4 Reasons to Use the Modular Sorting Tray

By Sal Barry

Opening packs is one of the most-fun parts of card collecting. But then sorting the cards? Eh, not so much. We like to see what new goodies await in each foil pack that we rip. Yet, once the cards start to pile up, there’s the unenviable task of sorting them. Fortunately, Modular Sorting Trays make it quicker and easier to put your cards in order. And they’re also easy to move and store, which is great if you can’t permanently dedicate your dining room table for sorting cards.

Modular Sorting Trays come in a pack of six individual “cells” that can be combined into nearly any configuration you want. The trays are made of durable plastic and can be stacked when not in use to minimize the space they take up. I’m a set builder, and for me, these trays have been an absolute game-changer when I have hundreds of cards to sort. Here are four reasons why.

1. Endless Configuration Possibilities

Modular Sorting Trays have an interlocking design that allow you to temporarily combine as many individual cells as you want, in any way that you want. For example, when I break a few boxes and then need to sort cards for a 200-card base set, I’ll put four cells together to separate the cards into four stacks: 1-49, 50-99, 101-149, and 150-200. (If the set is bigger than 200 cards, I add more cells.) I then use another five cells to sort cards by tens – 1-9, 10-19, 20-29, and so forth – before repeating that with the next stack. Or sometimes I put 20 cells together into four rows of five and sort the cards as I open each pack. But my sorting methods might not work for another collector, who likes to sort cards their own way. With Modular Sorting Trays, the only limits are your imagination, the available space, and the number of cells you have.

2. Cards Angled or Flat? You Decide

Traditional sorting trays, like the Sorting Tray Storage Box, have a flat bottom, so you might have to glance into the box from time to time when sorting to keep track of what cards are in which section. First-world problems, I know, but anything that slows you down makes sorting cards even more time-consuming. Personally, I find it easier for me to sort cards when they have a slight forward angle. Modular Sorting Trays have a hinged bottom panel that you can clip to the back of the tray so that the cards are angled towards you when sorting, making the numbers easier to see, and the cards easier to remove. If you decide to keep the cards flat while you sort, each cell has a hole on the bottom so you can easily push the cards out with your finger. Or, use some cells angled up while others are flat; whatever works for you.

And if you wish to later make the cards lay flat – like when moving the sorting tray to another room – you can do so without having to first remove the cards.

3. You Can Pile Cards High

One problem I’ve often run into when sorting cards without using a sorting tray is that if I stack the cards too high, they fall over and get mixed into another pile of cards I’ve sorted. Then, I would have to stop my sorting to “neaten” each pile of cards. A Modular Sorting Tray cell can hold up to 70 standard trading cards without sleeves, about 50 or so cards in Standard Card Sleeves, or around 20 cards in Standard 3×4 Topload Card Holders. So, if you put your cards in sleeves before sorting them, these trays will work just fine, and you won’t have to worry about stacks of cards sliding all over the place. Or, if you need to sort cards already in toploaders, you won’t have to first remove them from the holders. These even fit cards in Magnetic One-Touch Card Holders with the bottom panel angled up.

4. Easy to Move and Store

If you have a dedicated table for sorting cards, great! You might also consider the Card Sorting Tray, which has 24 non-configurable cells. But I live in an apartment, so that tray won’t work for me. I don’t have space for it, and sometimes I have to move my latest card sorting project in a hurry when company comes over. Both the portability and snackability of the Modular Sorting Tray is what makes it my favorite solution.

The interlocking feature is surprisingly strong. I recently configured a sorting tray with 20 cells (five across and four down) and was able to pick up and move it. The cells held firmly together, and the cards did not spill out. Or, if you need to pause your sorting project for a bit, slide the rows of cells apart and stack them on top of each other for easy storage, even when filled with cards. Four little “feet” on the bottom of each cell snugly fit into the top of the cell under it. When you are ready to get sorting again, you can be set up and back at it in no time.

Everyone has their own preferred way to sort their cards. The Modular Sorting Tray is a flexible solution that can be modified to fit the needs of any collector. The trays won’t sort the cards for you, but they can practically do everything else.

How do you sort trading your cards? Do you use a sorting tray? Leave a comment and let us know!

Sal Barry is the editor of the hockey collectibles site Puck Junk and the host of the Puck Junk Podcast. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.