I also have Trainminder and have no issue transitioning to MS Excel or Access .. do you have any idea as to how to export the data or mine the Minder data base so i don't have to retype all of my inventory ?
Sorry for the previous note .. does anyone know the password into Trainminder's iMinder data base .. so I can try toexport my inventory into MS Excel?
Hmmm, I just re-read this thread since it popped up on the right side. I realized that the only two inventories that I have are two and three rail O passenger cars and two rail O trucks not attached to cars. Maybe I should start doing the rest of my stuff,
I am a somewhat new user to this forum .. it has helped me out in the past
My issue is that I had entered approximately 625 different items in the TrainMinder data base and also bought the photo package that went with it .. I really like the software, complete with pics .. it still works, but support is now defunct .. too bad
So if I cannot rely on software staying the course, I will use Excel (which I know very well) and would like to import as much as I can from TrainMinder iMinder databse (item no, labels, description etc) .. the issue is the iMinder database is password protected .. does anyone know how to break into it .. If not, I will dedicated a few lousy weather days and do it manually. It was also nice to have some level of current price values (from an insurance perspective anyway) .. but I will have to chase that via Greenberg .. every year .. P.I.T.A. but it is what it is.
Hi Larry,
I don’t know anything about Train Minder. You could try to track down the author. An alternative might be to print the inventory to a PDF file and then convert it to Word with Google Docs. From Word, you can convert it to a table and copy it into Excel.
George
I continue to use TrainMinder, which works fine for me. I back it up on a thumbdrive, but haven't tried exporting it anywhere.
George .. great idea .. I just copied the text from a PDF print and pasted into both Excel and Word .. the Word initially looks nicer, but I will massage the Excel version with columns, etc (easier to sort and put math functions in, etc) .. I am very familiar with either
It copied all the text, but each column on any one line within TrainMinder is all bundled into one cell .. so i will have to cut and paste the pertinent data that want into individual columns on every row.. better than retyping everything..
Thanks for the suggestion
Larry Martin posted:George .. great idea .. I just copied the text from a PDF print and pasted into both Excel and Word .. the Word initially looks nicer, but I will massage the Excel version with columns, etc (easier to sort and put math functions in, etc) .. I am very familiar with either
It copied all the text, but each column on any one line within TrainMinder is all bundled into one cell .. so i will have to cut and paste the pertinent data that want into individual columns on every row.. better than retyping everything..
Thanks for the suggestion
Larry;
If you are talking about the file with all your pieces in it, as I remember, there is an export feature (I did this several years ago, so I’m a bit short on specifics). As I remember, you can select which fields you want to export. I used a comma delimited format for the output which made import to Excel somewhat easier - there was some cleanup needed in the output file, but much easier than retyping everything
Paul .. I will try that tomorrow .. I may continue with TrainMinder too .. it did have a lot of potential just needed someone to give it some TLC .. just miss the updates even to estimated values .. not looking forward to looking up 625 items on an annual basis
jay jay posted:I continue to use TrainMinder, which works fine for me. I back it up on a thumbdrive, but haven't tried exporting it anywhere.
John .. I am re-thinking TrainMinder as I have not used the program in the the last 24-months or so as I have been building my layout.. I agree that TrainMinder may not be supported anymore, but I am lucky enough to have kept a e-copy of the program and my licence .. I also had bought the photo-graphics package when I bought TrainMinder back in 2011 and I do like it even though it somewhat incomplete.
I have been re-playing with it over the last few days and have decided to keep using it, as it does work, just no auto pricing updates or software updates.. But it does work pretty decent and allows me to edit everything including manual values of each item, decent printout, etc. The ability to add photos, new items, custom entries. it includes Lionel, MTH, Marx, etc in the database and you can add new product items too. I would have to use Greenberg's anyway if I used Excel for value assessment. I will occasionally convert a printout to pdf and copy the content into a bulk non-formatted Excel file should for whatever reason, TrainMinder has a mind-of-its' own and quits working .. at least i will have something to work with.
