Four pieces, never merged
A clue is not one fact. It is four separate pieces that only make a re-checkable picture when each is kept visible on its own.
The four pieces
- Source patch — cobalt.
Where the clue came from: the sheet, a category entry, or the current destination page.
- Option patch — apricot.
The clearly visible color, size, version, quantity, or set, as shown right now.
- Condition patch — sage.
The time and page conditions under which price, images, stock, and claims appear.
- Missing patch — plum.
What is still missing, conflicting, or not derivable from the current source.
Why the pieces stay separate
If you merge them, you can no longer tell where a piece came from or whether one is missing. A patchwork you can re-check is one where every piece keeps its own label — and every gap stays empty.
Similar-looking patches are not the same source and not the same option. They stay separate until the source confirms they belong together.
A worked assembly
- Source: record where the clue came from.
- Option: record the clearly visible color, size, version, quantity, or set.
- Condition: record the time and page conditions for the price, images, stock, and claims.
- Missing: record what is still absent, conflicting, or underivable — and leave it marked.
Assembly example — not a product set, recommendation, verification, or saved record.
Continue your review
Next, read options with their conditions in the option and condition guide, and handle gaps with the missing piece guide.