How to catalog a country store with thousands of items?

[Laura]

Good morning collectors!

Middlesex Co. Museum has had a country store on loan for about 30 years and it has recently been gifted to us. This covers 3 walls floor to ceiling, multiple wood and glass cases filled with every kind of item–a 1920-30s Walmart. Some of the larger objects were listed with dimensions by the owner. A few have number tags and correspond to file cards in a box that the owner gave us.

I volunteer there about 5 hours a week. We have not been able to find interns and I am the sole registrar. How best to accession these thousands of items? An inventory list of items is in process (5 boxes of screws, 10 coffee pots, etc.) Is a video inventory and identification or a photographic record acceptable? My life is not long enough to enter and process these items in accepted Past Perfect protocol.

I would appreciate your suggestions. Thanks in advance.
Helen Chandler
I am at a loss as how to proceed.

[Author]

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