Keeping track of your figures - Records

Help!! I have gone from the few figures I found at the Goodwill store to LOTS of figures. They are so awesome! As a collector I am sure those of you that have been accumulating for years probably have a way to keep track of them all and have worked out any kinks? Do you use a Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet? What have you found as the best way to record information?
Sue

hi thats how i do it i in a spreadsheet i put down the name, catalogue number, years produced, how much it cost me,condition ie new with tag or used and the country it was made in which has reminded me i have a lot to catalogue as i havent been keeping up to date with it lately
stecal

I wish I was that organized. I went to this website (http://schleich.animobil.info/) and printed their list. I highlight the ones I have. Eventually I will try to put mine into a spreadsheet, but that won't work until I have them all out and organized. I also look through the collector guide and write down the numbers to the ones not on the list and highlight the ones I have.

I utilize the same approach as Steve - spreadsheet with all pertinent data, including container number for easy and quick retrieval of figurines.

I have to do that too sometimes, as i am actually quit organized.
But even with thousands of models, i know quit well, which ones i have, from where i got them, were they are made, from which time they are, and how much i paid for them, or where i got them.
But it is nice to have that "on paper" too.

Part of the reason for building an inventory/recording of these figures is in case of - God forbid - a fire. Records for insurance purposes are helpful. How would you like to have to start all over again? If you do have some insurance and they will give you replacement value ~ well, you get the picture I'm sure. :) I was just trying to figure out how to keep track of what figures are going for what price/when/where and being able to easily update it. I figured to start now with fewer figures will be less stressful. Though I felt like " a deer in the headlights" when it came to starting! Sue

When your collection is going in the thousands like some of us, and are worth some money, then you can take a special insurance for them, and i would recommend that.
A specialist from the insurance-company will visit you normally(a so called expert), to see what you got, and how much it is worth in his opinion.
Next to that, i have a picture of all my models, big or small, so that will help too of course.

Another way, is to have a site or blog and have pictures and info on there. Which is what I do.

At the moment I just have a list of the Schleich animals with their numbers. Then I just use Strike out font on the ones that I have.

I did print it out but it was a pain to keep updating. Plus, my mum couldn't tell from just text, which ones I have. So I gave her a Schleich 2010 catalog and we cross them off as I buy them or she buys them.

There are a few programs you can buy but I think they are around $50 each. I know some fellow Breyer collectors who use these programs. I believe that they are tailored for Breyer models though so they wouldn't be much good for Schleich.

I want to do a spreadsheet but do not have that program on my computer.

What i want to do in the future, is to make a catalogue for myself, with all the information and a picture of the models i have.
This will be very usefull for an expert of the insurance-company, when sometihing happens with my model-collection, which might not happen i hope...

Rio wrote:

I want to do a spreadsheet but do not have that program on my computer.

I didn't have one either, Rhiannon, as neither Excel nor even Quattro Pro came with the pre-installed software on my PC. I utilize openoffice.org, which is a bit of an Oracle freeware spinoff application. It's free to download and use without any restrictions, and provides a spreadsheet capability which is quite similar to Excel.

WILLYBACOMAN wrote:

What i want to do in the future, is to make a catalogue for myself, with all the information and a picture of the models i have.
This will be very usefull for an expert of the insurance-company, when sometihing happens with my model-collection, which might not happen i hope...

NO NO NO - that cannot be allowed to happen to you or any of us. For thousands of dollars, one can purchase a large fireproof file cabinet. I remember using one in a former position with a firm I did records management with. They stored all the basic corporate documents, such as those relating to incorporation, licenses, stock certificates, etc. in it.

schleich61 wrote:

Rio wrote:

I want to do a spreadsheet but do not have that program on my computer.

I didn't have one either, Rhiannon, as neither Excel nor even Quattro Pro came with the pre-installed software on my PC. I utilize openoffice.org, which is a bit of an Oracle freeware spinoff application. It's free to download and use without any restrictions, and provides a spreadsheet capability which is quite similar to Excel.

Thank you

I already have that installed but didn't realise there were other options to the writer. Now starts the task of recording them all

And that will be the greatest task indeed!