Barcode Scanner

[gmarguli]

Anyone here use a barcode scanner for inventory of their slabs?

 

I've been thinking of getting one for faster inventory of slabs, but was wondering:

 

1) How well they work.

2) What info is in an NGC/PCGS/ANACS/ICG barcode.

3) What format does it scan the stuff into (i.e. Excel, Word, etc)

 

Any recommendations?

[gedis3]

I have not used one for inventory of coins or specifically slabs, but I worked with them a good bit as a computer technician at a Mack Trucks assembly plant where they were used for inventory control, so I can answer your questions generally...

 

1 -- They work great, as long as you keep the lens clean and the printed barcode is clear. There should be no problem hitting the barcode through the plastic on the slabs, and since they are protected in there, you shouldn't run into any smearing or foreign matter on the code. Even some scratching on the outside of the slab shouldn't make a big diff, the scanners today are pretty forgiving.

 

2 -- I don't know for 100% sure on the Slab Code, but in most cases the bar code is just a representation of a number, so I'm guessing that it is simply the assigned certification number that is printed on the slab. Using a barcode and scanner just keeps you from having to type in all those numbers manually, and introducing the chance of human error during data entry. That is not to say that I have not seen incorrect scans from barcodes, but the occurence is far less than typing a long series of numbers by hand -- not to mention that it takes a lot less time to zap one than typing it in by hand. There are a couple of "standards" when it comes to barcode layout -- I'm not sure which ones NGC/PCGS use. The scanners we had would work with just about anything you threw at them because Mack gets parts from all over the place.

 

3 -- The of the scanners I worked with plugged into the PC's keyboard (PS/2) input and spit out ASCII, which is standard stuff -- then it imported into custom proprietory software written by Mack programmers for the database and inventory control -- I don't know if any additonal interpretation was going on behind the scenes, but I'm pretty sure it just stayed as numerical fields. To test them after repair we would just open a blank wordpad document and scan a bunch of test codes and it would spray the numbers up into the document. You should be able to scan right into Excel fields with no problem.

 

Recommendations? -- Dig around on eBay and find a cheap one, you can find older used models by the pallet load nowadays, and those should get the job done for what you want to do... I don't see the need to buy a new cutting edge high speed one since you will be doing this by hand and not on some high speed conveyor belt.

[DC Dawg]

There's a Mac-based program called Delicous Library from a company called Delicous Monster that creates a library from your books and music, etc. It uses the Apple's iSight camera to read the barcodes.

 

I was thinking about using it for slabs, but I have to contact the company to understand the limitation of the program. But it does not use "special" hardware other than the iSight, which comes built into most Macs nowadays.

 

Scott

[John Martinez]

1) How well they work.

I am a big fan of bar code for any inventory.

 

2) What info is in an NGC/PCGS/ANACS/ICG barcode.

Therein lies the problem. There are different formats that contain the same data differently. IF the TGP’s will tell you the format, then you could possibly get a program that reads it. If not, then your other option is to add your own barcode to the slab, but that presents its own problems.

 

3) What format does it scan the stuff into (i.e. Excel, Word, etc)

I’m not sure if you can read directly into one of these programs. I’m not saying you can not, I am just not aware.

 

If you decide to print your own barcodes, do NOT scrimp on the printer or paper. You can read a good barcode with a crappy reader. You can NOT; however, read a crappy bar code with ANY reader at ANY price.

[xiaoyuandlg-migration]

Sounds like an interesting topic, you guys seem to know much about the barcode tools, could you pleas offer me some reference on the excel barcode add-in. I don't have much experience on it. Hope that I came to the right place.