -- salem

I have five Helmer from Ikea and a couple of shoeboxes, that I didnt sorted out yet properly. The Helmer are modified, so they have 3 rows and anti-skid foil. Everything is sorted very neatly, so putting a deck together takes me about 5-10 minutes. www.ikea.com/de/de/catalog/products/40107872/ - Prince of Karlsruhe, Germany

Crypt by Clan/Sect/Generation Library by cardtype, discpline cards by discipline and multidiscipline separately. Keeping all the cards in rubber banded stacks, one for each card type, but the new problem is now starting to become how to sort the stacks..

> Oskar wrote: > Keeping all the cards in rubber banded stacks, one for each card type, but the new problem is now starting to become how to sort the stacks.. > I'd suggest acquiring some suitable boxes made for CCGs. There's at least boxes for 600, 800, 2400 and 3200 cards. Probably other sizes too. Should cost between 2-8 dollars/euros each depending on the size. Finnish Politics!

> TorranceCircle wrote: > > > porphyrion wrote: > > my metal cabinets (with sliders) are key to my card organizing. each holds about 2500 cards and provides easier access than cardboxes imo as they can also be placed closer to eye level. friends of mine have to go through their cards in boxes on the floor and i feel sorry for them! > > > Do you have a picture of the metal boxes? Where did you get them? > here is a picture of the metal cabinets. sorry about the delay in posting it! Attachment vtes_sortingcards_cabinet_600pix.jpg not found

> Erol wrote: > I have five Helmer from Ikea and a couple of shoeboxes, that I didnt sorted out yet properly. The Helmer are modified, so they have 3 rows and anti-skid foil. > > Everything is sorted very neatly, so putting a deck together takes me about 5-10 minutes. > Can you snap a picture or two of the modified Helmer and post it here?

I have Three large plastic boxes, two smaller and a two plastic row and all cards in piles separated by cardboards. First box has piles of vampires sorted by clan+clan cards, capacity and group. Second box has discipline cards each pile is one discipline in chaotic order. Third box is misc cards, one pile for master discipline cards, two piles for non-discipline action cards, two piles for vote cards, one pile for non-discipline reaction cards, one pile for non-discipline combat cards, one pile for weapons, one pile for non-weapon equipment, one pile for event cards, one pile for tri-discipline cards, one pile for anarch cards, one pile for black hand cards and so on. Then I have two smaller boxes for cards I never use or have too many of. A plastic top that fits into one of the smaller boxes hold that has two rows of master cards sorted by alphabet. Another plastic top with two rows hold all bloodline specific cards (vampires, disciplines, others). I'm planning to buy five www.bcwsupplies.com/products/trading-card-boxes/super-monster-storage-box-5000-ct.htm with dividers and sort all cards (roughly ~24000) by alphabet but I need to motivate me to that the huge transport cost to Sweden is worth it just for some pieces of cardboard. [edit] I have another small box for finished decks. I have about 30-40 decks and construct/de-construct about 1-2 per week.

In my case, shoe boxes do the trick. The 5 boxes are split in the following order (all cards in alphabetical order): 1) Action modifiers/ actions 2) Combat / Master 3) Allies/Retainers/Equipment/Reactions/Political actions/Events 4) Crypt cards( by clan ) 5) Decks currently under construction VTES is not for the faint of heart...especially when you don't have a enough blood. Prince Of Geneva

One smaller box and one bigger box, both in cardboard. The smaller is for vampires and Imbued cards. Vampires are sorted alphabetically clan-wise. Within the clan sorted by capacity. The Imbued cards are not sorted, I'm just using them to separate the two lines of vampire cards. The bigger box is library cards. Alphabetically, goes: Masters, Actions, Political Actions, Action Modifiers, Reactions, Combo Cards, Events, Combat (alphabetically x2 (discipline name(card name))), Equipment, Allies, Retainers. I'd prefer to have the combo and event cards after retainers, but it doesn't fit as neatly then. Oh and then the final file/pile is unsorted cards and decks either in the making or currently being modified/disassembled.

