How do you keep track of your magazines?

[Phillyman]

So I am in the process of finally putting together a comprehensive list of magazines in my possession. I am using Microsoft Excel and right now just going issue by issue and entering in the following information.

• Name - MegaPlay
• Issue - 9
• Month - March/April
• Year - 1992
• Cover - Terminator
• Condition - Good
• Selling - No
• Location - Shelf 3, Box 4
• Preserved - No

Which looks like this in my spreadsheet.....

Anyways, how do you guys track your collections? It might take me a little while to get this list completed, as I feel like I am around 1900 magazines at the moment. While that sounds like a lot, I do have a bunch of duplicate items in my collection. This final inventory will allow me to know what I can let go of, and possibly trade for magazines that we do need to preserve. Also as I go thru my magazines, I am checking the Gallery and if we are missing a cover scan for the issue, I am scanning the cover before I bag and board the issue. Once I have this list completed, I will upload it to Google Docs so that anyone can see what I already have.

[miketheratguy]

I've found it pretty difficult and time-consuming to list all the magazines that I own (in physical or digital format) but it's something that I need to do in order to ensure that I don't wind up with duplicate copies or skip on something that I don't yet have.

My method is pretty basic but effective for my needs: I simply have a notebook with about a page or two dedicated to each of the different magazines that I have a lot of (EGM, Gamepro, Nintendo Power, etc.). On each page I'll simply fill several columns with increasing digits that represent the issue number of the magazine in question. When I get an issue, I'll circle the corresponding number in red ink. Any numbers that I don't yet have are left alone (and really stand out among all the red circles). That way I can quickly ascertain which issues I have and which ones I still need just by taking a quick glance at the page. For example:

EGM

-------

(1) (6)

2 7

(3) 8

(4) 9

5 (10)

Your spreadsheet idea is a good one, and obviously contains a lot more information than my method does. I'd probably try your way if I had the patience to type up all that information.

[E-Day]

I also use Excel, and have a sheet for each publication. The issue number is first, then the month, then year, then another column if the issue number on the cover differs from the real issue number (looking at you, GamePro), and then a final column for notes on condition and number of copies I have. I should add which box they are in; maybe next time I go through them I will do that.

[marktrade]

I use the Mac spreadsheet program Numbers but with nowhere near enough columns, just the publication month or date of the issue in the first column and then something in the second column to indicate its status–blank, if I don't have it, a little "x" if I do, and the word "scanned" if I've scanned, uploaded, and backed it up. If the magazine came with the disc then in the third column it will be similar–blank, if I don't have the disc, a little "x" if I do, and the word "ripped" if I've successfully copied the disc three times in three different formats and archived it (just to be sure). Row numbers are listed on the left by default, so those are my issue numbers.

[Sean697]

Uh.... I have eschewed the physical and embraced the digital. So Retromags kind of keeps track of the magazines I can read!

But ya the physical stuff I have sits in a plastic bin. Waiting to be eligible for scanning or selling pretty much.

[Leathco]

The ones I have I arrange by release date in milk crates.

[adultdoug]

I use Excel with pretty much your categories with a little more on dates and money. I'm more than a little OCD and I'm trying to database everything I own. I started this and decided to get rid of over half my junk. Its great.