FAQ

CCMF Trains is a community platform for model-train collectors. It gives you one place to:

• Catalog your collection — log every piece you own, with condition, storage location, photos, documents, and what you paid.
• Track sets and a wantlist — see which boxed sets you've completed and keep a running list of what you're still hunting for.
• Buy, sell, and trade with other members in the marketplace.
• Connect — follow other collectors, react and comment, and show off your layout on the community Sticker Wall.
• Coordinate around train shows — share your wantlist and help each other spot items on the floor.

Everything is built on a shared catalog of manufacturers' products, so the data you rely on (specs, photos, release info) is consistent for everyone.

Ready to jump in? See How do I sign up? to create your account, then explore the catalog — the foundation everything else is built on.

Anyone can create a free account. From the home page choose Sign up (or Register), enter your email and a password, and you're in — there's nothing to wait for.

Once you're in

• Your account starts with an auto-generated display name. See Why is my username "User####"? to change how you appear to other collectors.
• Add your first piece to start cataloging what you own.
• Browse the catalog — the shared foundation everything else is built on.

When your account is created we give you a temporary, unique handle like user-3f9a2c10 so your profile has a working address right away. It's meant to be changed.

Changing it

Go to Account → Edit profile and set a username you like. It's your public handle and forms your profile URL, so pick something memorable.

A few rules:

• It has to be unique and only uses simple characters (letters, numbers, hyphens).
• Some names are reserved (things that would collide with site pages), so a few choices may be unavailable.

What happens to my old links?

When you change your username, we keep a redirect from your old one for about 30 days, so links people already have (and any QR codes you've shared) keep working while word gets around.

Your username is the public handle; the friendly name shown next to your posts is separate — see What is a display name?

Your display name is the friendly name shown next to your activity around the site — on your profile, your public pieces, comments, and show registrations. It's separate from your username, which is your unique handle and URL.

Think of it this way:

• Username = @bob-the-builder (unique, part of your link)
• Display name = Bob R. (what people actually read)

Why customize it

A brand-new account starts with a placeholder display name. Some community actions — like registering for a show — ask you to set a real (non-default) display name first, so other attendees know who they're talking to. Set it under Account → Edit profile.

Related: Why is my username "user-xxxxxxxx"? and What does making my profile public or private do?

Your profile has two visibility switches under Account → Edit profile, and they do different things.

Public profile

When your profile is public, other members can visit it and see the pieces and sets you've marked public. Your public collection shows up in the Gallery collector directory.

When it's private, your profile and collection are hidden from everyone else. You can still use the whole app normally — log pieces, track sets, build a wantlist — it's just for your eyes.

Searchable

The searchable switch controls whether you turn up in search results and the collector directory. You can be public but not searchable (people can reach your profile by direct link, but you won't surface in browse/search).

One catch for sellers

To list something for sale or trade, your profile has to be public — that's how buyers can see who they're dealing with. We'll ask for consent the first time. See How do I list a piece for sale or trade?

Individual pieces also have their own public/private flag — see What can I record about a piece?

Plenty. Head to Account → Edit profile to set:

• Profile picture and a banner image for the top of your page
• Display name, bio, location, and a website link
• Social handles — YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X/Twitter, and Bluesky — which appear as icons on your profile
• Custom fields — up to three labelled fields you define yourself (handy for things like "Era I model" or "Home road")

Your custom-field labels also unlock matching per-piece fields in your collection, so you can record that same info on individual pieces. See What can I record about a piece?

How much of this others can see depends on your visibility settings — see What does making my profile public or private do?

These live in your Account settings (and a couple have quick toggles in the navigation rail).

• Theme — switch between light and dark mode. There's a quick toggle at the bottom of the navigation rail, and the choice is remembered for next time.
• Icon pack — choose the icon style used around the app.
• Default currency — the currency your prices and totals display in.
• Preferred view mode — whether lists like your collection open in list or grid view by default.
• Items per page — how many rows load at a time in lists (you can set this anywhere from 1 to 100).

Your preferences follow your account, so they apply on whatever device you sign in from.

