I Need Some Personal Opinions for My Pony Collection

[Rainlove The Pegasus]

Here is my situation:

I re-did my MLP Notebook this week since I felt the need to.

Now I feel like it is not necessary.

I have a notebook with my ponies I have collected over the years written down in it.

I finished the brushable hair ponies sections this week. (G1 to G5).

My next section is the clothing, blankets, socks, jewelry, etc.

I really am overwhelmed on this.

I really cannot decide if I need/want the notebook for both things. (ponies and merchandise).

I want to convert everything to places I can access, but not online too. (notebook).

I feel as if the notebook is ridiculous for the ponies, and I should make it just for the non ponies since I am almost out of space in some sections for the ponies I add to the notebook sections for a page. I hate having OCD...

I have my mlp sites saved in bookmarks on my MacBook. MLP Merch, My Little Wiki. I use those for my pony collecting.



This is what I am dealing with for now. If anyone can give me their opinions, that would be helpful. I really want to get a system down soon.

Thank you so much for reading! Hope to get assistance soon!

[Griffin]

I think some sort of an inventory or checklist is a good idea for someone actively collecting - but which format to choose depends on your needs. I'm very much a notebook person, but I've always kept lists of my collection on my computer (Word or Excel files). I'm not very good at remembering backups, though, and have lost my files previously... It's not fun to start listing them again from scratch! Something like Google docs/sheets would probably be a better idea. But because I'm not a very active collector, and I rarely sell anything, a notebook might actually work very well for my needs. Thanks for the idea! 

Here are some features of each format that I can think of:

Electric (files offline or in cloud)
- Easy to edit, you will never run out of space
- Easily copy & paste to create wishlists
- Excel and similar spreadsheet options: you can have a 'book' with separate sheets for different collections (e.g. by generation, accessories, merch...) and can include information in columns --> easy to sort (let's say you include the date of acquisition in one column, so you can sort by this column and instantly know how many ponies you added to your collection this year, for example).
-  If you don't want to track any other information about your items except list what you have, a regular text file should work just fine (you can create headings for different sections for easy navigation).
- Backups needed if working offline --> need to develop a system to make sure info is up to date


Notebook (paper)
- Requires a system of organisation to easily find information --> I suggest adopting some of the bullet journal type methods, e.g. using page numbers and a table of contents / index
- Two different notebooks for ponies and merch?
- Perhaps not ideal for someone whose collection frequently changes (lots of purchases and sales) but would work for a less active collector or someone like me who mainly adds to their collection, slowly
- If you want to ensure you won't run out of space, maybe a checklist type of solution --> list all the ponies in the set and mark the ones you have (writing them all down is a lot of work, though!)
- Could also look into a folder or some other solution where you can add pages and move them around

I suppose the ultimate question to ask yourself is: What do I need to know about my collection? When and how do I need to access my lists?
For me, the main purpose of making lists is to a) avoid accidentally buying doubles, b) getting the satisfaction of seeing sets completed. The last time I started over, I also began to include information such as where I got the pony from and how much I paid for it - the latter so that it would be easier to see how prices fluctuate over the years. But now I've switched laptops again and I'm not sure if I have a copy of my spreadsheet anymore...

[Shaiyeh]

I love notebooks, but I know your dilemma of running out of space/not knowing how many pages to save before starting a new section etc.

How about a binder with index tabs? That way you'd have an index at the start, and you can move pages, add pages and sections, remove stuff you don't like etc. hat's what I would do, probably

eta: and if you're worried about writing an index in case you have to move things, I would suggest writing on washi tape (which is removable) or laminating the index page and writing with marker you can wipe off! 

[lovesbabysquirmy]

I have a dreamy brain cloud that has something to do with a collecting binder/scrapbook but I haven't had time to really do anything about it...

[BlackCurtains]

There's really great advice here I have nothing to add, I'm bad at keeping track of things

[Taffeta]

I have an excel document. It's helpful for me remembering what G3 I have because I can never remember. I know which G1 I have, but the excel helps me with details like price tags on pony cards and things like that.

It's really up to you what works best.

