diff --git a/backend/internal/data/repo/asset_id_type.go b/backend/internal/data/repo/asset_id_type.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6aecf9c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/internal/data/repo/asset_id_type.go
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+package repo
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"fmt"
+	"strconv"
+)
+
+type AssetID int
+
+func (aid AssetID) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
+	aidStr := fmt.Sprintf("%06d", aid)
+	aidStr = fmt.Sprintf("%s-%s", aidStr[:3], aidStr[3:])
+	return []byte(fmt.Sprintf(`"%s"`, aidStr)), nil
+
+}
+
+func (aid *AssetID) UnmarshalJSON(d []byte) error {
+	d = bytes.Replace(d, []byte(`"`), []byte(``), -1)
+	d = bytes.Replace(d, []byte(`-`), []byte(``), -1)
+
+	aidInt, err := strconv.Atoi(string(d))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	*aid = AssetID(aidInt)
+	return nil
+
+}
diff --git a/backend/internal/data/repo/asset_id_type_test.go b/backend/internal/data/repo/asset_id_type_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6a692d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/internal/data/repo/asset_id_type_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+package repo
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"reflect"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestAssetID_MarshalJSON(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name    string
+		aid     AssetID
+		want    []byte
+		wantErr bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "basic test",
+			aid:  123,
+			want: []byte(`"000-123"`),
+		},
+		{
+			name: "zero test",
+			aid:  0,
+			want: []byte(`"000-000"`),
+		},
+		{
+			name: "large int",
+			aid:  123456789,
+			want: []byte(`"123-456789"`),
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got, err := tt.aid.MarshalJSON()
+			if (err != nil) != tt.wantErr {
+				t.Errorf("AssetID.MarshalJSON() error = %v, wantErr %v", err, tt.wantErr)
+				return
+			}
+			if !reflect.DeepEqual(got, tt.want) {
+				t.Errorf("AssetID.MarshalJSON() = %v, want %v", got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestAssetID_UnmarshalJSON(t *testing.T) {
+	type args struct {
+		data []byte
+	}
+	tests := []struct {
+		name    string
+		aid     *AssetID
+		args    args
+		want    AssetID
+		wantErr bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "basic test",
+			aid:  new(AssetID),
+			want: 123,
+			args: args{
+				data: []byte(`{"AssetID":"000123"}`),
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "dashed format",
+			aid:  new(AssetID),
+			want: 123,
+			args: args{
+				data: []byte(`{"AssetID":"000-123"}`),
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "no leading zeros",
+			aid:  new(AssetID),
+			want: 123,
+			args: args{
+				data: []byte(`{"AssetID":"123"}`),
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "trailing zeros",
+			aid:  new(AssetID),
+			want: 123000,
+			args: args{
+				data: []byte(`{"AssetID":"000123000"}`),
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "large int",
+			aid:  new(AssetID),
+			want: 123456789,
+			args: args{
+				data: []byte(`{"AssetID":"123456789"}`),
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			st := struct {
+				AssetID AssetID `json:"AssetID"`
+			}{}
+
+			err := json.Unmarshal(tt.args.data, &st)
+			if (err != nil) != tt.wantErr {
+				t.Errorf("AssetID.UnmarshalJSON() error = %v, wantErr %v", err, tt.wantErr)
+				return
+			}
+
+			if st.AssetID != tt.want {
+				t.Errorf("AssetID.UnmarshalJSON() = %v, want %v", st.AssetID, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/backend/internal/data/repo/repo_items.go b/backend/internal/data/repo/repo_items.go
index 6c12287..d01c1dc 100644
--- a/backend/internal/data/repo/repo_items.go
+++ b/backend/internal/data/repo/repo_items.go
@@ -2,9 +2,6 @@ package repo
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"fmt"
-	"strconv"
-	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/google/uuid"
@@ -21,30 +18,6 @@ type ItemsRepository struct {
 	db *ent.Client
 }
 
-type AssetID int
-
-func (aid AssetID) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
-	str := fmt.Sprintf("%d", aid)
-
-	for len(str) < 6 {
-		str = "0" + str
-	}
-
-	return []byte(fmt.Sprintf(`"%s"`, str)), nil
-}
-
-func (aid *AssetID) UnmarshalJSON(data []byte) error {
-	str := string(strings.Replace(string(data), `"`, "", -1))
-	aidInt, err := strconv.Atoi(str)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	*aid = AssetID(aidInt)
-	return nil
-
-}
-
 type (
 	ItemQuery struct {
 		Page            int
@@ -410,6 +383,9 @@ func (e *ItemsRepository) GetHighestAssetID(ctx context.Context, GID uuid.UUID)
 
 	result, err := q.First(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
+		if ent.IsNotFound(err) {
+			return 0, nil
+		}
 		return 0, err
 	}
 
diff --git a/backend/internal/data/repo/repo_items_test.go b/backend/internal/data/repo/repo_items_test.go
index bc9c91d..4b958b0 100644
--- a/backend/internal/data/repo/repo_items_test.go
+++ b/backend/internal/data/repo/repo_items_test.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package repo
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"encoding/json"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -10,33 +9,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
-func TestAssetID_UnmarshalJSON(t *testing.T) {
-	rawjson := `{"aid":"000123"}`
-
-	st := struct {
-		AID AssetID `json:"aid"`
-	}{
-		AID: AssetID(0),
-	}
-
-	err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(rawjson), &st)
-	assert.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Equal(t, AssetID(123), st.AID)
-}
-
-func TestAssetID_MarshalJSON(t *testing.T) {
-	st := struct {
-		AID AssetID `json:"aid"`
-	}{
-		AID: AssetID(123),
-	}
-
-	b, err := json.Marshal(st)
-
-	assert.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.JSONEq(t, `{"aid":"000123"}`, string(b))
-}
-
 func itemFactory() ItemCreate {
 	return ItemCreate{
 		Name:        fk.Str(10),