Collection Tracking

[tailGator]

What software do you guys use for tracking your collection? I'm starting to put mine into the the Atari Guide Game Manager, but it doesn't have any label variation information. I'm having to insert additional rows into the Excel sheet for these situations and it's quite annoying.

 

Is there one out there that already has this information? Thanks in advance.

[SS]

Here's my Excel file. It's based upon the AA Rarity Guide.

atari_carts___us.zip

[Canuck]

A paper and a pencil is what I use. The collection isn't anywhere near the size that would need a software program.

[SS]

I use a paper and pencil too. The Excel file is so I can easily take it with me on my PDA.

[Room 34]

I guess I am an übernerd... I built a MySQL database so I could store my collection details and display it with sorting capabilities on my website.

 

Before the database, I had it in an Excel file... seems to be a common approach.

[AtariDude]

Cart Commander. It is available from this site:

 

http://www.arcaderestoration.com/index.asp...sp?OPT=3&CBT=20

[Mindfield]

I'm a wireless nerd. All my stuff gets entered manually into QuickSheet on my Palm, then synced to the desktop for use in Excel. For web display purposes, I hacked together a really quick (I mean it, five minutes, tops) main page that links to HTML-converted-Excel files. It's crude, it looks like utter crap in HTML, but it works and lets me maintain my database on the go -- especially useful at swap meets 'n stuff.

[RCorcoran]

Cart Commander, without a doubt.

[Atari Rescue Group]

I'm not a label variation collector so a good hardcopy solution for tracking NTSC stuff is printing the Atariguide alphabetical list (about 13 pages in a decent sized font). That list covers pretty much anything that I'm gonna find in the wild. It has some old but relative $ values, and C-U-R-ER-UR for rarities. If I saw anything that wasn't on the list I'd probably grab it anyways. I highlight the games I have, and circle the numbers on the left for the manuals I have. Boxes are a short list so I just write those down. It's low tech but it works for me.

[sku_u]

I set up a list on MS Word. That's good enough for me. My main problem is that I do not update it enough, then end up with multiples of the same title.

[Cassidy Nolen]

I have an older printed version of a cartridge list by company (many years before AA exsisted!). I keep it "mostly" up to date. I find the alpha system not very helpful, as I display by manufacturer in numeric order.

 

No real order to third party placement, but rest assured Atari carts are showcased first!

 

Cassidy

[as_the_gavel_falls]

I recently added about 150 new scans to these lists, and they should be pretty complete for the games that are covered. So much to scan so little time

 

Alpha:

http://www.AtariGuide.com/help/listl.htm

 

Short:

http://www.AtariGuide.com/lists/masterlist1.html

 

Long:

http://www.AtariGuide.com/lists/masterlist2.html

[Room 34]

I set up a list on MS Word.  That's good enough for me.  My main problem is that I do not update it enough, then end up with multiples of the same title.

 

I have had that problem too. The key for me has been to create an initiation process that all new additions to the collection must go through. I have a small table set up where I inspect and clean (i.e. swab rubbing alcohol on the metal contacts, and spot-clean and re-glue the labels, if necessary) each new cartridge. No cartridge gets filed in with the rest of the collection until it has undergone this cleaning. Also before they get mixed in with the rest of the collection, the new pile gets moved over to my computer desk where I enter each game in my database.

 

Naturally I've still made a few errors over the several months I've had this system in place, since it's not something I really obsess over (despite the way it sounds here)... but overall it's been a good system.

[Dolt]

I've tried a bunch of different methods, but the key for me is portability--I don't want to carry around 14 sheets of paper, 'cause they don't fold up nicely in my wallet.

 

I had a massive list in 8-point type in Microsoft Word, then I was given a PDA and kept it in there. The problem was that the PDA eventually refused to sync with my computer, so I had no way to get the list out of it. Since I couldn't move data to and from the PDA in general, I eventually stopped carrying it around. Next, I got an iPod, so I put the list on there, but ran out of space (it will only show text files up to a certain length, then cuts off the rest). So I divided the list in half and that worked for a while, but it was a hassle to go back and forth between chunks of list.

 

So I went back to Microsoft Word and reduced everything to 4 columns of 6-point type, and it works just fine.

 

I learned my lesson--just as I like to play simple, lo-tech videogames, keeping track of them should be equally lo-tech.