I recently got the bulk of my collection out of storage (my parents' garage ) and into my own place, and I'm planning on going through them all to see if there's anything I want to sell. While doing that, why not catalogue my collection at the same time? The question is, how?
I know some of you scan your decks, certainly the ones contributing to Portfolio52. But do you use any type of software for your own archive? An app? Just a spreadsheet?
Please share what you do, and recommendations for anyone who hasn't started yet
I use a simple spreadsheet for my collection with the following data:
Name, Date Purchased, Price paid (in GBP), Estimated cost in USD, Deck number (i.e. #81/120) & Quantity.
I will usually add notes if I bought decks as part of a larger set or had to pay import taxes on them.
I don't scan them for images, as even though I have a fair number of decks I can usually remember what they look like and where they are stored.
Designer and Publisher will have two different columns because, well, sometimes Randy Butterfield is the designer but the Publisher could be Penguin Magic, Midnight Cards, 52+J, etc.
And, not only do some designers have multiple Publishers, but some Publishers use multiple Designers.
But, then there's also the categories, and some decks will fall into more than one: marked, semi-transformation, weathered, borderless backs, one-way backs, one-way courts, metallic inks (backs / faces), hot foil (backs /faces), cold foil (backs / faces), gilded (and specify color), gaffed deck, gaffe cards, identical / non-identical jokers, standard / recolored / customized courts, etc., etc.
I'd like the "Export" feature to export more columns from the deck description page.
I don't think it would be very hard to do. I think it would just be a matter of selecting more columns from the decks table and it would be a huge help for all collectors that use Portfolio52.
I still have some decks to add to Portfolio52. I'd like to scan some of the cards so I'm postponing it due to laziness issues...
I use both P52 and my own spreadsheet which captures the name of the deck, designer, year, gilding (if any), my own rating (of 1 to 5 stars) and quantity. For ease of reference, the decks are also split by designer (Lotrek, Alex Chin, JR, Rick Davidson, Jody Eklund, etc.). I agree that it would be nice to have it more detailed (as suggested by Rousselle) but it would be a bit of a logistical nightmare to maintain (as I keep re-arranging my collection to follow the spread-sheet). P52 is very useful but it does not appear to have some of the decks in my collection and I am yet to find a decent way to scan the tucks for submission.
I'm going to test out some mobile apps made to catalogue collections of miscellany. I feel like that's going to be the easiest way for me to do this, since I can just snap pictures with my phone to instantly add them to each entry. I'll report back with my findings.
Since I'm more interested in the art than the price, I use Flickr for the card art and portfolio52 to keep track. With Flickr I can stream the images to a digital picture frame, so the cards can stay in their boxes, and I can still showcase my collection.
A friend of mine uses software that's designed for antique collectors. The software route really depends if you want to go more the "home collector" or "cataloged like a library".
For shelf storage, I use a BCW Card House with vinyl business card pockets on the sides so I know what is in each box. The boxes are numbered so I can look at my P52 notes and know exactly what box a deck is located in.
I didnt want to post this sooner because i wanted to get the form ready. I also use hard copies, and am in the process of building a more museum-ish catalog using CollectiveAccess.
Attached is a link to a hard copy form that I use for data entry, and also allows me to keep a hard catalog that people can look through when they visit. The form allows inserting of images as well as attaching a pdf copy of the product or kickstarter page for the deck. The form is prefilled with a deck so you can see what it looks like. just click on the images and boxes to edit them.
Eric Lee wrote:I noticed that there's nothing for price and shipping. It would be nice to remember how much the deck actually cost you .
Price is listed in the software (CollectiveAccess) only for insurance reasons and allows me to hide the field. It also allows me to attach a copy of the reciept. The paper form is more like an actual catalog so others can see the decks without getting their unwashed hands on the physical objects. Think homemade coffee table art book.
You can attach a pdf of the reciept in this form as well by clicking on the product button. It's just a way to attach a file for people that use software other than Adobe reader. The file has been designed to allow saving without the need to purchase additional software. Attachments show up under the paperclip icon in Acrobat. It was done this way because not all readers have the ability to attach files so it was scripted into a button.
The only restriction is you cant attach files on mobile devices as mobile pdf readers usually dont support javascript.
) and into my own place, and I'm planning on going through them all to see if there's anything I want to sell. While doing that, why not catalogue my collection at the same time? The question is, how?