Both are in your Account settings.

Password

Open Change password, enter your current password and the new one, and save.

Email

Open Change email and enter the new address. For security, changing your email may require you to confirm the new address before it takes effect, so keep an eye on that inbox.

Tip: If you ever can't sign in, use the Forgot password link on the login page to reset it by email.

There are two kinds of limit: a per-piece cap and an overall storage allowance for your account.

Per piece

• Up to 25 images per piece.
• Each file up to 10 MB.
• Formats: JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP, HEIC, and HEIF. HEIC/HEIF photos straight from an iPhone are converted automatically so they display everywhere.

Per account

Your account has an overall storage allowance. You can see how much you've used versus your total on your Account page (under your images / storage usage). If you're getting close, deleting photos you no longer need frees space back up.

For how images attach to a specific piece — including the primary image — see How many photos can I add to a piece?

You can delete your own account from Account settings — look for Delete account.

How it works

To make sure it's deliberate, you have to type your exact username to confirm, and there's an optional box to tell us why you're leaving. Once you confirm, the deletion runs right away and you're signed out.

What gets removed

Deleting your account removes your profile and your personal data — your pieces, sets, wantlist, tags, photos, and documents. This can't be undone, so if you want a copy of your records first, use Export data (also in Account settings) before you delete.

Just want to clear your collection?

If you only want to wipe your logged items but keep your account, there's a separate delete all content option that empties your collection without closing your account.

A Scale Model is the canonical record of a manufacturer's product — e.g. "Lionel 6-18000 NYC J3a Hudson". One scale model is shared across the whole community.

A Piece is your physical copy of that scale model — the one sitting on your shelf or running on your layout. Two collectors who both own the same Hudson have two distinct Pieces but reference the same Scale Model record.

Why split them? It lets us share canonical data (specs, photos, MSRP) while still tracking the details that vary per copy (purchase price, condition, custom decals, your notes).

The catalog is the shared library of manufacturers' products that everything else is built on. Each catalog entry — called a Scale Model — is the canonical record of one product, like "Lionel 6-18000 NYC J3a Hudson," with its specs, photos, MSRP, and release info.

The catalog is public and shared: there's one record per product, used by the whole community.

Why it matters to you

When you add something to your collection, you're creating your copy (a Piece) of a catalog Scale Model. That way the shared facts stay consistent for everyone, while your personal details — price paid, condition, notes — stay yours.

You can browse the catalog, filter by manufacturer, type, and year, and add any model to your collection with one click.

Learn the distinction in What's the difference between a Piece and a Scale Model?, and if something's missing see The model I own isn't in the catalog. What do I do?

No problem — the catalog grows as members add to it.

First, search carefully

Try the manufacturer + SKU (the catalog number on the box) rather than the product name, and check for alternate manufacturer spellings (for example "MTH" vs "Mike's Train House" — we map a lot of these together). The item may already be there under a name you didn't expect.

If it's really not there

Use Quick Add from your collection page and enter the manufacturer and SKU — if no match exists, you'll be guided to create the catalog entry, and then your piece is added on top of it. New manufacturers you enter are reviewed before they become a permanent picklist option.

Because the catalog is shared, adding good data helps the whole community — the next person who owns the same model gets it for free.

See How do I add a piece to my collection? and What is Quick Add?

Because the catalog is shared by everyone, well-verified entries get locked so a single edit can't accidentally change the data thousands of collectors rely on. A lock means "this record has been checked."

Suggesting a correction

When a model is locked, you'll see a Propose a change button instead of an edit form. It opens a short form pre-filled with the current values — adjust the fields you think are wrong (name, barcode, MSRP, release year, dimensions, and similar), add a quick note explaining why, and submit.

An admin reviews your proposal and approves or rejects it. If it's approved, the catalog updates for everyone and you're notified. You can have one open proposal per model at a time.

A few things stay off the proposal form on purpose — the manufacturer, SKU, and set membership — since those affect identity and need a closer look.

A whole different kind of fix

If the "model" is actually a boxed set logged as a single model, that's not an edit — see A catalog model is really a boxed set. Can I get it converted?

