[uwash97]

I use a FileMaker Pro database for my Favre collection. I basically have been adding to it every month for almost 20 years (when the new sets are listed in Beckett). I am able to keep track of price paid, date, serial number, other attributes, etc. Also lets me keep track of the cards that are NOT listed in the Beckett database, as I become aware of them (either by acquisition, other member's threads, or ebay listings etc). My main problem though has been that when I decided to heavily collect him way back when, I decided I would not include anything #'d less than 5, or what I call "non-regular" cards (i.e. promos, show specials, certain redemptions, regional product-branded cards, etc). Now, however, I want to have everything on my list, even if I'm not going after it seriously (1/1s etc). So my current project is to march through the Beckett database and augment my own database with everything not currently in there. Anyway keeping my own database allows me to sort it the way I want and export found sets to make want lists and such. Also, in the event that something happens at Beckett (servers blow up, company goes under, etc) I have all my collection information on my own computer. Backed up regularly, of course.

You can probably do the same thing with Excel, however I like Filemaker because I find it easier to sort and manipulate the data.