Chronicling Your Collections

[dratomic]

One thing I regret not doing is chronicling the build up of my collection thus far. For some inexplicable reason, I didn't keep track of exactly when I got my robots, nor the prices I paid, nor the circumstances surrounding the pick up. Luckilly, I bought a bunch of my toys with the help of esnipe, and those records are still available... so it's a start in my efforts to track down the info. It also helps that I've only been seriously collecting for a year -- not too many pieces, not too much time passed. I should be able to figure it out with a little hard thinking...

Has anyone out there kept track of their collections in this way? Recording the dates, prices, locations of purchases, etc.?

I'm going to start keeping serious records-- I think that, one day, it'll make for an interesting read as I go back through the lists and see where all my toys came from. I've only been in this for a short time, but even I had a flood of nostalgia when I thought back to my first piece. I can only imagine what it must be like for those of you who've collected for the last decade or more -- lots of stories, lots of memories, lots of changes in the hobby.

[WJN]

Very early in my collecting days I designed & implemented a log sheet with all pertinent info for each robot; name, manufacturer, date, date aquired, where aquired, price paid, type, (skirted, walker, friction, B.O., keywind, etc.) repairs done, boxed or not, material (plastic, tin, wood, etc.),- you get the idea. These sheets went into a (large) loose leaf binder. I am proud to say I faithfully chronicled the first 200-300 robots; I am ashamed to say I then became too busy, skipped a few, (will catch them later) then a few more, then a few dozen, then a few hundred; now I doubt I can remember all the info on each. Another case of this "workin' for a living" cutting into the important things in life. I'm sure I will go back someday & finish, but it will have to wait for retirement, either natural or lottery induced.

[dratomic]

It's funny, because when I started collecting vintage first edition paperbacks -- before the robots -- I created a database on my computer which kept track of the book's title, author, date of publication, copyright date (often different), publisher, publication number, and condition, and even included a window for a scan of the cover. So you'd think I'd have done the same with the robots...

I'll probably come up with a suitable database this weekend, using criteria similar to yours, WJN. I might include photos of the robots with each entry, especially since I take them anyway for my website.

[steve]

Fortunately for me I have a near photo-graphic memory when it comes to certain things-this hobby being one of them(and I am completely brain-dead regarding other things-talk about a balance in the universe). So I do remember every circumstance regarding my dealings in this and other hobbies.

[spidercrazy]

Yeah, that's how the brain works - if you stuff it too much, there's no room for anything else. Remember, when George Costanza stopped thinking about sex, he became an expert at solving Rubik's Cube, and knew all the answers before the contestants in "Jeopardy".

[mike van]

One really good reason for doing this would be insurance loss - fire, theft, whatever - doesn't take long to get a significant $$$$$ amount, even if you are in "good hands", they probably won't believe you without some photos, documentation, etc.

[robothunter]

Like Steve, I amaze myself at how I can remember every detail about every purchase I've ever made. But can't remember what I had for breakfast this morning!

Someone mentioned insurance which can be a sticky problem for these toy collections, or anything not normally covered in a regular homeowner's policy. I don't mean this to be a plug, but rather a helpfull hint to my fellow collectors...Collectibles Insurance Agency specializes in things like robots, coins, books, comics, anything at all of a collectible nature. And they won't reguire an extensive inventory or history of your collection which is why I mention it in this topic thread.

Check them out on the internet (search Yahoo or Google) and go investigate for yourself. I sleep much better since having started using them a fer years ago.

[Robotnut]

I also have the curse of "selective photographic memory".

I can remember what I payed for a toy thirty some

years ago when I was a kid, but I don't remember

people's names or what my wife asked me to pick up

at the store. Keeping good documentation adds

provenance which will add value to your collection.

Unfortunately you will be long gone when this information

is of any value. Personally, I would be afraid to leave

such info lying around. It could mean big trouble

if your wife were to find out that you've sqandered

your retirement funds on toys.

As for insurance, you may want to check with your

provider. 95% of all home insurance policies, WILL NOT

cover your collection. Most policies will only cover

a couple thousand dollars of jewlery, antiques and

collectables. It's kind of scam when you think about

it. If you have $100,000 of coverage on the contents

of your house, but only have $20,000 of furniture and

pesonal effects, the additional $80,000 of coverage

will not cover your collection. Most insurers will require

you to catalog your collection with professional appraisals

and then purchase additional coverage. Evertime you

add or remove an item from your collection, you are

required to notify them. My insurance company allows

me to include my toys as personal effects and not

antiques. Although there are some limitation to doing

this, it does let me use the unused portion of my

coverage for my toys. Everyone should check with

their insurer to see what is and what not is covered.

You may be surprised... :o

www.robotnut.com

[Nikola Tesla]

Funny, my wife often asks me what I intend to do with my collection---where it's headed, where will it end, etc---and I usually tell her that, as soon as we buy a larger home, I'll "chronicle" the whole collection for posterity. Not that my collection is all that huge, maybe a few hundred robots, most of which are packed away in dessicated storage crates---but I suppose I'll eventually have to do a massive photo-shoot with proper background and lighting, imaging each robot from several angles, then committing the photos to a set of CDs or something.

I must say I liked the idea of photographing the robots stereoscopically and making a huge set of ViewMaster disks, as did that fellow up in Canada some time last year (or the year before). I have many other space toys that would lend themselves to elaborate sci-fi dioramas---Marx and Archer and Britains spacemen, battling legions of giant robots and dinosaurs and flying saucers and '58 Chevy Impala convertibles (and whatever else found its way into the picture).

;)

[Swissplanet]

If you have $100,000 of coverage on the contents of your house, but only have $20,000 of furniture and pesonal effects, the additional $80,000 of coverage

will not cover your collection

You know, major assuarance companies are from Switzerland, and they have the same politic, here and there, if you have $100,000 for your house, and you live in a 5 rooms house, that means $20,000 each room, if your dining room was on fire, and your robots and Picassos was there, forget if you think that you become $60,000 for one room... That's the way they work...

Conclusion, you must take a separate assuarance for your robots...

[Dcell]

thanks for the pointers guys, makes food for thought - this was something i never considered before :huh: