Uncle Albert's Catalog BINDER (Long Post)

[JimTullis]

My Plan for Card Storage and Sorting is to replicate the first Uncle Albert's Catalog in binder format.
Experience from X-Wing shows that this is the easiest way for me to design vehicles using cards.

I have created a binder cover and section dividers that will bring the flavor of Uncle Al's catalog to my binder.
The version I am linking to has been formatted to show how I layed out my Binder. I retyped the text from the Uncle Albert's 2035 Catalog for my binder, but have obscured it here to avoid infringing on Steve Jackson's rights.

The binder I've chosen is is the Staples “Better Binder” line. It is one of the few binders that have enough width that sheet protectors and card pages do not overhang the edge and get crumpled. I chose Orange due to the color of the old catalog, but you could also choose to do binders for each base color. I put in sheet protectors with indexing information and some of the old Catalog Text to divide the cards. I used stick on tabs on the sheet protectors to index the binder.

I printed a copy of the Catalog Cover on Orange paper for my Binder Cover to match the original Catalog Cover.
Inside is a copy of the cover on white paper, with the first page of the catalog on the reverse, followed by an Index sheet with the Uncle Albert's story (p38) and his Guarantee (p40) on the reverse of that.

After that come the SECTION DIVIDERS, each one has an Index sheet on the front and the original Uncle Albert's description of the section on the reverse. I created a section called Chassis where I was planning on keeping car body cards if they came out. I will put Structure Cards here. Then come the four major divisions from the original catalog. The descriptive section headings for Offense, Defense, Accessories, and Personal Items all come from the 2035 catalog. I created new sections for Job Seekers (crew/pedestrian cards), Now Hiring (scenarios/terrain features) and Travel Notices (hazard and terrain cards).

I also included pages to put between the card sheets since I hate seeing the next sheet of cards through the one I'm currently viewing. I included a sheet of cards to put in the upper right pocket of the binder pages to visually blend them in with the rest of the binder. I also included a sheet with the tab labels.

The card size for the 6th edition upgrades is Mini European (44x68 mm) (Munchkin Treasure Hunt size).
Currently the only binder pages I have found to store the cards are UltraPro Top Loading Mini American, they will hold sleeved Mini European cards with a slight overhang at the top.They advertise a size of 41x63 but measure 50x70, most Mini European Sleeves are about 46 wide and between 71 and 73 mm tall. I tested the sheets with a Munchkin Treasure Hunt Card in a Fantasy Flight sleeve. Board Game Geek has an article on bindering GloomHaven where these pages are discussed for holding Items cards. Ultimate Guard makes a nicer double sided sheet but it will not hold Mini European cards because it is a side loading sheet.

Does anyone know of sources for other binder pages that will hold sleeved Mini European cards?

Binder Parts List
Staples 1.5" 3-Ring Better Binder, Orange (13467) 55867
Avery Side Insert Sheet Protectors, Diamond Clear, 25/Pack (15935-CC/76001)
Avery Self-Adhesive Tabs with Printable Inserts, 1", Clear, 25/Pack (16221)
UltraPro 16-Pocket Platinum Page with 41 mm x 63 mm Pocket (# 84781)
OPTION
UltraPro 1-Pocket Platinum Page with 8-1/2" X 11" Pocket (# 81419) (would also work for section dividers)

Sleeves and Boxes
Fantasy Flight Supply Mini European Board Game Sleeves (FFS02)
Arcane Tinmen Board Game Non-Glare Sleeves: Small - 50ct Box (AT-10424)
Ultimate Guard Mini Card Case 75+ (UGD010491)


Here is a link to an OPEN OFFICE file that will let you see how I've laid out my Binder Pages.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wk30ut9oml...%20IP.odt?dl=0

Again...
The version I am linking to has been formatted to show how I layed out my Binder.
I retyped the text from the Uncle Albert's 2035 Catalog for my binder, but have obscured it here to avoid infringing on Steve Jackson's rights.
PLEASE DO NOT REPOST my link elsewhere. Please do feel free to use it as a starting place for your own binder designs.

[Overload]

Do we know how many pages and sleeves we will need for CW6?

[JimTullis]

Can Someone tell me a good file host.
I thought I set the file to PUBLIC,
but DropBox is asking me to confirm people's access.

[Parody]

Originally Posted by JimTullis

Can Someone tell me a good file host.
I thought I set the file to PUBLIC,
but DropBox is asking me to confirm people's access.

You want to Share the file, then Create a Link, then make sure the link is set to Anyone Can View. On Windows this looks like:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/44z0xpmog4...ws%29.png?dl=0

...but it's similar on the Web or other interfaces.

