Getting Started with Wax Cache
Wax Cache is a digital inventory for physical collections: boxes, cards, photos, and share links.
What is Wax Cache?
Wax Cache is a digital inventory management system for physical card collections. It helps you:
- Organize cards into digital boxes that mirror your physical storage
- Track box locations (shelf, closet, room, etc.)
- Search and retrieve cards instantly
- Generate QR codes for physical boxes
- Share read-only views of your collection
Quick Start Guide
1
Create Your Account
If signups are open, create an account. Otherwise, sign in with an existing account.
2
Create Your First Box
Click "New Box" and name it after your physical box (e.g., "Bedroom Closet - Baseball"). Set its location.
3
Scan Cards
Use the Scan screen to capture sports or TCG cards, then review and save the suggested details.
4
Generate QR Code
Print a QR label and stick it on the physical box so scanning opens the public box page.
5
Search & Retrieve
Search by player/character, set, year, and notes. Use QR labels for quick access.
Notes
- Browser: Chrome 90+, Firefox 88+, Safari 14+, Edge 90+
- Mobile: iOS 14+, Android 10+
- Connection: Needed for public pages + syncing; local inventory works offline once loaded
Pro Tip: Start with your most valuable or frequently accessed boxes first. You can always add more boxes later as you organize your collection.
Boxes & Locations
Learn how to create, organize, and manage your digital boxes.
Creating a Box
- Create a box from the box list
- Name it after the physical box/binder
- Set its location (shelf, closet, room, etc.)
Box Naming Best Practices
- Use location + sport/game format: "Garage - Baseball Cards"
- Include year ranges if relevant: "Closet - 1990s Basketball"
- Be specific about contents: "Bedroom - Graded PSA Cards"
- Keep names under 50 characters for easy scanning
Editing Box Details
From inside a box, use the box header/actions to rename, move, export, or delete.
- Rename box
- Move box to a new location
- Export box
- Delete box
Deleting a Box
Warning: Deleting a box will permanently delete all cards inside it. This action cannot be undone. Export your data first if you want to keep a record.
To delete a box:
- Open the box
- Click the delete icon (trash)
- Confirm deletion by typing the box name
Locations
- Locations group boxes together (e.g., "Closet", "Shelf A").
- You can rename locations and move boxes between them.
Scanning
Scan QR labels to jump to boxes, or scan cards (sports + TCG) to auto-fill details using OCR/AI.
Open the Scan screen
- On mobile, tap the camera icon in the bottom navigation
- Choose Card or QR at the top
- Allow camera permission when prompted
Scan QR labels
Use QR mode to open a box in your account by scanning a printed Wax Cache QR label.
- If you're not signed in, Wax Cache will prompt you to log in
- If the box belongs to another account, access is denied
Tip: If you just want the read-only public page, you can scan the QR label using your phone camera app.
Scan a card (sports or TCG)
Use Card mode to capture a photo of the card and let Wax Cache suggest details like year, set, player/character, and card #.
- Choose Front or Front + Back
- Capture the image(s) (or upload an image)
- Wax Cache runs OCR/AI and fills in a best-guess draft
- Review the fields and save
How OCR/AI works
- Capture: You take a photo (front, optionally back)
- Extract: Wax Cache sends the image(s) to the scan service and extracts readable text
- Suggest: The app returns suggested fields and you confirm/edit before saving
Note: Scanning requires an account and the scan service to be enabled for your environment.
Cards
After you scan a card, you can fine-tune its details, photos, and value.
Editing a scanned card
- Open the box that contains the card
- Tap/click the card to open its actions/details
- Choose Edit and update any fields
- Save changes
Common fields
- Kind: Sports or TCG
- Player/Character: Depends on kind
- Set + Year: Product and year
- Card # + Variant: Numbering, parallels, etc.
- Qty: How many you have
- Value: Manual value (or leave blank to allow estimation)
Photos
- Add a front photo during scan, then use Add back image from card options when needed
- Clear photos if you want to rescan with better lighting
Deleting cards
- Open the card options
- Click Delete
- Confirm deletion
Pro Tip: For higher-value cards, include condition/grade notes (e.g., "PSA 10", "NM-MT") so your exports and shares stay clear.
Pricing
Wax Cache can estimate a card's value, but it's always a best guess based on available market signals.