Attachment Apr2006001.jpg not found I have a shelf in my games room dedicated to vtes, sorted by expansion (cut box tops at the back of the cardbox row to id them), then by card type, then discipline, then cost. I can find nearly any card that way in 5 seconds or less. That image is 6 years old, it has grown considerably since then!

SORT? Sorting lvl: FAIL NC for Hungary hunfragment.blogspot.com

Chalange accepted! "self destruct mechanism introvert overturn assasination make from steel the ugly weapon killers instinct from man to trigger" Skinny Puppy : Chainsaw

Alphabetical. Easiest way using ARDB to build decks and pull from decklist.

It's sort of a confusing system to explain, but it works well for me. The idea behind it was to be organized enough that I could build decks using ARDB but not have to rely on it - and that I could use this system to just grab a handful of cards from the sections I want in order to build a deck quickly by browsing through the cards and seeing what I find interesting. A few boxes containing all of my decks vampires are sorted by sect - meaning each clan is put with the sect it is nominally in (Gangrel go with Camarilla, not independent) and then by clan within that, and then alphabetically within that. Library cards in alphabetical order in the following groups (and by generic I mean that it doesn't require or predominantly favor a clan, sect or discipline) Event Generic combat/action/action mod/reaction cards Generic allies Generic retainers Generic masters Master: Discipline Generic Equipment cards Generic political cards Clan-requiring cards (non-bloodlines, sorted by clan) Discipline requiring cards (non-bloodlines, sorted by discipline) Pseudo-discipline stuff Multi-discipline requiring stuff (non-bloodline) Sect-requiring or helping cards (ie stuff for Anarch, Black Hand, Cam, Laibon, Sabbat, each with their own category) various Imbued junk a section for each bloodline Discipline (sorted by bloodlines discipline, no regard to outferior) and flight Bloodlines clan-specific stuff all Bloodlines related library cards get their own box for convenience. and finally, all Jyhad-backed cards get their own box, cause i like to sometimes build all Jyhad-backed decks just for nostalgia's sake.

> chaitan wrote: > I have Three large plastic boxes, two smaller and a two plastic row and all cards in piles separated by cardboards. > > First box has piles of vampires sorted by clan+clan cards, capacity and group. > > Second box has discipline cards each pile is one discipline in chaotic order. > > Third box is misc cards, one pile for master discipline cards, two piles for non-discipline action cards, two piles for vote cards, one pile for non-discipline reaction cards, one pile for non-discipline combat cards, one pile for weapons, one pile for non-weapon equipment, one pile for event cards, one pile for tri-discipline cards, one pile for anarch cards, one pile for black hand cards and so on. > > Then I have two smaller boxes for cards I never use or have too many of. > > A plastic top that fits into one of the smaller boxes hold that has two rows of master cards sorted by alphabet. > Another plastic top with two rows hold all bloodline specific cards (vampires, disciplines, others). > > I'm planning to buy five www.bcwsupplies.com/products/trading-card-boxes/super-monster-storage-box-5000-ct.htm with dividers and sort all cards (roughly ~24000) by alphabet but I need to motivate me to that the huge transport cost to Sweden is worth it just for some pieces of cardboard. > > [edit] > I have another small box for finished decks. I have about 30-40 decks and construct/de-construct about 1-2 per week. > Finally coughed up some money and bought twentyfive(!) 5000 card boxes so if you are in the örebro/kristinehamn/karlstad area I can sell you some for a fraction of the normal cost. Anyway, after several gruesome days sorting it all. All vamps are now in one box by clan, group and capacity. Library cards sorted by alphabetical order with "tags" for cards that often tend to end up various decks. On top of this there are about 3000 cards in decks not shown in the pics.

> Erol wrote: > I have five Helmer from Ikea and a couple of shoeboxes, that I didnt sorted out yet properly. The Helmer are modified, so they have 3 rows and anti-skid foil. > > Everything is sorted very neatly, so putting a deck together takes me about 5-10 minutes. > > www.ikea.com/de/de/catalog/products/40107872/ > How many cards can 1 Helmer accomodate, and how did you modify them? Do you have a picture? Prince of Paris, France Ratings Coordinator, Rules Director