How do you document your coins?

Discussion in 'Coin Chat' started by Tom Babinszki, Dec 15, 2019.

  1. Tom Babinszki

    Tom Babinszki Member

    I keep an organized Excel catalog of my coins, with approximately the same amount of data Numista lists.
    But when it comes to additional information about the individual coins, I haven't found a good way to organize it.
    Originally I just tried to remember what I read, after all, it was all interesting, but there comes a point where I could no longer remember what I read.
    Later I started to take notes in text files, one file per country. This is where I dropped interesting things I have heard or read, related web sites, book titles I read with a short description or sometimes notes I took from each book.
    But at this point it is a disaster, organized by country.
    The reason why I don't add notes to the individual coins is because what I read often relates to a particular country, era, etc.

    I am curious, how do you keep your notes organized, what works for you, what have you tried that didn't seem to work out?
     
    Chuck_A likes this.
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  3. Islander80-83

    Islander80-83 Well-Known Member

  4. Tom Babinszki

    Tom Babinszki Member

    Thank you, this sounds good. Do you know if you can upload an existing Excel catalog into this software?
     
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  5. Collecting Nut

    Collecting Nut Borderline Hoarder

    My own Excel spreadsheet. That way my wife can seem what she'll need to know if I die first.
     
    Tom Babinszki likes this.
  6. Islander80-83

    Islander80-83 Well-Known Member

    My version is several years old. I haven't uploaded any Excel documents. Today's versions may.
     
    Tom Babinszki likes this.
  7. ToughCOINS

    ToughCOINS Dealer Member Moderator

    You can just keep notes in another column of your Excel spreadsheet, or you can right click in one of the existing cells to add comments without adding a new column.
     
  8. Burton Strauss III

    Burton Strauss III Brother can you spare a trime? Supporter

    All of my foreign coins are undocumented
     
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  9. kanga

    kanga 65 Year Collector

    I suspect MS Access would be a great program for more than just basic info.
    Unfortunately MS Access has a steep learning curve.
     
    Tom Babinszki likes this.
  10. longnine009

    longnine009 Darwin has to eat too. Supporter

    4 × 6 index cards. If anything ever happens to my $85 phone, who cares, I'll buy a new one.
     
    Tom Babinszki likes this.
  11. Inspector43

    Inspector43 Celebrating 75 Years Active Collecting Supporter

    I've used these collectors database programs before and hated them. The biggest issue I have is adding inventory. The ones I've used require that you go back and forth to the master database and find the next coin to add. They took several steps to add each coin. I want one that I can populate by just going line to line and adding my quantities. Does this one work with a simple process to add?
     
    Islander80-83 likes this.
  12. physics-fan3.14

    physics-fan3.14 You got any more of them.... prooflikes?

    I have an Excel Spreadsheet that I've been building for the last 23 years.

    I'm pretty fond of it by now.
     
  13. Islander80-83

    Islander80-83 Well-Known Member

    I can add and delete with no problems. I just use the basic functions, type of coin, number of coins, dates, conditions, estimated prices/value, what I paid and pictures.

    There are many functions I don't even use. Did you watch the video on the link I posted?
     
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  14. coin dog

    coin dog Well-Known Member

    The old school way.
    egxhs6kfmesl.jpg
     
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  15. Inspector43

    Inspector43 Celebrating 75 Years Active Collecting Supporter

    Yes, but I couldn't tell how easy it is to add to inventory. In the past database programs if I had five of one coin I had to go to the program database, find the list for that coin (say Mercury Dime) chose the one I want, add it to my inventory. Then for the next dime, go back to the program database, find the dimes again, add the coin. Then back and forth for each dime. Can you just pull up your inventory page and add 3 of these and 2 of those, etc.?
     
  16. Islander80-83

    Islander80-83 Well-Known Member

    I see what you mean now. Yes, you are correct. Every time you want to add a coin to an existing list, you have to go to that coins database. I'm not doing that often, my list and inventory is already established and pretty much static.

    Is it faster then paper and pencil? No, but like Excel it tallies my totals (number) really fast!
     
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  17. Inspector43

    Inspector43 Celebrating 75 Years Active Collecting Supporter

    Well, that may be OK if you have the list populated and only add from time to time. But, with the quantities that I am looking at it wouldn't take long to get tired of populating the list. Thanks for the feedback.
     
    Islander80-83 likes this.
  18. benveniste

    benveniste Type Type

    Photographically.
     
    bruthajoe likes this.
  19. cplradar

    cplradar Talmud Chuchum

    It doesn't really help. It is fun, but it provides no protection in documenting your collection for the police or insurance. You need to hold onto every receipt and your in for a huge battle against the issuance companies.
     
  20. GoldFinger1969

    GoldFinger1969 Well-Known Member

    I'm creating a simple Excel sheet for my coins and my bills. I only have probably 100 items in total, and probably 2/3rds of those are bullion or quasi-bullion coins.
     
    cplradar likes this.
  21. ldhair

    ldhair Clean Supporter

    I use Coin Elite. I can add all the images and notes that are needed. After using it for over 20 years, I can't change now.
     
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