I've dabbled back and forth with various means of keeping a tab on the collection including a couple of pay for use programs that worked quite well for cds but no use at all for lps.
 A few months ago I created a Discogs account and started listing a few items, mainly larger box sets and was quite surprised at the value accrued, even at the lower end.
As a winter project I've restarted listing working through the lps for a start. The first box load I dragged into the house was the Led Zeppelin section and fun and games begin. Led Zep III for instance has 505 versions on discogs, many dont apply of course but a couple of the more obscure NZ pressings took some time to sort. Despite my misgivings I'm starting to enjoy the process and will try and get 10 items per day added which should take around a year to complete.  I have 5 copies of LZ III so it was of interest to see if any were of value(only one worth serious cash unfortunately)
LZ and the Allman Brothers done, tonight it's Metallica and Tom Waits, cosy bed fellows.

I'd be interested to know how many forum members actually keep a comprehensive data base. For me I can see two advantages, for insurance purposes and when the inevitable moment comes to move on there's a base from which to work. 

I just have an Excel spreadsht - but not comprehensive or up to date!

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

i have a stack of notebooks - old school styles !

recently started discog-ing new buys.

I started to use Discogs over three years ago, for the albums I've bought in my second resurgence of vinyl buying (circa 2007?).

I have an app on my phone which scans the barcode and then uploads the data to Discogs (Discogs Scan).
Occassionally, it gets the actual version wrong if the barcaodes are the same as say a coloured version but that's not often.

cooksferry that will save you a lot of time for any lp after say the mid to late 80's. It virtually takes the same amount of time it takes to scan say ten items at the supermarket, only a minute. Plus a bit more to double check the version. If only a third of your ~3600 collection is barcoded (1200 lps) it will be well worth your while.

Haven't added many of albums BB (Before Barcode) at all as it requires you to search and check the version manually.
So my Discogs collection only has a handful of pre-90's lps (roughly when I stopped buying vinyl).

The values are ridiculously high. Maybe OK for prices overseas but certainly not in NZ. But I won't be telling my insurance company that!

Yep - I use discogs and find it very useful. I have even had to create new listings for some of the more obscure stuff - you don't want to have to do that - a real hoha...
I find it very useful in keeping track of what I have and what I can get rid off. Their pricing is very helpful, but only applies marginally to the NZ market. Adding new material as it comes in now - so I am up to date.

We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.

Yes, creating a new listing is a real chore, so I've only added about a dozen.

Thanks for the heads up about the app although it looks like the android app still has some bugs so may wait a few months till they get it sorted.  Unfortunately for this exercise I'd say a large portion of my lps are pre bar code but for less prolific artists it's not so bad with far fewer versions of each release to troll through. 
As for the value of the collection, well it's a guide line as to what may be worth some extra effort in selling . 
Many years ago when I was a member of a model vehicle club I saw what can happen to a collection when the owner passes away suddenly and those left behind have no idea of possible values. The vultures gather very quickly. 
I my case my son has his own Discogs listings , knows how to use the site and would have at least a guide.

Most interesting thing so far is the value of some cds(listed less than 20 so far)
Eddy Shaver ‎– Baptism Of Fire , which I purchased so years ago for peanuts being a case in point. Good thing about cds/sacds is that shipping is far cheaper so opens up selling on an international stage. Large box sets , even the very sought after are a more difficult proposition.

May 31, 2018 7:09:23 GMT 12 cooksferry said:

Thanks for the heads up about the app although it looks like the android app still has some bugs so may wait a few months till they get it sorted.

I haven't had any problems on my android devices. 

Some scans aren't uploaded from the discogs scan barcode reader app to the discogs.com app but that's only because the barcode isn't yet in the discogs database (either the entry doesn't list a barcode or the entry doesn't exist at all).

Discogs is fantastic, Want List feature is useful. As is the Android App, stops me from buying the same album twice when Im instore.
Have my whole collection catalogued, even set up different folders for different periods of purchasing.

finding the odd album not on the site but dont know if they're worth the effort of adding. This afternoon found two copies of The Road to Ruin by John and Beverley Martyn that dont match any listings.

If there's a version already there, then its not so bad adding another version.

The real pain is if you have to start from scratch.

Getting into a routine with listing now. Sit down at the computer every night at 7.30 and do another batch of 10 to 15 lps. Can take between 30 to 45 minutes, especially with some of the older records. I've found searching by the dead wax numbers can be a big help but as long as I end up within a gnats whisker that'll do. Did a batch of Dylan lps last night and found MoFi and Sundazed reissues quick and easy.
My main lp shelves have 24 cubicles and I've managed 10 to date with the bastard ones yet to come.
Bar coding can be a help but it's not unusual for several different issues of a recording to carry the same numbers.
In a slightly twisted way it's turning out to be a more enjoyable exercise than I envisaged .

