Stamp Inventory Programs

Are stamp inventory programs still a thing? Do people use Excel spreadsheets over these programs? What about Cloud-based applications?

Being a professional software engineer, I'd like to use my skills to help the community in some way, but am not sure which direction to go in. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Scott

I personally use a popular website for this purpose. I wanted to speed up the process of adding my stamps to my virtual inventory, and being a programmer too I made an Android app for stamp image recognition.

There are a number of existing desktop apps including several commercial offerings and there are a number of existing online solutions.

The first consideration is the audience; people who are less technically inclined and 'thrifty'. (Hobbyists would rather spend their money on stamps and cover than apps, catalogs, and albums). In other words users who do not need a software app but may be willing to consider one if it saves them time, is simple and easy, and is not costly.

Over the years and after having this discussion countless times with the community there is still a 'remote vs. local' debate to be resolved. Many stamp hobbyists do not want an app which requires them to be online to use it. A very commonly heard issue is that some stamp shows have spotty (at best) internet availability. The general feeling has been that users do not want to be without their inventory when they need it. So understand that there is going to be some market resistance to a remote app. (Of course going with a local app means you are then are faced with long install downloads, consumption of large amounts of local storage space, and update headaches.)

And then you have the issue with data entry. No one likes data entry. Users end up investing very large amounts of time in data entry, so much time that it dwarfs the cost of the app many times over. This means some users do not accept encrypted databases because they want their investment in data entry to be portable.

It also means the interface has to be something other than a wall of data entry fields. 'Oh gee, another stamp inventory app with a tabbed, index card interface' is a comment that I have heard more than once. I sometimes think that users want data to be entered via osmosis or Vulcan Mind Meld! It also drives a need to have great support/help system (again keep in mind the target audience here is not highly technical).

I have developed 15-20 free, online public SQL stamp databases and have learned one thing. A lot of hobbyists will talk about wanting a database for X, Y, or Z but very few are willing to actually invest time in them.

Stamp recognition has also been tried and has had very limited market impact. This is because simply recognizing a stamp design will never be enough to accurately ID a stamp. Perforations, color shades, paper type and watermark will always be key components of identifying a stamp. And if you can get past this criteria most users will demand recognition which is at least 99% accurate of the time.

And then you have the issue with existing catalog publishers and their proprietary numbering systems. The choice is simple; either negotiate and pay for the use of an existing catalog numbering system or develop an app which is not accepted by a significant portion of the marketplace.

While the above sounds pretty negative keep in mind it is coming from someone who has been a strong advocate if databases and technology for quite some time. My opinion is that while there remains significant technology challenges they pale in comparison to the marketing challenges. The days of being able to simply 'build a great app and they will come' is over.
Don

Being one of Don's "less technically inclined", I put a tick in a catalogue ...

Hi

I also am a software consultant / developer (retired).

Personally, any time I need something for my collection I prefer to "build it". That way I get exactly what I want and do not have to work around someone else's thoughts. Another advantage is that I can start simple and enhance the software anytime it is necessary.

Right now my inventory is written entirely in WORD VBA and has worked nicely over the years. It is planned to re-write in VB.NET.

Jerry B

I had used some programs but ended up with Excel. It is super easy easy to enter data and can change my mind. I had used MS Access but never made up my mind on certain aspects. That is, it delayed my organizing actions. I also can view it on my phone.

Is it the best? No.

If I'm going to a show and looking for specific items, plain old pen and paper for a want list works nicely. I'm not heavily technically inclined, but can do Excel spreadsheets without much difficulty. But for me, as Don mentioned, it's the time factor.

I have more than 20,000 stamps in my inventory and I could not do it without a commercial program I bought a few years ago and upgrade 1X a year, as 1) I am computer illiterate 2) I hate spreadsheets and do not have the time to use it (like Excel). There is at least (minimum) another 20,000 waiting to be identified and inventoried, before I leave this life for another stamp life !

Great responses!

filkata - Which website do you use? What programming tools did you use to create your stamp image recognition app?

Don - thank you for the comprehensive response. You've made an excellent point that everybody has their own preference in how to track their collections. It's said that you can judge the intelligence of a man (person) by how much they agree with you...lol. I agree with everything you posted.

GeoffHa - I once did that as well, before I was drawn to the dark side of programming computers.

jbcev80 - Like you, I prefer to build rather than buy.

angore - I'm currently doing the same thing, tracking everything in Excel.

Climber Steve - I agree that time is definitely a factor. I try to stay on top of tracking my collections, but it's a challenge.

Renden - Is the commercial program you use something current or an older program? Is it updated often? Do you like the interface? Curious about how you track everything.

I'd like to start off with a website that can hold a user's want list and maybe allow them to upload and display their collections online, all for free. It would be accessible to computers, tablets, and mobile phones. I know when I go to a stamp show or stamp store, I want to be able to have access to those items when I'm buying. Having a list and scanned copies of my albums are extremely helpful in filling empty spots or replacing space fillers.

I use Excel in combination with Dropbox, which permits me to sync to any device on which I've installed the Dropbox app. In an Excel sheet, I keep inventory in one tab, and a want list in another tab. Rows in the sub sheets are divided by country, which is simple because I only collect 5 countries. Before going to a show, I update my lists and synch my devices. Then I can see the lists at any dealer table, with or without WiFi in the hall.

Walkman82



Since I believe we are not allowed to name commercial "stuff" in this Forum, if you want further details, e-mail me

@Walkman82 I am not sure I am allowed to name the website. My software has a thread here: https://goscf.com/t/57417, that should probably cover most of your questions. Unfortunately, I cannot share the actual app itself as I do not yet have 50 posts, but I am getting there and you can see it then :)

I do not entirely agree, filkata, as your thread posted (link) deals with software recognition programs and that is not what I was talking about.....a commercial stamp inventory software and other "stuff"

@Renden, I am sorry, I do not understand what you dont agree with. If you mean my app is not about managing inventory, the whole point of the image recognition in it is to enter your stamps in an online list faster (without having to browse through the catalog).

I would like to use Scott numbers to do my inventory. But I thought the use of Scott numbers might elicit a legal response from them... Am I right?

ananthveerappan - As I understand it, using Scott numbers in a commercial product would require some form or permission or licensing. I wouldn't use a numbering system for any software I built, but would leave it to each user to choose how they want to number their lists or pages (Scott, Stanley Gibbons, Michel, etc.)