Cataloguing fails for one reason: people try to do all of it at once. Doing one category properly is worth more than doing everything badly.
One category, finished, beats everything half-done
Start with outerwear or shoes — small, high-value, and completable in a single sitting.
Six fields is enough
Item, category, colour, purchase date, price, times worn. Every additional field reduces the chance the record stays current.
Add to it at the point of purchase
A new row on the day something arrives is what keeps a catalogue alive. Retrospective catch-up sessions never happen.
The method
The method
- Pick one category and finish it
- Record six fields, no more
- Photograph as you go if the record is also for insurance
- Set wear counts to zero
- Add a row on the day you buy anything new
- Review at the seasonal swap
- Expand to another category only once the first proves useful