How to organise Pokémon cards: binders, toploaders and labels

A collection grows fast. At first everything fits in one box; a few months later you have binders, toploaders and piles of duplicates. With a fixed system and a label on every card, you find anything in seconds.

1. Choose how you sort

There is no single right way. Pick one system and stick to it:

• By set, in card number order: ideal if you want to complete sets.
• By Pokémon: great if you collect one Pokémon or a favourite type.
• By value: expensive cards in toploaders, the rest in binders or boxes.
• By language: English, Japanese and other languages kept apart.

2. Store cards the right way

• Binder (9 pockets per page): for sets and cards you look at often. Choose a side-loading binder so cards cannot fall out.
• Toploader: for valuable cards. Put the card in a sleeve first so it does not get scratched.
• Storage box: for bulk and duplicates, sorted with dividers.

Keep everything dry, at room temperature and out of direct sunlight.

3. Give every card a fixed place

Write down where a card is, for example Binder 2 · page 5 or Box A. You never have to search again. In Collabel you give every card a location and search and filter by it.

4. Put a label on your cards and boxes

A label on the toploader or sleeve shows at a glance which card it is: name, set and number. Add a QR code and you can scan the label to look up the price right away. With Pro you also make set labels for your boxes and binder tabs.

With Collabel and a mini label printer you print these labels for your whole collection. See how in the guide Printing labels for Pokémon cards.

5. Keep your list up to date

Already have your collection in a collection app like Collectr or in Excel? Import that list into Collabel. Add new cards by searching for their name or number. You always see which cards already have a label.

All guides

• Printing labels for Pokémon cards, step by step
• Which label printer for Pokémon cards?