Posted on: Tuesday, December 7, 2004

HELP DESK
Programs organize your collectibles

By Kim Komando

Organizing collectibles is a snap using your computer.

You can maintain records about what you own, its value, the location and include a picture. While specialized database software helps get the job done, you already may have exactly what you need.

Many new computers come loaded with database or spreadsheet programs, which you can use to maintain your collections.

If your collection hasn't reached hundreds of items, you could set up a simple spreadsheet. Make the appropriate column headings and enter each item on a separate row. At the bottom, total the number and value. You could do the same thing using tables in a word processing program such as Microsoft Word.

Unlike using a spreadsheet or word processor, database programs allow you to fine-tune searches and generate meaningful reports. For example, want to know how many items in your collection are worth more than $100? How about the more than $100 blue-colored items purchased between certain months or years?

Unfortunately, database programs aren't easy to master. That's where specialized collectible database programs shine. These programs manage records on specific collectibles — comic books, foreign coins, antiques, wine — you name it.

For example, Collectibles Organizer Deluxe (www.primasoft.com; $65; Windows) is good for a wide range of collectibles. The software provides fields for entering each item's name, condition, purchase price and date, value and notes.

For the Mac, the Complete Collector (www.colourfull.com; $9.95) can organize and manage any kind of collection.

Coin Collector's Assistant Plus (www.carlisledevelopment.com; $84.95; Windows only) comes preloaded with U.S. coin information. For each coin you have, select the type, date, condition and other details from drop-down menus. The values are automatically determined based on the condition of the coin you own.

ComicBase 9 Standard Edition (www.comicbase.com; $149; Windows only) has title, publisher, publication date, genre, description and other relevant information for more than 225,000 comic books. There is an archive edition for $150 more that has additional images, video clips and interviews with comic book creators. For the Mac, Comics 1.5 (www.xidiar.com/comics; $12.95) will work.

Vinyl record and CD collectors will want to look at Music Catalogue Master (www.kixsoftware.com; $24.95; Windows only). There's virtually no typing involved. Just insert a CD into your CD drive. The program automatically connects with an online database and fills in the title, genre, label, release year, performer, composer and duration of each track. For LPs, enter the artist's name or record title and the program fills in the rest.

Three programs from Bruji (www.bruji.com; $18 each) allow Mac users to organize their CD, DVD and book collections with a minimum of fuss. CDpedia, DVDpedia and Bookpedia connect with online databases, so all you have to do is type in a title. All relevant information is instantly filled in.

If all this sounds like too much work, there's the Cordless Collector (www.intellisw.com/intelliscanner/cordlesscollector; $299; Mac and Windows). This handheld device scans bar codes located on the back of books, CDs, DVDs and games and wirelessly transfers detailed information to your computer.

It doesn't get much easier than that.

Reach Kim Komando at www.komando.com/newsletter.asp.