How Sorting Pete Works

Purchasing TCG Collections

Our workflow starts with purchasing collections and individual cards.

Depending on the collection, this can mean processing thousands of cards that need to be identified, evaluated, and separated into different processing paths.

1. Loading the Cards into Pete

The prepared cards are loaded into Pete.

Pete processes the cards individually and compares the recognized cards against our database and inventory information.

This allows Pete to make sorting decisions based not only on the card itself but also on information about what we already have in stock.

2. Surplus Removal and Presorting

During the first processing stage, Pete removes unwanted cards from the workflow and presorts cards that are worth processing further.

An important part of our workflow is that Pete directly compares recognized cards against our existing database.

For example, if we already have sufficient quantities of a particular card in our inventory, Pete can identify that card and sort it out instead of sending it through the complete listing workflow.

This first pass allows us to limit our manual work on cards that actually make sense for our inventory.

3. Manual Card Grading and Checking

The cards selected for further processing are then manually checked and graded.

Pete does not replace this step in our workflow. Condition is highly relevant when selling TCG cards and is also inherently subjective, so we perform the final condition assessment manually.

After the cards have been checked and their condition has been determined, they are ready to go through Pete again.

4. Processing the cards again with Pete

The graded cards are loaded into Pete for the next processing stage.

We feed the cards to Pete by condition and provide him with this information so he knows which condition to use for pricing and listing each card.

At this stage, the focus shifts from identifying which cards are worth processing to organizing the cards into a structure that can be transferred directly into our storage system.

5. Automated TCG Card Sorting

Based on the sorting criteria we specify, Pete automatically sorts the cards into the appropriate output bins.

In our current workflow, we primarily sort cards by expansion.

This means that cards from the same expansion can be grouped together automatically, making it much faster to move them into the corresponding areas of our warehouse and storage system.

The sorting criteria can be adapted to the requirements of the workflow. Expansion sorting is simply the system we currently use for our own inventory.

6. Automatic Card List Generation

While Pete is working, he creates a list of the recognized and sorted cards and displays them on the interface.

This gives us a digital record of the cards processed during the run and provides the data required for the next step of our workflow.

Instead of manually recording every card that has passed through the machine, the recognized cards are already available digitally.

7. Automatic Online Listing and Pricing

Once the cards are ready to be listed, we can press the Post button.

Pete uses the recognized card information and the pricing data available to automatically create the corresponding online listings with the appropriate price.

This connects the physical processing of the cards directly with the digital inventory and listing process.

For a high volume TCG business, this eliminates a significant amount of repetitive work between physically processing a card and actually making it available for sale.

8. Organizing Cards in Our Warehouse

After processing and listing, we transfer the cards from the individual output bins into our warehouse and storage system.

Because Pete has already grouped the cards by expansion, we can transfer the contents of the individual bins directly into their corresponding storage locations.

This keeps the physical inventory structure aligned with the digital inventory.

Re-Sorting Cards by Card Number

As new cards continuously enter our inventory, individual expansions can eventually accumulate enough additional cards that they need to be reorganized.

When this happens, we take the cards from that expansion and run them through Pete again.

Instead of sorting by expansion, we change the sorting criteria and have Pete sort the cards by expansion number.

This allows us to reorganize an existing expansion efficiently without manually going through every card and putting it back into the correct position.

It also means that the same machine can be used for both incoming inventory processing and ongoing warehouse organization.

Order Fulfillment

1. Collecting the Daily Orders

At the end of the day, we collect the orders that have come in and retrieve the required cards from our storage system.

The cards for the day's orders are then prepared for the next automated processing step.

2. Automatic Order Sorting and Completeness Check

The cards required for the day's orders are loaded into Pete.

Instead of manually sorting cards into individual customer orders one by one, Pete processes the cards and uses the order information to direct each card into the appropriate output bin.

At the same time, the system checks the processed cards against the required order information to help identify missing cards or incomplete orders before they reach the packing stage.

This provides an additional verification step while removing a large amount of repetitive manual sorting.

Pete now serves as both an inventory processor and an order sorter.

3. Packaging and Shipping

Once the individual orders have been sorted and checked, they are ready to be packaged and shipped to the customer.

One machine, multiple roles

Rather than using Pete for only one isolated task, we integrate the machine into multiple stages of our TCG business.

The result is a workflow in which physical card processing, card identification, inventory management, online listing, warehouse organization, and order fulfillment are connected through the same automated processing system.