I know I always go on about storage, but...

Hattysattic

Hattysattic

VFG Secretary
I was just wondering if anyone else stored their items by size? Not just an excuse to have yet another rearrange, but as the majority of my stock/collection is dresses I wondered if that would be an effective way of arranging them?

That way when someone asks me 'do you have anything with a 32" waist I can go to one particular area, and then narrow it down to style/occasion and colour.

I just wondered in what order those of you with large-ish inventories and collections arrange things.

Just a thought! :)
 
Harriet, that's intersting. I have not thought of that.

I have been of the habit of arranging men's suits/jackets like that though so I can sort of remember what I have when i find something else a lot easier and what patterns and sizes it might be worth to get. But then again i don't have a giant inventory. I guess that's false...i do...i am just trying to cull a lot of stuff out.

I don't think i have thought about it with women's yet. that's mostly handbags anyways
 
I only thought as I have a few regular customers now who eail for an occasion - and it's a real bind going through all the rails pulling out things I hope might fit!
Think I will give it a try...
 
A high tech approach would be to have a database on the computer:- each item on the rail would just have a tag with a number 1 to say 1000 , a new item comes in it could just be given the next number up. Then on your computer you enter all the detail and even a photo, with the relevant number.
When the phone rings you just search for evening dresses on the computer then each size and any other detail with a photo pops up then you can choose the most suitable. Finding it on the rail or in a box would be easy , even the different rail or box could be entered. If you kept up with the enters you could just copy and past for your web site or Ebay.
Just thought you could also use a card index system with the same end results just alittle slower but crash proof .
 
That is an interesting proposal. have you tried it?

The system only works I think if you are disciplined enough to allow everything to stay where it is supposed to be. If you are sloppy or like to just hang out and look at individual items/rearrange things or like to be very tactile with your collection you might run into trouble and need a new system. Like a library I would think that you would have to have a system that if you took something out in haste, put it in a designated spot until you can properly take the time to put it back in its place. (like that cart at the end of the aisle in a library) Otherwise, you will have cases of "lost items" that are really there, but like in a library they were just put back in the wrong place.

But i am sure that it can be done with the right mindset
 
I do things a little different but along the same lines as to what Paul said.

All my women's long sleeve blouses are together, my short sleeve blouses together, my men's pants together, my suits, my tops and matching skirts together. Then my long dresses together, then my short dresses together and etc.
I take the the main pic, the description, the price and the measurements and place them on manilla folders that I have cut down to fit all the printed info of the item and hang it from the hanger the item is on. I have alot of my neighbors that come and shop with me. So they can see all the info like they were on my website. Each item is given a number a 4 digit number that started with 0001. The number order isnt for any one group of items like blouses only, but for all. I have this sit up on my computer folders and my wesbite's backend program I designed to be that way.
Now each group has a number order so I know that if the item number for a short sleeved blouse is 0201 that it will be closer to the end of the section.

This works for me wonderfully and I can easily find things. However I just finished moving so everything that I had in order is completely out of order......:wacko:
I have spent about each night after the kids go to bed to work on it. The good thing is that I had 2 huge sales the other day, so I have less to sort through now.......:D

I do very much like your idea of putting into size. thank you for it...
 
I've got everything arranged by era and then color. All the 50's are on one rack, 60's on another etc. When something sells from my store, I just go to the correct rack, and its very easy to find the item visually by color.

Another plus to this is that it is easy to see what colors were popular during each era! Yellow was very popular in the 60's and almost non-existant in the 50's, where turquoise and medium blue rule.
 
That's another good idea Jody!

I should really do the whole index thing but the thought of it is just so daunting. Thing was, it started off as a collection that I had no intention of selling any of.. then it progressed to be rather more than that. I think if I had started off that way at would be fine, but the thought of cataloguing from scratch does terrify me.

Having said that it would be the most sensible thing to do. What I need is a very organised person to come and make me do it/assist me! I have a friend who might be ideal if I can steal her away from her work for a bit: Years ago she came to stay with me at university, and I came back from a lecture to find her in my room with two full bin bags and bookshelves in alphabetical order.

I just don't think I could face doing it alone, that's all.:BAGUSE:
 
I understand completely.......I used to hate being organzied, but with 3 kids it is must to be organzied in every aspect. Just cuts out alot of time looking for stuff.....

If I wasn't so far away, I would certainly assist you. That way I can see and touch the beautiful stuff you have!!!!:spin:
 
I would suggest that you break it up into small section and do say 10 or 15 cards a day, but the prospect of doing that day after day is not nice.
My advice would be just to do one small section say 1950 day wear, enter all what you can find and use it as a trial, see if it works for you, then you will realize if you have not left some very important info off the card before you do all the stock, speaking from experience here!.
If you find it is working well then move onto 1950 evening wear then slowly on and on. You could also sort out the rail first as you said in the first post this could be a very good pre curser to a very good card index.
 
Overall I have a tagging system that numerically corresponds to my database program that hubby created. That program has base price, then auction/mall entry cost as it is incurred, and FVF and PP fees. It makes tax time easy, tracks my inventory cost and profit, PO's cut, PP's cut, Ebay's cut...cut cut cut!

After the tags are on they are sorted seasonally if they are unlisted and available for the next steps (or Hween, men's, etc), steamed, finally picture shot description needed and then listed stuff goes on special pegs.

Not a perfect system, but works for me.

Jenn
 
Originally posted by Blanches Vintage
HI,
I purchased a while back on ebay a clothing datebase program. Its by Data Village.com
Dianne
Blanches Vintage
Click to expand...

That looks like a very neat little database only had a quick play, nothing jumps out as been odd, I also like the backup file feature.
 
Hi,
I haven't used it yet. I have such grand plans when I purchased it to get everything organized, but alas......... I do like the fact it seems very very simple
Dianne
 
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