Arbuckle Trade Cards - Collection Manager

I finally decided, after nearly 25 years of using everything from a small spiral pocket notebook to an Excel spreadsheet in an attempt to keep track of my ever-growing collection of Arbuckle trade cards, to try creating a dedicated PC database program as the answer to it all. Once I developed it, of course, I thought perhaps I'd spiff it up a bit (quite a bit, actually) and see if any of you other Arbuckle collectors might also find it useful.

So here's what I've come up with! My ArbyCards is a Windows^®-based program that uses a database containing both descriptions AND thumbnail images of all the basic Arbuckle card series and many of the additional less-common cards; almost all the cards, in fact, that you can currently see on this site. The program allows a collector to simply check off the cards in his or her own Arbuckle collection, as well as add additional details pertinent to each and every card he or she owns. Dedicated fields are provided for Condition, Date Acquired, Cost, and Extras (duplicates). A general Notes field permits entry of other details meaningful to each individual collector.

And if, by chance, you happen to have some unique cards (obscure varieties, printing errors, etc.) that aren't currently included in the distributed database, a Supplemental table accepts user-defined entries.

Of course, to be really useful, a program would need to have the ability to produce an old-fashioned printed checklist, one that a collector could take along on "hunting" expeditions to antique shops and card shows. My ArbyCards has that capability, though the checklists it produces aren't quite so old-fashioned. Since thumbnail images of every card are built into the database, the program imbeds tiny versions of those images alongside each and every card listing (assuming you have a graphics-capable printer).

Another feature of My ArbyCards is the ability to produce "Trading Lists". A Trading List is a small file that contains selected information about which cards an Arbuckle collector needs to fill the holes in his or her collection (equivalent to a "want list"), as well as which "extra" (or duplicate) cards are available for potential trading. Once created, these files can be exchanged (by e-mail, diskette, etc.) with other My ArbyCards users to assist in identifying potential trading opportunities (see sample below).

My ArbyCards is offered as a "shareware" program. That means you pay nothing to download it and try it out on your PC for up to 30 days. Only then, if you've decided that you just can't live without it, are you requested to please register your copy and pay a modest one-time fee of $15 for your use of the program. Please read the full before downloading.

I've tested My ArbyCards under several different Windows^® configurations, with various monitors and display resolutions, and a couple of printers. However, I certainly can't claim to be certain that the program will work in every possible configuration, and I don't necessarily have the resources or expertise to ensure that it does. But that's the beauty of the "try it before you buy it" concept. If it works as intended on your system, that's terrific, but if it doesn't (and the problem isn't something which I can easily resolve), then it hasn't cost you anything but a bit of time (for which I can only offer my apologies in return).

Now, if you're ready.......simply click on the link below to download My ArbyCards, read the Setup Instructions on the next page, and you should be up and running in no time.

FULL INSTALL FOR NEW USERS
(or current users still on any v1.x release level)
(approx. 2.7MB)

(NOTE: Current v2.x users should use the "Check for Updates" function on the program's "Tools" menu to download the v2.1 upgrade file.)

