Working On An Offline Collection

Hi everyone,

Because I don't want my collection data stored in a third-party cloud or tied to a monthly subscription, I started building a lightweight, 100% offline Windows desktop application (stores everything locally on your own PC in a private database).

Question for you.

1. What specific fields or details are an absolute "must-have" for you when cataloging an item?
2. For those who have insured their collection: what information did your insurance company require in your documentation report?
3. Looking at the screenshot, is there anything you would change or add to make daily cataloging faster?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts or suggestions!

I built an Excel sheet that included what you have plus a field for certificate numbers and organizations, price paid and from where/whom and final disposition if sold with sold price. Also, a field for special notes.

I insured with Hugh Woods and nothing other than a lump sum value was necessary. My worksheet was my backup along with scanned in receipts and certificate images in case a claim was ever necessary.

My images were not linked to my worksheet, but what you have done looks useful. I do like being able to sort out what I need versus what I have or want to replace.

Thank you so much for sharing this, that insight about Hugh Wood only requiring a lump sum upfront while keeping your own backup with receipts and certificates for a potential claim is super helpful!

Linking multiple images (like scanned receipts and certificates) directly to each item so they aren't separated from the sheet was actually my main reason for building this.

Your point about tracking "final disposition / sold price" and having a status for items you "want to replace/upgrade" (alongside "owned" and "wishlist") is a fantastic idea. Do you keep sold items in the same list with a "Sold" status, or do you prefer moving them to a separate archive tab?

I would suggest you have a look at https://www.lastdodo.nl/nl to see what basic information would be required. It, also, will show you the problems with creating an app for collections of different types.

For an individual stamp collector, information on the actual stamp in the collection, also, would be required.
Certificate numbers and issuers, as suggested, would be very interesting.
Not just price paid, but also the source may be interesting (keep in mind a platform may also involve a seller).
You might want to add specialist items, or formats (e.g. block of four, or cylinder block, sheet header, etc.).
Colours, types, dies, luminescence (incl. layout, colour, etc.) etc.
For stamps with overprints: similar information might be required for the basic stamp and the overprint, with a cross reference to the original stamp.

The end purpose(s) of any spreadsheet or database will determine what fields you will find useful to create - whether it is primarily a "have list", a "want list", an "insurance inventory", etc. The "must have" fields may differ significantly depending on the end purpose. Since we know very little about the extent, value, focus, goals of your collection, etc., these are largely questions only you can truly answer. A collection of a few thousand items may also suggest a different approach than one with 100,000 items.

Beyond that, is the purpose to spend time with your computer or your collection? Why spend time recreating a listing which largely repeats stamp catalog listings versus creating a unique database of new knowledge like a census of postal history items where sorting by various fields can reveal unseen trends.