Too bad someone (programming capable) contacts the originator and takes over it as it truly has a lot of potential, even as it sits today
Thanks for giving me the idea/incentive to re-review its current capabilities
I currently use Microsoft OneNote to track my train collection. Though I lose traditional reporting, I find the the search feature makes up for it. As OneNote runs on Windows, iOS, etc., you can install it on your mobile phone. Quickly check your inventory at a train show to prevent duplicate purchases. Easily add photos, links and documents.
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Peltogle posted:and whether I can get my hands on an online database of photos and prices of various equipment.
But that is the core issue. If that data were readily available, there would be apps already. Writing an app is the easy part. Writing an app without that data is even easier. That is why Trainminder et al are not around anymore - it's too much effort to keep that data updated for the size of the market and the price point. I would venture a guess that most folks would be happy with Excel or a clone and adding their own item data.
The company who could do it would be Kalmbach - they have all the data. I can't believe they haven't already considered the economics of it. An online inventory tool with access to item and value data for a yearly subscription fee sounds like a great idea.
Brendan
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Peltogle posted:Brendan posted:Peltogle posted:and whether I can get my hands on an online database of photos and prices of various equipment.
But that is the core issue. If that data were readily available, there would be apps already. Writing an app is the easy part. Writing an app without that data is even easier.
Depends on what you mean by "easy." There are plenty of apps out there that do not have any database component at all which were not "easy" to write. Furthermore, I don't think testing an app on hundreds of different devices is exactly "easy." If writing apps was that "easy" I don't think software companies would be at their current size today.
That is why Trainminder et al are not around anymore - it's too much effort to keep that data updated for the size of the market and the price point. I would venture a guess that most folks would be happy with Excel or a clone and adding their own item data.
So why not let those users contribute to a growing database built by the community? If enough people added data we would eventually hit a point were around 80% of all items ever produced are inputted into the database.
The company who could do it would be Kalmbach - they have all the data. I can't believe they haven't already considered the economics of it. An online inventory tool with access to item and value data for a yearly subscription fee sounds like a great idea.
Brendan
I like the idea of the community contributing to a growing database. Almost like Waze, but for model railroad inventory data.
Larry Martin posted:jay jay posted:I continue to use TrainMinder, which works fine for me. I back it up on a thumbdrive, but haven't tried exporting it anywhere.
John .. I am re-thinking TrainMinder as I have not used the program in the the last 24-months or so as I have been building my layout.. I agree that TrainMinder may not be supported anymore, but I am lucky enough to have kept a e-copy of the program and my licence .. I also had bought the photo-graphics package when I bought TrainMinder back in 2011 and I do like it even though it somewhat incomplete.
I have been re-playing with it over the last few days and have decided to keep using it, as it does work, just no auto pricing updates or software updates.. But it does work pretty decent and allows me to edit everything including manual values of each item, decent printout, etc. The ability to add photos, new items, custom entries. it includes Lionel, MTH, Marx, etc in the database and you can add new product items too. I would have to use Greenberg's anyway if I used Excel for value assessment. I will occasionally convert a printout to pdf and copy the content into a bulk non-formatted Excel file should for whatever reason, TrainMinder has a mind-of-its' own and quits working .. at least i will have something to work with.
Too bad someone (programming capable) contacts the originator and takes over it as it truly has a lot of potential, even as it sits today
Thanks for giving me the idea/incentive to re-review its current capabilities
Hi, Larry:
One thing I forgot to mention is that "current pricing updates" are of no interest to me, which is another reason I use Trainminder. There are too many markets for anyone to keep track of (and keep their sanity). There is the train show market, the E-Bay market (from local to world-wide), the forum market, the Craigslist/ garage sale / local market, the "you're a train guy ; a local widow wants to sell her husband's trains" market, and many other subsets. I have no further faith in current price guides than I did when the price books were popular, and the uninformed would refer to "book value" as being dispositive of reality. I used those books for keeping track of my inventory, and not for current value estimates. Trainminder does the same thing for me right now.
