Inventory

[railfan]

I just spread out my stuff all around the train room so I can see it. That way I can tell what all I've got. It's the see and know system.

 

[Will landers]

Wish I could do that to. To much square footage and to much stuff be just as bad as starting spread sheet for me LOL! Layout room right at 500 square feet I dont want to do that eather.

 

[Bruette]

Hi Michael,
Welcome to the worlds greatest hobby!
I am so glad I started an inventory early on. It has saved me many times from buying duplicates.
For what it's worth here is how I do it with excel
[TABLE="width: 2262"]
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[TD="class: xl29, width: 162, bgcolor: transparent"] [/TD]
[TD="class: xl32, width: 100, bgcolor: transparent"] [/TD]
[TD="class: xl29, width: 144, bgcolor: transparent"] [/TD]
[TD="class: xl30, width: 121, bgcolor: transparent"] [/TD]
[TD="class: xl31, width: 569, bgcolor: transparent"] [/TD]
[TD="class: xl34, width: 92, bgcolor: transparent"]Cost w/ Tax & Shipping[/TD]
[TD="class: xl29, width: 239, bgcolor: transparent"] [/TD]
[TD="class: xl24, width: 76, bgcolor: transparent"] [/TD]
[TD="class: xl28, width: 154, bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 2"]Greenberg's Price 13[/TD]
[TD="class: xl33, width: 357, bgcolor: transparent"] [/TD]
[TD="class: xl35, width: 815, bgcolor: transparent"]Notes, Updates, etc.[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl25, bgcolor: transparent"]Era[/TD]
[TD="class: xl25, bgcolor: transparent"]Gauge/Scale[/TD]
[TD="class: xl24, bgcolor: transparent"]Type[/TD]
[TD="class: xl26, bgcolor: transparent"]Date Ordered[/TD]
[TD="class: xl24, bgcolor: transparent"]Manufacturer[/TD]
[TD="class: xl25, bgcolor: transparent"]Manufacturers #[/TD]
[TD="class: xl24, bgcolor: transparent"]Description[/TD]
[TD="class: xl29, bgcolor: transparent"]Vendor[/TD]
[TD="class: xl25, bgcolor: transparent"]Condition[/TD]
[TD="class: xl27, bgcolor: transparent"]Exec[/TD]
[TD="class: xl28, bgcolor: transparent"]Mint[/TD]
[TD="class: xl29, bgcolor: transparent"]Includes[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

I have revised it many times and now I make separate books for different types of equipment.
On Order - Sets & Packs - Locomotives - Rolling Stock - Holiday Cars - Accessories - Buildings - Vehicles - Track - Power & Control - Pre & Post War - Parts - HO - N - Inventory Sold
I am primarily a Lionel man but lately my HO is growing and I am thinking of breaking it down in other books like my Lionel
It's a lot of help to me and easy to keep up with if you do it as soon as you buy, upgrade or modify something. I like having the On Order Book because sometimes I forget what I ordered and when it arrives I just cut and paste it into the correct book. Once you have it started it only takes a few minutes to keep up with it or to modify it to meet your changing needs.
I hope that helps.
have fun!

 

[Michael J]

I took a photograph of all the rolling stock on the shelfs, so at least I can count and start the spreadsheet. That way I will not miss something. And I will fill in details that I cannot discern from the photo later.

 

[kbkchooch]

It might be a pain in the butt fellas, but if you have a complete well documented collection,,if something terrible happens, at least you would have something to present to an insurance company.
My engines are all stored (105) with photos on Decoder Pro, soon to be backed up in the cloud. Rolling stock is next. Maybe that side of the project will finally make me stop buying stuff!!

 

[RCShadow]

It might be a pain in the butt fellas, but if you have a complete well documented collection,,if something terrible happens, at least you would have something to present to an insurance company.
My engines are all stored (105) with photos on Decoder Pro, soon to be backed up in the cloud. Rolling stock is next. Maybe that side of the project will finally make me stop buying stuff!!

I couldn't agree more on the insurance thing. I keep all mine in Excel. I created tabs at the bottom for Locomotives, Rolling Stock, and Vehicles. My headings are fairly simple with manufacturer, stock number, where it was purchased from, and the price I paid. I also took video of all my stuff and keep it on my server along with another copy on a thumb-drive in a safety deposit box. It's not just for my model train addiction either, we did this with all our stuff for insurance purposes. Furnature, pictures, nick-knacks, guns, jewelry, etc., etc. etc.

All it takes is you getting broken into once and you will be very careful afterwards. My wife actually walked in when some kids were in our house ransacking the place. I was glad we both have RTC license that day. Boy did they run when she pulled out her Taurus .357.

 

[Will landers]

My insurance won't cover it anyway and have also had the break in with ADT 4 times there use less,so I dropped them because ADT didn't offer the teeth option so I took what I was paying them now feeds 2 indoor 75lbs red nose pitt bulls. And guess what? Fixed the security problem.

 

[RCShadow]

My insurance won't cover it anyway and have also had the break in with ADT 4 times there use less,so I dropped them because ADT didn't offer the teeth option so I took what I was paying them now feeds 2 indoor 75lbs red nose pitt bulls. And guess what? Fixed the security problem.

I love that! Good on ya. I've got hidden cameras all over using BlueIris too.

