To provide a remarkably excellent device for separately retrieving and controlling article, which can house the maximum number of remarkably thin articles to be housed within a width of a housing shelf or a housing body for housing the article in the housing shelf at the maximum housing efficiency and which can securely control the return condition and existence of the housing body before and after the retrieval.

A discriminating means, which has no electric operation, is provided at least any one of a desirable article 10 or a housing body 5, which can house the article 10. A housing shelf 6 is provided with an information data signal transmitting device 3 for transmitting the information data of at least any one of the article 10 and the housing body 5 at the time of housing it in the housing shelf 6 through a sorting means and at the time of ejecting it through the sorting means to a host computer 9 and a switching mechanism 4 for automatically starting this information data signal transmitting device 3.