How CollectorVault works.

What is CollectorVault?

CollectorVault is a private-by-default place to catalog what you collect. Add a photo, let AI prefill details when scanning is available, and organize everything in your personal vault. The community feed is a separate place for stories, questions, and collector discussion. Adding something to your vault does not post it to the feed.

What’s the difference between a collection and a shelf?

They are the two ways you organize a vault, one nested inside the other. Your vault holds collections; each collection holds shelves; and your items live in a collection, optionally placed on one of its shelves.

Vault → Collection → Shelf → Item

• Collection: the broadest section of your vault, like a whole cabinet or a major area of what you collect (for example “Vintage Watches” or “Icons I Love”). A collection stays private in the current vault experience. Every item belongs to exactly one collection, so you’ll create at least one before you can add items.
• Shelf: an optional grouping of related items inside a single collection, like one shelf within that cabinet (for example a “Divers” shelf inside “Vintage Watches”). Shelves are just for arranging items; an item can sit on one shelf or none at all, and a shelf always belongs to one collection.

In short: a collection is the big container you must have, and a shelf is an optional way to tidy items within it.

Why is the Collection dropdown empty when I add an item?

Because every item has to live in a collection, and you haven’t created one yet, so there’s nothing for the menu to show. Open the Add dialog, choose Add a collection at the top, and name your first private collection. After that it will appear in the Collection menu, and you can add items to it and, if you like, create shelves inside it.

How do I add items?

There are three ways, all from the Add dialog:

• One at a time: fill in a title, pick a category, choose the collection (and optionally a shelf), then record a story, condition, acquisition date, value range, tags, and photos. Items save as private drafts.
• AI scan: attach one or more photos and ask AI to analyze the first one. It suggests a title, category, era, story, tags, visible condition notes, and a visual USD value range. Every suggestion stays editable. A completed suggestion uses one scan.
• Import from Excel: download the CSV template, fill it in offline, and upload it to create many items at once. The same validation and limits apply as for single items.

How does the category search work?

Start typing in the Category box and the list narrows as you go. It matches every word you type, in any order, and ignores accents. For example, “pokemon cards”, “cards pokemon”, and “pokémon” all find “Trading Card Games: Pokémon Cards”. Categories are two levels deep (a broad group and its subcategories); pick the most specific one that fits.

Is my collection private?

Yes. New items, shelves, and collections are private and visible in your vault. Direct publishing controls for vault items, shelves, and collections are not part of the current experience. Community posts are created separately in the community feed.

What do the monthly plans include, and how do scan packs differ?

Your account has configured limits for catalog items, photos, and AI scans. Those limits are enforced when you add content. Self-serve subscriptions and online plan changes are not available yet.

AI scans speed up adding items by suggesting catalog details from the first selected photo. If your account includes a monthly allowance, the remaining balance appears under Settings. Any manually added bonus scans are used after the monthly allowance.

The limits page is an account status view, not a checkout. Contact support before relying on a specific plan or scan-pack purchase.

What are AI scans, and what do scan packs cost?

An AI scan sends your first selected photo to Anthropic so its Claude model can suggest catalog details and prefill the form. The scan does not save the item, upload the photo, or post anything to the community. Your plan may include a monthly scan allowance that resets each month. The following scan-pack amounts are the current manual-service options, not self-serve checkout products:

• Collector pack: 100 scans, $14.99
• Dealer pack: 500 scans, $59.99
• Estate pack: 1,000 scans, $99.99

Monthly scans are used first. Manually added bonus scans are used afterward and do not expire. To request a pack, email support@collectorvault.social. There is no online checkout yet.

Are AI suggestions and community opinions reliable?

Treat them as a helpful starting point, not the last word. AI identifications and value estimates can be confidently wrong, and comments, “helpful” marks, and identification answers from other collectors are informal opinions, not appraisals, authentications, or professional advice. Always review AI suggestions before saving, and consult a qualified professional before buying, selling, insuring, or valuing anything. See our Terms for the full wording.

Still need help?

Email support@collectorvault.social and we’ll get back to you. You can also read our Terms and Privacy Policy.