How Collectaneum works
Collectaneum is collection management software for serious collectors. It is built as a structured registry, so you can catalogue items, organise collections, manage variants, record acquisition history, track valuations, and keep long-term records accurate.
This page brings together short walkthroughs covering the core workflows: how the registry is structured, how to create owned items, how to manage photos and grading, how to handle catalog layers such as editions and variants, and how to keep your collection usable as it grows.
What you’ll learn
  • How Collectaneum structures collections, products, variants, and owned items
  • How to catalogue the item you actually own
  • How to record photos, grading, acquisitions, and valuation history
  • How to keep a serious collection organised without relying on messy spreadsheets
On this page
Start Here - Overview: What is Collectaneum!Create your CollectionsCreate an Owned Item (the core record)Photos & grading: evidence and consistencyCatalog structure: editions, products, variantsAcquisition & Valuation history (without overwriting the past)Traits - What is special about your itemAdding DocumentsAdvanced & Ownership Events Search - Finding things fast: search and filtersItem Ownership & Item TransfersPractical workflows for serious collectorsImporting Items from SpreadsheetsReports - Reporting that Matters
Start Here - Overview: What is Collectaneum!
If you’re new, start with this overview. They’ll get your first item into the registry without overthinking anything.
  • Franchise → Edition → Product → Variant → Owned Item
  • Why structure matters and kills spreadsheets
  • Where most trackers break down (and how this avoids it)
  • You don’t need to learn everything upfront. Most collectors start by adding an item, then refine things over time.
Open the RegistryBack to top →
Create your Collections
Getting ready for your items - create your Collections
  • User defined 'buckets' for your items
  • Store your items how you want
Open the RegistryBack to top →
Create an Owned Item (the core record)
How to capture the item you actually own — Capture the essentials first — refine later
  • Overview — what this is and how it’s structured
  • Create an Owned Item — capture what you actually own
  • Understand the basics
Open the RegistryBack to top →
Photos & grading: evidence and consistency
A practical approach to photographing and grading so you can compare items over time.
  • How to load photos
  • Grading approach using photos
  • See it - Say it
Open the RegistryBack to top →
Catalog structure: editions, products, variants
How the catalog layers work — and how to add products & variants to your item
  • Searching for the right products
  • Assigning a product and a variant
  • Creating Products and Variants
Open the RegistryBack to top →
Acquisition & Valuation history (without overwriting the past)
Recording your purchase and value changes over time while keeping a clean audit trail for your own reference.
  • What to record (source/date/currency/notes)
  • Separating “paid” vs “estimated” value
  • Why history matters for rare items
Open the RegistryBack to top →
Traits - What is special about your item
What are traits and how to use them
  • Overview of Trait types & Traits
  • Creation of Traits and assigning to your item
Open the RegistryBack to top →
Item Ownership & Item Transfers
How items move between collections and between users — without breaking structure or losing history.
  • Reassign an item to a different collection
  • Transfer ownership to another registered user
  • Preserve provenance, valuation history, and structural integrity
Open the RegistryBack to top →
Practical workflows for serious collectors
Recommended ways to use the registry day-to-day (acquisitions, valuations, photographing sessions, cataloging).
  • Acquisition workflow (capture now, refine later)
  • Value items in bulk
  • Assign products to your items in bulk
  • Photography day workflow
Open the RegistryBack to top →
Importing Items from Spreadsheets
The questions that come up most often when people first switch from spreadsheets.
  • Follow a curated workflow to upload all your data
  • Will I lose data - no, all captured against the item
Open the RegistryBack to top →
Reports - Reporting that Matters
The questions that come up most often when people first switch from spreadsheets.
  • Follow a curated workflow to upload all your data
  • Will I lose data - no, all captured against the item
Open the RegistryBack to top →
Quick FAQ
Do I need to fill everything in at once?
No — capture the essentials first, then refine when you have time. The goal is consistency over perfection.
Can I share items or collections?
Not currently. Collectaneum supports transfers between users, but not shared collections or collaborative editing at this stage.
Are videos required to use the tool?
No — they’ll simply make it quicker to learn the workflows. Written guidance will still live here too.