Release History
1/19/2008	v2.1	Changes » Modifies the default background color for several display components in order to achieve a consistent appearance under Windows VISTA™ (which assigns different default colors for many components, thereby causing earlier versions of My ArbyCards to take on a somewhat mottled appearance). Users who aren't yet running Windows VISTA™ (lucky you!) shouldn't experience any changes to their displays. New Features » Adds an option for the user to select his or her own preferred overall background color, rather than accept the standard default (a dull silver gray in most Windows versions, a dingy off-white in Windows VISTA™). Enhancements » Adds "Supplemental" table information to the "Summary" page. » Adds an "Update Reminder" option to allow the user to choose to be automatically reminded (at a user-selected interval) to check for program or database updates.
11/17/2004	v2.0.1	Corrections » Fixes a minor bug which prevented the Type 4 variety of the Sports & Pastimes series from appearing correctly on the printed checklist.
10/25/2004	v2.0	Internal Changes » Changes the database file structure and methodology to remove the dependency on Paradox and the Borland Database Engine, thereby significantly reducing the data storage requirements and related overhead, as well as cutting the size of the distibution file (and its corresponding download time) by more than 70%. Enhancements » Expands the "Condition" field from 10 to 15 characters and the "Notes" field from 50 to 75 characters, permitting slightly more verbose entries in each. New Features » Adds an option to have the tabs shown in color, where the tab for each series will assume the color currently used for the card subject (see sample screen shot, above). Users may also change any or all of these colors to suit their own aesthetic sensibilities. » Adds an "Auto Save" option (the default) since user entries are no longer saved when navigating from card to card, but rather from series to series, due to the change in the data storage methodology. » Adds a visible indicator to the tab for a series when there are pending changes to the series which have not yet been saved. » Adds an online update capability, allowing registered users to check for any recent updates to either the program or the database .DLL files, and immediately download any newer versions found. » Adds the ability to produce a one-page printout of the "Cards Needed" portion of a Trading List. » Makes the SUMMARY display auto-updating so that it will always reflect the latest saved changes to all active series. Therefore, the "Refresh" button is now obsolete and has been removed. Database Changes » Converts the database files from Paradox to a combination .DLL and dedicated data file structure. » Adds a third variety to Satire - Part 1, for those cards with a vertical (portrait) layout which have the "Factory" back and are known to exist with both front-to-back orientations (i.e., front top edge aligned with either the back right edge or back left edge). » Adds several newly identified cards to the "Counter" Card, Tuck Art, and Rolled White Oats series. » Adds recently identified second varieties to a few of the cards in both the Rolled White Oats and Candies series. Corrections » Fixes a memory "leak" which tended to consume an excessive quantity of GDI system resources when printing checklists with embedded images.
10/1/2003	v1.3	New Features » A new "Supplemental" database table feature. This is essentially a "do-it-yourself" table which permits user-defined entries for unique cards which, for one reason or another, aren't included in the standard database that's distributed with the program. These may be cards that simply aren't yet known to the program's author, obscure varieties, printing errors, or perhaps just items that a collector might like to record because they're related in some way to the Arbuckle cards. » A very minor enhancement to the View Trading List screen which permits the screen to be independently minimized and restored from its own task bar button. Database Changes » Upgrades the database files to Version 1.2. This includes replacements for several existing thumbnail images, a new variety for one card in Trip Around The World, and several newly identified cards in the Counter Card, Tuck Art, and Candies series.(All these cards were added to this site over the past 20 months.)
1/5/2002	v1.2	New Feature » A "Trading List" function. Collectors may create trading lists containing selected information about the cards they need to complete their Arbuckle collections, and the extra cards they have available to trade. Once exchanged with a fellow collector, a list may be viewed in My ArbyCards to quickly and easily identify trading possibilities where one's "needs" and "extras" match up with those of the potential trading partner's. Database Changes » Upgrades the database files to Version 1.1. This includes replacements for some of the thumbnail images, new varieties for 2 cards in State Maps and 1 card in Trip Around The World, 1 new card in Short Sets, and 3 new Counter cards. (All these cards were added to this site over the past year.) Corrections » Corrects minor errors found in the existing program (which may have shown up in areas such as PRINT ALL, use of the Extras field for Type 2 of the Satire 2 series, initial display of the Candies tab, etc.)
4/26/2001	v1.1	New Features » A "Save" option to compensate for systems which temporarily "cache" the database updates (and then merrily crash before writing them to the hard disk). » A "Last Updated" date for each series. Appears on screen display and on printed checklists. » An optional "Summary" display showing total card count by series and variety, total cost by series, and the last updated date for each series. Database Changes » None Corrections » Fixes a few minor cosmetic flaws found in the original v1.0 release.
1/20/2001	v1.0	Original program.