a pile of suggestions

[Chaotic Descent]

I'd like to suggest you make the database downloadable, in something easy to manipulate, like spreadsheet form, or something you can stick right back into a local copy of your database.

and... I'd like to dream about synchronizing local copies of your collection with your collection listed here. (just keeping track of what you have, not new entries) That way you could do something like update your collection while on a laptop checking your storage boxes in the basement, and then upload and DING, done. Pretty sure databases have some feature like that, right?

oh right. I mentioned filters. It would be nice if you could maybe save filter settings automatically, so you could do things like filter out packaging variants. I don't know. That might be really hard to distinguish from the figures inside being actual variants or exactly the same. (like the Wal-Mart Skyboom shield Mini-Cons that were packaged with storage tins and Cybertron deluxes. The Mini-Cons are different, but the deluxes aren't. Meanwhile, there are Cybertron deluxe 2-packs that are unchanged.)

BTW, with the UPC #s and whatnot, I had found some packages had more than one. On each part of the packaging that was separate (the card back, the insert inside the bubble) the number was slightly different. I'll try to fish around for a specific example at some point. I also know the #s change sometimes in different countries (because the packaging is different, for things like bilingual text. different packaging, different #)
edit: ok, I found an example. (lucky for you, I keep the packaging of everything) Universe Blackarachnia. P/N 6252740000 on the card insert in the bubble. on the card back, P/N 6238460300. Hrm. there's more numbers. C-1063A. and then indented: 32241.
I notice that the number you keep track of, "Product Code/Assortment #" has... part of the UPC (or whatever the bar-code is called). Do all Transformers have the same beginning of the UPC? 0 76930 ##### 4 ? (not sure about those single digits on the outside) *checks other packaging* nope. Universe Micromaster Devastator has 6 53569 00352 6. huh... and his product code doesn't match his UPC # the way Blackarachnia does. His Product code is 29472/29460 Asst.
So I guess my info is only useful for people collecting packaging variants, including bilingual/unilingual/etc.

Oh, and I had mentioned earlier with xZAOx, which he confirmed was a feature he was going to implement in his project, a way to match people's wanted toys with available toys. as well as things like maximum price to pay, or minimum price taken, perhaps with a second number for each to set a starting price slightly more ideal for the person offering/looking.
For your system, this would of course require an additional field, one of "for sale", as opposed to "in my collection". (heh. in MY toys, the line between the two is sometimes not clear at all... )

[shmax]

I'd like to suggest you make the database downloadable, in something easy to manipulate, like spreadsheet form, or something you can stick right back into a local copy of your database.
and... I'd like to dream about synchronizing local copies of your collection with your collection listed here. (just keeping track of what you have, not new entries) That way you could do something like update your collection while on a laptop checking your storage boxes in the basement, and then upload and DING, done. Pretty sure databases have some feature like that, right?

Hmm, I'll have to think about that one. I could generate a csv file which you could load into excel, I guess. But if you wanted to be able to reverse the process, there would be strict syntactical requirements that you would have to observe. It's an interesdting idea, and I'll try to keep it mind, but there are a few features that I really need to get to first, such as enabling user mods, better collection management, and so on.

oh right. I mentioned filters. It would be nice if you could maybe save filter settings automatically, so you could do things like filter out packaging variants. I don't know. That might be really hard to distinguish from the figures inside being actual variants or exactly the same. (like the Wal-Mart Skyboom shield Mini-Cons that were packaged with storage tins and Cybertron deluxes. The Mini-Cons are different, but the deluxes aren't. Meanwhile, there are Cybertron deluxe 2-packs that are unchanged.)

Are you after a way to make your completion percentages more meaningful? There are plans for that in the works. And yes, I really do need to figure out a way one of these days to properly deal with package and figure variants--right now they're simply added as discrete toys, which works, but isn't really very elegant. Tell you what, if you can think of something very simple, very foolproof, very clean, and applicable in a general sense to any kind of toy or collectible item and can be applied to the user interface, I'll put it in! Take your time--it's harder than it sounds, believe me...

BTW, with the UPC #s and whatnot, I had found some packages had more than one. On each part of the packaging that was separate (the card back, the insert inside the bubble) the number was slightly different. I'll try to fish around for a specific example at some point. I also know the #s change sometimes in different countries (because the packaging is different, for things like bilingual text. different packaging, different #)
edit: ok, I found an example. (lucky for you, I keep the packaging of everything) Universe Blackarachnia. P/N 6252740000 on the card insert in the bubble. on the card back, P/N 6238460300. Hrm. there's more numbers. C-1063A. and then indented: 32241.
I notice that the number you keep track of, "Product Code/Assortment #" has... part of the UPC (or whatever the bar-code is called). Do all Transformers have the same beginning of the UPC? 0 76930 ##### 4 ? (not sure about those single digits on the outside) *checks other packaging* nope. Universe Micromaster Devastator has 6 53569 00352 6. huh... and his product code doesn't match his UPC # the way Blackarachnia does. His Product code is 29472/29460 Asst.
So I guess my info is only useful for people collecting packaging variants, including bilingual/unilingual/etc.

You're going deep! I love it! Let's see. As for the UPCs, the reason I store them is so that I can use them to query Amazon and create the little mini-ad (which no one ever uses). So whatever Amazon thinks the UPC is, that's what you should enter. Not sure about the first digits--I noticed long ago of course that most of the vintage toys begin with 076930, but eventually they began to vary. It's been a while since I researched the UPC format, but I believe that the first 6 digits are an identifier for the manufacturer, and it's not unreasonable for Hasbro to change theirs every now and then. We don't currently track part number; can you think of any need to keep track of them? By the way, if you have any UPC #'s you'd care to donate (or any other info), I'd be only too happy to enter them in (or, I can grant you some mod priviliges so you can do them yourself).[/quote]

Oh, and I had mentioned earlier with xZAOx, which he confirmed was a feature he was going to implement in his project, a way to match people's wanted toys with available toys. as well as things like maximum price to pay, or minimum price taken, perhaps with a second number for each to set a starting price slightly more ideal for the person offering/looking.
For your system, this would of course require an additional field, one of "for sale", as opposed to "in my collection". (heh. in MY toys, the line between the two is sometimes not clear at all... )

All fine ideas, but it will probably be some time before I get that far. Next up is an overhaul of the collection system, and while I'm working on it I'll try to leave room for the hooks for some of these. I think I'd be a little more motivated if the site had more than 2 or 3 daily users!