Keeping Track of Comic Collection

[bdc0791]

As my stack of comics begins to multiply exponentially, I'm curious as to how people keep track or log their comic book collection. Excel spreadsheet? Microsoft Word? If you use a spreadsheet or table, what kinds of column headings do you use? Title? Issue? Publisher? What else?

Any insight or ideas on how to keep good records on an ever-growing comic collection would be greatly appreciated!

[GreenLantern2008]

www.comicspriceguide.com

[macul]

I use a SQL database with a custom built web front end written in PHP. I've written it to view my comics pretty much any way I want (title, company, box, et cetera), I can edit my pull list, add issues and remove issues, keep track of my total issue count...pretty much anything I want to do I can write in to it. Took a lot of time, but worth it.

[Ronald Bryan]

As my stack of comics begins to multiply exponentially, I'm curious as to how people keep track or log their comic book collection. Excel spreadsheet? Microsoft Word? If you use a spreadsheet or table, what kinds of column headings do you use? Title? Issue? Publisher? What else?

Any insight or ideas on how to keep good records on an ever-growing comic collection would be greatly appreciated!
Either the year of the first issue published, or the volume number. Or else some series would be a pain to keep track of. Did you know, there have been at least 5 volumes of Captain America?

[Sir Tim Drake]

I use an Excel spreadsheet. My column headings are, in order:

Title
Issue number
Cover date
Publisher
Story title (if an issue contains multiple stories, I have a separate row for each story)
Writer
Penciler
Inker
Cover artist
Miscellaneous notes
Reprint information
Letter writers (notable people with letters published in the issue)

Now that I think of it, I wish I had included one more column heading: Editor. Ah well.

[GUYANATHUGG]

I use a Excel sheet, in alphabetical order with cover images.

[Pil]

I have two separate systems:

A Word document listed alphabetically by series and year of the first issue. Complete series are underlined. Like this:

Alpha Flight (1983): 121 (1-130)
1-2, 4-23, 25-30, 32-114, 118-123, 125-127, 130
Alpha Flight (2004): 12
1-12

The list is easy to use when I'm out looking for back issues.

The other system is a database in Lotus Note. Could be any system, I just prefer Notes. Here I write the explicit issues separated by comma and the total number of issues are calculated. Like this:

Series: Spider-Man (1990)
Publisher: Marvel

Issues: 1 (reg), 1 (silver), 1 (alt), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26
Total: 28

Notes has multivalue fields, so the 'Total' field counts the number of entries in the 'Issues' field, making sure I have the correct number of issues in my collection all the time. This way I can also see if there are some special numbers in the series like X-O Manowar having issues 50-X and 50-O instead of a double sized 50th issue.

It takes a little while to make the system but it's easy to keep up to date (it has to be).

[UniqueFrequency]

i use excel.

they're organised by box, then title then which issues are collected.

[Bakema NL]

Excel spreadsheet. Publisher, titles, limited after regular titles, everything divided in subgroups (Captain America goes on the Avengers page etc.) and last column are the one-shots, specials etc. Simple, but very effective.

Here's an example...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/Lady_Morticia/example.jpg

[Nightcrawler]

I use Word, and list them under publisher, then title.

[borateen]

I keep track of all of my comics (ones I still have and those I've sold) in an Excel spread sheet. It has 28 columns. They are: (1) I put a 1 in this column for a book I've sold/traded, then I use the sum feature to add that up and tell me how many I've sold/traded; (2) I put a 1 in this column for books I have, and I use the sum feature to add that up and tell me how many books I have; (3) Comic Book Name; (4) Publisher; (5) Issue #; (6) How much I paid for the book, and I use the sum feature at the end of the column to tell me how much I've spent on comics; (7) Wizard/Overstreet NM price for the comic, and I use the sum feature to tell me how much my collection would guide for in NM condition; (8) Grade/Condition; (9) Value based on guide price and grade/condition, and I use the sum feature at the end of the column to tell me how much my collection is worth...y'know, if you could actually get Wizard or Overstreet prices; (10) Writer; (11) Penciler/Artist; (12) Inker/artist; (13) Cover artist; (14) artist on any inserts, including trading cards, posters, and pin-ups; (15) Heroes appearing in the issue; (16) Villains appearing in the issue; (17) Supporting characters appearing in the issue; (18) Characters on the cover; (19) Characters appearing on any pin-ups, cards, posters, etc. with the issue; (20) Teams appearing in the issue; (21) Storyline (i.e. Zero Hour, Acts of Vengeance, etc.); (22) Issue title; (23) Issue synopsis; (24) Price I sold it for (if I sold it); (25) What I traded it for (if I traded it); (26) What I paid for it; (27) What it was worth (based on guide/condition) at the time I sold/traded it; (28) Book value at time of sale/trade

You want to talk about OCD? THAT'S OCD for you.

[Hawk]

I had no idea people did this. I just keep mine in stacks on the floor until I finally decide to stuff them in a box.

[macul]

I do it so I can easily see what holes I need to fill. I have a report that will list all missing issues between # and # for any particular series. For example, if I want to see what issues of Uncanny I am missing between 100 and 200 my report will tell me. Pretty handy if I head to a flea market or the such to look for back issues.

[SpecialAgentPunk]

Do new comics have any worth/value anymore, with the release of TPB's and on-going printing?

Like, do the House of M issues have any worth? Will they ever?

[Jayna]

Comicbase, last time I checked it ran about $50, but worth every penny.

[ComicQueen]

I keep a list of what I have and what I need on my computer using the notepad.
I also write what comics I have in a notebook/folder... Incase I go to a comic show and need to know what ones I need or need to replace.

[i_mmmchocolate]

I use Excel.

Columns: title (# if applicable), publisher, year, and brief synopsis.