|
Pierce
Big Six
Status:
offline
| |
 Posted - March 23 2011 : 5:12:45 PM
|
Hey,
I have been pulling my hair out on a good Idea to efficiently inventory my collection.... Right now I have a Excel spreadsheet with Manufacture, Model number, Roadname, Type, Year Made, Info, Original Price, Value( This is subject to interpritation but I am being conservative on most items), Condition, Status(kit, assembled, or RTR), QTY.
Anyone else do this before? I am also photographing each item as I record it on the spreadsheet....
Thoughts coments concerns? I think this will take me years to complete as it took me 1 week to inventory 100 items.
Thank You,
Adam
|
Country:  USA ~
Posts: 204 ~
Member Since: August 19 2008 ~
Last Visit: January 21 2022
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - March 24 2011 : 07:41:34 AM
|
quote:Hey,
I have been pulling my hair out on a good Idea to efficiently inventory my collection....
Thoughts coments concerns? I think this will take me years to complete as it took me 1 week to inventory 100 items.
Thank You,Adam
Originally posted by Pierce - March 23 2011 : 5:12:45 PM
|
Um, first, go invest in some Rogaine.   This came up before, about for insurance purposes and having an inventory of your trains. If you're like me ( I doubt it! I'm a packrat ), I have trains everywhere, and no particular order. IS there an efficient way? Only if you have stored your trains efficiently and marked them all ( I'm currently putting mine in rescued Dell accessory boxes and labeling them for manufacturer, model and type in the boxes, but it's not exact ). Bottom line is, it's going to take awhile. I've got MANY hundreds of train items ( not to mention 1,000's of diecast cars and trucks ), it WILL literally take me years to do inventory on all of it , because I have so much spread out, in storage areas now inaccessible without major movement of "stuff". Will it happen? Not likely. I will probably use the photos I take for posting here in LOTW, COTW, AOTW, BOTW, etc as part of my logistical records, but as for a formal inventory, if you didn't do it when you first got it, then it's going to take time. Record-keeping is a very time-consuming job, and unless you were diligent upon acquisition, as most of us are NOT, then it's just time and effort now. Some thoughts on cutting down on time.
- Inventory ONLY those items you consider most valuable. Tyco Santa Fe hoppers probably won't be one of those. Or Bachmann F7's. Try to limit the inventory to only items that are of double-digit value to you and others.
- Just do it in small chunks. Assembly your unlisted inventory in a central area and organize it, then inventory it, don't try to do so much that you're investing hours and hours at a time.
- Get some small colored dot stickers to put on the bottoms, so you'll know WHICH items have been inventoried. You can color code for maker, value, etc. however you want. They make small round dots about 1/8 inch in size for electronic marking, very inconspicuous and easy to remove later. Some guys use these color-coded dots for ID when running trains at club functions, easy to spot yours with markings on them. No confusion!
No matter what, it'll take you time, it's just a matter of HOW much effort and detail you want to put into it. Start with the engines first, they're the most expensive and valuable items, then move to rare/collectible items, then to general rolling stock. And weed out rolling stock , or take a mass picture of the least expensive ones just for count and volume, and don't worry about individual pictures. That will save time, and insurance companies should accept mass pictures as proof of inventory. You can still list them, but not have to take individual pictures.
Those are my suggestions, I'm sure guys who have done this have a far better detailed list of what they've done. But MOST important is pictures, even if mass photo shot, to prove you DO own that many items. Good luck, and go easy on your hair.
Jerry
" When life throws you bananas...it's easy to slip up"
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 3974 ~
Member Since: January 04 2009 ~
Last Visit: January 11 2019
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
TKRR
Switcher
Status:
offline
| |
Posted - March 26 2011 : 01:17:01 AM
|
Adam,
I keep an inventory just as you described, with minor variations: I tend to skip the photographs unless I'm posting something to the forum. I also skip the manufacturing date, but might include notes about a special vintage. It takes patience, but I enjoy it. It adds to the fun.