 

[Will landers]

Now I have peace of mind but, just with occaisonal turd pick up now.LOL!!

 

[holshot14]

I use a free program called easy model railroad inventory. Google it. Has a ton of features and is free. Can also generate excel spreadsheet from it.

 

[viperjim1]

Go to the woodland scenics site and look for their inventory program it's free and it is a nice system with price, scale, when you bought it, if you lent it to somebody , a lot of cool features..


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Bruette]

Another thread I thought was worth bring up again.

 

[montanan]

I don't keep an inventory of anything. I started my layout 30 years ago. When I started I also had a Walthers dealership, as well as a dealership with other distributors. I was able to stock up on items I knew that I would need for my layout and also had some items in stock for customers that were common items. In the 80's when we had a recession, business was down plus I got laid off when the company I worked for downsized and closed the facility I was working at. I had to let the dealerships go and focus on a new job and raising kids.

I plugged ahead with what model railroad supplies I had put aside, but due to having no hobby shops at all in my area, the layout more or less went dormant for quite a few years. When we traveled, I would have a list of items I needed and would search out hobby shops in areas we were going to visit and stock up. When on line retailers started coming on the scene, I slowly started getting back to building the layout.

I am finding many items I didn't even know I had when rummaging through various boxes stored under my layout, some of them being there for well over 20 years. Many of the items are useful, but many I find that I have no use for. I still have a few boxes that I haven't opened. Sort of holding off and some day maybe I'll find something else I can use.

Nope, no inventory at all. Just a model railroad hoard.

 

[new guy]

I don't keep an inventory of anything. I started my layout 30 years ago. When I started I also had a Walthers dealership, as well as a dealership with other distributors. I was able to stock up on items I knew that I would need for my layout and also had some items in stock for customers that were common items. In the 80's when we had a recession, business was down plus I got laid off when the company I worked for downsized and closed the facility I was working at. I had to let the dealerships go and focus on a new job and raising kids.

I plugged ahead with what model railroad supplies I had put aside, but due to having no hobby shops at all in my area, the layout more or less went dormant for quite a few years. When we traveled, I would have a list of items I needed and would search out hobby shops in areas we were going to visit and stock up. When on line retailers started coming on the scene, I slowly started getting back to building the layout.

I am finding many items I didn't even know I had when rummaging through various boxes stored under my layout, some of them being there for well over 20 years. Many of the items are useful, but many I find that I have no use for. I still have a few boxes that I haven't opened. Sort of holding off and some day maybe I'll find something else I can use.

Nope, no inventory at all. Just a model railroad hoard.

LOL! I'm in a similar boat! By the time I get the layout built I'll have forgotten what I have JUST purchased!! When I excavate the pile and bring it down here it will be all new again! I don't quite remember all that I got! I just know that from what the sipping orders say, it must be awesome!

 

[Bruette]

Montanan just consider yourself self-insured. No inventory needed and no premiums to be paid. Considering how long ago you bought many of your things and the wholesale prices you paid insurance might be a waste of money for you.

I was self-employed for most of my life. When Microsoft excel first came on the scene I was happy to dive in. I used if for many tasks, including inventory. I think my first version of excel came on 8 or 9 floppy disks. My kids tease me that I make spread sheets for everything and there is truth in what they say. I even had and still use spread sheets for my little league teams.

One benefit of keeping my train inventory I discovered was the inventory keeps me from buying duplicates of things I already have. I suspect I have been saved from buying duplicates a half a dozen times or more so far.

Like everything else in this hobby do what ever you like. Same find it tedious, others like me find it fun to maintain an inventory and still others do it for more practical reasons like insurance.

 

[montanan]

Louis, I have so much crap that I have accumulated over the years, if I were to start trying to inventory everything, I wouldn't have time to work on the layout. I actually do have a blanket policy on the layout and have plenty of photos, but how can one put a value on anything?

 

[Bruette]

Louis, I have so much crap that I have accumulated over the years, if I were to start trying to inventory everything, I wouldn't have time to work on the layout. I actually do have a blanket policy on the layout and have plenty of photos, but how can one put a value on anything?

I started mine when I first got into the hobby full time. Even when I fall behind in keeping it up it can take an hour or more to catch up. I could never even begin to estimate how long it would take you to take an inventory.

By the way did you se my post in the coffee shop over the weekend about your new cars? Incase you missed it the most important point was; thank you for sharing the pictures with us!

 

[montanan]

I did catch that on TapTalk over the weekend. When I started collecting, there were very few accurate vehicles available for the transition era. Alloy forms were probably the most accurate years ago. Over the years a few manufacturers have come out with decent models. Classic Metal Works have really done a decent job in recent years, but every once in a while I'll run across one like the Cadillac that can be a bit expensive, but I'll bite the bullet being that I'll only need one.

Vehicles are probably one of the easiest ways to set the time period. Here's one example.



It is pretty easy to figure out that the years is 1957. I had to repaint a few of them so they all wouldn't be the same, but it's easy to get the idea.

 

[Bruette]

I'll take black with the white top.

 

[rlundy90]

I just use labeled pictures. I put them on a disk and have a record of everything, for myself and the insurance co. Once a year or so, I also email the pictures to myself and put them in a folder in my email account. I can access it from anywhere and if my computer crashes, the pics are safe in the folder. On the label I include Brand, Description, Road Number, price I paid, ect.