On History: Comic Organizer

When I first started collecting comics and going on the hunt for back issues, I was able to keep track of pretty much everything in my head. Even when I started having trouble remembering individual issue numbers, I could recognize covers pretty readily. But then I bough a copy of Fantastic Four #76.

I came home from, I think, one of the local mini-conventions with the find. Probably fairly cheap given that I was still in school. But when I went to file it away, I discovered I already had a copy! I'd apparently bought it before and didn't remember doing so. But then, when I started to slide the new copy behind the one I'd just realized I already had, there was ANOTHER copy there! I had already bought it once, forgotten it, bought it a second time, and forgotten both that I'd already bought it and also what must surely have been some annoyance at having discovered that I'd bought it a second time.

That's when I started keeping a written list with me. It was nothing elaborate, just a small sheet of note paper with the issue numbers I wanted hand-written on it. I'd scratch out the numbers as I picked them, and periodically re-write the list when it had too many scratches on it to be easily readible.

These days, of course, I use an online database which I can access via my phone. It includes a wishlist as well, so I can see what I'm actively looking for.

But do you know what oragnized people did before databases? This...

Well, honestly, I don't know for certain if anyone actually used one of these. I'm sure some folks must have bought them at least. Anyone out there recall seeing/using one?

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