OopBuy Spreadsheet and Google Sheets: Two Ways to Keep a Shortlist

A web catalog and a personal sheet serve different stages

The website groups photos, names and reference prices for discovery. A personal sheet becomes useful when you want to retain a comparison across visits, add measurements or track a question for several candidates. Choose the format around that task rather than recreating the entire catalog in a document. ^[2]

For a quick visual search, category cards provide an immediate overview. For comparing three selected listings with different missing details, rows and personal columns can make follow-up easier. The two formats can be used together, with a current product link connecting them.

The CSV contains recorded fields, not embedded product photos

Our CSV exports names, brands, category identifiers, minimum and maximum CNY references, minimum and maximum estimated USD values, product URLs and snapshot dates. The product URL points to the external catalog. Photos, personal shortlist choices and your measurement notes are not embedded in the file. ^[2]

Google distinguishes file import from functions that retrieve changing data. Importing this downloaded CSV into a sheet copies its values; it does not create a connection to each seller’s current options. Preserve the snapshot date so those copied values retain their meaning. ^[1]

Add only the personal fields needed for the next decision

Keep the imported product identity and price fields together, then add a small number of columns: selected variation, your fit reference, unresolved question, last listing check and decision status. These fields address what the catalog cannot know about your particular choice.

Record later checks without overwriting the original snapshot

Keep the source snapshot date separate from the date you revisit the listing. If an option or price changes, add the current observation beside the imported record and identify the chosen variation. That lets you see what changed instead of losing the basis of the earlier comparison.

For a fictional example, a row may preserve a CNY 160 snapshot while your later check finds CNY 180 for the same option. Keep both dates and amounts with clear labels. If you instead select a different colour at CNY 180, record the option change as well; otherwise a future reader cannot tell a price increase from a different selection.

Three candidate rows can hold different decisions without forcing a ranking

Suppose your sheet contains three fictional hoodie candidates. A has the preferred colour but needs a sleeve measurement. B has usable dimensions but only in another colour. C is an earlier selection whose current link no longer identifies the same product. A shared score would hide the fact that these rows need different decisions.

Record one next action beside each row: request A’s measurement, decide whether B’s colour is acceptable, and re-identify or remove C. This makes the sheet useful between browsing sessions because you can resume the actual question without rereading every page. The entries below are examples of personal notes, not claims about named sellers.

Leave a size undecided where the information is insufficient. A blank answer paired with a clear question is better than a guessed size that later looks like a confirmed choice. If a candidate is removed, retain a short reason so the same unsuitable item is not added again simply because its cover photo reappears.

A refreshed export needs an identity check before notes are carried over

Keep a copy of the old import when you bring in a newer CSV. First establish which new rows describe the same products, then decide which personal notes still apply. A price update and a different seller version are not equivalent changes, even if the displayed product name is identical.

A product URL can be a useful identifier, but referral parameters or a changed page address can complicate a simple text match. Do not discard every query parameter automatically: some addresses use them to identify the actual item or selected option. Confirm the product identity before treating two different URLs as the same record.

Carry a fit note forward only when it still refers to the same variation and measurement basis. Preserve the old observation with its date when a version changes, instead of attaching it silently to the replacement. For a genuinely new product, create a new candidate row and reassess the relevant dimensions. This keeps the sheet from gaining false certainty as it accumulates history.

Separate amounts, currencies and unknown costs in your own columns

For personal budgeting, give an amount and its currency separate fields. A numeric value is easier to sort and calculate with than a mixture such as “about USD 30 plus shipping”. Keep the original currency and any converted estimate identifiable, including the conversion date or basis if you make one.

Do not add a USD estimate to a CNY amount as though the two numbers shared a unit. Also distinguish an unknown charge from a confirmed zero. An empty shipping field marked “quote needed” is more honest than entering 0 and allowing the sheet to present an incomplete sum as the full cost.

Separate planned and paid amounts when a purchase progresses. A snapshot price, a current checkout amount and an actual payment describe different events. Preserve the values you need for comparison without adding all three to the same total. For a shared parcel, identify any item-level shipping allocation as your accounting method rather than as a seller’s charge for that one item.

A small set of statuses keeps the sheet usable

Use a few clear states such as comparing, waiting for information, selected and removed, with one next action for each waiting item. Keep the active list small enough to revisit its links and questions; archive ruled-out rows with their reasons instead of letting them obscure the current decision.