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Thread: Gear inventory

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Central Illinois
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    72

    Gear inventory

    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

  2. #2

    Join Date
    Feb 2001
    Location
    Greenbank, WA
    Posts
    2,605

    Re: Gear inventory

    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...

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Aug 2018
    Posts
    380

    Re: Gear inventory

    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

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Collinsville, CT USA
    Posts
    2,330

    Re: Gear inventory

    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.

  5. #5
    jim_jm's Avatar
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    Jan 2013
    Location
    San Diego, CA
    Posts
    139

    Re: Gear inventory

    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.

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Purcellville, VA
    Posts
    1,785

    Re: Gear inventory

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

    Sine scientia ars nihil est. (Without science/knowledge, art is nothing.)
    www.imagesinsilver.art
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/156933346@N07/

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Iowa City, Iowa
    Posts
    1,700

    Re: Gear inventory

    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

  8. #8
    C. D. Keth's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Posts
    2,089

    Gear inventory

    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
    -Chris

  9. #9
    ic-racer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Posts
    6,737

    Re: Gear inventory

    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.

  10. #10
    Scyg's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    Chicago, IL, USA
    Posts
    100

    Re: Gear inventory

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

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