Marking a set complete tells the community you own every member piece — even if you haven't logged each one individually yet. The set's progress bar jumps to 100% and the badge on the public set page shows the green "complete" state.

You can still add the individual pieces later for full provenance. Toggling "Mark complete" off restores the auto-calculated progress based on owned pieces.

Tip: if you logged all the pieces but the set still shows incomplete, double check that each piece references the right set membership — the set tracks which exact catalog numbers count toward completion.

A Set is a catalog record for a boxed set — a group of models a manufacturer packaged and sold together under one SKU, like a ready-to-run starter set or a matched passenger consist.

Like an individual model, a Set is public and shared. Its catalog page lists the member models that belong in the box, plus the set's own SKU, MSRP, release info, and photos.

Set vs. "My Sets"

The catalog Set is the published description of the product. When you own one, you add it to My Sets, which creates your copy and tracks completion. That distinction is important enough to have its own answer — What's the difference between a Set and "My Sets"?

To start tracking one you own, see How do I add a set I own?

It's the same split as catalog models versus your pieces, just for boxed sets.

A Set is the catalog record for a manufacturer's packaged group of models sold under one SKU — a starter set, a passenger set, a freight outfit. Like the rest of the catalog it's public and shared: one Set record for everyone, and it lists the member models that come in the box.

My Sets is your owned copy of a set. When you add a set you own, we create your personal set alongside a Piece for each member of the box. Your set carries its own details — price you paid, status, notes — and you can list the whole thing for sale or trade.

Why it matters

• The Set answers "what comes in this box?"
• My Sets answers "which of those do I actually own, and what are they worth to me?"

Completion tracking

Because your set knows its member list, it shows how complete you are — e.g. 4 of 6 pieces. Buy the rest later and you can top up the missing pieces in a couple of clicks. See I bought the rest of a set later. How do I add the missing pieces?

Tip: You can own more than one copy of the same set, and a set can legitimately include the same car several times — both are supported.

Find the Set in the catalog and choose Add to My Sets (the set equivalent of adding a piece).

What happens

Adding a set creates your owned copy of it and automatically creates a Piece for each member model in the box — so your individual cars and engines show up in your collection too, already linked to the set. From there you can fill in condition, photos, and notes on each one just like any other piece.

Your new set tracks completion — how many of its members you actually have — which is handy if you're missing a car or two. See How does set completion work?

A few related situations:

• Own two of the same set? See Can I own more than one copy of the same set?
• Already logged the cars individually? See What are "loose pieces" and how do I promote them into a set?

Each set you own shows a completion count — like "4 of 6" — meaning how many of the set's member models you currently have attached to that copy.

How it's counted

The catalog Set defines the full member list. Your owned copy counts the pieces you actually have linked to it. If a set is supposed to contain six cars and you have four, you'll see 4 of 6 and which ones are missing.

If the same car appears in the box multiple times, completion counts each expected instance — see Why is the same car listed multiple times in a set?

Filling the gaps

• Got the missing cars but they aren't linked? See How do I add the missing pieces to a set?
• Logged them separately earlier? See What are "loose pieces" and how do I promote them into a set?

If your set reads, say, 4 of 6, there are two reasons and two fixes.

You acquired the rest later

If the catalog Set gained members after you added your copy, or you simply want to top it up to the full member list, open the set in My Sets and use Add missing pieces. That creates the absent member Pieces for you, linked to the set, so completion jumps to the full count.

You already own them as loose pieces

If you logged those cars individually before adding the set, they're sitting in your collection as loose pieces. Promote them into the set instead of making duplicates — see What are "loose pieces" and how do I promote them into a set?

For how the count is figured, see How does set completion work?

Because the real set contains more than one of it! Plenty of sets ship with duplicates — a passenger set might include three identical coaches, or a freight set two of the same hopper.

So when a set's member list shows the same model three times, that's deliberate: the set is supposed to contain three of that car, and completion expects you to have all three.

