joshk Posted June 12, 2002 Share Posted June 12, 2002 I would like to know how everyone keeps track of their carts and hardware. Currently I have a spreadsheet in excel, but I would like to replace or improve it. I just thought there has to be a better way. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonesome_pa Posted June 12, 2002 Share Posted June 12, 2002 I use Cart Commander. I find it to be pretty versitle. You can print reports, inventory, etc. and pretty much set it up however you like. Here's where to find it: http://www.arcaderestoration.com/index.asp...sp?OPT=3&CBT=20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Room 34 Posted June 12, 2002 Share Posted June 12, 2002 I also use an Excel Spreadsheet. I have been meaning to database it and link it up to my website (with MySQL) but so far I have been too lazy. No Macintosh version of Cart Commander, of course... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemmi Posted June 12, 2002 Share Posted June 12, 2002 The Cart Commander this is what i use to keep track of all my carts/CD's http://www.arcaderestoration.com/index.asp...ATA=4394&CBT=20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted June 12, 2002 Share Posted June 12, 2002 Just another vote for Cart Commander! Brien's done a great job at adding new features and listening to everyone's requests. Much nicer than trying to keep track of your carts using text files, or Excel, in my opinion. Once you have a fairly sizeable collection, you learn to appreciate nice tools like CC. ..Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Room 34 Posted June 12, 2002 Share Posted June 12, 2002 Now we just need a Mac version! :cry: :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshk Posted June 12, 2002 Author Share Posted June 12, 2002 I was looking at Cart Commander. There was a few questions that I just did not get around to or asking. 1. How often master files are updates and if more are planned to be added (Example Atari 400) 2. Web publish have and need lists (I seen there was a reporting option) Those are the two I can think of off the top of my head. There was others, but because of my phone project at work, I can't think straight at time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattG/Snyper2099 Posted June 13, 2002 Share Posted June 13, 2002 This isn't really all that related but, I was expecting to find a discusion about how to keep track of how many rare carts are owed by collectors. I always wanted to try to figure this out... Has anyone else ever though of trying to track down all the people who own certain 9 and 10 rarity 2600 carts? Alex, Albert, anyone? I was thinking similar to the way DP used to keep track of everyone who owns cubicolor or okie dokie. The names aren't all that important to me allthough, a number count would sufice. I also think that this may help to show exactly how rare carts are to be in a collection and not just how hard they are to find. kudos, MattG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAZ Posted June 13, 2002 Share Posted June 13, 2002 Well I started with simple word pad lists, then I moved on to note pad lists, that allow for bold type, and stuff. I've since moved on to Excel spreadsheets, which really is nice.... But now I hear of this program, and I might give it a try. My collections ARE becoming quite alot bigger, and this program will simply make collecting even more fun than it already is! I LIKE that idea of having groups of collectors post their cartridges online... It might be a nice way to "share the wealth"....so then collectors can post any carts they'd be willing to trade or sell to others registered on the same site. Anything that would give more of an "insider" track than Ebay would probably be worth while and cost effective to me in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krisjohn Posted June 13, 2002 Share Posted June 13, 2002 Since I don't have a huge number of carts (40 Atari 2600 carts I counted this morning, probably only 300 original games across all my platforms) I don't worry about a list. What I do have, however, is JerryG's price guide and a good feel for the value of many games. This means that even if I've got something, if the price is good I'll pick it up. I have assorted duplicates throughout all my various collections. Also, I don't know what Cart Commander is like, but PAL stuff is seriously undersupported across most gaming databases. When I got into the retro Atari scene a year or so ago most of my local finds weren't in AtariAge's database. Now they're in there, but there's no rarity info... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAZ Posted June 13, 2002 Share Posted June 13, 2002 What does it matter about PAL? Do you collect PAL for some reason? They work on European style TVs, I can't think they are much use to people in the US... There are converters I think, or carts that have been remade in NTSC version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krisjohn Posted June 13, 2002 Share Posted June 13, 2002 What does it matter about PAL? Do you collect PAL for some reason? The WA in my location doesn't stand for Washington, it stands for Western Australia. We're PAL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted June 13, 2002 Share Posted June 13, 2002 Has anyone else ever though of trying to track down all the people who own certain 9 and 10 rarity 2600 carts? Alex, Albert, anyone? Interesting idea, creating some sort of "cart registry" for these 9 and 10 rarity carts. The same thing could also be done with prototypes, although some people don't like to keep that a secret so they're not harassed about them.. This is certainly a possibility down the road, but I don't think it'll happen soon with all the other things we have to do on AtariAge first. ..Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted June 13, 2002 Share Posted June 13, 2002 When I got into the retro Atari scene a year or so ago most of my local finds weren't in AtariAge's database. Now they're in there, but there's no rarity info... It's a slow but ongoing process. We've probably added another 100 foreign titles in the last two weeks, and have many hundreds more to add in the future. However, rarity is difficult for us to discern. Since we're stuck here in the US, we'll have to rely on the expertise of foreign collectors to help us determine rarity for these foreign titles. For now we're just trying to build an accurate and (ultimately) complete list of what's out there. If you have scans of any games we're missing, please send them our way and we'll add them to the database. We are only adding games that we can visually verify, both as "proof" that they exist, and also to help categorize them correctly. ..Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darius Nefarious Posted June 13, 2002 Share Posted June 13, 2002 I created an Access database. The advantage is that the DB can contain images. For each of my games, I inserted a box scan, a screen shot, a cart scan, as well as the text of the manual. Needless to say that the file is huge (the images take up much space), but since the DB permanently resides on my HD which is large enough, I don't really care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krisjohn Posted June 14, 2002 Share Posted June 14, 2002 If you have scans of any games we're missing, please send them our way and we'll add them to the database. I'd love to, but I don't have good access to a good colour scanner. I only have a bit of access to a great black and white scanner and bad access to a slow colour scanner. I've been meaning to pickup a USB colour scanner since I got a job, but I keep putting it off. But if you're caught up on submissions, maybe I'll pickup one this weekend while I'm shopping for something that I can use to label 8cm discs... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAZ Posted June 14, 2002 Share Posted June 14, 2002 I've been using that Cart Commander for about two days, and I REALLY like it. I love the value vs. what I paid graph! But someone else mentioned that they made an access database and it supports pictures. Boy would it ever be cool to have the great features of Cart Commander with picture features too! On inspection I spent around the same amount on my 5200 games as the value list shows...so that was definitely good news to me! I do have a really important question tho.... The manufacturer does NOT show up when I enter Atari 5200 games into the database. It'll show up when I select it off the list, but when I edit it, the manufacturer disappears. The 2600 games do NOT have this problem of the manufacturer disappearing after you edit the data Can anyone advise me? I'd love to receive anyone's Cart Commander list...so I can see how others have done theirs. Would anyone email me theirs? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atari70s Posted June 14, 2002 Share Posted June 14, 2002 i was using cart commander but was disapointed with teh 8 bit section ( none). i did a Spread sheet (97 pages worth) but im not happy iwht it anyone want to get it i dont know why i did it (and printed it) i wanted a database on the road but it takes to long to do and fill it out and new carts added. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAZ Posted June 14, 2002 Share Posted June 14, 2002 I think spreadsheets are fine tho....I WAS going to use Correl Quattro Pro (just like Excel)... Cart Commander has more assistance...it put in all the model numbers for me, and sorts the columns much nicer than a spreadsheet would. I keep really good records... I know the date I bought all of my cartridges, and the person who sold them to me... Sometimes it can get challenging figuring out how much I "spent" on each cartridge especially when sometimes I don't JUST get a single cartridge but rather a bunch of carts and maybe some hardware. So I pretty much just have to guess at that time. You can become too obsessive about it, of course, and I fear that I'm already over the edge as far as record keeping. I mean it is KINDA nice to know WHEN you got a cart, and from who. But a cart is a cart, and a system is a system, of themselves, it doesn't matter at all. And who else cares about this information but me anyways. It got pretty "bad" at one point in my collecting. I started to make a list of the cartridges I bought from THE WILD, vs. on Ebay. This was terribly anal of me, since I even had a running total of what I spent in the wild. I don't know how to cure myself of this. When is it TOO anal and obsessive, and when is it not? There's no way to know... Since beginning collecting in March, tho, I've kept every box (not the packaging boxes), but like my Trak Ball Controller box, and my Wico joystick box. I was going to keep ALL of my receipts of transactions, but it quickly became pointless because alot of my transactions were done online, without a "standard" type of receipt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshk Posted June 17, 2002 Author Share Posted June 17, 2002 The one reason that I like to use Excel and a spreadsheet is that I can use Documents2Go and transfer them to both me and my wife's Palm. That way I alway have my current list with me. Just so nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerG Posted June 17, 2002 Share Posted June 17, 2002 I guess I am old-fashioned. I like the feel of paper in my hands and I want to be able to take my lists around. I printed out all the rarity pages here at AtariAge, three-punched them, and put them in an old Atari computer binder. I also put in other system checklists that I printed off the Internet. I have it divided by systems with colored tabs. I enjoy bringing home a cart, finding that I don't have it, and thus taking out the big yellow highlighter and marking off one more game. I keep my cart count going on one page (this does make for lots of erasing). Maybe it's inefficient, but I am not ready to jump to the newest technology (spoken like a true Atari fan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zanza Posted June 17, 2002 Share Posted June 17, 2002 We definitely need a Macintosh version of a Cart Commander alike. I've tried it through VirtualPC on my Mac but it's reallly slow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian M Posted June 17, 2002 Share Posted June 17, 2002 We definitely need a Macintosh version of a Cart Commander alike. I've tried it through VirtualPC on my Mac but it's reallly slow Cart Commander could easily be made for Mac using Filemaker Pro, REALbasic or even the database module in Appleworks. The hardest and most time-consuming part would be get the audit and cart info data in the database. But I suspect any diehard Mac user with decent database skills could get something up and running in a weekend. I'd do it, but I've since sold my Mac and gone 100% Windows (and occassionally Linux when I have the time and ambition to work with it). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian M Posted June 17, 2002 Share Posted June 17, 2002 The one reason that I like to use Excel and a spreadsheet is that I can use Documents2Go and transfer them to both me and my wife's Palm. That way I alway have my current list with me. Just so nice. That's an excellent idea! As an alternative, you could use a Word doc and the Palm word processor, Wordsmith to create a list using either a table or the bullets that look like little checkboxes and check them off as you acquire a cart! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshk Posted June 17, 2002 Author Share Posted June 17, 2002 I did that with my hockey cards with a program called HanDBase. it worked real well when I had a set list of what was available. I could set filters and only show haves, needs, or both. I was going to use it for this, but the list are the issue I was having with that option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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