3 Ways to Get Started Recording Your Collection

If you’re like most people who have a passion for collecting things, you probably enjoy the hunt and showing off your collection more than you do taking meticulous notes about your finds. While keeping good records is extremely important for insurance and financial reasons, sitting in front of a computer or scribbling in a notebook probably isn’t very fun for you. In this article I’ll give you a few tips on how to overcome the “ugh” factor in tracking your collection with RelicRecord.

Think Small

If you have a collection of any significant size, it can be overwhelming to think about recording ALL the items in your collection. When undertaking any significant task, do it slowly and carefully. As it’s said, “when eating an elephant, take one bite at a time!”

To get motivated, pick a small part of your collection to start recording. It could be single drawer, cabinet, or box of items. Set the goal to record everything in that group within a week.

To keep things easy, just record the following:

1. Name of the item
2. Price information (how much you paid, what it is worth, etc.)
3. How you acquired the item

Going forward, repeat the above process for small chunks of your collection at a time. Before you know it, you’ll have information on your entire collection.

From there, use your RelicRecord account to add more details, such as the physical location of your items, condition, and supportive documentation.

Recording in Steps

For some, going “old school” with pen and paper can be the easiest way to jot down basic information.

If that best describes you, consider turning your pads of paper into “spreadsheets,” with rows and columns for documenting basic information. Draw some vertical lines down the sheet for each column and get cracking. Once you’ve filled up a single page, take a break and transition the information to your RelicRecord account.

Having a sheet of notes in front of you while you enter information into RelicRecord is much easier than lugging your items to your computer—or your computer to your items.

Working through only one or two sheets of paper at a time is also a good way to avoid getting overwhelmed by the process.

Rediscover Forgotten Finds

I have an uncle who has collected so much, for so long, that he can’t remember what he has in his collection. Doing a little data entry on your collection is a great way to rediscover items you have forgotten you even had!

To relive the thrill of the hunt, start recording your oldest items first. Dig through the back of your closet or storage room to find those boxes covered in dust. Not only will you get an adrenaline rush of rediscovering a once forgotten item, you’ll also pull together a great record of your inventory.

Remember what I said above; as you begin, start small! Focus on one area at a time so you don’t get discouraged. After all, collecting is supposed to be fun!

Happy Collecting,

Mitchell Adams
Developer & Collector
RelicRecord.com