What that means for you

• Your completion count expects each instance — three coaches means three toward the total.
• When you add the set, a separate Piece is created for each instance, so you can grade and photograph each physical car on its own.

See How does set completion work? and How do I add the missing pieces to a set?

Yes. If you bought two of the same starter set, you can track both as separate copies in My Sets.

Just add the set again — each time you do, you get a fresh owned copy with its own member pieces, its own completion count, and its own condition, photos, and notes. Your second copy won't disturb the first, and it won't try to reuse the pieces you already logged.

This is handy for sealed-vs-opened duplicates, or one to run and one to keep mint.

For the basics of adding one, see How do I add a set I own?

Loose pieces are individual cars or engines in your collection that belong to a set but aren't linked to a tracked copy of it — usually because you logged them one at a time before adding the set.

Promoting them

Rather than re-adding the set and ending up with duplicates, you can promote your loose pieces: the app recognizes that you already own the members and wraps them into a tracked set copy, so they count toward completion instead of sitting on their own.

You'll see this offered around your sets and collection when loose members of a known set are detected.

Why bother?

Promoting gives you the completion tracking, set-level photos, and the ability to sell or list the whole set at once — all without creating duplicate records.

Related: How do I add the missing pieces to a set? and How does set completion work?

You're allowed to — sometimes a single car is worth more on its own — but the app will warn you first, because it changes the set.

The "break up the set" warning

When you list an individual member of a tracked set for sale or trade, you'll see a heads-up that you're about to break up the set. If you confirm, that piece is listed on its own and the set is no longer complete.

Selling the whole set instead

If you want to move the entire set together, do that from My Sets rather than piece-by-piece. Listing the set cascades the for-sale (or for-trade) status and asking price down to its member pieces automatically — except any member you've deliberately pinned to a different status, or already marked Sold.

See How do I sell a whole set? and How do I list a piece for sale?

Yes. Sometimes a boxed set got entered into the catalog as a single model. If you spot one, you can ask for it to become a proper Set with member models.

How to request it

On the catalog model's page, use Request conversion to Set. Add a short note if you like (for example, listing what's in the box), and submit. An admin reviews the request and, when they convert it, builds out the set with its member models.

What happens after

You're notified when it's done. Even better, if you (or anyone) already own a piece of that model, the conversion can create the matching set copy so your collection lines up with the new Set automatically.

This is different from correcting a field on a model — for that, see Why can't I edit a catalog model?

Direct messages let you have a private, one-to-one conversation with another member — to ask about a piece, coordinate a meet-up at a show, or just talk trains. Everything lives in one place: open Messages from the envelope icon in the top bar, or from the Marketplace area of the navigation rail, to see every conversation, including any marketplace inquiries.

Opting in and out

Messaging is on by default, but you're always in control. On your Account page there's a Messaging card with two switches:

• Allow direct messages — turn this off and other members can no longer start a new conversation with you or send you new messages. Existing threads stay in your inbox; you just won't receive anything new.
• Email me a message digest — off by default. When on, you'll get an occasional summary email of unread messages. We never email you the contents of an individual message.

Blocking someone

If a member is bothering you, open the conversation, use the menu in the thread header, and choose Block. Blocking is silent — they're never told — and it's a single setting that covers everything: a blocked member can't send you direct messages or marketplace inquiries. You can review and undo blocks any time from Blocked Users under My Account.

Reporting a message

Every message has a Report option. Reporting sends the message to our moderators for review; the sender isn't notified that you reported them. Use it for harassment, spam, scams, or anything that breaks the community rules.

What admins can and can't see

Moderators do not browse private conversations. They only see a specific message when it's been reported (by you, or auto-flagged by our spam filter). When a report is reviewed, a moderator may dismiss it, redact (hide) the offending message, or temporarily suspend the sender's ability to send messages. Redaction keeps the original text only in the moderation audit log — it's never shown back to members.

A few guardrails

To keep things civil and spam-free, there are limits on how many messages you can send per hour and per day, and the very first message to someone who hasn't replied to you yet is capped until they write back. Messages are plain text with clickable links — there's no formatting, images, or attachments.

