G'day Kay, Sounds great! Can you come over my place and help me. Only problem is I live in Australia! Ha! Have started putting mine into a MS Access database. It is slow progress though. Very flexible with fields as you say - GREAT! I certainly think a database is the way to go! Can't get the photo's to work though. Very frustrating! Simon Melbourne, Oz -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have cataloged my collection as well. (I used to be a librarian!). I saw early on that it would all be a jumble if I didn't have some system. I put mine on a database using Microsoft Works. You can set as many categories as you want, and the computer can sort by each category. (Family, Genus, Species, size, where I bought and cost, Description:location etc - as much info as you want to put). You can be creative and tailor it exactly as you want. You can go back and add categories too. I assign accession numbers to each shell. When I get a new shell I just add it to the data base, then it is photographed with the number/name so I also have a visual of the shell. I print out the data base and photos and store all this info in a 3 ring notebook, so when I go to buy or bid on a shell, and I can easily see if I already have that shell. It also is a way to ENJOY my shells without physically taking them out. My collection is stored in zip lock with the number, and organized by family: Volute, Murex etc. in drawers: those floor standing plastic 3 or 4 drawer organizers. I can label the outside of the drawers. I have shown my children this organization method so they can have some clue what it is all about if something should happen to me. I also have a quite a few shell books, and Rice's Prices for them to consult. I mark those books with the shells I have in my collection. Kay ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [log in to unmask] - a forum for informal discussions on molluscs To leave this list, click on the following web link: http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=conch-l&A=1 Type your email address and name in the appropriate box and click leave the list. ----------------------------------------------------------------------