I purchased a piece of inexpensive, but very serviceable, software that is designed for documenting collections. You can easily create fields of your choosing, and it allows you to load photos. I document all of my guns with purchase information and also include photos (including those of my research letters). I log the barrel specifications -- bore size, barrel wall thickness, choke constriction, etc. as well as stock dimensions and assessments of the condition (I also include any dealer or auction catalog description).

My wife knows where this record is and how to use it. If we both "go" at the same time, our will should suffice. We have no close relatives nor anyone of our acquaintance that would do anything but try to make a buck on the guns and books I've collected. I've told my wife to seek help here and have made a list of people I respect for her to seek advice on selling, should that need to happen.

I have been doing it for years Garry on my own with a spreadsheet that I created but I am always open to something new, better, and possibly even easier. Would you mind sharing what the name of the software is that you are referring to please?

You can do what Garry is doing with Excel. You can link any cell to a photo or a document. There's nothing much simpler than an Excel spreadsheet and you can do an awful lot with them.

That's sort of what I have been doing. Created my own Excel evaluation form as I call it. I store those forms along with pics, research letters, and anything else of relevance in Dropbox.

The software is called Recollector. I'm pretty sure excel is just as good (at least my wife tells me so, and she has decent computer skills). I never had to make spreadsheets in my work (but had plenty shoved at me). Recollector is very easy to use. Trust me, my computer skills are pretty weak...and I use a Mac, so much of the Microsoft "stuff" is far beyond my pay grade.

This loose leaf binder is on my shelves; the record book was available from Mike Murphy & Sons and maybe still is; it's tucked inside. It shows who, when, where etc. the gun came from, price paid, repairs/alterations made and cost, serial numbers, and any other tidbits about each gun. At least my family will have an idea of value. I have similar records of rods & reels, musical instruments, etc. As to other things of value - books, art, pipes, misc. stuff...not so much. I guess they're on their own there :o. I do remember a quote I saw that I always loved: "My greatest fear is that when I'm gone my wife will sell my stuff for what I told her I paid for it."

https://i.imgur.com/atcObnFl.jpg

Koos Brandt

• “My biggest fear is that when I’m dead and gone, my wife will try to sell my fishing gear for what I said I paid for it.”

Thanks Rick, I've seen it lots of places, and for guns, guitars, and other things. I substituted "stuff" on account of I have lots of "stuff" myself; never knew who it was attributed to.

I just inventoried "The Arsenal" and found I have 77 guns. I did a spread sheet as I only had loose leaf journal of some of the guns. Because we are moving to town when the farm sells I am in the process of downsizing. I didn't protect my inheritance as well as I should, but then they were not my guns. So, I'm either going to do a dispersal or offer the grandchildren a choice or both. I'm leaning toward doing a dispersal and the guns leftover being inheritable. Right now selling guns feels like I'm about to jump out of a perfectly good airplane.

Phil,Guns I have listed and the wife knows what I paid and every year a new what its worth now price, but you got me thinking about musical instruments, My father lived to be 95 and back in the thirties he played in a group called the " The Carolina Boys" They played on the radio twice weekly, I have his Gibson guitar, The folks in Nashville tell me it was made around 1920, He told me he bought it in a pawn shop in the early thirties, It has the greatest sound, the frets are worn down from much playing, my kids do not play, I refuse to sell it I have had numerous offers, got to decide who gets it and make sure they value it for what it is. So I need to include my guitars in the value of things had not even thought of that till your post, Thanks Gary