What we don't do

• No per-message emails. We only ever send the optional digest, never a notification for each message — your inbox stays quiet.
• No SMS or push notifications. New messages show up as a badge in the app; check Messages when you see it light up.

The Gallery is the community's collector directory — a place to discover other members and browse the public collections they've chosen to share.

From the Gallery you can:

• Find collectors and open their profile and public pieces and sets.
• Follow collectors whose collections you enjoy — see How do I follow other collectors?
• React and comment on collections and pieces — see Reactions and comments: how do they work?

Only the items members have made public appear here; private pieces never show — see What's the difference between a public and private profile?.

Don't confuse it with Albums, which are curated photo galleries — see Gallery vs. Albums: what's the difference?

When you find a collector you like in the Gallery or on their profile, hit Follow.

What following does

• Keeps their activity in view so you can keep up with what they add and share.
• Helps you build your own little circle within the community.

You can unfollow any time from their profile. Following is about discovery and connection — it doesn't give anyone access to your private items, which stay private regardless. See What's the difference between a public and private profile?

While you're there, you can also react and comment on their collection.

Public collections and pieces are social — you can react to them and leave comments, just like you'd hope in a collector community.

• Reactions are a quick way to show appreciation for a great piece or a well-documented collection.
• Comments let you ask questions, share knowledge ("I have the same one — watch the front coupler"), or just say nice things.

Reactions and comments appear on public items only. If you'd rather not receive them, you can keep items private — see What's the difference between a public and private profile?. You'll be notified when someone reacts to or comments on your collection.

Be kind and constructive — this is a small, friendly community.

They sound similar but do different jobs:

• Gallery is the collector directory — member profiles and the public collections they've shared. It's driven by everyone's catalog-linked pieces and sets. See What is the Gallery?
• Albums are curated photo and video galleries put together by the CCMF Trains team — think layout tours, event coverage, and feature stories. See What are Albums?

In short: the Gallery is your collections and other members'; Albums are editorial photo stories published for the community to enjoy.

Albums are curated photo-and-video galleries published by the CCMF Trains team — layout tours, show coverage, restoration features, and other visual stories for the community.

Viewing them

Open the Albums page to browse. Click into an album for a full-screen photo lightbox, and any embedded videos play right inline. They're built to look great on phones and big screens alike.

Albums are curated, so members don't post their own — that's what the Gallery (your public collections) and the Sticker Wall (collaborative fun) are for.

For the difference at a glance, see Gallery vs. Albums: what's the difference?

The Sticker Wall is a shared, playful community canvas — think of a club bulletin board where everyone pins something. You'll find it under Community → Sticker Wall.

What you can post

Signed-in members can add an image sticker:

• An image up to 8 MB (PNG, JPEG, or WebP)
• A short caption (up to 280 characters)
• Optional links to your socials or profile

Once it's up, you can drag, rotate, and resize your sticker to place it just how you like, and other members can react to it. See How do I add a sticker to the wall? for the steps.

A few house rules

• There's a limit on how many stickers each person can add to a wall, to keep things fair and varied.
• A wall can span multiple pages as it fills up.
• Walls may be moderated — a sticker can be removed if it breaks the community guidelines.

Tip: It's the most personal corner of the site — show off a layout shot, a favorite engine, or just say hello.

Once you're signed in, head to the Sticker Wall and add a sticker.

What you can post

• An image — up to 8 MB, in PNG, JPEG, or WebP.
• An optional caption (up to 280 characters).
• Optional social links so people can find you elsewhere.

Placing it

After uploading, you can drag your sticker around the wall and rotate and resize it to get the placement just right. Other members can react to it.

There's a per-wall limit on how many stickers each person can add (and walls can span multiple pages as they fill up), so make yours count. Some walls may be moderated, meaning new stickers are reviewed before they appear.

For the big picture, see What is the Sticker Wall?; to change one later, see Can I move or edit my sticker?

Yes. Your stickers are yours to manage on the Sticker Wall.