What the estimate means
- Not truth: Treat the number as a starting point, not a guarantee
- Confidence: Wax Cache stores a confidence score and styles the value indicator accordingly
- Changes over time: Markets move; estimates can drift
When pricing happens
- If you add/edit a card without a value, Wax Cache will attempt to estimate it automatically
- If a card is currently being priced, you'll see a loading indicator where the value appears
Manual values
- You can type in your own value when adding/editing a card
- Clear the value and save if you want Wax Cache to re-estimate again
Sold comps (eBay)
From a card's options menu, click View recent sales to open sold/completed comps on eBay using the card's details.
Search & Retrieval
Find any card in your collection instantly with powerful search.
Basic Search
Use the search bar at the top of the page to search across all your boxes:
- Player name: "Mike Trout"
- Set name: "Topps Chrome"
- Year: "2018"
- Card number: "#150"
Search Tips
- Search is case-insensitive
- Partial matches work (search "Tro" to find "Trout")
- Search looks across all fields simultaneously
- Results show which box contains the card
Filters
- Filter by kind (sports/TCG)
- Filter by value presence
- Sort by recent, year, value, title, or quantity
Viewing Search Results
Search results display:
- Card details (player, set, year, value)
- Box name where the card is stored
- Box location for easy physical retrieval
- Quick link to open the box
Pro Tip: Bookmark frequently searched players or sets using your browser's bookmarks with search URLs.
QR Labels
Generate QR codes for instant box access on mobile devices.
Printing a QR Label
- Open the box you want to create a QR code for
- Click the QR code icon in the box header
- Click "Print QR Code"
Printing QR Codes
Best practices for printing:
- Size: Print at least 2x2 inches for reliable scanning
- Paper: Use adhesive label paper for easy application
- Quality: Print at 300 DPI or higher
- Placement: Stick labels on the front or top of physical boxes
Scanning QR Codes
To scan a QR code:
- Open your phone's camera app
- Point at the QR code on your physical box
- Tap the notification that appears
- The box contents will load instantly
What the QR Opens
- Each QR code is unique to a specific box
- Scanning opens a read-only public box page
- Public pages can be configured to hide images and/or values
- Scanning requires internet (public pages load from the web)
Note: If you delete and recreate a box, you'll need to generate and print a new QR code. The old QR code will no longer work.
Public Sharing
Share read-only views of your boxes with friends, buyers, or insurance companies.
Creating a Public Link
- Open the box you want to share
- Use the box actions to copy the public link (and optionally print a QR label)
- Copy the generated public link
- Share the link via email, text, or social media
What Viewers Can See
When someone accesses your public link, they can:
- View all cards in the box
- See card details (player, set, year, value)
- Search within the box
What Viewers Cannot Do
- Edit or delete cards
- See other boxes in your collection
- Access your account or personal information
- Export the box data
- See the box location
Privacy & Security
- Public links use random, unguessable URLs
- Links are not indexed by search engines
- You control what your public pages show (images/values)
- Shared boxes are read-only
Use Case: Insurance documentation. Share boxes with your insurance agent to provide proof of collection value without giving them full account access.
Export & Backup
Export your collection data so you always have a backup.
CSV Export
Export your collection as a CSV file:
- Open your profile/settings
- Select "Export Data"
- Save the file to your computer
What's Included
The CSV file contains:
- Box names and locations
- All card details (player, set, year, number, value, quantity)
- Total value calculations
Using Exported Data
You can use exported CSV files to:
- Import into Excel or Google Sheets
- Create custom reports and charts
- Migrate to another platform if needed
- Keep offline backups
- Share with accountants or appraisers
Backup Best Practices
- Export periodically and save somewhere safe
- Keep backups in multiple locations (cloud + local)
- Test your backups by opening them periodically
- Export before making bulk changes
Settings
Control how the app looks, what public pages show, and how scanning behaves.
Display & Preferences
- Show card images: turn off to use a compact table view
- Display name: shown on public box pages
Public Sharing
- Show values in public: controls totals + per-card values
- Show card images: controls whether photos show on public pages
- Bio + avatar: shown on public pages
Scanning
- Community scan memory: optionally improves recognition
- Share corrected scans: opt in to contribute improvements
Data
- Export: export your boxes/cards for backup
- Reset: clears local data on this device