I am a member of several online groups relating to glass, pottery, and porcelain. I enjoy looking at other people's collections, admiring rarities, and learning about more unusual pieces. Recently, a member posted a question asking others how they document their collections; after all, some of these people have thousands of pieces. I was astonished by how few people did keep a record of their acquisitions; of those that did, many kept old-fashioned hand-written ledgers. A considerable number of those who responded seemed unsure about how to set up a system on their computer that would assist them in maintaining their collectibles.

I have been managing over half a dozen databases