Features

Reasons You'll Love
The Collecting Bug...

Your Own Website

The Collecting Bug is a simple way to create your own collection website, requiring no technical knowledge. Simple enough for an internet beginner, and powerful enough for the advanced collector, you'll end up with a searchable, visual, organised collection website, ready to share with fellow collectors around the world!

How it all began...

True story. It all began when one enthusiastic, but non-technical collector, wanted to share their collection on-line, and couldn't find an easy way of doing it. Frustrated, he asked around fellow collectors, who said "Don't know, but when you find out, tell me". The rest, as they say, is history.

Get Organised

As your collection grows, there comes a point when it develops beyond keeping it all in your head and scraps of paper. Many collectors try and organise using Excel, but how do you link photos and related items, and visually search and sort? Behind the simple user interface of The Collecting Bug is a powerful relational database. Each item is catalogued with details, description and multiple pictures. Group items in folders, link connected items, store all your data in one central place, and search and retrieve in a moment. TCB supports single and multiple collections with the same ease.
(PS if you already have your data in Excel - it's easy to import!)

Connect with other Collectors

These days, your collecting friends can be spread around the globe. But how can you ever show them your collection? Connect with like-minded enthusiasts around the world. Link to their collections, and they can link to you. Visitors to your collection can leave comments, or you can chat with fellow collectors in the forum. Got a question about a mystery item? Post a question, and chances are someone will know the answer. Collect something out of the ordinary? Specialist collectors use specialist terms - with the Search Engine optimized design, fellow collectors will find you!

Keep Private Information Private

Understandably, many collectors are cautious about sharing too much information with people they don't know. Strong privacy options are built-in. Only your User ID (not your name) is displayed, and you set the privacy level to display what you want to display, the rest is only visible to you. You can have private fields (eg item value) within a visible item, or completely private items (eg your rare items), or even keep your whole collection private, only visible to you and your invited guests.

Beautiful Galleries

Images are at the heart of the The Collecting Bug, which means your collection will be showcased at its very best. You can see up to 12 full size images with every item. Close ups, side views, back views, makers stamps - not a problem. And you can set gallery views to create wall to wall pictures on the screen, and search by either pictures or by text. If a picture is worth a 1,000 words, your collection is off to a great start!

Access Everywhere

Access your collection anywhere, any time. Whether you are half way around the world, or with friends nearby, your collection is at your fingertips. A major difficulty for many collectors is the lack of space to display their collection. So half ends up in storage, or crammed in boxes. You can't show it to friends; you can't even see it yourself! We can't help with the physical storage, but The Collecting Bug can help you obtain access to your complete collection online. We support all major browsers, and your Internet-enabled phone or tablet.

Free Basic Version

Click to see plans

Use our basic plan free, forever, if you wish.

As your collection increases and you need more flexibility, find the plan just right for you! There are no long-term contracts, and a choice of plans with different options.

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Powerful Search

At your fingertips - find a group of related items, a single item, or even a particular phrase. Search specifically within your own collection, browse a collection category, or search every collection on the website.

How would it feel to look through your own collection, and instantly find every item from a particular time period? Can do. Or only one particular manufacturer? Can do. Or sort by value? Can do. You can place multiple refinements on your search (eg this period combined with that country), or you can browse your collection by folders, and see all related items.

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Location Aware

With built in location smarts using Google Maps, you can track where your collection pieces came from originally.

How do you use it? It could be localities for sea shells, the precise location for postcards, cities of manufacture, or countries for stamps. The possibilities are endless. This is just one of many features that add fun as well as depth to your collection.

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Easy Import & Export

Import all your data in minutes! Same with photos - you can import individually, or bulk load images. If you already have your collection data in Excel or spreadsheet format, your work is half done! You can also export in Excel or CSV formats for custom analysis and quick global refinement.

Data import and export can be tricky, but guided by our step-by-step wizard you can see exactly what is happening each step of the way.

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Trading Post

Turn your duplicates and spares into cash or trades, find out what other collectors have available, and let them know what you are looking for.

Your collection has its own unique Trading Post, which in turn is combined into a complete Trading Post for the website.

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Simple to Use

There's no software to install or upgrade. You don't need to know a single line of code. We don't use any technical language. The intuitive interface means it is simple to navigate and use.

Start with a ready-made template to get up and running quickly, then customize later. You'll find other collectors are more than willing to tell you step-by-step how they created their collection websites, and with help available every step along the way, you'll never be lost.

