How and where do you keep your inventory records?

I use the Dash-Trains website;

http://www.collector-modeltrai...h/mycollection/main/

Scott Smith

I keep a cardboard box in the train room and I throw the receipts, records, etc. of purchases into it: they are someone in there if I need them.  I never have.

I have an excel spreadsheet that I keep with records of all locos, passenger sets, but no rolling stock.  I don't back it up any different than anything else.  Once a month, I back up the entire computer including that file.

.........hidden from my Bride!

-Pete

ProTrak 

OpenOffice spreadsheet, backed up to two locations.

I made one in MS Excel.

It even keeps up with what I think the values are.

Richard

Excel for me too.

Art

In a safe. Lately I have also been scanning the receipts and storing them on external hard drives.

At one point many years ago, I had a fairly accurate spreadsheet. Now I have no idea. If everything was lost in a fire, I'd give up the hobby.

As soon as the track is complete on the layout, I plan to unpack everything and do a complete inventory with photos, put it on a memory stick, and throw it in the safety deposit box.

I'm building an inventory in a freeware app called RRTRAINS 2000. The database, photos of individual pieces and a copy of the program reside on a USB flash drive.

If I ever complete the project, it'll be backed up in a number of places, both onsite and off.

---PCJ

Little $1.00 notebook.

What inventory records? 

Excel.

All computer files are backed up on 3 different computers; 1 in a differnt geographic location along with external drives - 7 archival hard drives total that get updated biannually from the working drives.  Redundancy is your friend.

Still using 4x6 cards in a steel box....from 1971 !  Or was it 1871 ?  Yup, all the good info is there, including W.P.O.M.  

Home grown database and I export to excel when needed

Heh, despite being a computer geek, No inventory, same as Nicole.

Not that I haven't thought about it, but when I get train time, I'm working with the trains, not in front of my Computers.

Seeing as I do not have insurance on my trains there appears to be no reason for inventory. One advantage is that occasionally I find a car that I had forgotten about.

Its all stored safely in here:

By the way, thats not my brain. My brain forgets stuff

no inventory, just lots of boxes inside boxes... its like Christmas all year round!

I'm using Apple's Numbers app and have it backed up to a cloud service, Microsoft's SkyDrive or whatever they call it now.

The advantage was that when I sat down and took the initial inventory, I found maybe 20 cars that I either had forgotten about, had "lost", or had no use of anymore. 

Selling those off funded the purchase of items that I do have use of while also prompting some sense of organization freeing up additional space.  If I can't get time, at least I can get space,

mmmm Brains

I have an excel spreadsheet (which I desperately need to update)

I have also be playing with Dash-Trains or the Woodland Scenics Model Inventory app on my iPhone, though I am not sure how much I like having that information on the internet...

Actually this topic comes up a lot and really should be condensed into one thread and nailed to a FAQ thread. I suggest you search inventory and see what people have posted.

Summary

1. There are no really good commercial software programs out there for doing model train specific inventory
2. Some older programs worked OK but there are no longer supported
3. Spreadsheets seem to be the most common
4. Some forum members are trying to create a Access or Filemaker based program, but I haven't seen a finished product yet
5. There are a couple websites but none are really excellent (Dash-Trains seems to be best of them, but they steal your images)
6. The program Trainminder is a fraud

Microsoft Excel Spreadhseet.  Got it from a Forum Member.  Sent me an e-mail (mine is in my profile) and I can send you the blank spreadhseet.  You can customize it if you want - nothing 'locked' or proprietary in it.  Thanks.

Does that mean zombies ate my trains?

Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most. Thanks for finding it Flash. 

Excel spreadsheet.

On the computer + flash stick.

Flash stick in the fire-resistant safe.

BTW...same flashstick has photo-inventory of household, etc..  Updated periodically.

Does the job.

KD

No need for inventory. I know what I have and have never bought a duplicate. 

inventory?????????????

whats that???????????

I use an Excel spreadsheet that has a seperate tab for many items type (complete sets, passenger cars, engines, christmas items, etc.)  I keep track of location and storage tub number, description, item number, series (PWC, Century Club, etc.) road name & number, control system, catalog first appeared it, date acquired, retail cost, purchase price, purchase place, scale, minumum curve, condition, any notes and many other items.  Of course, I don't always have all the info but I keep track of what I have.

I store it on Google Drive so it's always on the cloud and sync'd to all my computers (about 5 right now.)

I do have my Excel spreadsheet backed up.  But is it in the clouds or on the clouds?  Now if I can just remember to add all my new items.

Art  

Started with Train Tracker until the XP computer died so got it converted to a PDF file on my ipad and printed and stored in the fire proof gun safe along with all the receipts now using an excel spread sheet my daughter made for me for the rest of the stuff.

I too use an multi-tab Excel spreadsheet, and keep it updated religiously. Well, most of the time.

It's backed up to a backup drive stored offsite, and I also keep a recent copy of it and other important stuff on a flash drive that is with me always.

Rod

I have all the boxes for everything under the benchwork.Those ARE my records.If it burns it burns.

I've had good luck with this....



K.C.

KC;

Nice easy to use system! Love it. 

Hey and no worries about lost data. Well, as long as you remember where the clipboard is!

Only trouble for me would be reading it later LOL. 

Rod