The hard part is not entering the first comic. It is finding issue 143 six months later, after three boxes have moved and somebody has sold two books at a fair. A useful catalogue must agree with the shelf.
Start with the physical boxes
Give every box a short, unambiguous name before entering stock. Add room and rack only when they help someone else find it. Number comics from the front of the box and leave the order alone while scanning. If a comic moves, update the record rather than relying on memory.
Choose the right capture method
For a small collection, upload clean cover photographs and review each result. For hundreds of books, Long Box Mode pairs a phone with the desktop review screen and advances positions automatically. Modern books may have barcodes, but older issues and variants still need cover-based identification and a human check.
Record what you will actually use
Series, issue, publisher, year, printing, variant, condition, quantity and location earn their keep. Purchase history and asking price matter to sellers; personal collectors may prefer notes and a want list. Do not turn the catalogue into a transcription project before the boxes are under control.
Finish with a recovery copy
Export the inventory after a large intake. Keep original photographs elsewhere, because temporary scan images expire. Run a box stocktake after moving stock or returning from an event.
