+tsunrisebey Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Ok, I gotta know what some of you do to keep track of trades? I normally just write down stuff on a piece of paper (ok papers whatever is available at the time I'm writing). For the most part, I do fairly well with getting stuff out but lately I have either forgot stuff, thought I sent it or sent someone double cause I forgot I sent a coin already. I think I have too much going on, so no one to blame but myself. Anyhow, maybe it's time to move to a more advanced system other than I write it on paper and try to find the list later. I admit I don't use my computer and all the stuff on it like I could cause I'm not sure how to use many of the software programs. Here's what I do have Microsoft Works and Microsoft Office. Can someone tell me what they find effective or what you use to keep track of trades (sent/received/coins)? Something easy is preferred. Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment
+Mauison Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 I've used Trade Tracker in the past but got a little lazy so I just use Excel now. Trade Tracker Quote Link to comment
+Damenace Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 I have used Gmail to keep track of trades that I need to send. When I get a trade offer I keep it in my inbox and "star" it, this way when I have archived everything else it remains in my inbox as a reminder to send my end of the deal. Set up two folders title them "sent" and "received", when you have sent your end of the deal "label" the email as "sent" and archive it to that folder. Once you received the trade to complete the deal remove the label "sent" and move the email to "received". Of course you can name the "labels" anything you want that will make it easy for you. Quote Link to comment
+dflye Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 I use a combination of listing pending coin trades on cointracking and envelopes with coins on my desk. If something sits in one location for too long, time to go search for emails related to the trade to figure out if my end or the other end is waiting for some coin to complete the trade. I track shipped coins with a spreadsheet with the usual information plus it includes shipping cost, tracking numbers and a mention of any freebies that were thrown in along with the trade coins. I've tried using more complicated systems in the past, but I'm somewhere barely evolved past the level of using sticky notes to author my last will and testament, so the simpler the better for me! Quote Link to comment
+fairyhoney Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 I use use one of those "composition" books that I purchased from Office Depot. So far, it works for me Quote Link to comment
+jangor Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 We use Excel. Microsoft Works has a database program similar to Excel. That will work very well. Just set up the columns with all the info and away you go. The hard part is remembering to fill it in and keep it up to date. Quote Link to comment
+Droo Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Another vote for the MSWorks database program. Quote Link to comment
+fairyhoney Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 I use use one of those "composition" books that I purchased from Office Depot. So far, it works for me OOPS, here I go again . . . I Thought you were talking about when I go caching ( Never Mind) Quote Link to comment
LoriDarlin Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 I use Excel (similiar to Microsoft Works) with columns such as: Geocacher name Real name Address How many coins trading we are trading The coins i'm sending Date I sent it Coins they are sending me Date I received it Then I use color code the whole line like: Blue means its waiting on me for something Green means I'm waiting for it to come from them Black means nothing has happened on either end Purple means its a done deal on both ends This way all I have to do is scroll down thru the list to see if something is needed somewhere - without having to read the actual trades I also use a different page for different coins, example LD v1 coins LD v2 coins Cache aid coins Do Unto Others coins Misc trades (that don't fall into the other categories) I also keep a folder online that says trades and all trades go into it for backup purposes. If you have it on both your computer (spreadsheet software program) AND your online server...that way you are saved thus either your computer OR your server crash and you lose everything. Always backup!! LOL One time I had someone email me a YEAR after the trade to say that they hadn't received my trade yet and was i going to send it? Well thank goodness I keep such good track of my trades. All I had to do was go back thru my Excel spreadsheet to see what we traded and when. As it was, we both completed our trades and I was able to list off the trade and went it was sent and received. After I wrote back and gave him that information he realized it wasn't me who owed him and he also remembered our trade and that it was infact completed...thanked me again for it and apologized LOL dflye...I think after talking to you I will add TRACKING numbers to my Excel sheet. Good idea!!! Steph....its time to become a modern working trader LOL Quote Link to comment
+whitebear Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 I keep the email in the in box till the trade is done then print it off & move it to my trade for coins file. I then write on the page the date when I send it & keep them in a file folder when the trade comes in I put the date received & move it to a coin received file then email & put a line through it.May be archaic but works well Quote Link to comment
+DresselDragons Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 I have a pretty slick Access database that TMOCM made. Quote Link to comment
+Rockin Roddy Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 I want to use this space to ask ANYONE I'm owing a trade to contact me. I have lost my spreadsheet and can't make heads nor tails of my emails. Steph, good luck kiddo....I can barely handle my miniscule amount of trades. I don't know how some of you do it!! Quote Link to comment
+Accordiongal Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 I have a pretty slick Access database that TMOCM made. How does the database work versus an excell spreadsheet? I use an excell spreadsheet with columns labeled cache name, real name, address, coin requested, coin offered, date sent, and received. Works great IF I remember to use!!! Like the tracking number column also. Also I try to retrieve the activation numbers for all coins. Clearly state that the coins are not activated! Quote Link to comment
+3doxies Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 I use an Excel spreadsheet like many of the folks here. Then, for trades that are in progress, I also keep one email folder with the latest email from either me or the person I'm trading with. I've found it really helps to always reply to the original email rather than just sending off a new email - then you have the entire "history" of the trade. Good luck Stephanie - you can do it girl! Quote Link to comment
