Question about keeping track of trades...

[Sparky0704]

Hi All!! I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend. I have a quick question and would appreciate any input or help I could get. I have been doing a few trades, RAOKS, and trains lately and find myself overwhelmed in keeping track of them. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions on how to keep track of your trades and feedback left. Maybe someone has a spread sheet that they can share or just a little input would be helpful. Thanks in advance!!

[rebate_queen]

I have recently made folders in my PM box for trades that I have mailed/waiting on feedback for, and for trades I have mailed/waiting for something in the mail to come.

For the ones I am waiting on feedback for, those are usually where someone has paid me with paypal, and I don't move it to that folder until I have left them feedback. When I am waiting on something in the mail, I leave feedback when I receive and then I move that PM to the "waiting for feedback" folder.

This has been working well for me, you could adjust your folders to what would work better for you. I prefer to keep everything in my PM box, makes it easier for me than having a separate spreadsheet. I also just keep the newest PM from my trades back and forth, and get rid of all the rest. I like my PM box to stay neat. Hope that helps!

[Sparky0704]

I have recently made folders in my PM box for trades that I have mailed/waiting on feedback for, and for trades I have mailed/waiting for something in the mail to come.

For the ones I am waiting on feedback for, those are usually where someone has paid me with paypal, and I don't move it to that folder until I have left them feedback. When I am waiting on something in the mail, I leave feedback when I receive and then I move that PM to the "waiting for feedback" folder.

This has been working well for me, you could adjust your folders to what would work better for you. I prefer to keep everything in my PM box, makes it easier for me than having a separate spreadsheet. I also just keep the newest PM from my trades back and forth, and get rid of all the rest. I like my PM box to stay neat. Hope that helps!

Sounds like a good idea, I never thought about doing it that way. I have been leaving them in my inbox but then I have to try to remember what is what lol. Thanks for the advice!!

[motherofmolly]

i like the folder option!

my system is i leave the last pm from the other trader. once i receive the trade, i leave feedback and delete the message. it isnt the best system but it works.

[isis]

I keep track in a notebook (you can always use excel, I think there is a spreadsheet somewhere someone made to share) Anyway....
For Trades, I write across the top of each page:

To - Member Name.
Next to their name, I write what I'm sending / what they're sending. If its a bunch of q's, I just put Asst. q's)
Sent - (date I mailed)
Rec / Left FB (The date I received. I put a ckmark once I leave FB)
They Rec / Left FB (I ckmark once they have left FB)

As soon as both of those lines are ck marked, then I can delete the PMs.

For Trains, I write the train name and highlight it. If its a regular train, that goes from person to person, I write the start date and how many q's need to be inside. When I receive it, I jot who its from (so I can leave FB) date I received and date mailed out. When the next person gets it, I X through the train. Once it gets back home, I write Complete.

For monthly trains that go to the same person, like I was on Baseball Go Round, I wrote the names of each train. I wrote the date as I received next to that train name and when I mailed back out. After I received all the trains and mine came back home, again, I X through the train and write Complete.

For trains that get mailed to different people each week, I do the same thing as my regular trades. Start off with the Train Name and how many q's.
Week 1 -
Who I'm mailing to - Date Sent - They Rec/Left FB
Whose Mailing to me - Date Sent - I Rec/Left FB.

Week 2 -
and so on.
Again, after my ride is complete, I X through.

The notebook is easier for me than setting up folders and I can always look at a glance to see what trades are outstanding.

[atcwag]

I keep word files, one for outgoing and one for incoming. As soon as I join a train, trade, swap, ROAK, etc. I add it to the appropriate list (even if all the details aren't available) so I don't forget about it. i.e. you can see the "June Jubilee" train is added to these lists, but train routes are yet to be posted so all I have is the send by date and name of the train. When more info is available, I add in who I'm sending/receiving from.

A sample of outgoing looks like this:
Black = to be sent Red = Sent Green = Received Blue = Left feedback Violet = not posted as received/missing x 2 weeks
I put a "*" next to the trains that are current so I can keep track of how many I'm riding.

5/13/11 - Candle Swap - MrsLooper
5/16/11 - Flip Flop Swap - ffagirl15
5/16/11 - "Basically Cool" Train - mefiance
5/24/11 - "No Scissors Required" Train - luckycharms288
*5/24, 31, 6/7, 14/11 - "Scavenger Hunt" Train - (5/24) crazy4clipping. (5/31) Kendra228,
*5/26/11 - "Recipes a go-go" (round robin)
Breakfast (1) - (all to MrsLooper) 1. Cream Chipped Beef 2. Flour Bread 3. Belgian Waffles 4. French Toast
Lunch (2) - (all to cgeorge) 1. Mushroom Pizza 2. BBQ Chicken Salad 3. Tuna & Swiss on Oat Nut Bread 4. Greek Garden Pita
Dinner (1) - (all to SwanLovesJoe)1. Seafood Alfredo 2. Baked Tilapia 3. London Broil 4. Grilled BBQ Salmon
Dessert (1) - (all to purple 104) 1. Raspberry Cheesecake 2. Hot Fudge Sundae 3. Foil Pack Veggie 4. Cherry Cheesecake
5/31/11 - "May Mania" train - bowmankm41, bugweena, Charlie Girl, cyhick, DollarsOutOfDimes, heatcol127, ICanDanSaulKnight, IluvMare, mayanfire, nlowndes, PeachySteph, postalq, rdot, seekHim, slw1127, STallerico,SwanLovesJoe, sydmar03, Weezie912, & yerapinhead
*6/30/11 - "June Jubilee" Train -

Incoming looks like this:
Black = to be received Red = Received Blue = left feedback

5/13/11: Candle Swap (cybilx10) - Weezie912 *re-sending envie of coupons*
5/16/11: Flip Flop Swap (Bellasmom)
5/24/11: "No Scissors Required" Train (okcoupondiva) - alawrence1
5/24, 31, 6/7, 14/11 - "Scavenger Hunt" Train (okcoupondiva) - (5/24) libertybelle
5/26/11 - "Recipes a go-go" (dominicsmommy)
Breakfast (1) - (all from SariniLynn) 1. Flour Bread 2. Belgian Waffles 3. French Toast 4. Cream Chipped Beef
Lunch (2) - (all from MrsLooper) 1. BBQ Chicken Salad 2. Tuna & Swiss on Oat Nut Bread 3. Greek Garden Pita 4. Mushroom Pizza
Dinner (1) - (all from purple104)1. Baked Tilapia 2. London Broil 3. Grilled BBQ Salmon 4. Seafood Alfredo
Dessert (1) - (all from dominicsmommy) 1. Hot Fudge Sundae 2. Foil Pack Veggie 3. Cherry Cheesecake 4. Raspberry Cheesecake
5/31/11: "May Mania" Train (bartra) - bowmankm41, bugweena, Charlie Girl, cyhick, DollarsOutOfDimes, heatcol127, ICanDanSaulKnight, IluvMare, mayanfire, nlowndes, PeachySteph, postalq, rdot, seekHim,slw1127, STallerico, SwanLovesJoe, sydmar03, Weezie912, & yerapinhead
6/30/11: "June Jubilee" Train (barta) -