Hi Jordan-
Good for you! Its never fun, but a catalog is so valuable! Rather than using
a specific program for a shell catalog, of which there are several around,
I'm sure you will hear about them, I use a windows based database program
(R-Base, Access, Paradox, File Maker, your choice) because of the great
flexability. I set up a master table which lists the species number (I
prefer this to specimen number), location (I have a system of two digits-two
digits which describe which cabinet and which drawer the shell is in), the
family, the genera, the specie, the author and date, price- what I paid or
"normal" price if collected or traded for, and finally a one digit field for
condition (1-great shell, great data, 2-great shell poor data, 3-fair shell,
good data, 4- why do I have this grunge?) When I run a report of the
collection, I can sort on any of these fields, so if I want the whole
collection by family, or only one group within a family I can get it. I can
also have it group by condition before I go to a show so I know what I want
to possibly buy to upgrade. Taking the whole catalog with me also keeps me
from buying the same thing forty two times! I can also print labels, which
while that is nice when new material comes in, its even better when multiple
trades are going out! Saves on writers' cramp of the fingers!!!
What I plan to do next (someday?) is to set up a related table which will
primarily be a look-up of collection notes (this would have to be a memo
field to accomodated as much data as I have), the benefit would be that I
would enter this info. once and it would spill to each record it pertains
to. But I am a bit behind in this part of the project- I set up the data
base when I had about 1500 specimens, I now have 4000!  Good Luck  Karen
-----Original Message-----
From: Jordan Star <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Sunday, November 21, 1999 10:53 AM
Subject: time to catalog


>I have lots of time (no job) and I always wanted to catalog my shell
>collection. It will be a MONUMENTAL task as I've been collecting for 30 or
so
>years (since I was 12 or 14, I'm 43 now, its too early in the morning too
do
>math) and now with a computer I can have one catalog, not two. Are there
any
>commercial or free programs out there? In a program, I would like to; list
>all of one family (Murex, Chitinous, etc.), look up a shell by a number
(all
>my shells are numbered), and the only other feature (I can think of for my
>needs is to make a list of all Murex names, for instance, when I go to
COA's
>(names only, so I know what I have). If you do not want to post a message
on
>Conch-L for all to see, emal me at; [log in to unmask] My mouse pointer is
>prepared to read all and any help I can get. Point and click on a web site,
>create email privately, or whatever a mousey pointer can do! Thanks.
>Jordan *