What is your system of keeping track of your stock?

#1

Greetings fellow model makers,

Today I made an order at modelbouwkrikke.nl.
However, since I’m not doing orders regularly and it has been months since I was last working on my recent project. The Armored Carrier from Tamiya, I was wondering.
How do you keep track of which things you need to buy?
And how do you determine if something is still in sufficient stock to do the necessary work?
Because it took me hours to place the order and it wasn’t very efficient either.
So I could use some help with this matter.

Thanks in advance.

#2

Try Scalemates.
There you have the option of adding kits/AM to your Wishlist.
And they stay there until you “move” them to On Order, Stash or Trash Bin.

The other way around- use an Excel file.
You can organize your projects and add all desired AM to them.
You can track whether a desired AM is ordered or was already delivered.
You can track cost, lead times e.t.c.
Just be sure your SWMBO is not accidentaly having access to the file :wink:

I use both methods,

HTH
Cheers,
Angel

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#3

I use Scalemates as well. There is plenty of functionality, and you can always keep track, what you have and what you would like to have.

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#4

Scalemates is my default also. The stash function has been useful more than once I. Reminding me I actually have something so saves on unnecessary expense, but still doesn’t tell me where I might have put it :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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#5

Ain’t that the truth.

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#6

Excel-sheet.

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The location code indicates shelf, numbered top to bottom, and location on shelf, letters left to right.
The ‘Name’ column tells what it is and what the plan is (conversions et.c)
The ‘Underwear’ (for lack of better name, suggestions welcome) indicates if the horrible vinyl or DS is still in there or if it has been replaced

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#7

Robin has basically a large model shop so he has to label it like an IKEA store to find things. The rest of us don’t usually have such a large area to work with. :joy:

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#8

I wonder if Robin at times has issues like this link when he ventures into his Ikea err stash…

Cheers
:beer: :robot: :beer:

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#9

I know after a few years aftermarket stuff starts disappearing. I buy the aftermarket at the same time I am buying the kit. It is part of my research. I bought a Trumpeter Swedish S tank a year or so ago and the aftermarket had dried up. The same with Tamiya’s Challenger 2… They no longer produce the resin replacement barrel I want and Tamiya no longer has the back deck screens. You can go on ebay but you can pay a pretty penny. It all goes into the kit box so there is no cataloging needed.

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#10

For kits, I use Scalemates as others have said. For consumables, I try to always have a backup in stock.

So, I have an extra bottle of glue, some sanding sticks, superglue, etc.

When I grab the last bottle of glue, that’s when I order more. I also keep an index card near my build area to write down things I can add to my next order.

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#11

I’m one of those people who kit-bash IKEA cabinets and know the secret shortcuts in their stores :rofl:

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#12

Interesting system you are proposing.
What is ‘AM’? and what is ‘SWMBO’?
And what are ‘lead times’?

Thank you for sharing your system, much appreciated.

#13

Could you tell me how you are doing that?

#14

It looks very interesting, but I don’t know if I see fit for such a large system.
Because I feel that I constantly need to update it and that I have to check it everyday.
Even when nothing really happened.
Maybe you can still give me some tips and tricks for coming up with my own system and design?
Thank you for sharing your system with me.

#15

That is an interesting point you are making.

#16

I update when I buy something so that I can keep track of what I already have.
When I see an interesting conversion I check if I have a suitable base kit and
then I update the list to mark that base kit as allocated to that conversion.
I started doing this when I had about 200 kits and lists in paper notebooks
became too difficult to manage.

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#17

I’m liking your system of writing things down and to keep such things at hand.
And I think that it is also a good idea to keep spares and backup stock.
Thank you for sharing your systems as well.
Much appreciated.

#18

Ah, you didn’t keep track on your computer untill you had to much to manage by handwriting.
That is good to know.

#19

Steps on the road to huge stash:

  1. Can keep it in memory, kits visible on shelf or work table
  2. Fits on handwritten notes kept in jacket pocket or wallet
  3. Needs a larger notebook
  4. Notebook becomes messy with erased and/or crossed out text
  5. Reorganised in Personal Digital Assistant (previous century)
  6. Too large to be practical in the PDA, limited functions for sorting and searching ->
    moved to XL-sheet
  7. Considering linking images of kits from the XL-sheet
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#20

AM : After Market (the resin and PE-stuff we buy)
SWMBO: She Who Must Be Obeyed. Important factor in the lives of modelers who have a partner or wife. Don’t let modelling ruin your partnership …

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