The file doesn't have to be in your Public folder or otherwise set to be public. For example:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ho9nh6j27t...%201x.pdf?dl=0

Alternatively, put the contents on Google Sheets or Office Online and share it from there.


ObTopic: I don't like using binders for cards.

[JimTullis]

Thanks, Parody,
I updated the link. Hopefully it will work now.

[Overload]

As an alternative to loose pages, Ultimate Guard makes a Mini American Flexxfolio. 20 pages, 18 slots/pockets per page. I don't have one in front of me to measure slot size, so I don't know if ours will fit. The Ultimate Guard web page says it was designed for X-Wing cards, and that the approx pocket size is 48 x 68,5 mm.

[beetle496]

@JimTullis — Using UA for the model is very clever! I would rather have four small binders rather than one large one though. I might steal your UA theming idea though!

I am working on sorting the cards now. Somehow I was surprised that (1) Euro sized sleeves are the perfect fit, and (2) how inexpensive individual sleeves are (~½¢ ea.). Re-reading OP, those details are there! So far, I have only sleeved the drivers and gunners, but I might change my mind about that.

The only 3-ring binder style card sleeves my FLGS had are sized for baseball/MtG, so 3×3 per sheet. They were also inexpensive, 3/$1. I noticed that exactly two CW cards could fit sideways in each slot, and thought that would be good enough. I bought 20, figuring 5 sheets per player; so up to 90 cards.

Then I went to Staples and bought four “report covers” for a couple bucks each. These are nominally designed for 100 (!) sheets of 3-hole punched paper.

From the start, having the cards sideways was suboptimal, but I though I could live with that. Putting the cards in sideways was no good at all though, as it puts too much stress on the cards to take them in and out.

I wasn’t happy with the prospect of (1) needing twice as many sheets or (2) each sheet having so much wasted space. Regardless, I filled out a couple of these binders, and thought I would report back to this thread, since I am quite pleased with the results!

Most pockets have two cards, since most weapons come in pairs. A few pockets (i.e., the three with Drivers, Gunners, and Steel Plates) have four cards. Several pockets only have a single card (e.g., structures and upgrades). The cards are easy to get in-and-out. The cards are sorted by one type per sheet, in increasing BP value. Visually, it is very easy to see everything. (And they are upside-right, not sideways.)

I have not opened the expansions yet, so I am currently only using five sheets per player. I have 15 pockets empty, so even with keeping each sheet to one type/kind, I don’t expect to need more than 8 sheets per player.

The only bad thing I have noticed so far is that the sleeved cards fall out easily, as do all the cards in the three pockets in the top row. Done anyone have any ideas for helping with that?

Originally Posted by Parody

I don't like using binders for cards.

Why is that? (I have no experience with deck builders whatsoever.)

[JimTullis]

Beetle, cards are less likely to fall out if you get the Ultra-Pro Mini sheets. They have 16 slots. I can easily get 4 cards in a slot.

I'm using 4 binders. I'm also dividing stuff up, so some pages aren't full. I often (but not always) leave the top 4 slots empty in this project due to art i have running across the top of the divide sheets.

I've updated my project, every card sheet has been stuck to an Ultra Pro 8.5 x 11 sheet protector with clear double sided tape. The sheet protector holds a page with the section heading and has a table with the card names that belong on that page according to my sorting criteria.

[LokRobster]

I appreciate the research you’re doing and sharing.

I don’t see myself building a large binder system like this, but I plan to keep it in mind if it seems helpful after setting up and playing a few games.

[JimTullis]

Originally Posted by LokRobster

I appreciate the research you’re doing and sharing.

I don’t see myself building a large binder system like this, but I plan to keep it in mind if it seems helpful after setting up and playing a few games.

Thank you for the appreciation.
Mostly this is a sort of Enlightened Self Interest.
I do the research because I'm interested.
I share the research because I hope someone else finds it interesting or helpful.

I played both X-Wing and Net Runner for quite a while.
For Netrunner I had a big box of cards sorted by faction and then type.
For X-Wing I had a binder sorted by faction and then type.
I really liked the binder for being able to do a quick build.
Not nearly as messy as building out of a box.

BUT it is all personal preference. If someone can build a cars out of cards stored in a sock (a clean one please) and have fun doing it, then I'll support them.

Another thing I learned from playing Net Runner, X-Wing, and WarMachine is that for me it is much easier to put the cards you are using but not shuffling in some binder pages to keep them from floating around the table.

Sometimes I even cut up a binder page to make a strip or small block of pockets and put groupings of cards in those for reference during play. That even lets you use a wet or dry erase marker to check off damage. It stays on the binder strip, not on your card sleeves. And you can stick a reminder slip in if there is an errata on a card or some nuance/interaction you keep forgetting to use.