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Other Stuff => General Wargames and Hobby Discussion => Topic started by: Kugelfang on October 16, 2021, 03:48:40 PM

Title: Wargame Collection Management... How do you track your toys?
Post by: Kugelfang on October 16, 2021, 03:48:40 PM: Just posted up an article about how I track my toys at Petite Guerre (https://petiteguerre.blogspot.com).

(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jYid-sIkrpk/YWrNmrtjNhI/AAAAAAAABfE/s3-Pfou7glgw4uMxIWnRAUVDqQuSYRbhQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/muster_landing_page.png)

I'd be interested in learning how other wargamers do this. I probably took it to an extreme. I suspect everybody does this differently (if at all ;-) )!

--jeff
Title: Re: Wargame Collection Management... How do you track your toys?
Post by: fred on October 16, 2021, 04:24:18 PM: Interesting, thanks for sharing.

I’ve toyed with this a couple of times, and between the volume of stuff to list and constant indecision on what level to record, I’ve not got very far.

The most thorough I have been was to list figures at the box (or layer of box) level and this was around 120 items - and I’ve since rejigged my storage quite a bit so this isn’t probably that valid any more. This is obviously at a pretty high level, and even this through up quite a lot of complexities around genres and other categorisation. Probably not helped by me collecting across lots of periods and wanting to get most use out of figures with different rule sets.

I see that you have gone for this fairly macro level of categorisation, but then listing out some more detail about what is contained in the group.

The other extreme that I have toyed with but not done anything practical with is to list every base of figures - as most of my figures are 10mm they tend to be multi based. This would then allow fancy stuff to be done with categorisation to help build army lists for different games / rules. But this feels a lot of effort for the return - and is probably why I haven’t done anything with this.

Then there are unpainted figures…

I’ll have more of a ponder on this - ultimately it all feels a lot like work! And I’d probably rather spend my free time paining.
Title: Re: Wargame Collection Management... How do you track your toys?
Post by: Harry Faversham on October 16, 2021, 05:18:27 PM: I don't, once the little sods get painted their job's...
to look after themselves, that's why they've all got popguns!

:o
Title: Re: Wargame Collection Management... How do you track your toys?
Post by: warrenpeace on October 16, 2021, 10:44:28 PM: A friend of mine made an Excel spreadsheet of all of the 28mm War of Spanish Succession units that our group had for the big Blenheim 2004 project. I think it was updated a bit in 2005 as we prepared for Ramilles 2006. But it's not up to date, and I'm not sure that he's updated it since 2005/2006. I made a list of my own WSS units in a Word document.

Somewhere I might have a hand written list of my 15mm Seven Years War units. I'll have to look for it, or just do a list in the computer.

Need to do this for some other periods that I collect. It's really a good idea to inventory them.
Title: Re: Wargame Collection Management... How do you track your toys?
Post by: Moriarty on October 17, 2021, 07:38:23 AM: I find I don’t need one - once I’ve painted them, they tend to stick in the memory? Have never found the need to reckon a sum total, as they are produced to satisfy a ‘project’ usually a different period from the rest.
Title: Re: Wargame Collection Management... How do you track your toys?
Post by: Dolnikan on October 17, 2021, 08:01:51 AM: I'm terrified of even trying. There are hundreds upon hundreds of them and for many, I wouldn't even know how to categorise them. That however might also be because I also have fantasy things which always are a fair bit harder to box in.
Title: Re: Wargame Collection Management... How do you track your toys?
Post by: bluewillow on October 17, 2021, 09:25:45 AM: Excel spread sheet, that also has army lists for games etc so I can cut and paste as required. I also have a painting project list and a wish list.

Cheers
Matt
Title: Re: Wargame Collection Management... How do you track your toys?
Post by: flatpack on October 17, 2021, 10:00:53 AM: Haven’t needed to do this, as once the figures are painted, they go into the display cabinets and they can all be seen and played with.
I must say though, that a tray full of 28mm sailors have now gone missing.
I think they are on shore leave, and will be back when they sober up. lol
Title: Re: Wargame Collection Management... How do you track your toys?
Post by: has.been on October 17, 2021, 12:38:45 PM: Quote
I don't, once the little sods get painted their job's...
to look after themselves, that's why they've all got popguns!

lol lol lol lol True Harry.

