5 Great Tools for Packrats and Clutterbugs

Written by Dana Oshiro / November 2, 2009 2:43 PM / 8 Comments

This post is part of our ReadWriteStart channel, which is dedicated to profiling startups and entrepreneurs. The channel is sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark. To sign up for BizSpark, click here.

While the rest of the world is digitizing and consolidating their belongings, some of us just can't stop being the pack rats that we are. While the Kindle offers a good daytime reading experience, it's tough to justify taking it into the bath or falling asleep with it nestled against your cheek. My home is filled with books I no longer need but love to lend out. Whether your home is filled with books, camping gear, vinyls or video games, if you're a collector below are some tools to help you manage your stuff:

1. 5ftShelf: According to the site's intro Harvard University's president once claimed that, "...a liberal education could be achieved by reading a collection of books that would total no more than 5ft in width." In addition to your list of quintessential books, 5ft Shelf offers collectors a chance to showcase their favorite albums and movies. While the Ultimate Shelf (popular section) largely consists of classic works, a few contemporary works including the Twilight novel are also listed.

2. Delicious Monster: Delicious Monster allows users to scan their CDs, DVDs, video games and books using a webcam UPC reader. From here users are shown a photo-realistic shelf where all of their real-life products are displayed.

3. MyThings: MyThings also offers users a chance to index their physical objects and keep track of receipts and warranties in one place. One of the interesting components of MyThings is that in the event of a break-in, your MyThings database can be immediately sent to Trace.com - a tool that tracks lost and stolen property.

4. Neighborgoods: ReadWriteWeb covered Neighborgoods' launch in early October. This service allows users to interact in a hyper-local manner by indexing their goods for loan to their neighbors. Neighbors lends out lawnmowers, power washers and ladders to others in their area. The system will keep a running record of all your goods.

5. BookMooch: Bookmooch is a book exchange site where users list the books they'd like to give away and send them out once other members make requests. For every book you send, you are entitled to a book from another member. This is a great way to get rid of your unwanted books. The service also offers the option to donate books to charity.

Photo Credits: Jane Rahman

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Comments

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Please don't forget iTrackmine.com. iTrackmine.com is an aggregator of everything you own. Including a collection manager, mobile shopping assistant (iPhone, Android and other mobile devices), and social tools like friends Gift Lists and comparisons.

Thanks!

Posted by: Dean | November 2, 2009 3:20 PM

Although I can't really use any of these items, I can definitely appreciate the niche and realize the need for these services.

Posted by: Lawrence | November 2, 2009 3:34 PM

I highly discourage anyone from using Delicious Monster. It *used* to be a cool app... but that is no longer the case. The support is abysmal. The latest version is unable to convert my database from the previous version. I would not even use it if it were free. Others might have been luckier, but that is my personal experience.

Posted by: Jean-Michel Decombe | November 2, 2009 3:34 PM

I would not even use it if it were free. Others might have been luckier, but that is my personal experience.

Posted by: True Religion jeans | November 2, 2009 5:30 PM

People who like these apps might also like OurShelf. OurShelf empowers users through the things they own and the people they know. Find great deals, read trusted reviews, track all the items you borrow or lend, catalog and organize anything.

You can even import all your amazon past purchases and sell items straight from your shelf on craigslist.

For more information check out: http://beta.rshelf.com/about

Paul (CEO and cofounder)

Posted by: OurShelf | November 3, 2009 3:41 AM

When I saw "Packrats", I wondered who was calling me. :-)
Nice tips here that I can check out. This article and the comments as well are all helpful.

Thanks for sharing everyone!

Posted by: Jimi Jones | November 3, 2009 1:55 PM

I know we could use a couple of these to help keep my office organized.

Posted by: CRB | November 4, 2009 12:57 AM

Similar to Bookmooch, there is also Paperbackswap - http://www.paperbackswap.com/ - which, in my experience, is a tad more user-friendly than Bookmooch (though both are nice services).

I use both as a one-two punch to keep my bookshelves in a constant state of refresh.

Posted by: Tim | November 5, 2009 5:08 AM