Collectd ships no fixed schema. You decide what each item records, and those decisions become the form you fill in, the columns you sort by, and the details visitors see on each item in your public gallery.
Two rules govern the editor: a collection needs at least one field before it will save, and one Text field carries the primary title.
The primary title
A primary title can only live on a Text field. Set it with the crown icon on any text field, and move it later the same way. One field holds it at a time.
The primary title is the item's name on its card, in list rows and search results, in gallery headers and in the browser tab. Choose the piece of data that identifies the item on its own, such as a comic title, a card name or an album name.
A primary title stays public. You cannot turn Private on for it, because the gallery has no other label for the item.
The ten field types
| Type | Use it for | Reach for something else when |
|---|---|---|
| Text | Titles, names, artists, set names | The value runs to several lines (Textbox) or comes from a fixed list (Dropdown) |
| Textbox | Descriptions, condition notes, provenance | The value fits on one line (Text) |
| Number | Quantity, page count, edition number | You are recording money (Price) or a year (Year) |
| Dropdown | Condition, publisher, format, rarity, platform | The value is free text (Text) or a plain yes/no (Yes/No) |
| Yes/No | Graded, sealed, complete in box, autographed | There are more than two answers (Dropdown) |
| Date | Purchase date, release date, grading date | You care about the year alone (Year) |
| Price | Value, purchase price, market price | The number is not money (Number). Holds one of ten currencies, chosen per field |
| Rating | Your own score, out of 3, 5 or 10 | The number is objective (Number or Dropdown) |
| Year | Release year, publication year | You need the full date (Date) |
| Measurement | Dimensions and weight | The number carries no unit (Number). You name the units, such as cm, in and kg |
Set the type when you add the field. It cannot change afterwards. Labels, order, required state stay editable, so changing a type means removing the field and adding a new one.
Designing the schema
- Start with three to five fields. Add the rest once items exist and you know what you keep looking up.
- Make identifying fields required. Item name, issue number and year hold the record together. Leave notes and ratings optional.
- Name fields the way a collector talks. “Issue #” beats “issue_number”, and the label shows on the public gallery.
- Use Dropdown for fixed sets. Conditions, publishers and platforms stay consistent, and dropdown values drive gallery filtering.
- Order for the card view. Item cards show the first four fields, so put identifying data at the top.
- Mark a field private when it holds something you track for yourself, such as a purchase price or a storage location. Private fields stay out of the public gallery.
Free holds ten fields per collection. Pro holds forty.
Schemas by collectible
| Collectible | A schema that works |
|---|---|
| Comics | Name (Text, primary), Issue # (Number), Publisher (Dropdown), Year, Condition (Dropdown), Value (Price), Notes (Textbox) |
| Trading cards | Card Name (Text, primary), Set (Dropdown), Card # (Text), Rarity (Dropdown), Foil (Yes/No), Condition (Dropdown), Value (Price) |
| Vinyl | Album (Text, primary), Artist (Text), Year, Label (Dropdown), Pressing (Text), Media Condition (Dropdown), Sleeve Condition (Dropdown), RPM (Dropdown: 33, 45, 78) |
| Video games | Title (Text, primary), Platform (Dropdown), Region (Dropdown: NTSC, PAL, JPN), Complete in box (Yes/No), Condition (Dropdown), Purchase Date (Date) |
| Books | Title (Text, primary), Author (Text), ISBN (Text), Format (Dropdown: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook), Genre (Dropdown), Year, Rating |
| Action figures | Name (Text, primary), Line (Text), Manufacturer (Dropdown), Scale (Dropdown), Boxed (Yes/No), Release Year (Year), Value (Price) |
Start from any of these, then edit the fields to match your shelf.
Start a collection and the editor opens with the Fields panel, where the schema takes shape.