Quote
Haven’t needed to do this, as once the figures are painted, they go into the display cabinets and they can all be seen and played with.
I must say though, that a tray full of 28mm sailors have now gone missing.
I think they are on shore leave, and will be back when they sober up. lol

JC is a baaaaad influence on your naval troops. :D
Title: Re: Wargame Collection Management... How do you track your toys?
Post by: Kugelfang on October 17, 2021, 01:45:58 PM: Thanks for the responses, everyone. From here and what I'm reading on another forum it appears that I'm probably the only person who's gone to this extreme. And, I have to admit, cataloging a sizable collection is like eating an elephant. Cataloging a small one is unnecessary.

The application doesn't provide the organization. It just provides a framework on which to hang it. The real work is in organizing, not cataloging. Horses for courses, of course.

--jeff
Title: Re: Wargame Collection Management... How do you track your toys?
Post by: abbot_amaury on October 17, 2021, 02:49:57 PM: Hi Jeff,
thanks for the interesting blog article. And you are not in this alone! ;)
I'm using quite a similar approach with slightly different intention: a wiki (dokuwiki) running in my LAN and customized to my needs.
Main intention was a paint log for my minis (I am a super slow painter and I always forget what colors I used when I started to paint a mini some years ago...). But I also use it for managing other data like manufacturer, sculptor etc.

(https://up.picr.de/42266800ue.png)
Title: Re: Wargame Collection Management... How do you track your toys?
Post by: Marko on October 17, 2021, 03:52:59 PM: I use the Collection Calculator website for mine. Useful in that it can be used to work out a replacement value so I can get my house contents insurance adjusted as appropriate.
Title: Re: Wargame Collection Management... How do you track your toys?
Post by: Sterling Moose on October 17, 2021, 08:57:54 PM: I never keep track of what I have painted or otherwise. Often I open a box and it's a great surprise as to what it contains! On more than one occasion I've bought something at a convention only to later find I had bought it previously and now have two..........or more :D :D
Title: Re: Wargame Collection Management... How do you track your toys?
Post by: WuZhuiQiu on October 18, 2021, 03:23:25 AM: Quote from: Kugelfang on October 16, 2021, 03:48:40 PM
Just posted up an article about how I track my toys at Petite Guerre (https://petiteguerre.blogspot.com).

(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jYid-sIkrpk/YWrNmrtjNhI/AAAAAAAABfE/s3-Pfou7glgw4uMxIWnRAUVDqQuSYRbhQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/muster_landing_page.png)

I'd be interested in learning how other wargamers do this. I probably took it to an extreme. I suspect everybody does this differently (if at all ;-) )!

--jeff

That is an approach that I ought to follow, while deciding what to keep and what to dispose of. May I have copies of Muster and of Cache?
Title: Re: Wargame Collection Management... How do you track your toys?
Post by: Hummster on October 18, 2021, 07:14:30 AM: I use a Google sheet for it, so pretty much the same as Excel.
Title: Re: Wargame Collection Management... How do you track your toys?
Post by: warlord frod on October 18, 2021, 03:53:09 PM: My collection is in various plastic bead boxes and small tubes. I have labeled each box and using word I have made detailed list of each boxes contents. These lists enable me to find things quickly and after I have finished gaming I put them back in the appropriate box. A large portion of my collection are for games like Mage Knight, Star Wars miniatures and Hero clixs so this system helps me know what to buy as I continue to complete my collection. My Historical and Fantasy/Since fiction collections are organized by period (ACW, Ancients, WW II, WH 40K, Epic 40K, etc) Again I have made a general note on each boxes contents and keep my lists in a binder so that I can find things quickly and keep them organized when putting them away. The organization process took a couple of years to get done but has been worth it. If I had it to do over again however I think I would have done this on excel spread sheets.
Title: Re: Wargame Collection Management... How do you track your toys?
Post by: Easy E on October 19, 2021, 03:47:44 PM: I don't bother.

I keep the painted ones in unique cases or on the shelf so they are easy to see/find. Unpainted tend to stay in the box until their time comes.

I really do not have a backlog of unpainted, and purchase as I go to avoid one.
Title: Re: Wargame Collection Management... How do you track your toys?
Post by: fusilierdan on October 21, 2021, 03:35:12 AM: I have an Excel file for my inventory. There's a sheet for each period, not all are filled in yet.
the headers are, Unit Name, # of Figures, # of Bases, Type, Army, Manufacturer, Item # , Painted, Unpainted, Cost, Total, Value, Total figures.

Not as detailed as the OPs and a little disjointed but works for what I need. At least if my heirs find it will give them an idea of what's what and how much it's worth.
Title: Re: Wargame Collection Management... How do you track your toys?
Post by: Tactalvanic on October 21, 2021, 09:49:00 AM: Thats given me something to think on. its certainly inline with capabilities.

But really does sound to much like my day job/work :D.

But damn it would be a good idea