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Reporting

Ever had that problem - the report isn't quite what you wanted?

Rather than guess the reports you might want, we allow you to quickly and easily export your data to spreadsheet format. In minutes, you'll be able to create the exact report, list or custom catalog you want, format it exactly how you want, and even save it or send it elsewhere.

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Customise

It's your website - create your own style with a choice of colours, fonts and pictorial options. Build a classic look, an informal style or whatever suits your collection. Want to see what the fonts look like, try border effects, or different background colours? With the customization bar, you can instantly check out different options and see how they look.

The carefully selected range of options is designed to integrate - you can mix 'n' match, and it will always look good. If you can't decide, our default style looks great!

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Perfect for Collector Clubs

Clubs, societies and small museums are well catered for. Using the special club template, your group can create its own personalised website with upcoming activities, membership and contact details. Build a club gallery where members can share selected items from their collections, building interest within the club, and also for potential new members

The special club template is ideal for any group or society of like-minded collectors, allowing group access plus administrator privileges. And if you've always thought about starting a club, now you can!

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Insurance Valuations

Have you documented the most valuable items in your collection? What would you give to your insurance company if a disaster happened?

With The Collecting Bug you can create a complete home inventory, or store identification details, valuations, purchase history and more. Just change the settings to "private", and only you can access this information.

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Help is on its way

Support is readily available - from the Getting Started Guide to the Tutorials & FAQs to the Help Forum, we take support seriously. Located throughout the application are tooltips to help along the way.

Take your time, have a look at a few top-rated collections, and you'll quickly get a sense of what you'd like to do. We're here to help you achieve it.

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Maximise Resale Value

Planning a sale of your collection - now or in the future? A well-displayed, well-documented collection will enhance attractiveness, and maximise price. Record provenance, related documents, and identification details with every item, and draw attention to your most desirable items in the "highlights" area.

Then email links to your collection to your collecting friends around the world, and you're on your way!

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For the next generation...

In my conversations with older collectors, this is a genuine concern...

What happens when you are no longer around to look after your collection? Will you leave a legacy, or a liability? Although you know the important and valuable pieces in your collection - will anybody else? Even a quick and simple documentation of your collection means you'll leave a heritage, not a headache.

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Create Want Lists

Every serious collector has a want list in their head. Or scribbled on bits of paper, and updated from time to time when you are heading off to a show. Ever purchased a "missing" item, only to find you already had one?

With The Collecting Bug, simply print out your Want List before heading off, and instantly check your own collection at any time on your smartphone

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Flexible & Fun!

Collecting is fun! And creating a website should be, too. Sometimes we added a feature because...simply...it was fun!

Because The Collecting Bug is designed by collectors, there are useful tools and options to get the job done... and put a smile on your face as you think "How did they know I needed that!"

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Blogs & Social Media

If you already have a blog, it's easy to create a seamless link. And it's easy to share your collection using page links to Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest accounts and more!

For non-bloggers, we have a built-in simple blog for notes and stories, such as how you restored something over the weekend etc. If you are already a blogger, you'll know how difficult it is to organise a collection using a blog format, so get the best of both worlds!

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Security

Your collection is hosted on our secure servers. We do not share your information with third parties, and we never share your email address or any identifying details with other users. Your personal information is encrypted using 128-bit SSL/TLS security for additional security.

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Expand Knowledge in your specialist field

Some collectors become an expert in their field. Other people ask advice, or help in identifying objects. If that sounds like you, chances are, you have done original research or have knowledge and materials you would like to be available more widely. The Collecting Bug not only allows you to display your collection, but using the "Links & Resources" area, you can store "How To's", documents (eg PDF files of talks presented), and links to external websites.

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Custom Fields

Maybe some photos and one of our pre-defined templates is all you need.

But for the heavy lifting of powerful relational database management, you can structure your collection with custom field types such as dates, numeric fields, location fields, text fields, and drop down lists for quick data entry and consistent vocabulary. Although The Collecting Bug is intuitive to use, it's also a heavyweight in data management.

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Raise your profile and visibility

Want to write a book about your collection one day? Or maybe you need a web presence to build a community of fellow enthusiasts. You could spend a lot of time and money working on a very basic website, OR you could use The Collecting Bug for an immediate professional website, with all the tools and flexibility you want.

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