Inventory Program for Excel

@Patrick1544 posted:

I use Yard Office model train inventory.  It’s a free download.  No expiration or time limits.  Fully functional.  If you like it you can pay them or not. Your choice.  It’s very detailed.  I think it’s great.  Try it .  Nothing to lose, it’s free.  
http://www.musicmixradio.com/yardoffice/

Downloaded YardOffice.  Paid the $27, but have not received a Registration Code.  

TheDude23112

I didnt register Yard Office or pay for it.  It Is free.  I suggest you email the owner(s), and inquire about the Key Code you purchased.  You can still use it right now.  Just press Start at the opening screen.  

Is the $27 fee a one time thing or is it monthly? I downloaded the free version yesterday. It's really cool!

@TheDude23112 posted:

Downloaded YardOffice.  Paid the $27, but have not received a Registration Code.  

From their website:

"PLEASE NOTE:We e-mail codes by hand, so please give us time to get your message "

I suspect that you will receive in a while.

@Patrick1544 posted:

TheDude23112

I didnt register Yard Office or pay for it.  It Is free.  I suggest you email the owner(s), and inquire about the Key Code you purchased.  You can still use it right now.  Just press Start at the opening screen.  

Yes, I realize that. I want to import. Need Registered Version for that.  Thanks for your reply!

@PRRMP54 posted:

From their website:

"PLEASE NOTE:We e-mail codes by hand, so please give us time to get your message "

I suspect that you will receive in a while.

I ordered yesterday, still waiting.  Also sent email.  Thanks for your Reply.

@hokie71 posted:

... Trainz is attractive since it populates information with pictures even....

My only concern is that this is on Trainz' cloud service and they have access to everything you put on it.  In the past there were complaints that Trainz was using pictures and data from individual's inventories for their own marketing.  They may have stopped that by now, or this may not be an issue with you, but read the privacy notice.

Here you go.  Version 1.  I will publish the next update after the weekend if not before.

@TheDude23112 posted:

I ordered yesterday, still waiting.  Also sent email.  Thanks for your Reply.  

 

Purchased YardOffice April 22nd and still no Registration Code.  Does anyone have a Registration Code???

@Gerhardt posted:

Hi Guys,

Trainz Auctions offers a free online inventory program that ties into their database, so you get pictures, description and even auctioned value range.  I like that you can download it to Excel so you always have a backup.  I've bought stuff from them and you can automatically add those items to you inventory.  It's functional for my needs. I hope that helps,

G

Unless they changed, I found Trainz Auctions limiting in that you can not sort your collection.

I'm planning on purchasing the YardOffice software soon. For those that haven't received their registration codes yet, I suspect they are closed currently for not being an essential business and may not have access to work from home.

@mountain482 posted:

I'm planning on purchasing the YardOffice software soon. For those that haven't received their registration codes yet, I suspect they are closed currently for not being an essential business and may not have access to work from home.

I can't believe someone does not have a home computer.

Just because someone has a home computer doesn't mean they can work from home. I have a home computer and I am unable to work from home because my employer doesn't have remote access for employees.

I am assuming this is a one man shop, developer.

That's possible, but we do not know for sure. Either way, I'm sure he will send the codes out as soon as he is able.

Over the years my train collection has grown enough that I needed some way of knowing what I have.

I've tried a variety of inventory programs. Unfortunately no one had all the info I needed so I finally created a LibreOffice (free alternative to Office/Excel) spreadsheet.

As others have pointed out, almost impossible to create reports from a spreadsheet so I finally bit the bullet and created a database using Microsoft Access. Unfortunately I've forgotten a lot of what I leaned back in the early 2000s regarding how to make an Access database compact so I don't have many calculated fields. Plus not sure how to populate one field with info based upon some you enter into another field.

