Does anyone here make their own Word or Excel documents in order to keep track of their collections? I was thinking it might be neat to have a thread with everyone's various techniques, if they're as obsessive-compulsive as I am

Here are some of mine:

Your tracking looks quite detailed. I've tried a few software programs like COINS but found them to be too much of a bother. I don't track what I've paid for a coin or when I purchased it. In fact, I don't really even track the condition of my coins - for the most part. IHCs are the exception. For them I use a simple Excel spreadsheet that lists the dates down one column and then the grade in the next column. I color code the haves to make it easier to review at a quick glance.

Anything else gets a simple Excel list with the dates and whether or not I have them. Right now I only have tracking of anykind for a few US series and for my GB coins.

I've got some tables, too, that list the denominations, types, variations, dates, and grades of specific pieces, but I generally print those blank and fill them out by hand later. As for keeping track of purchase prices... yes, that would be advisable, wouldn't it?

I wish I knew how to take screenshots on a mac...

I use Excel to catalogue my year/mint collections. I've got all the dates and mint mark combos in one column, then prices I can expect to pay for different grades, according to different guides, in the next columns. If I add one of the coins to my collection, I note when, where, and how much I got it for.

I use this format because most of my spreadsheets represent far far far from complete collections. I can sinply print it out and go to a show/shop and see values I'll expect to pay.

For collections of coins from circulation, I just have the date/mint lists and an X next to them if I have them in a whitman folder.

I made little index cards for different coins I'm looking for, what version I want, what dates are the cheapest (type set), and what I can expect to pay at different grades.

Your Excel spreadsheets are pretty similar to mine, except I use fancy fonts and lots of colour.

I used CoinManage (or something like that)...I kinda forgot

You guys are really quite the organized numismatists!

I am only with the Scottish banknotes, there I have what they are worth, and on other screens what I paid for them etc. With everything else it is in the proverbial computer upstairs.

As some members already know, I'm a simple soul so my records suit me well!
I use Word with Photoshop images and all relevent details in an A5 loose leaf folder. As each monarch has a seperate section, saved as an individual file, updates are easy. I only print periodically, when sufficient changes have been made, new coins or new information. All my coins appear in the folder, from Celtic through to modern milled. Useful as it's portable!

Picture edited for clarity

I use Coin Manage and I love it. The price is just right too.

Just a slacker here. I make tick marks by the date/mint in my books. That way all I have to carry to a dealer is a red book. On the computer I just keep in different directories the pictures I post with names such as "1878 vam 39 7 8 tail feathers ob.JPG" in the dollar directory. Or "1912 Japan 1 Yen Meiji 45 ob.JPG" in the asian. Some times I'll have a text file with more info and similar name if I need or want more info.

I always feel rude walking up to dealers with any kind of value reference (redbook or note cards). I know its not rude, but I hope they don't think I don't trust their prices or grading.

I don't think thats a problem. Especially when they see you are using it to figure out what coins you want. Most of the time if I don't see what I need I'll ask if he has this date, that date or another date. It has helped in filling slots and giving them more chances to make that sale. One guy I've known for over 20 years I'll actually hand him my book and ask if he has any of my blanks in my price range. He has pulled stuff out of the back that has not been fully sorted several times.

Interesting. I'll have to work on honing those tactics.

I decided to wham everything into omnicoin and then create my own homepage from it:

http://www.gxseries.com/numis/numis_index.htm

That way I can visualize what I need to upgrade and can easily see what I am missing. The only bad side is, it requires an internet connection Also, I should do something about my crap photography and some 300+ coins that is lying around on my table

Assuming you are using Mac OS X, go to Applications, Utilities, and run Grab. It saves tiff files.


Oh yeah, I use Filemaker Pro and my own database format.

Input screen:

Click to view attachment

One style report format:

Click to view attachment

I use Excel. I used to have columns for everything. Date purchased, price paid, found in change, given by friend, and on and on and on. Then I realized I had many volumns of 3 ringed binders of such information and seldom ever used any. Had it all on back up CD's also. Then I realized it was impractical to try that with every coin. Example I have well over 3,000 Mercury Dimes. So I started to delete dates of purchase, purchase price, where acquired, recent price, etc. Eventually I ended up with a very abbreviated version on Excel that lists the coins and the grade. For loose coins in one sector and albums in another. Now down to just a pile of about 1" thick pages in one 3 ringed binder. Still put info on a few 3-1/2" floppies for backup. All in Black and White. No need for color, just info. Most coins of numerous quantities are in plastic rolls so I just list rolls. With over 100 Whitman Albums, just to many coins to properly tabulate.

I currently have mine in an Excel spreadsheet but plan on upgrading to Coin Manage soon. I had a database on a Tandy Color Computer (CoCo) back in the early eighties and still have a printout from that. Had a hand written spreadsheet before that.

Fatcat

I use Coin Manage its not your top of the line software but for what it cost it is good. Some of the commentives and proof sets are not listed but you can add your own and put in your own pics. I like mine............Doug

Tanks, bill.

How do you guys keep track of junque coins?

I really don't... used to, but I tossed those papers because they were only really taking up room.

[quote name='TreasureGirl' date='Oct 29 2007, 04:31 PM' post='352484']
Does anyone here make their own Word or Excel documents in order to keep track of their collections? I was thinking it might be neat to have a thread with everyone's various techniques, if they're as obsessive-compulsive as I am


TreasureGirl and others,

Try this online site.

http://www.ispcowboy.com/mycoins

You can put up seperate WANT and HAVE lists. And they cross reference with other member's lists. So if you put up a coin under your HAVE list, you can click the date and it will report all the members who are looking for it. It is REALLY COOL the way it works. it really helps find the coins you have or want. You can also set the coins to sell or buy. But I just do trades there.

I thought it was going to be hard to add coins but mostly just click and select and update. Not a lot of detail but it gets the coins online and with the cross referencing... well, it is pretty incredible. And since it is online, and since I give folks my URL, they always get my most recent listing and see any changes I make instantly. These people there say that an excell and print version is coming so folks can just print member coin lists too. Also sounds like a newletter is coming that reports all members new coins listings. And some other things they are doing. It is a cool site though definitely new.

I would welcome more traders there. If you put your coins up, it makes trading them MUCH easier.

UncleKin

Here are a couple of screen shots of my current MS Excel inventory file. The first is from my list of US coins, the second is US currency. I also have a sheet for world coins and a summary page. These are all together in one file for easy updating.

I am currently using CoinManage. But I have modified the database to include all US commemorative coins listed in the 2008 RedBook. I have also updated the database to include alot of forgien countries coins that I have in my collection. So far I have added 25 additional countries to the database. When I am done I am hoping to have an entry in the database for every country in the world. Because my goal is to collect at least one coin from every country in the world. I also would like to go back and update the database so that the mintages of the US coins match what is currently available. I have also created entries for all US coins released in 2007.

CC

that looks decent ... i looked at a filemaker-based application a few years ago and it was ok but not so well documented ... i was also interested in taking it all to my palm device with filemaker mobile, but i never made it happen. now i'd be happier with a sweet way to publish it all to a private website (which i could use from my mobile or any other browser).

iPhone upgrade is next and then I guess the portable visual catalog follows. One of these days!

The problem with excell, filemaker, etc is that you all have different formats and cannot use your computer to auto-search to find coins. This is going backwards in technology. You all have to use a common database and standard to empower the computer to auto search coins. As it is now, it takes hours to first find all the coin lists scattered across the internet, several minutes to figure out how each person decided to organize their listings (some are completely useless to anyone but the owner) and then an hour each to manually-visually check the list for coin matches. It takes hours upon hours upon hours to do any real level of searching.

Why bother when all this can be done at the click of a button in a library/database of private coin listings?

I created my online want list and then click the date of one of my coins and it auto-searches everyone else's listings and reports back to me. I mean, why waste all those hours the old way? I can see where folks want lists for themselves, but if for trading, buying or selling with others... online is the ONLY way to go. It is the power of the Internet. I use it to my advantage.

A computer is a terrible thing to waste.

The Internet is a terrible thing to waste.

There is only one online service listing like this at the moment (a couple links above). And with its introduction, there will soon be more. Once the idea catches on. I am waiting to see what other services can provide. But hopefully they will all follow a common standard so that searches can be common across all the services.

UncleKin

We're supposed to keep track?

Pencil and paper!! I still live in the stone age.

Stunning!
Absolutely beautiful. The spreadsheet I currently use started out as a clone to a much earlier version of yours. You have taken the art of Excel to another plane.

Oh, the coins are nice too!

Here's a file I keep on my site.

I have drop down lists for mints & denominations to make life a little easier. There's also tabs for calculation bullion values, and mintages for common denominations. I thought about adding a mintage field and use an IF / VLOOKUP statement to auto-populate the mintage but I'm primarily a type set collector so mintage figures don't rank to high on my priority list.

I also add photos using the "Comment" feature in excel so all you have to do is hover over the cell with the comment and the image pops up automatically.

Click to view attachment

Oh, how cool! Now I have to put drop-down lists on mine!!!

Great job folks. The spreadsheets are wonderful and show a great use of excel. Thanks for sharing.

TreasureGirl, if you run into a problem making the list just PM and I'll help.

Good Luck

i use a modifed version of Ken's Excel spreadsheet. it works very well except for adding in a new coin - the Excel sort feature puts the D's before the P's and that's annoying so i sort manually.

-Steve

Yea that is a pain the way excel does that and it bugs the heck out of me too. If anyone has a good idea I'm all ears.

Try creating a column of numbers to sort the mint marks in the order you want. You can hide the column so it doesn't show on the screen or in your reports.

get a mac. this problem isn't such a problem there.

they look pretty awesome. if i knew anything about excel i'd want a solution like that.