I have not checked recently, but Trainz Auctions, when it was Dash, had a feature on their site for collections, which had nearly every manufacturer and item in the data base. If someone could adapt or merge that into a software that could be kept on a thumb drive or your home computer,device for a current inventory, it would be helpful.
I want just a general inventory software package that I can view/update from my computer and phone. I'd use it for not just my trains, but also books, music, and videos (Yes, I still buy physical media.) so that I don't buy duplicates. But I don't want it 100% web based as I always have poor cell connections when in stores. So some kind of database package that syncs it between the mobile device and the desktop. I also don't care about pricing. This is why I have used a spreadsheet. But it doesn't allow for things like photos.
I hear you. Keeping track of collectibles can be troublesome .. especially if you have more than you should and as we get older and our memories start to fade and you walk into a swap meet and you see something that catches your eye and you're not sure if you already have it and if so what condition it is in compared to the one you're looking at. Cell reception in some stores or arenas are always another frustration
The values posted anywhere are only an indicator of a value interpreted by someone at some point in time .. It may only be an indicator of a rough value of what you have .. A posted price and a sold price usually never matches as any item is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. A high price for a so so price could be up for sale for a long, long time until someone finally realizes there is NO interest at their posted price.
As I had noted previously, I do like the TrainMinder sofware and it's linked pictures and I can live without the values and buy a Greenberg book, if and when I want to dispose of anything.. but like most collectors .. the path is only a one way street .. INCOMING only
Peltogle posted:Brendan posted:Peltogle posted:and whether I can get my hands on an online database of photos and prices of various equipment.
But that is the core issue. If that data were readily available, there would be apps already. Writing an app is the easy part. Writing an app without that data is even easier.
Depends on what you mean by "easy." There are plenty of apps out there that do not have any database component at all which were not "easy" to write. Furthermore, I don't think testing an app on hundreds of different devices is exactly "easy." If writing apps was that "easy" I don't think software companies would be at their current size today.
That is why Trainminder et al are not around anymore - it's too much effort to keep that data updated for the size of the market and the price point. I would venture a guess that most folks would be happy with Excel or a clone and adding their own item data.
So why not let those users contribute to a growing database built by the community? If enough people added data we would eventually hit a point were around 80% of all items ever produced are inputted into the database.
The company who could do it would be Kalmbach - they have all the data. I can't believe they haven't already considered the economics of it. An online inventory tool with access to item and value data for a yearly subscription fee sounds like a great idea.
Brendan
I said writing the app is easy, not maintaining it (I do it for a living). Also, we are talking about this app which is barely a college level exercise. We don't need to test on hundreds of devices - we pick the the platforms we will support and what versions of the OSes. There are online emulators for different browsers and devices for testing, as well.
I agree that a community DB would be a good start some what like the CDDB et al concept but there needs to be a way for users to use the data in a program; not just be able to browse.
Brendan
Although a company like Kalmbach has all the data and photos one would need to develop a package, but there must NOT be business case to do it or I am sure they would pursue it .. hard copies of Greenberg every year probably is more lucrative than a e-managed system and the grief of developing one to meet all needs and personal expectations.
So at this point TrainMinder it is until something better shows up
Look what showed up in my e-mail Inbox today
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Larry Martin posted:Although a company like Kalmbach has all the data and photos one would need to develop a package, but there must NOT be business case to do it or I am sure they would pursue it .. hard copies of Greenberg every year probably is more lucrative than a e-managed system and the grief of developing one to meet all needs and personal expectations.
So at this point TrainMinder it is until something better shows up
I believe have evaluated it too. But I, like most others, don't buy a guide every year. If they had an online inventory system, they could lock you in year after year. Again, I am sure they know that and still can't make the numbers work.
Brendan
