I need to see if you think my logic is correct. I need to set up a data
base for the products I sell. One sheet will have the vendors and product
categories or types. The second will have a columns that have a numeric
reference tied to the first for both the vendor and categories. This should
keep the amount of data and the "size" of the work book to a minimum. I
could have one vendor have 10 categories with 5 to 10 items in each and
awful lot of duplicate data and therefore space and size. Is my thinking
correct?

Sheet1
Column1 Column2 Column4 Column5
Vendor Categories
Joe 1 Widgets 1
Frank 2 Whatchamacallits 2
Paul 3 Thingamabobs 3


Sheet2
Column1 Column2 Column3
Column4 Column5
Vendor Categories Item name
Cost Price
1 2 Joe's Best Whatchamacallits
..5 1

I'll set up a form for entry that will a combo box that will look up the
"lists" in sheet1 column1 and return a number value in the respective
columns on sheet2 and allow you to enter the item name cost and price. Than
when you go to use the information in a quote cascading combo boxes and
vlookups for the vendor, categories, item name, cost and price.

Last question is it possible to have two workbooks one with the quotes and
one with the price list. I would make all the references in the quote have
relative cell values so that the price list can be updated and sent out and
as long as everything was in the same folder while the quotes were being
worked on just copy and over write the old price list. Than when the
quotes where finished a macro that would replace the formulas with their
respective values. That could be sent and achieved.

Or am I just over engineering the whole thing?

Marc