How do you keep track of your collection?

[galactiboy]

After seeing some of the threads asking about the number of Sideshow pieces and what we collect. I thought it be interesting to see how (if at all) people keep track of what they have... and even what they want?

I'm good friends with Sladesecretagent, and because of him I started keeping a Excel spreadsheet for my collection that I update on a regular basis. I have around 700 items ranging from cheap stuff like Earthworm Jim figures to higher-end 1/6 figures. And with a decent amount of that stuff stored in totes it makes collecting a little easier. And for my fiance's benefit I've started a wants Excel list to ease in her gift giving.

So how about you guys?

 

[Wor-Gar]

I've been keeping a basic list since I started collecting in 1990. Different lists for different scales. Broken down very simply -- item, date ordered, date purchased, date received, date upgraded.

 

[Dassy]

https://www.primasoft.com/

 

[danfaz]

Mine's easy. I just go look at the one item I have

 

[lcummins]

I'm working on an Access database for mine. I've never found that the commercial products are flexible enough, so I decided to just build my own. The slow part is inputting all of the data and images for Sideshow's products. I may eventually use the database as a back-end for a .NET application or even an ASP .NET 2.0 web application.

Here is a fun little form I created just for my own amusement, that mimics Sideshow's product pages. You can see collection information on the right hand side where you would normally find recommended products. All of the products pictures are viewable, and the "In Stock" status could be made to show "Out of Stock" or "Sold Out" if the item wasn't in your collection. All the information, including the descriptions and pictures come from data stored in the database...

Someone on the board was building a .NET application for tracking at one point... I have the last alpha version he provided, don't know if he ever finished.

 

[Wor-Gar]

That's beautiful, Lonnie.

 

[Alice Adrenochrome]

I'd love to document my collection on the computer, but it's such an unpleasant work... Every time I'm on the Computer, I'm either here, or on the SSC site so to speak... I keep all my invoices in the same place though and that's about it. Not very effective, since just today, I looked at some boxes stacked on my bedroom cabinet, and asked myself, hey, what's that box again? ... Need to find a way to keep track, BADLY!

 

[lcummins]

That's beautiful, Lonnie.

Thanks! The reason I haven't finished that particular form yet, is unlike a web page, it is difficult to resize the text boxes automatically, to accommodate different amounts of text. But it is fun to work on...

 

[Boba Fett]

I don't. I'm too lazy.

 

[nash]

throw out all the cheap stuff and keep only the high end collectibles.

 

[lcummins]

throw out all the cheap stuff and keep only the high end collectibles.

Just because it is "cheap" doesn't mean it isn't highly collectible!!! Some of my most cherished items were not very expensive originally...

 

[galactiboy]

I like what you have going there Lonnie! Not a surprise since you have such an impressive collection.

I had toyed around with the idea of adding images for each collectible. But I never got around to figuring that out.

 

[figuremaster_les]

This is a great idea!
I bet you learn alot about your own collection by filing it like that.

I need to do that. Not sure about keeping box art, but a shot of each might be good.

I wonder what a reworked or painted figure is worth, beyond estimates based on what it sells for on Ebay or some such thing. Estimating the value of some of them is hard to do. I have a custom Vader that is nearly $600 in figures for parts alone. If you count the need to get each figure for it's parts that is. That does not include labor time spent or it's "inate" value...

But I would love to keep a record like this for my stuff.
Be a lot of work for me, but in the end, worth it I bet.

 

[nash]

Just because it is "cheap" doesn't mean it isn't highly collectible!!! Some of my most cherished items were not very expensive originally...

I was just saying that it would probably be easier to keep track of the higher end stuff since they usually tend to be bigger in size etc.

The smaller things can get cluttered and mixed up together pretty easily.

 

[Batty]

Wow! I'm impressed by the work some of you guys have done (and it seems like a lot of work). I don't bother keeping track. I just know what I have, and that's good enough for me.

 

[lcummins]

I was just saying that it would probably be easier to keep track of the higher end stuff since they usually tend to be bigger in size etc.

The smaller things can get cluttered and mixed up together pretty easily.

I gotcha! I mis-interpreted what you meant. Yeah, that would be one way to keep track.

 

[gambit]

I am keeping a detailed excel file which includes a few working sheets.

 

[galactiboy]

I found putting mine together was a way to get a better perspective on what I had. And afterwards I was able to go through the list and critically look at some items I was just not really ever gonna display.

So it was actually a good way to thin the herd a bit

I began mine after a move, so as I was unboxing figures I was able to just pop them into the database. I think it took less than a week working on it a couple hours at a time. And was kinda fun.

 

[Zoomaround]

I keep a real basic list of each item (w/item name & #, price & date of purchase) but since everything (except my SW PF) are on dislay in my room, I don't have much need for the list. I just update it every so often for inventory purposes.

 

[Fritz]

I was setting up an Access database at one point but decided I was spending entirely too much time on it. Now I keep track of my collection by looking at my shelves. When I have a stock or price question, I just go on-line at take a look at the Sideshow site and spaceman's auction tracker. This frees up more time to play Gears of War.