Listing our models

[cfesmire]

Started (and carried on for some time) in another thread was the discussion of who does, and how we catalogue our acquisitions. For many of us that kitbash and/or scratchbuild, this becomes a data nightmare since so often our lists are constantly changing and evolving we take a piece previously catalogued, and use parts from it for another piece or transform it into something else. For the collector, a catalogue is essential I believe, and for many of the pieces I have no intention of and should be severely scolded if I ever did change (like that never-again- to-be-found Wiking) I do list, very informally. This leads us to a discussion of what we are (also in another thread) collector, hobbyist or modeller, and that how and if we catalogue may have a lot to do with what we are. I see software available for collectors and frankly, it seems a little foolish to spend money on something that most of us could throw together with a basic data processing program. However, the question in each of our minds must be then: which are we? As noted by several of us, a little of everything. In my business, I am required to keep track of material prices for estimating purposes and have developed a program to do so that could easily be altered to keep track of a collection. But in my mind, I don't want my hobby start to resemble my business too much. So if you list your models, what kind of catagory headings do you use? How often do you update? And if you change your models from what they were when you acquired them, do you, and how do you list them? I'm interested.

[Lee]

I have never bothered making any lists of what I have. When I pull a box out from the back of the closet it is like Christmas all over again as I forgot what was in the box. ;D

Jerry does an inventory with what he paid for the model for insurance reasons. He is sick for days afterwards when he sees how much he has spent.

Making lists probably is a hobby or sub hobby in itself.

[mrbst30]

I personally have compiled a very extensive spreadsheet in my mind. Oh that may be how I keep ending up with so many duplicates. Sorry count me as catalog for my models.

[skunk]

I used to make extensive lists, in order of purchase but also stating manufacturer, nationality etcetera.

Then I would make toplists: led by Wiking, Mercedes, and Germany until some targeted purchasing put Herpa and BMW on top... This listing mania was due to a combination of a small wallet (listing, relisting and making statistics being cheaper than buying models) and a fear of modifying the cars.

Then, as I got a job and my wallet grew, I started buying faster, as well as modifying. Consequently my lists remain in 1999. While making lists is indeed a hobby of mine, building is a whole lot more satisfying.

As for the limit between kitbashes and scratchbuilts, it still gets blurry at times... where is the limit? One square centimeter of plastic from another model? A steering wheel?

[stanhas87]

Dear Sirs:

When my Commodore Computer died in 1995,it had all of my inventories in it and by then,I was preparing what I call fase II inventory.

In essence,I had four types of listings,all conneceted (cross-reference I believe is called).One listed the vehicles by manufacturer,other by make,other by scale and other by location (as the vehicles are stored-on cabinets,at shelfs,etc).

Jack is the one who uses the hands;hence,to my request,he will list which parts from where he used to kitbash a vehicle.Hence,it that end up being,say a Dodge Diplomat,I will list is as such on the make listings;on the manufacturer listings I will put under 'modified' and who where the donors for such and such parts,but as a side note below the listings. On the list itself I will put 'modified',no ref#,1983 Dodge Diplomat,scale,color and if applicable,price.(This was Jack's surprise at this weekend,and the main donors were CMW-the Caprice-and others in either plastic or resin.The rear and front were heavily modified and so were the wheels.Hence,as I ended the manufacturer list,I put a number (1) at the side of the vehicle,and at the Notes section,the 'donors',with ref#,if applicable. If there was scrathbuilding (it had-front and rear,plus the wheels) it will be stated as such.

However,these were from my Commodore times.Since it died,my collection grew at an alarming pace;hence I created the 'purchase file' and I just rumble what was bought in this day under manufacturer and make,plus the additional notes I gave above.Since all the collection was reported at this file,it weighs something like 100 pounds now.

The other addition to my reporting is the Manufacturers production from Matchbox,Hot Wheels,Playart,Wiking and the like in order to see what was avaliable from modelmakers but this is a bit nightimarish due to extent of the data (Eric should know about it).In the long run.I figured that for selected manufacturer,such as Motormax,as an example,my listing,based on the cars I have,is neither in the Internet,at their site,or at any book.Welly give their reference numbers at their site,and for Wiking,the site that Christian gave me plus the Book on Wiking is a good source of reference,and despite its age,the Catalog of Model Cars of the World from 1967 is an excellent source for such listings;MAR comes second,and for 1/87 scale,nothing in the planet comes close to this site.

Ooopss...rambling again.Well,this is the way I list my collectables.For 2005,a third generation inventory may be on its way;Jack will help,he just did his and a new addition will come to my listing: 1979 Dodge St Regis,again,with the help with the CMW Caprice and even more kitbashing than the Diplomat.

[BillC]

I always created a spreadsheet, first in Lotus 1-2-3, then later in ClarisWorks and Microsoft Excel. When (if?) I undertake to catalogue my collection again, it will probably be in Excel.

