A Complete Pokémon Card Inventory and Listing Workflow
This is a walkthrough of the exact process I use to sort new collections, list the cards on multiple platforms, and manage the physical inventory. It’s a system I’ve refined over a year of running my store and it works very well.
By NeoSatoshi
TL;DR
Quick answers
The core takeaways from this video, answered fast.
Initial Sorting from a New Collection
When I get a new collection, the first step is to go through the binder and get a quick sense of the cards' condition. I pull every card out and immediately sort them by language. I create separate stacks for English, German, and Japanese cards, as these are the most common ones I see.
Once the binder is empty, all the cards are in language-specific stacks. These stacks then go into a dedicated 'unlisted' box, which is just an Elite Trainer Box (ETB). I place the stacks inside, keeping the languages separate. This box holds all the cards waiting to be photographed and listed.
The Photo and Scanning Process
About every two weeks, I process the cards in the 'unlisted' box. My photo station is simple: a smartphone mount in my kitchen. This setup is fine for the few hundred more valuable cards (EX, V cards, and up) I list each month.
For anyone looking to add new bulk cards to their inventory, I'd recommend a scanner. It saves a tremendous amount of time compared to photographing each one. Since my bulk inventory is already established, I stick with the photo method for my higher-value singles.
I will not alter any card now from this deck because it is now in the exact order as I will put it later on in my inventory system. So, this is very important.
As I photograph each card, I place it onto a new stack. Maintaining this exact order is the most critical part of the process. The timestamped photos on my phone correspond to this physical stack, which is essential for assigning inventory locations later. After the photos are taken, I upload them from my phone to Google Drive to continue the process on my PC.
Structuring Your Physical Inventory
My inventory uses a 'chaos sort' system, but with some organization. I use different sets of storage boxes for bulk and for more valuable cards.
- Bulk Cards: Stored in ETBs, with inventory codes starting with 'A' and 'B'. Each ETB has 10 slots, holding stacks of about 50 cards each.
- Valuable Cards: Stored in larger, non-ETB boxes. These are separated by language with codes 'E' for English, 'D' for German (Deutsch), and 'J' for Japanese. For these cards, I use smaller inventory slots of about 20 cards to make picking faster.
You don't have to separate them this way; you could use one system for everything. I just prefer to keep my bulk and more valuable singles physically separate.
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Digital Listing and Inventory Assignment
On my PC, I use the NeoSatoshi website to process the images I uploaded to Google Drive. I drag the photos into the tool, and it automatically detects each card.
- Card Detection: The software identifies the card, set, and number.
- Variant Selection: I go through the detected cards and manually select special variants, like Prismatic or Cosmo Holo foils.
- Export Preparation: Once all cards are verified, I move to the export step. I primarily list on Cardmarket via TCG Power Tools, so I select that as my export format.
Assigning Location Codes
This is where the system comes together. In the software, I set a starting location. For my English cards, the code is 'E'. If my last filled slot was E30, I'll start with 'E31'. I set the number of cards per slot (e.g., 10 or 20). The software then automatically assigns a location code to each card in the list: the first 10 cards get 'E31', the next 10 get 'E32', and so on.
This is why maintaining the photo order was so important. The digital list now perfectly matches the physical stack of cards on my desk. I then create the export file.
Importing and Pricing on TCG Power Tools
I import the file generated by NeoSatoshi into TCG Power Tools. The software pulls in all the data, including the custom location codes (E31, E32). From there, I set my prices.
For most cards, I use an auto-pricing rule. For more valuable cards, like a Darkrai VSTAR or Charizard VMAX, I look them up manually on Cardmarket. I check for the cheapest listings, especially within Switzerland, to price my cards competitively. After adjusting prices, I save the listings, which adds them to my active inventory.
Physically Storing the Cards
With the listings live, the final step is to put the physical cards away. I look at my export list, which tells me which cards go into which slot. For example, the list shows that the first 10 cards, ending with a Larvitar, go into slot E31. I count out those 10 cards from my physical stack and place them in the E31 box.
The next 10 cards, ending with a Charizard VMAX, go into E32. I place them in that slot. I continue this process until the entire stack of newly listed cards is stored in its assigned location.
Picking and Packing an Order
When an order comes in, the system works in reverse. In TCG Power Tools, I can generate a picking list for the order. The list tells me exactly which card to get and its location. For example: Fennekin V from location D2.
I go to my 'D' inventory box, pull out the stack from slot D2, and quickly find the Fennekin card. Because there are only 10-20 cards per slot for my valuable cards, it takes just a few seconds. I pull the card, and the rest of the stack goes back into the slot.
Secure Shipping
For packing, every card is already in a penny sleeve. I place the sold card into a toploader. If an order has multiple cards, I'll often put the main card in a toploader and sandwich the other sleeved cards between it and a second, empty toploader. This bundle is then placed in a bubble mailer. It’s a very secure method that has resulted in very few complaints.
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