So I said I would do this on my collection page and finally got around to it.
Looking for anyone’s thoughts, suggestions or discussions for the card layout, as the ordered layout did not leave me satisfied.
These two pages with all the IR cards has given me the most trouble particularly with the Lunatone and Solrock. I figured it would be cool to have the cards lineup with the corresponding sleeping/waking cards in the set but a wrench was thrown in that when I realized (after much debate with a friend) that Lunatone is rising and Solrock is setting which means both would line up with night scenes.
I don’t think there is much you can do for the layout. I know there are some humungous binders you can get that are like 6x6 or whatever, but that is cumbersome and may not even fit your purpose. FWIW it looks amazing already.
If you completed the set somewhat recently, my advice would be to give it a bit of time. I know this because it often happens to me, the brain kinda needs to “digest” how things look in real life: it usually starts growing on me after a while, and soon feels like the natural layout.
Another idea would be to start playing around and doing some planning beforehand. If you have access to any image editing software, just download pictures of your cards, and start creating a virtual binder. When you’re satisfied move cards around. I did this for my base set, fossil, jungle and NEO collection.
I also enjoy taking inspiration from others here on E4, I highly recommend bookmarking people’s setups, layouts and so on. The key lesson here is that unfortunately we will always be constrained by a non optimal grid (3x3, 4x3, 4x4, whatever), and some cards not fitting quite well are inevitable (Crobat in my example + that nasty empty spot near Graveler).
Crown Zenith is the EN counterpart to S12a VSTAR Universe with some cards added or removed, so I consider all of them to belong in the set
Boss’s Orders (Cyrus) was removed from S12a VSTAR Universe as a Tournament Premium Collection promo, so I added it back in
UPC Charizard promos were removed from S12a VSTAR Universe (except Charizard VMAX which never released assumably due to JP tcg regulations), so I added them back in
The secret rare Pikachu was the JP Precious Collector Box promo, celebrating all the tournament favourites of the SWSH era. It is also illustrated by the same artist as the pack art of VSTAR Universe, You Iribi, so imo it is the rightful flagship card of the set
Illustration Rares remain in numerical order except for Mew, which I singled out as the best IR to use later
Mew as the last IR, matching nature scenery with Kouki Saitou’s connected 9x IR
I filled in the 2 gaps with Friends in Hisui and Friends in Sinnoh. I think it’s a neat portrait pair of past/modern characters of Sinnoh region, and they will help assemble the other full art Supporters later
Yah I intended to look around on here more at peoples binder pages.
Hadn’t thought to messing around with it with a online set up.
So thanks for suggestion.
Just completed this part of the set in October when I got Colress and the Simisear. Still missing 15 for the main set.
Between the binders 3x3 is the best for layout, usually. Always odd numbers, but I got into 4x3 when I was looking for 151 layouts.
4x3 allowed all IR in that set to start on the same page and to add in the stamped promos which turned out to be a bust cause I never got my hands on two of em and now my brain rebels when I try and rationalize the current price for them simply because if the stamp.
This is amazing.
I did not realize those cards were on the JP side of it. I have the sleeping Zard promo and has it on another layout of outdoor sleepy mons.
Don’t have the other one I’ll have to look into picking it up but might forgo it in favor of the Zard that goes with the Mewtwo.
I have been meaning to pick that one up but always has other higher priority cards to grab and now the price is up on it. Or at least it was when I last checked.
I somehow complete missed the connected art of the two trainers, point deductions for my operational skills🫠
Never even seen the Boss Order card. When you first mentioned it I thought it was the one from PE before my precoffee reminded me SWSH vs SV.
But man this have given me a lot to think about.
I still think I will be messing around with the IR order. I need to find from cohesion between color/pattern/theme/type for me to be satisfied with it.
I would not have put the trainers or the mew next to the connected art scene. My brain immediately went to rioulo/Lucario beaver/beaver, paras stumped me for a bit until I found that trainer card.
I’m still inclined to leave that page alone right now.
But this overall gives me more options to think about and more cards to consider.
I do also have most of the other promos … Lady just grabbed the last two bird promos I needed to add into my Christmas box.
Thanks for this and all the effort with the layouts. Much appreciated
