Documenting a collection

[ccj]

Question-
What’s a good format (method) to create a photo document of a collection with written descriptions?

My idea is to photograph my collection and have a detailed written description on same document or possibly “page”. I’m sure there software or such. I prefer ease of use.

It’s been a long time since I updated my collection and previously I just had a list.

I need to do this for my wife and kids so they know what they’re dealing with when im gone.

 

[J.LeBrasseur]

I have an excel file that I list every helmet I have, description, where I got it what I paid and what it is worth. Each listing has a number on it. I then use a small tag with string on it, I put the helmet number on it and put it on the helmet.

James

 

[michiel]

Dear Charles,
I completely agree with you,
To document my collection for insurance I looked for a good computer program to list all objects with descriptions, but couldn’t find any really good programs,
Finally choose excel which works, but excel is not designed to contain pictures so they don’t fit easily in the database..,but it is the best way for me

 

[michiel]

this is a screenshot of the excel file,
I started giving each item a number, ultrashort description, make photo's from standard viewpoints
this will be kind of catalogue for the insurance company,
a friend / dealer will be asked to estimate values voor the insurance company.
in a more detailed version of the file more information will be added not of interest for insurance,
furthermore I will add columns with date of purchase, price of purchase, condition, dealer or friend I purchased it from, an more detailed description with particularities...
having said this I started the excel file some months ago; after insurance company contacted me, but stopped working on it being busy with normal professional and family duties....
So just started, having a couple of hundred items I should restart continue on the project... if only to be in accordance with insurance, so that's a good incentive...

Having said this, does any of you have a better way, of good suggestion how to proceed (better change plans for the better, before all work is done...)

 

[Steve Nick]

I have my collection, all my data on Kaiser prizes and the Imperial Army by unit along with head dress configuration by unit in MS Access databases.

Works great for filtering and running queries. It can deal with photos but can become quite a memory hog.

 

[ccj]

Our IT person at work told me to try Power Point. I may try that and see how is works

 

[Jvpi]

Hi Charles,

It seems PPT is a solution for you, which allows you to easily add photos together with the text.
I'd also suggest you try out Flickr. The web allows you to upload very large photo files without damaging resolution. You can title and describe your collections too. It works well for me as a network disk.

Jvpi

 

[ccj]

Can you download the Flickr files?

 

[Jvpi]

Can you download the Flickr files?

Anytime for yourself to download your own files in the original size. But you can ban others from downloading your files (view only). Flickr allows you to upload private files too.

 

[Gustaf]

Col Joe tricked me into photographing everything in my collection, right down to the stained underwear and writing up a description of each item. I have not really bothered with current values as that is so fluid that anything that a person puts down would be just a guess next year. Maggie is connected to a trusted friend who is a dealer, and if and when she decides to dispose of the collection, she has a good person ready to help. She has seen the invoices for nearly everything and knows the value, and also knows the difference between wholesale and retail values

 

[stuka f]

I am about to do it too...
... for the theft inssurance...