Products with Hundreds of Possible/Specific Options

[dcdiscs1]

Hi there, 

I'm new to Magento and would like some advice on how to set up my products. I am selling disc golf discs, which come in all sorts of manufacturers, types, speeds, colors, weights, etc. Here is a data example of a disc: 

Manufacturer: 'Innova'
Plastic Type: 'Star'
Name: 'Destroyer'
Type: 'Distance Driver'

Speed: '12'

Color: 'Blue'
Weight: '175 grams'

For product purposes, the only 'configurable attributes' I care about are weight and color, which are unique to each individual disc (similar to size and color of a teeshirt, but with significantly more possible options). I want to create the product as a Star Destroyer, but I need a drop-down menu that specifies each unique option:
- Blue 175 grams
- Pink 154 grams
- Orange 169 grams 

However, here's my issue: 
- For every type of disc, I can have any specific weight from 130 grams up to 180 grams. I can also have any and every color of the rainbow. I need to specify these. I might have 1 Star Destroyer' in stock or I might have 100 in stock. I have about 150 "types" of discs from 10 different manufacturers. These are not 'customizable options' by a customer and I need to keep track of inventory. 

Based on Googling ways to do this, I've only found setting up a configurable product and then linking it to simple products based on an attribute (color and weight). However, setting up this attribute would mean listing 40 different individual weights for the color "Blue", for the color "Pink", for "Red", etc, etc, etc. I'm really hoping theres another way to do this!

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!! Thanks. 

[Finestshops]

Hi,

If you want to keep an inventory of every variant, the only way I know you can do this is by using a simple product for each variation. It sucks to create all of those but I do not think there is a way around that if you want to keep stock of each. You can use Excel to prepare csv files for each product and import or there are some product management systems which can be connected to a Magento store and may help you to automate the process. 

Another advantage of having simple products for each variant is to be able to assign attributes to each and use them in the filters, so, if a customer wants weight 175 grams / color blue, he/she can see all the products which come in that configuration. You can also use those in personalizations later, so if somebody purchased something color "blue", you can show other related products in the same color - this may boost your conversion and repeated orders.

And you will need those simple products for your marketplaces listings when you will start using those.

Hope this helps.

[karenlovem]

we're looking into the Hottons extensions for bundled products. not sure if this is what you looking for?