[Beth3346]

I have a spreadsheet i use to keep track. i like being able to rearrange, sort, etc. I used to track date purchased and what i paid but i stopped a few years back.

I agree with Taffeta. figure out which method works best for you.

[Starflash]

If you don't want excel you can use Sheets on Google Docs you can access this with or without the use of internet as well.. like if you don't have wifi that's ok access it with your phone app if your on the road. Also your not stuck using a computer. And you won't run out of space in a note book. I set mine up with excel but this was before Google sheets was made so I'm needing to move mine to "Sheets"
Anyways this is go how to set it up as I see it
Make it a check list ✔️ on each line except for these top lines
1. My little pony check list
2. Mlp total + columns 3-8 together
3. G1 + the ponies you have in each Gen for rows 3-8
4. G2
5. G3 & G3.5
6. G4 & G4.5
7. G5
8. Retro
Mlp total value - don't ever share this value keep it to yourself FYI
Mlp total investment- same here. Especially if you are under government pay like Social Security.. k
Anyways left to right columns are
Check ✔️
name of pony
Type of pony (earth,  Unicorn etc)
Generation of pony
Year
Country
Investment (what it cost to buy)
Value ( what it's actually worth) did you get a good deal???
Pic of your pony with in the cell ( you might make the cell a little bigger)
Brought it... or state it's a gift
Accessories (make it so you can list the accessories with the pony )
# of Accessories- however many there are list the number.





 

[Rainlove The Pegasus]

I think some sort of an inventory or checklist is a good idea for someone actively collecting - but which format to choose depends on your needs. I'm very much a notebook person, but I've always kept lists of my collection on my computer (Word or Excel files). I'm not very good at remembering backups, though, and have lost my files previously... It's not fun to start listing them again from scratch! Something like Google docs/sheets would probably be a better idea. But because I'm not a very active collector, and I rarely sell anything, a notebook might actually work very well for my needs. Thanks for the idea! 

Here are some features of each format that I can think of:

Electric (files offline or in cloud)
- Easy to edit, you will never run out of space
- Easily copy & paste to create wishlists
- Excel and similar spreadsheet options: you can have a 'book' with separate sheets for different collections (e.g. by generation, accessories, merch...) and can include information in columns --> easy to sort (let's say you include the date of acquisition in one column, so you can sort by this column and instantly know how many ponies you added to your collection this year, for example).
-  If you don't want to track any other information about your items except list what you have, a regular text file should work just fine (you can create headings for different sections for easy navigation).
- Backups needed if working offline --> need to develop a system to make sure info is up to date


Notebook (paper)
- Requires a system of organisation to easily find information --> I suggest adopting some of the bullet journal type methods, e.g. using page numbers and a table of contents / index
- Two different notebooks for ponies and merch?
- Perhaps not ideal for someone whose collection frequently changes (lots of purchases and sales) but would work for a less active collector or someone like me who mainly adds to their collection, slowly
- If you want to ensure you won't run out of space, maybe a checklist type of solution --> list all the ponies in the set and mark the ones you have (writing them all down is a lot of work, though!)
- Could also look into a folder or some other solution where you can add pages and move them around

I suppose the ultimate question to ask yourself is: What do I need to know about my collection? When and how do I need to access my lists?
For me, the main purpose of making lists is to a) avoid accidentally buying doubles, b) getting the satisfaction of seeing sets completed. The last time I started over, I also began to include information such as where I got the pony from and how much I paid for it - the latter so that it would be easier to see how prices fluctuate over the years. But now I've switched laptops again and I'm not sure if I have a copy of my spreadsheet anymore...

Wow! This is super useful! Thank you! 

Post Merge: April 23, 2024, 05:28:37 PM

I love notebooks, but I know your dilemma of running out of space/not knowing how many pages to save before starting a new section etc.

How about a binder with index tabs? That way you'd have an index at the start, and you can move pages, add pages and sections, remove stuff you don't like etc. hat's what I would do, probably

eta: and if you're worried about writing an index in case you have to move things, I would suggest writing on washi tape (which is removable) or laminating the index page and writing with marker you can wipe off! 

Actually, this is super! I do not have any tabs for binders anymore, I might need to buy some! And find a big enough binder.