Gear inventory

[knjkrock]

Thinking about trying to keep track of gear. Maybe index cards. Anyone have a system that works well? Digital photo stored in cloud for insurance? Would appreciate any experiences you would share.

Thanks

Ken

[Kevin Crisp]

Not very high tech, but I just made a word document with descriptions and serial numbers. When something leaves or goes I update it. Take a photo of everything in one place occasionally for insurance purposes, since otherwise nobody is going to believe you had all that stuff...

[Oslolens]

Evernote for everything. Even passwords, though disguised or truncated. Photos and lists of boxes stored elsewhere. Easy reached on my smartphone and pc.

Sent fra min SM-G975F via Tapatalk

[Greg]

Turn 72 this year and have over the past 50+ years accumulated a whole lot of photographic gear. Rarely sold off items unless it was to purchase a better lens or such. I use simple WORD documents to list and value all my equipment. Items are grouped by their format or their general use (darkroom, studio, Photomacrography, etc.). Serial numbers always included. Every 2 years I take a day and go through the lists and revalue the items. Documents are printed out and one set resides in my studio/darkroom and the other in a safe deposit box. The one inside the safe deposit box for insurance purposes and also specific instructions for selling the equipment should something happen to me. Have seen too many times when a photographer passed away, that their equipment was sold as a lot to someone who paid mere pennies on their actual dollar value.

[jim_jm]

Excel spreadsheets. Easy to filter and sort data and link information to other worksheets.
I also track my film and paper inventory and update whenever I use a significant amount of either, or once a month or so. I'll update values once a year, or if prices start going crazy.
I've got about 50 35mm,MF and LF cameras, and over 75 lenses total. I'd never be able to keep track otherwise. It also comes in handy whenever I need to sell some gear, as a quick glance helps to decide what needs to go, if I haven't used it in awhile.

[Ulophot]

+1 for Excel, and I'm no Excel wiz.

[Duolab123]

My Dad shot a roll of Ektachrome slides, had them developed and he stored them in his safety deposit box. Of course that was 40 years ago. Back in the 70's the police had an engraving tool they would lend folks to scribe their social security number on valuables :rolleyes:

[C. D. Keth]

Photos and a serial number list. I also have a habit of pasting P-touch labels all over my things with my name and phone number. I hide some of those labels inside tripod tubes, battery doors, etc. Sneaky places. I record the location of the hidden ones in my serial # document.

Most important but is to get that document to your homeowners or renters insurance carrier and to insure your things under that policy. Keep the valuations updated. Things change. Lenses like antique petzvals you could get for a song 20 years ago are $2,000 now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ic-racer]

I'm still using the same database I put together in 1989. A database is nice, I can sort by purchase date, or manufacture date or price, etc. Looks like the earliest entry is my 8x10 camera I got in 1975.

[Scyg]

Never felt the need to inventory or keep track of gear. Is this for accounting/tax/insurance purposes?

[John Kasaian]

I need to update my equipment list.
This might be a good Corona activity.
I'll pour the Coronas!:cool:

[Drew Wiley]

For insurance as well as potential theft issues (police reports), it's a good idea not just to have photo documentation, but recorded serial numbers as well as copies of original receipts. I've been through that whole mantra once personally, and it's quite important. But I've also been through it hundreds of times in relation to customers who had equipment stolen or lost in a fire, and needed insurance replacement.

[Drew Bedo]

Why not a spread sheet?

[goamules]

I use a spreadsheet. It shows serial, condition, flange y/n, lensboard size if mounted, focal length, speed, where I bought/who from, price paid, estimated value. When I used to buy/sell a lot of lenses, it was very valuable. Someone would ask "do you have an 12 in petzvals with a flange?" and I could just open up the sheet instead of trying to remember. When you have hundreds of lenses and cameras, it is helpful.

[Jeff Keller]

If you have a gmail account, use Google Docs or Google Sheets

https://www.google.com/docs/about/
or
https://www.google.com/sheets/about/

You'll have the record accessible as long as you have access to an internet connection.

[Paul Ron]

my system is the WC Fields archiological time line pile o crap. if i need to dig out something, i just think of what i was playing with prior to what im looking for.

as for insurance?... my camera collection is worth over a million bucks on ebay, but to the insurance company, its worthless old junk!

cataloging my stuff will be a job for my kids when im worm food.

[ericantonio]

Just a text editor and simple note on computer.
Like:

210 Computar Symetrigon
50mm 1.7 Rokkor
50mm 1.4 Rokkor
Minolta SRT 101 (tab) serial number (tab)
etc

You can port a simple ascii note to any computer or any app

[Willie]

Take photographs and write the serial numbers, purchase dates/notes on the prints, or on the back of the prints?
If you do it right you can photograph so serial numbers show.
CD/DVD/print copy with your insurance agent?

[pendennis]

I've used Excel to track my camera equipment, guns, fountain pens, watches, jewelry, for years. I've taken pictures of each item, and attached it to that row.

If you want to get a bit more detailed, use MS Access. It's a database that's very user friendly, and allows for inserted photos into each record. I would have gone in that direction had I not already started with Excel.

Everything gets backed up to the "cloud" daily. I use IDrive for that.