Record the edition on your shelf
Photograph the front and back of the case, then check the suggested details. Record the title, format and edition, along with any region marking shown. Add the cut of the film, language options or subtitles if those matter to you.
A DVD, a Blu-ray and a collector’s box may share a title while offering quite different reasons to keep them. The small print helps you decide whether a new find adds something you want.
Open the cases as you go
Work through a handful at a time. Check the contents before returning them to the shelf, and save a location such as Living room / Film shelf or Storage room / VHS box.
- List the discs in a box set and note any gaps.
- Describe visible disc and case damage without assuming how a disc will play.
- Record booklets, slipcases and other extras you want to keep together.
- Add a note when someone borrows a film, then update it when it returns.
An empty case is worth recording too. It may explain why you have been unable to find a film that is apparently right in front of you.
Use the list on your next browse
Search your catalog when you spot a familiar title. You can check the version at home and decide whether to leave this copy for someone else or make a deliberate upgrade.
For a film you do not own, Look up can suggest an identity and estimated value without adding it to your collection. Check the result against the case and choose Keep if you decide to add it.
FAQ
Should a box set have one record or several?
Use one record if you keep the set together, with a list of its contents. Separate records are useful when you need to track individual films.
What about VHS tapes?
They can have records too. Note the title, format and visible condition, and distinguish shop releases from personal recordings in the description.
Try a few cases from the shelf you browse most. You may find tonight’s film while you are there.
