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It has been fun to read through all the different methods of doing inventory. So many great ideas! I love that we can take a little of this and a little of that and make it work individually.
My problem is that I have severe ADHD, and anything that is too complicated/repetitive tends to become ‘lost in translation’ and I’ll end up falling behind. I speak from rueful experience!
I was using a rack and bin identification system that worked fairly well… until I got two pairs of jeans with the same brand and color! Also, it was a pain because I actually had to store each item to see where it went before writing down the location ID for my notes. (My listing station is separate from my storage, so I would do all the listings and then go to the storage area to get the bin number and then pull up each listing individually again to add that number. Double work doesn’t sit well with an ADHD person.) Aaaaaaand then I realized I have been listing and storing with no inventory trail. Wait… wha…? Oh shucks! (No spreadsheets or anything. Such bliss. Now it’s tax time. Such hell!) LOL
So, as I have to do the entire thing from scratch, literally, I figured I’d redo my system as well to make it more ADHD friendly, easier and faster to list, while creating an inventory system. I guess I’m really really lucky that I’m still in the beginner phase!
I was thinking I would print a bunch of numbered labels that will stay at my listing station. After I’ve done my photos, measurements, etc. of an item and am ready to pop it in a bin, I’ll peel off a label and stick it on the plastic bag. (Every item is stored in a plastic bag to keep it free from dirt, dust, and other items. Also, pairs of shoes stay in pairs.) Then it will get dropped into a bin. As the labels are already printed, it’s just a consecutive numbering system, and I don’t have to worry to remember the last number because it’s right there on the sheet of labels.
I figured this was the fastest and easiest way for me to process my listings, as I can just do a whole batch of them, adding the number immediately as I process the listing, then chucking them into a bin without having to worry about making sure I have the correct bin code. I was planning to fill a bin and just label it with the numbers it has. So, start with A0001 and keep adding until the bin is full. The last number added into the bin (say A0021) is the bin label, so I would mark the Bin A0001-A0021. The next bin would be marked A0022-A… Masking tape and a sharpie are my favorite tools!
However, reading this series of posts has already revealed a flaw: half-empty bins as I remove sold items. I guess I could just do an annual consolidation exercise to solve that? It would be a day of labor with no corresponding paperwork to update. Score! Or is it more complicated than that?
Do any of you more experienced Elves see any other issues? Have any suggestions? I’m aware that any system tends to evolve, but I’d love to “start right” as far as possible. Remember, keep it simple! 🙂
P.S. Mike is my hero of the hour with his EAT suggestion. Great place to start the inventory sheet!
Thanks, MDC, for the interesting info on auctions. I’ve not had the pleasure yet, and I’m on the Death Pile Challenge, so won’t for a while, but I will save this info for when I do.
Can’t wait!
I have best offer on everything. From the comments on the podcasts and posts, I learned to turn on the auto decline feature so that I didn’t get all worked up about the lowball offers. The auto decline is either set to the lowest amount I’ll feel comfortable accepting, or a default of 50% if I don’t really care. On items where I think that it’s a long shot to even sell the item, I’ve taken off the auto decline and just left it open to any offer. It has worked surprisingly well for me. A large proportion of my sales are best offer and generally I’m quite happy with the offers.
Tbh, I don’t know the place. I only found out about it recently and wondered if it was worth investigating. I was told you can phone in and order a “bale”, which is a huge square of wrapped clothes that is tossed into the back of your pickup for you to sort through later.
New pledge from me, a little late to the party. I have a 8′ x 16′ shed, a spare bedroom, one entire wall of the garage, and multiple bins hidden under benches and tables in said garage all waiting to be listed. In my store, only 100 items listed. And in the house, one VERY annoyed husband.
I’m DEFINITELY in! 😀
ROFL!
This is how they get rid of smells when there’s a rotting dead body in a house.
Oh, dear lord, how do you know this stuff??? 😉
Thanks, Jay.
Hi Tom, from another Texan.
I’ve just heard about the wholesale clothes sales in the Valley, where you can buy clothes in huge bales, sort of “by the ton.” Have you heard of this? Tried it?
Speaking of smells, does anyone have a solution for cigarette smoke? I bought a lovely leather suitcase set, stuck it in the car and drove to an errand, leaving it in the car for about 2 hours. The hour and a half drive home afterwards was torture, with all the car windows open wide in the cold! The set has spent the past six weeks in the carport, under cover but with “fresh air” and still reeks. The car is also driving me to tears (excuse the pun!)
I tried coffee grounds too, but they didn’t help either.
