Organizing Items
I am got a good organizer. I have 2200+ items in my store. They come in a variety of sizes and storage methods. Some are in glassines, some in vario pages, some in boxes, some in 102 cards, or other cards of various sizes. Anybody have any suggestions as to how to easily fine a particular item. Right now I do not have a very smart approach. It often takes too much time to locate a specific item. Appreciate any thoughts or suggestions. Tom
https://www.hipstamp.com/store/toms-stamps
https://www.hipstamp.com/store/toms-stamps
Comments
It all depends on how many items you are looking to get listed in the long run. The more items you have have listed is really what is going to determine what will work best for you. (Some of the suggestions here are fine if you have a more limited stock. It will not work so well when you get to the point of dealing with over 50,000 or more items listed and pulling up to 800 or more items in a day. Between Hipstamp and Hippostcard I have over 140,000 items listed.)
There is no way that I would have the time to have every thing sorted down to country and Scott number in the listed stock and then be able to pull hundreds of items. (It's double work and it's not really needed to be done that way,and it will slow you done in the long run.) It's far easier for me to have every thing set up to be able to list,pull and package via private ID.
The more you can batch your listings IE over sized Souvenir Sheets,sets and singles,small souvenir sheets etc and then also via private IDs where you you can have the numbers will let you know where they are at. (When I scan and list the different size souvenir sheets the ones that will fit in a number 4 glassine are given a range of numbers that is different then the range of numbers for the oversized souvenir sheets. The oversized are kept in tubs that will hold a file folder and each file folder has 100 souvenir sheets after they are first listed. The smaller size are kept in boxes that will hold a number 4 glassine.) The thing with doing it that way is that after you get done listing them all you have to do with them is file them at the back of whatever container you are using to file them in. By doing it that way it eliminates 2 steps that can take up time that can be used elsewhere.
Also when you have the items sorted batch item by size and type. IE sets and singles either in stock books or 102 cards,covers by type and size,etc. By doing it this way it may help you out.
I made up a template to be able to print my private IDs on labels,that way I don't have to write all the IDs out each time.
https://www.hipstamp.com/store/toms-stamps
I do have a helper that sets up the stamps. (I do everything else all the listings,pulling and packing orders and setting up the covers and postcards)
There was also a benefit from going to a numerical system as opposed to the sorting the items via country and cat number. (I found that out the hard way,the more items you are dealing with,the more likely that items will end up be misfiled,and good luck on trying to find those items in multiple red boxes or whatever you have them filed in,when they have been misfiled. The more times you have to handle them the more likely errors are going to creep in,and if that can be taken care of ahead of time,it helps in the long run.)
www.hipstamp.com/store/tatyszka-stamps
hint, hint .......................................... um, a little higher
Size = #4 glassines, #10 envelopes, 6x9 envelopes, 10x13 envelopes and boxes.
So item 32359702 is filed under "702" and normally would be in a 6x9 envelope.
(My biggest problem is knowing what sized thing I stored it in, sometimes I have to search 2 or 3 places to find it if it was placed in a larger than usual holder).