Regardless, here's the fields in each record:

Seq # (unique record number; can not be duplicated; this allows me to sort MY way)
Cat No
Unq ID (if I have more than one item with the same Cat # this differentiates each item)
MA (I check this field when I enter the item into the Access datase; I'm slowly moving all my data from my spreadsheet to Access)
Description
Color(s)
Series / Set
Manufacturer
Scale
Group (my own designation)
Road Name Code
Road Name Description
Road Logo
Reporting Mark
Category
Type
Min Curve
Length
Built
Status
Config
Years Cataloged
MSRP
Purch Date
Sold by
Purch Price
S & H / Tax
Calc. Total
% MSRP Purch Price
Item Cond
Best Value
% MSRP Best Value
CY Greenberg Value
% MSRP CY Greenburg Value
MITrains Value Date
MITrains Value Price
% MSRP MITrains Value Price
Qty
Box Type
Box Cond
Images (up to 8)
Notes

@mountain482 posted:

That's possible, but we do not know for sure. Either way, I'm sure he will send the codes out as soon as he is able.

Have you tried to email him?

I have not tried to email him yet about it. I have been busy with other projects.

@Steve "Papa" Eastman posted:

Here is the format I use. You can add or delete columns. I don't add photo's.

Steve

Thanks, Steve, much appreciated.

Excel's filtering and reporting can get sketchy after a while as it's designed to crunch numbers rather than running queries.

I put together a Microsoft Access database over 15 years ago as a teaching tool for my students (bet they got sick of trains). It was primarily to show the flexibility of the product. One of these days I'll put some code behind it instead of macros (Visual Basic wasn't part of the course curriculum as it was an Access class for the business department and not a programming class). Will probably dig it out when I retire and have some time.

Main Menu:

Sample Record:

I agree with Matt. Access is a program designed for data and Excel is numbers spreadsheet. Although I use Excel for stuff it was not intended for because I know it so well. 

I downloaded the yard master program and was able to open it and input some sample entries.  However when it came time to close, the program came back and stated the free trial was over and I could purchase it if I desired.  

So what's so free about this tool?  

To ward off comments, regarding if I selected the right one,  Yes I did select the field for the "free" application.

@Allegheny posted:

I downloaded the yard master program and was able to open it and input some sample entries.  However when it came time to close, the program came back and stated the free trial was over and I could purchase it if I desired.  

So what's so free about this tool?  

To ward off comments, regarding if I selected the right one,  Yes I did select the field for the "free" application.

 

On their home page ( http://www.musicmixradio.com/yardoffice/ ) it tells what's added if you register the shareware program. Being it's shareware I'm sure it will always nag you to purchase.

In spite of what was said about database programs, I use Excel to keep inventories of my model trains, model cars, and model ships, and its done everything I want.  It's easy to use and I know it well, and it does what I want.  And I like to play with numbers, so the fact that I can run many different sort routines, pattern recognition, and other analysis (regression of original cost vs. my rating of satsifaction, or trending of price of locos I've bought over time) that you can't do in a database program (although you can dump from Access into Excel, of course)

The format is up to you: not just what you gather and keep about each, etc.

Thank about what you want and desing you own.  

@Lee Willis posted:

And I like to play with numbers, so the fact that I can run many different sort routines, pattern recognition, and other analysis (regression of original cost vs. my rating of satsifaction, or trending of price of locos I've bought over time) that you can't do in a database program (although you can dump from Access into Excel, of course)

Everyone has different levels of comfort with any program.  Playing with numbers is not my thing, that is why I like my database.  Easy setup, easy to use, easy to find data, easy to analyze what I have for forum posts.  There are plenty of free ones out there too.

36 years of IT experience has taught me that the key is getting good data. You can write programs all different ways but without the data you’re stuck. I think that’s the case here. 

A relational database with inventory from all manufacturers over the years would be key for what we want. Then a webpage(s) that everyone to use it would suffice.

People could then create their own roster by entering in the item number, then the page would populate all other data. You save your data to your own instance. Allow people to download their data for backup. 

I looked at the Trainz Community and that is what they have. Plus you can buy and sell amongst others. Trainz charges 8% per transaction. Better than Ebay but not as good as here. 😄

Here is the most important thing I track, maintenance. When did I last clean the wheels, replace tires, lube the motor, change the battery and replace the speaker.