On to the final easy cubby tonight,16 horsepowe, bill callahan, and my morning jacket which leaves me with 9 bastard cubbies full of older releases and where I generally only have two or three of that artist. Think it could get very time consuming depending on how anal I want to get. The blues section could be the worst. Just tried one so far, a NZ 60s pressing of Son House Father of the Delta Blues and going by discogs it doesn't exist, not a great start. May be fortunate for my sanity that I sold most os my first blues collection many years ago.
Had some problems doing through the Secretly Canadian vinyl for Jason Molina related albums as all versions/reissues carry the same label number and no barcodes. Good thing I still have a few hairs to pull out.

Been procrastinating about cataloging my collection, after reading this thread Iv'e made a start using Discogs.

Frustrating and rewarding at the same time. Frustrating trying to find the exact right pressing, rewarding because it gets the job done and you discover music not listened to in a long time.

Android app seems to work ok apart ftom the occasional dropout but I'm either completly thick or there is no function to grade lp's using the app, I only seem to be able to do this in browser mode?

Harvey, when viewing the listing in the app, hit the blue In Collection button.
This opens a new tab/window where you can add notes, and condition of sleeve and LP.

Brilliant - thank you.

Jul 17, 2018 20:07:04 GMT 12 harvey said:

Frustrating and rewarding at the same time. Frustrating trying to find the exact right pressing, rewarding because it gets the job done and you discover music not listened to in a long time.

Fortunately the rewards out way the frustration. I can totally relate about rediscovering music. Found several lps recently that came with bonus cds etc that I've never opened including a dvd-a with a 16 Horsepower lp that may have some extra goodies on it.   I haven't bothered getting into grading my items unless it's something special. I do make a note of any limited edition numbering though. 

Loading some of the alt country vinyl purchased during a fairly intense period about 20 years ago and it was interesting on a couple of counts,
a/ to see how many lps had come from Echo Records in Dn
b/ how few versions there was of some releases. For artists like Butch Hancock, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Freakwater, there appears to only be a single lp and cd issue of each release. Makes it simple to load and I guess is also a reflection of the sales enjoyed by these artists.

One slight frustration I have with the Discogs layout is that an artist like Will Oldham who has released under several names it is not possible to group all under one banner. So for Mr Oldham he ends up under W for Will, B for Bonnie Price Billy, P for Palace, Palace Music, Palace Brothers not to mention various collaborations.
When I finally get around to going through the Steven Wilson related releases it will be a similar outcome.

The only way I've found to do this is to create an Oldham folder. Manage folders, create new. Select album, move selected (to Oldham folder).

Or create a list. Select album, Add to list

Jason Molina will be similar.

www.discogs.com/lists/Jason-Molina/423475

Just added Tim Buckley The Troubadour Concerts, 1969.

Painful! cooksferry Feel free to add any credit info.

Jul 23, 2018 12:26:57 GMT 12 Citroen said:

Just added Tim Buckley The Troubadour Concerts, 1969.

Painful! cooksferry Feel free to add any credit info.

you got your copy? Think mine is stuck in Akld at the moment

www.discogs.com/Tim-Buckley-The-Troubadour-Concerts-1969/release/12292842

Having recently paid reasonable dosh for LP's I already had I really need to knuckle down and get onto this....

It really is a lifesaver.

And a somber reminder of my addiction...

I check my discogs and see that I already own said album.

I then think
1. I must play that album.
2. How did I not know I had this?
3. If so, do I really listen to it?
4. And why did I buy it in the first place if I don't even remember owning it?

So sad, yet so true!

i've noticed a lot of older nz versions missing from the database.

Only one way to fix that Michael.

Get editing!

Bugger, just came across one of those missing NZ pressings on on the site. This one may be a bit collectible so I'll make the effort to add it- PP Arnold, The First Lady of Immediate. Think I played it once and wasn't terribly impressed.

Jul 23, 2018 16:04:51 GMT 12 Citroen said:

www.discogs.com/Tim-Buckley-The-Troubadour-Concerts-1969/release/12292842

Haven't had a chance to listen to my copy yet but did give all the lps a visual check and a vac clean and have to say that this would be a best set of pressings I've had in one box set. Every single one is dead flat, not the slightest warp or bow to mar them. Just hope the sound matches up.  The week before I received the Giant Sand box set, Sun Set Volume 1 which I thought was close to perfect but this Buckley box beats it.

Jul 23, 2018 19:41:42 GMT 12 Citroen said:

Only one way to fix that Michael.

Get editing!

too much hassle !

 

Now about 80% through the lps. I've added a few to the Discogs system, NZ pressings, but only ones that would seem to have some sort of value. One area that all this has high lighted is how many records I have that I've never listened to. Came across several from a haul when local station 4ZA sold off all their vinyl (around 20 years ago) that have year to grace my TT. They include 3 Gentle Giant lps, PP Arnold and King Crimson. Anything that looks like it's worth a few dollars gets a good clean and a resleeve.
Looks like I have 1022 currently listed.