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1.
Entering EVERY item of Your Train Inventory
into MI Trains is quick and simple! First to add your Lionel, MTH, or K-Line items,
use the optional pre-loaded MI Trains Catalogs.
The Lionel pre-loaded Catalog includes the latest Lionel Classic Trains Catalog -
Volume 2 - 2007, plus many variations and non-catalogued items, boosting the Pre-Loaded
Lionel Catalog to over
| 11,100 Lionel Catalog entries
and over 14,200 database entries |
The MTH pre-loaded Catalog includes the latest MTH 2007 Volume II Catalog,
plus variations and non-catalogued items
which boosts the Pre-Loaded MTH & MTH Rail King Catalog to over
| 13,000 MTH Catalog entries
and over 19,700 database entries |
The K-Line pre-loaded Catalog includes through to the latest K-Line by Lionel 2007 Volume 2 Catalog, plus
variations and non-catalogued items which boosts the Pre-Loaded K-Line Catalog to nearly
| 5,700 K-Line Catalog entries
and nearly 8,400 database entries |
Just browse through to find and select the item to include in Your Inventory
Database.
2.
Then enter specific information about the train piece - purchase cost and date, maintenance
date, piece condition (choose one of the 8 available), piece photo, piece box
and it's condition. There's enough room to cover everything with over 25 data fields...
including places for special comments.
You can also change the information copied over from the pre-loaded Catalog, to
add more notes of your own, if you'ld like.
And You decide how detailed You want to get!
And,
when you purchase a future MI Trains Software update,
that update doesn't "undo or tamper" with Your Inventory database entries and descriptions!
Does the piece need parts? Use the Parts Information Tab and document what's needed.
Do you also sell some items? There's a Sales Information Tab, ready for you to record
all the information you want... when you sold the item, what was
your asking price, what was the actual price you received, and more...
Do You store your train items in Set Boxes
or in larger storage boxes? Well MI Trains Software handles
that too, with a special place to record the information, with a supporting Box Report!
3.
Next, review the optional MI Trains pre-loaded Market Value (Price) Guide information,
there to help You decide your piece current value. For example, maybe a part is needed,
so although the piece rates
a strong excellent, you may want to deduct "some" amount for the needed part.
The Market Value (Price) Guide provides Current Market Values for
pre-loaded Lionel, MTH, and K-Line Trains and Accessories gathered from Auctions
around the world and train meets within the United States.
And every time You view or edit your
piece, maybe to modify it's status (for example - you finally found that needed
part), the updated Price Guide information is shown again, so you can upgrade the piece
value. Pretty neat, Huh!
Below is an example of a Lionel Pre War model 263E Scout 2-4-2 Steam
Locomotive & Tender stored in its #275W Set Box.
The "Selected Item" group of fields, the "Price Guide Information" group, and the
photo are all MI Trains Software pre-loaded data. And
should you want to add more descriptive information or
change what's been pre-loaded into the Selected Item fields, go right ahead...
Don't worry, because the future updates of MI Trains will not
"undo or tamper" with what you've added or changed.
To further customize
your inventory, You can scan in your own photos and override the MI Trains pre-loaded one.
And if you'd like, switch back to the pre-loaded picture! Your choice!
The Tabs named "Item Information", "Parts Needed", "Sale Information", and "Comments"
contain many fields which are obviously specific to Your inventory item. Fill in
as many of the fields as you want, at your leisure. You decide!
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4.
And it's just as easy to add items into Your inventory that are not in the pre-loaded
catalogs.
Just click the "Add New Item" button, and enter the Road
Name and Description. Still keeping it quick and simple, and even enjoying documenting
some or all of the
specific information about the piece - purchase cost and date, current estimated
value and date, maintenance date, piece condition, piece photo, piece box and it's
condition (whether an American Flyer, Bachmann, Colber, K-Line, Kusan, Lionel,
Marx, MTH, Weaver, Williams, TYCO, Other,
or No Box).
As an example, here's an AHM HO Scale Great Northern "Ho Big Mike 3380" Mikado 2-8-2
Steam Locomotive with Tender that's been added as a New Item
to My Inventory Database.
5.
And as you can see above, MI Trains has Pre-Loaded Catalog
Photos. Photos of over 160 Lionel items are on the CD-ROM as picture reference:
Accessories, F-3's,
GP-7 & 9, GG-1, Fairbanks Morse Trainmasters, Switchers, Steam Locomotives,
Operating Cars, Non-Operating Cars (including a Brown B & O Automobile Car),
6464 Box Cars (including the B & O Sentinel), and many more.
Additional photos continue to be available monthly - grown now to over 3,800 - including
Lionel, MTH, K-Line, and other manufacturers! These can be downloaded from the
www.dodie.com or www.MITrains.com Website
by clicking on the left side of the Home Page
Picture
Files Download
So download some or all...
at your convenience. And if you want to more individualize your
piece for insurance purposes, scan in your own photos (as was the above AHM Loco)
for each item in your Inventory. If you have two (or more) of an item, scan in photos of
them all, and reference the photo to it's respective inventoried piece.
Together with the Full Inventory Report,
this is Exceptionally Detailed Documentation for Insurance Purposes!
In addition, why not join the MI Trains Member Photo
Exchange
which has gained a lot of steam (you
should excuse the expression), where Members are sharing in photos of items
they have! A good number of our last added photos were provided by
Valued MI Trains Members. Check them out! And send us yours.
And now MI Trains offers the latest enhancement...
the ability to
show multiple photos linked to a single piece. Take a front view, top view, bottom view,
both ends, the piece box, close-ups, Whatever!!!
You decide how much detail and how many photos... show all the variations -
show a close up of the roof lines on the Lionel Milwaukee Road F-3, the solid shield on
the Lionel Post War Rutland Box Car, show the detail of nicks and scratches (or the
absence thereof), or minor rust, or even detail piece components. You decide which and
how many
photos, and You link all the photos by name. Then just scroll through them, when
you review that inventory item, using the Photo Scroll Arrow.
As an example, below are some super photos of the Post War Lionel 3435 Aquarium
Car with Tank 1 and Tank 2 highlighted in gold,
and with the Lionel "L" Gold Circle.
See how all the photos are displayed when viewing the inventory piece by
simply using the Photo Scroll Arrow.
Think of the enjoyment of viewing your train collection from multiple angles,
highlighing the features, variations, and details you feel are important.
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