There's no right or wrong way to use TCDB

I too once resisted the idea of joining The Trading Card Database (TCDB). It seemed daunting. But as blog trading slowed down, my collecting interests stalled, and new products dried out on shelves, I decided to join the site as a way to acquire some Yankees base cards while getting rid of cards I didn't want. I'm glad I did. 155 PWE trades later, I've had nothing but positive experiences. 

It's interesting how people who don't use TCDB need to go out of their way to tell you they don't. They seem so obsessed with it that they must let you know. It reminds me of how Mets fans talk about the Yankees more than their own team.

There is a misconception that one needs to load and log their entire collection for it to be a successful foray into the site. That's not really the case at all.

Sure, you may prefer to do that. Nothing is stopping you. But it does not have to be all or nothing. It certainly isn't for me.

For example, I only have 1,867 cards in my collection that are logged onto the site. 1,001 of those are Tino Martinez. The rest are mostly logged as a result of trades, something the site does for you once you mark a trade completed. These are usually Gleyber Torres or Aaron Judge or new Yankees cards from products I can't find, like 2020 Stadium Club.

I actually have zero desire to track and log the thousands of other Yankee cards I own. And it doesn't keep me up at night.

In addition to the 1,867 cards in my collection, my wantlist contains 7,798 cards. Do I really want nearly 8,000 cards? No. But I add those to help others find something to send me in swaps. 

I didn't log all of those cards on my wantlist. I simply click on a player - like Tino or Gleyber - and choose the function "add all missing cards to wantlist." Easy. 

My for sale/trade list (which is really just 'for trade') consists of 2,205 cards. That is a paltry sum compared to many. If I somehow snag new cards - a rarity these days - I pull out what I want, add what I don't to the site. Into a trade box they go. I've usually had my most trading success right after I add some new product the site, as it pings others who have those cards on their wantlist. Often that's when a trade is born.

Trading can be a little cumbersome, and it did take me a bit to figure it out. I'm not even sure I'm doing it in the most efficient manner now, and would be curious to hear tips from others. But I like moving five or six cards for one or two I want. Here's a how a trade can look:

Or this. This is a successful trade for me. Five cards of a team I don't care about, including four of a player I don't like. For two guys I collect:

Clarke Schmidt and Giancarlo Stanton for Miguel Cabrera cards taking up space? Sign me up. I know that's not worth some people's times, but I'd rather do a small trade like this that relies on a PWE than pull a bunch of cards, and then have to visit the post office to send off a bubble mailer.

My advice is to simply use the site how you want, and don't stress about it. If that means logging every last card you have, cool. If it means logging a player collection(s), go for it. If it means dabbling a bit to see how the site will be most useful to you, that works. If you just want to add few commons and try to swap for a few cards that better fit your collection, have at it. And if the site isn't for you, I wish you well.

There's no right or wrong way to use the site. It can be exactly what you want it to be.