+tsunrisebey Posted January 13, 2008 Author Share Posted January 13, 2008 Thanks for the ideas, I'm looking at a couple options here Some of you are superior traders, lol Quote Link to comment
+GBOTS Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 I print out the trade page and leave it on my desk. When the trade is sent I put the date and they stay in a stack until I hear that the trade has been received... Not very high tech, but so far it works ok. Quote Link to comment
+Map Monkey Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 I store it within Cerebral Cortex software version 1.0....though it is known to have numerous bugs in this particular release. mm Quote Link to comment
+tsunrisebey Posted January 13, 2008 Author Share Posted January 13, 2008 I store it within Cerebral Cortex software version 1.0....though it is known to have numerous bugs in this particular release. mm LOL, I tried that version it was worse than the one I'm using now Quote Link to comment
+ShmilyNMe Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Another vote for Trade Tracker here, but I'm a total computer geek (both by trade and by choice) so I spend several hours a day online anyway. If I were looking for something more manual, I think I would go with the notebook idea. Or you could adapt that and get one of those little inexpensive photo albums. Print out the e-mail and stick it and the coin in one of the slots to be mailed. Make your notes on the printed e-mail (date mailed, etc.) and throw the sheet away when everything is complete... Good luck! Quote Link to comment
+Shop99er Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 I use Excel, and keep a blank template. If you want, I can e-mail you a copy. E-mail me if you would like it. Quote Link to comment
+DresselDragons Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 I have a pretty slick Access database that TMOCM made. How does the database work versus an excell spreadsheet? I use an excell spreadsheet with columns labeled cache name, real name, address, coin requested, coin offered, date sent, and received. Works great IF I remember to use!!! Like the tracking number column also. Also I try to retrieve the activation numbers for all coins. Clearly state that the coins are not activated! Hard to explain, because I am not a computer person. There are blank fields, such as address/trade sent/trade received/etc, in Access to enter my data (when I remember). Each trade has a separate sheet, and I can view various reports (breakdown of the data). I used to use Excel to track trades; the Excel file that I used to use was basically a worksheet/list of transactions. I believe, and I could be wrong here, that data is more easy to manipulate (ie: sort) in a database. I am sure someone more knowledgable than I can explain the difference between the two programs and their capabilities. There are geocoin tracking software programs out there, too. Quote Link to comment
+earthrooster Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 I use Access to keep a database of all my coins with columns to mark whether they are traders, keepers, activated, released, etc (as well as other info including acquisition when/where/from whom/blah blah blah). I also keep an Access file of traded coins (outgoing) and just move the important info from the original database to the Coins_Gone database when I trade one off. I also keep a Trades loose leaf notebook with a table I made in Word. In it I write the date the trade was agreed to, name of trader, geonick (if I have it), address, ingoing and outgoing coins, dates mailed/received and a place for notes. I make the entry in the notebook when the agreement is reached then later update my databases. I prefer this method just in case my computer crashes (knock on wood) so I don't miss sending a coin. I also put an updated print out of my coins database in it every so often. And I'm careful to keep my geocoincollection.com info up to date with my database. How's that for TMI? Quote Link to comment
+ScoutingWV Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 I store it within Cerebral Cortex software version 1.0....though it is known to have numerous bugs in this particular release. mm Me too, and I'm still waiting for my service pack. Quote Link to comment
+geoSquid Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 I don't keep track of trades beyond the transaction, and I just do it via email. Quote Link to comment
+Accordiongal Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 What about geocointraq? How does this work? Quote Link to comment
+Nochipra Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 There is a spreadsheet in my print shop program that I use. When I get a package I usually just type in the name, address, geoname, and what I traded/bought from them or whether it was from a contest so that I can remember to one day pay back a kindness that was shown to me. Quote Link to comment
+mousekakat Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 I use Excel (similiar to Microsoft Works) with columns such as: Geocacher name Real name Address How many coins trading we are trading The coins i'm sending Date I sent it Coins they are sending me Date I received it Then I use color code the whole line like: Blue means its waiting on me for something Green means I'm waiting for it to come from them Black means nothing has happened on either end Purple means its a done deal on both ends This way all I have to do is scroll down thru the list to see if something is needed somewhere - without having to read the actual trades I also use a different page for different coins, example LD v1 coins LD v2 coins Cache aid coins Do Unto Others coins Misc trades (that don't fall into the other categories) I also keep a folder online that says trades and all trades go into it for backup purposes. If you have it on both your computer (spreadsheet software program) AND your online server...that way you are saved thus either your computer OR your server crash and you lose everything. Always backup!! LOL One time I had someone email me a YEAR after the trade to say that they hadn't received my trade yet and was i going to send it? Well thank goodness I keep such good track of my trades. All I had to do was go back thru my Excel spreadsheet to see what we traded and when. As it was, we both completed our trades and I was able to list off the trade and went it was sent and received. After I wrote back and gave him that information he realized it wasn't me who owed him and he also remembered our trade and that it was infact completed...thanked me again for it and apologized LOL dflye...I think after talking to you I will add TRACKING numbers to my Excel sheet. Good idea!!! Steph....its time to become a modern working trader LOL Lori, I think after reading that that I can officially say that we are no longer twins seperated at birth, lol! I am very high tech here... after losing Hanna's trade stuff I now have a .txt document that I use... called trades.txt... Excel? Spreadsheets? Word documents??? *runs screaming from living room* (anyone wanting to join me running screaming from the room is welcome to join me ) Ummmm.... Naomi Quote Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.