As mentioned, there are many benefits:
* Support for insurance coverage or a claim, if necessary.
* The possibility of finding an item with less than a day's digging...
* Avoiding redundant purchases (When did I buy THIS!?!? How did I end up with 3 of these?)
And some additional benefits that I've discovered:
* When a question arises on the forum, I can find/photo/post in less than an hour. (It's true, I've done it several times, and I'm still amazed...)
* I like to remember where I got things - and who helped along the way. It adds a personal touch.
* If someone wishes to trade, I can check for likely candidates in minutes.
* I have a tiny layout without a yard. It's really just a test track. I can't have much rolling stock on display at once, so effective storage is necessary.
* I can put a project down and later check my notes and resume work without missing a beat.
* It's easier to build a consist. (Now, where are all of my chrome tank cars? I want to drag them behind a Silver Streak loco and produce temporary blindness.)
* I can distinguish all of my duplicates and renumber them as time permits. (I probably have a dozen or so Tyco/Mantua green WM flatcars, all with different asset numbers. When I load them up with pipes and dozers, it's pretty slick.)
* This is a real GEM: If I haven't recorded a past purchase, I won't go looking for more. It helps me to exercise better self-control. It can be tough to pass up a great deal!
True to the hobby, we focus on the areas that we enjoy the most. I don't expect a perfect solution. Maybe others have tips for saving time, but in the end, just roll up your sleeves and have at it!.
-Todd
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 72 ~
Member Since: January 17 2008 ~
Last Visit: November 20 2012
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
Pierce
Big Six
Status:
offline
| |
Posted - March 27 2011 : 7:00:03 PM
|
Thanks for the responses, I think I will mark the stuff I already inventoried with some sort of label so I don't double inventory them.
Adam
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 204 ~
Member Since: August 19 2008 ~
Last Visit: January 21 2022
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
TKRR
Switcher
Status:
offline
| |
Posted - March 27 2011 : 9:09:45 PM
|
RFID tags would be great, but are still a little pricey. A set of "serialized" tags would cost from $0.25 to $2.00 apiece, in large quantities. Then, add the cost of a reader and so on. A club might be able to swing it for all of their members to use, but it's a little much for an individual.
I thought about it, but opted to change reporting marks instead. That keeps them unique, without any elaborate system. Dry-transfer numbers are cheap and easy to use. I modify a batch of cars in an evening. Before anyone asks, I don't bother researching the proper marks for any of my rolling stock. I just pick a distinct number for each car. Engines are easier to keep straight, with different manufacturers and wheel arrangements.
You're right, a simple string-tag is effective. Just pull it off when the rolling stock is in use. At least that approach keeps things organized until you find a better way. When you do, let me know!
-Todd
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 72 ~
Member Since: January 17 2008 ~
Last Visit: November 20 2012
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - March 27 2011 : 9:21:34 PM
|
Me I make lists. Then other lists. Then think about putting it all together, and never do it. I think alot more than I do.
toptrain
" It's a Heck of a Day " !!!
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 7504 ~
Member Since: August 07 2008 ~
Last Visit: February 24 2024
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - November 09 2022 : 09:26:03 AM
|
I just keep them in drawers with the engines and cars in small boxes.
I use the Tyco Bachmann Athearn boxes and light ones with the cellophane see through.
And write the items on small papers for easy access to a particular item.
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 5842 ~
Member Since: February 12 2014 ~
Last Visit: April 16 2024
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - November 09 2022 : 10:56:18 AM
|
There are programs out there that do this. As an added benefit, some of them can be setup to generate waybills for operating sessions, so every car on your railroad is not only inventoried but has a destination as well.
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 483 ~
Member Since: December 22 2013 ~
Last Visit: April 14 2024
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
|
|
Home
Forums
Events Calendar
Forum Admins & Mods
Register
