New collector looking for guidance

[Victoria Buckman]

Greetings all,

I am a recent new collector.  I have around 25 years of magazines that I want to 'catalog'; record their condition and contents.  Is there any guide available to me that would help me know which issues had maps or other supplements so I know if the issue is complete or not?

Anybody have a favorite way of recording their own collection so they know their current inventory and what they still need to watch for?

Thanks in advance for any help!
Victoria 

[Philip Riviere]

Hi Victoria,

      I have enclosed 2 files. The spreadsheet is a blank check off list for all the magazines from 1888  to  2029. The other rich text file is a list of all the maps and supplements (and which issues they came in) from 1888 to 2011. These are a good way to get started inventorying your collection. These files can be changed or modified to meet your needs. Let me know if you have any problems with these file formats because I can change them to other formats.

Good luck in your new hobby...

Best,

Phil

[Victoria Buckman]

Phil, Thanks a bunch! That is awesome, just what I was looking for.

[Philip Riviere]

Victoria,

     Here's a spreadsheet of the Maps and supplements that might be easier to use than the rich text file. It is also more up to date.

Phil

[Melvin L. De Vilbiss]

Here are other versions (with some personal touches), both need just a little tweaking:

[Melvin L. De Vilbiss]

The map file:

[Victoria Buckman]

Wow, I must say, you guys are all terrific!  This was my first interaction with this group and I am very impressed with the responses.  Kudos to all of you for being so helpful! It's much appreciated!!

[Chuck White]

I've found these guys to be very helpful and informative.

Kudos to you both, gentlemen.

[Scott T. Shier]

Victoria,

Welcome to the 'Corner! 

I had a thought I'd run by you, if you were not already aware of it. There is a dvd-rom set sold by the NGS Store (or elsewhere you can find it) that is "The Complete National Geographic" (magazine). It has every issue from 1888-2012, w/ scans of every map supplement. It is a high-quality program that is very user-friendly and readable. You can print from it too. 

This is something to consider for a beginner, or anyone who does not have the room, or a budget to try and obtain all the physical copies of 125 years of NGM's. Even though I have a full set of NGM's, I still love to have the dvd-rom set for reference and quick looking at things. It is fully searchable by names, topics, etc. as well. It is currently running about $50 in the Store, brand-new, and comes with a mini-book too. 

They issue updates so that when another years is complete, you can add to the base program and data files of issues.

Also, if you are interested in learning the nitty-gritty of collecting Nat Geo magazines, there were some reference guides that though dated now, are still a wealth of wonderful information and FYI's about NGM's, variances, lists of maps, special issues, the finer points of reprint editions (which Mel D. has also delved into very well here on the 'Corner). 

These were by Edwin Buxbaum, and Roger Nathan, respectively. You can usually find something on eBay searches for them. Mr. Buxbaum had 4 different editions of his book (1935, 1956, 1962, 1971); and Mr. Nathan's was from 1982.

A bit more info. on them is in the resources links here in the group ----> 

http://ngscollectors.ning.com/forum/topic/show?id=1029239%3ATopic%3...

Happy to have you here, I hope you'll share your progress and/or any questions with us! Happy New Year to you,

   ~ Scott Shier

[Victoria Buckman]

Thanks so much Scott, very helpful indeed!