Train Inventory Software

Suggest doing a search, lots of previous threads about this.

Newt,

Contact me off line at   trains@hughes.net  for my opinion on Train Tracker/Minder

Paul Edgar

not to rain on a posters response.

I personally went with the MI Trains yes costly but it works period and you can print off a copy of your inventory a handy thing in case your # is called for the last train, and family knows what you have what you paid and what to ask for resale.

$oo

I like the Collector-Dash website to manage my train inventory.

http://www.collector-modeltrains.com/dash/mycollection/showcase/Scott_Smith/

Scott Smith

I find all of them tedious to input inventory data and have tested or trialed (when available) a few.

HobbyTime by Tayden is my favorite so far.

Trainminder is a ripoff  do not go near it at any cost!

If you want unsupported and non updated software and empty promises them Trainminder is for you

Sad, but very true.

I don't trade, so I made a spreadsheet (Numbers on the Mac) that lets me keep track of everything by road name, engine or car number and description*, and also lists where, when, and for how much I bought it. There's a comment column where I list last lube date, any wrecks, repairs, etc., and also a column for a photo.

* Typical descriptions: 2-10-2, E8A, boxcar, 2-unit searchlight signal, Ameritown post office.

I also use a spreadsheet.

Excel. 

DIY.

Yup, spreadsheet is the way to go. I have columns for purchase info too. I plan to use the resulting database to create car cards for operations. Almost every car that's on the layout has been recorded, but there are almost as many that are still in boxes that need to be added. Big project!

Mine is Excel, too.

As already pointed out there was a recent thread on this Forum on this subject.

Bill

I also use Excel. Make it the way YOU want it.

Steve

Yep.  Make your own with Excel.  The purchased software has way more junk to enter than you will ever need, and they are not ever current, so every time you buy something you have to enter it manually anyway.

.....

Dennis

As a former database and MS Office instructor at a local community college, I must officially endorse using a database of some kind. In my case, it's Microsoft Access. It's all macro driven, but I'm thinking about cracking it open and putting some code behind it to streamline some of the internal processes.

That said, though, use what you're comfortable with.

I am looking forward to using the train tracker for MTH stuff.  A Train Tracker button has now been added to the "My MTH" menu on their website.  This portion of the MTH website is still under development.  Since MTH keeps an Internet catalog of all their previously issued products, they should add a button to those pages that allows you to add the product to your Train Tracker collection listing when logged into the MTH website.  Next, they could easily incorporate an auction or buy/sell aspect to facilitate secondary market trading in collections of MTH products.

Visited MI Trains site and tried it for a dozen items in my collection. From what I've entered so far, the prices they post for those items are considerably undervalued when compared to the average in the secondary marketplace of the going rate for those items over the past couple of years. Seems like they taken a very conservative and underrated approach to valuing trains, so imo, not certain how much those prices will help heirs determine what a person's collection is actually worth.

Would you be willing to share that Access Code?

Matt,

Could you provide a access file with just examples? It would be a great jump up from my excel spreadsheet.