Hi, Y'all! Well, I guess I showed Marlo and evberyone else just how computer-illiterate I am. However, I'm sure there are a few of us, beginners as well as long-term collectors, who are stuck with a hand-written or typed numbering system - at least until we get a computer. I do find that simple numbering, with an auxiliary coding system as I described, allows me to keep my shell information organized and easily updated. I agree that collecting data is by far the most important fact; and I refer you back to an article (was it by Gary Rosenberg or Rich Goldberg) in the American Conchologist this year about what COMPLETE collecting data means. Cheers! Linda