Rather than a huge list of headings, I limited myself to manufacturer, part number, description, quantity and price paid and line value. Since I sometimes buy extras when a model is discontinued, I may have as many as a half-dozen of a particular item. I also frequently buy duplicates, one for the collection, one for "experimentation."

[Christian]

What Bill said, minus the half-dozen bit.
My Excel spreadsheet now lists 935 models, only separated into cars and trucks, going from "AC" to "ZIL". Excel is great for sorting columns and getting totals for the prices (which hurt to look at).
I've never had a problem with the "what & how" to categorize. I simply never cannibalize models that I consider part of my collection already - if I have to, I buy a new one. Kits are listed just like other models and vehicles that are thrown together from different parts don't get a "manufacturer" entry. Easy.
I always update right after I buy a model.

[skunk]

I wouldn't ever list the prices of my models. Because then I would have to tally up the total, and I know that I would be unable to tell people how much I spent.

And then everyone I know would think I was somehow touched... Meanwhile, shoe collections of a size approaching the one of Imelda Marcos' seem quite reasonable to my female friends. Go figure.


I, too, rarely use a model bought for the purpose of collecting for rebuilding. It somehow feels wrong, especially if it's something I had saved to buy as a youngster.

[BillC]

Christian said:

What Bill said, minus the half-dozen bit.

I am not rich, I just wait until they appear as "sale" items.

[Albert]

I list my models in an Excel file. They are sorted by years. Then I can have a balance of the models bought every year.

The boxes I have in the list are Model, colour, date of purchase and the country where the model comes from.

[Marc S.]

I use a spreadsheet, too, but as I deal with Excel all day in the office and do not want to spend my spare-time watching the same pattern, I went for MS Works. Not that it makes much of a difference. I like the sorting and filtering functions a spreadsheet supports!

The list currently contains 2058 entries, not counting kitbashes or severely modified models. All of them are 1/87th scale. The columns are for
- model maker,
- order number,
- name of prototype,
- model year,
- colour/decoration,
- year purchased,
- classification as promotional or regular release,
- PC-kind of packaging,
- some info on the packaging if I still have it (to make it a little bit easier to know what to look for),
- and a couple of statistical entries (passenger car vs. truck etc.) for analysis and sorting purposes.

If there are dublicates, there will be multiple rows with the same data to cover them.

I do not list the purchase price as I already had a couple of hundred models when I started the list, prices of which could only have been guessed. Oh, and I probably don't want to know how much I've spent so far.

As for updating, I always plan to follow Christian's approach, but generally fail to do so.

Marc S.

[Sylvain]

I have two lists on Excel too.

The first one is for the models of my collection. Columns are for:
- Model maker
- Year of the prototype
- Car manufacturer
- Name of the prototype
- Type of the prototype (passenger car, commercial vehicle, truck, bus)
- colour
- reference of the model
- material of the model (resin, plastic, metal)
- reference of the model in my collection (order of buying)
In case of duplicates, each car has its own row. All my models are modified somehow, but in case of important modification, the model keeps its model maker, but lost its reference. I do not indicate the price of the models (like Mark, it was already to late when I began this list). This list is for my american cars (377 today), I have no list for my french models (not enough models for that). I keep this list updated

The second list is for the models available now or that has been available that may interest me. Columns are for:
- Model maker
- Year of the prototype
- Car manufacturer
- Name of the prototype
- A column to indicate if I have the model or not, or if it is in order
- A column to indicate if the model is a kit or a built-up model
- reference of the model
I try to keep this list updated (really I do!).

[stanhas87]

Dear Sirs:

As I am currently doing my vehicle inventory,I decided to go for broke and only carry on two fases of it.

See,first of all,since my Brother Desktop Publisher has a spreadsheet capability,I am using it (I still did not learned how to use a Computer disk because the latter would loose the data after a while) despite its limitations. There are monthly and yearly reports, and these cite dayly purchases,by scale,manufacturer,make and vehicle class (i.e.,car bus,truck and so on) plus location (so I can find it witout any doubts,mainly when I writing in here) and these reports are for both monthly and yearly accounts. Alas,with the monthly reports done,in theory,is easier to get the early accounts.

Hence,all that is time-consuming.Hence,at the time being,I settled for the dayly and manufacturer report,monthly account. Still,the progress is not that good,but is better than nothing.

Jack will teach me how to do that stuff in the computer but that will not be any time soon. So,everything will go via the Brother.

[Albert]

I have an Excel list with almost all my 1/87 models, specifiying the car, colour, date of purchase and the city where the car comes from. Every year I open a new page into that Excel file.

[cfesmire]

Like Marc, I use the MS Works package but just as this thread had no entries for over a year, so neither does my model list. It seems that as I acquire more and more models, I spend less time catagorizing them and more time cannabalizing them.