• Reposition — drag a sticker to a new spot, and rotate or resize it whenever you like.
• Edit its caption or social links.
• Remove it if you change your mind.

You can adjust your own stickers; you can't move other people's (but you can react to them).

To add one in the first place, see How do I post a sticker on the Sticker Wall?

The Blog is where CCMF Trains publishes articles for the community — announcements, how-tos, collector spotlights, event recaps, and feature stories.

Open the Blog to read the latest posts; each one has its own page you can share. Posts are written by the team and approved contributors, so it's a read-and-enjoy space rather than somewhere members post directly.

For the visual side of community content, see What are Albums?, and to keep up with day-to-day community activity, see What is the activity feed?

The activity feed is a running stream of what's happening around the community — new public pieces and sets, fresh listings, and other shareable moments from members.

It's a great way to discover collectors and items you might otherwise miss, and to keep a finger on the pulse of the community. You'll find it in the Community area.

Only public activity shows up — anything you keep private never appears. See What's the difference between a public and private profile?.

To follow specific collectors so you catch their additions, see How do I follow other collectors?

Everything in your collection is a Piece — your personal copy of a model that lives in the shared catalog. So the first step is always to point your new piece at the right catalog entry.

The quickest way: Quick Add

On your My Collection page, open Quick Add and type the manufacturer and SKU (the catalog number printed on the box, e.g. 6-18000). We'll find the matching catalog model and drop you straight onto the add form.

Or browse the catalog

Prefer to look first? Open the Catalog, filter by manufacturer, type, or year, open the model you own, and click Add to Collection.

What happens next

A new piece is created as your own copy, pre-filled from the catalog:

• Name and box dimensions are copied from the catalog model (all editable).
• Status starts as Delivered and visibility starts Public.
• The technical details (locomotive/rolling-stock classification, scale specifics) are cloned onto your piece so they're yours to adjust.

From there you can fill in condition grades, storage location, what you paid, photos, and notes whenever you like.

What if the model isn't in the catalog?

You can't create a piece without a catalog model behind it. If nothing matches, add the catalog model first (or ask us to add it) — then come back and add your piece. See The model I own isn't in the catalog. What do I do?

Tip: Adding a boxed set works differently — see How do I add a set I own?

Quick Add is the fastest way to put something in your collection when you already know what it is.

From your My Collection page, open the Quick Add panel and type the manufacturer and SKU (the catalog number on the box). We look it up in the catalog and:

• If it exists, you go straight to the add form, pre-filled from the catalog.
• If it doesn't, you're guided to create the catalog entry first, then your piece is added on top.

It saves you from browsing the whole catalog when you've got the box in hand.

Prefer to look around first? You can also browse the catalog and click Add to Collection — see How do I add a piece to my collection?

Quite a lot — a piece is your personal record, so you can track as much or as little as you like. The shared specs come from the catalog; everything below is yours.

Condition & physical state

• Grades for the model, the box, and how it runs — see How does condition grading work?
• Whether you have the box and the shipper, and their conditions — What's the difference between box condition and shipper condition?
• Weathered or custom-modified flags — What do "weathered" and "custom modifications" mean?

Where it is and how it's doing

• Status (Delivered, For Sale, On Loan, and more) — What do the piece statuses mean?
• Storage location so you can find it later.
• For locomotives, an odometer / chronometer reading — Odometer and chronometer: what are those?

Money & history

• Financials: what you paid, who you bought it from, replacement value, and sale/loan details. These are always private to you.
• Personal notes and up to three custom fields for anything we didn't think of.

Media

• Photos and documents (receipts, manuals) — see How many photos can I add to a piece? and Can I add receipts or manuals to a piece?

You don't have to fill any of it in — add what's useful to you and skip the rest.

A piece's status tells you (and, for public pieces, others) where it is in its life with you. The options are:

• Delivered — in hand. This is the default for a new piece.
• Waiting on delivery — bought and on its way to you.
• Pre-ordered — ordered ahead of release; not made yet.
• For sale — listed on the marketplace for sale.
• For trade — listed as available to trade.
• Sold — no longer yours; kept for your records.
• Out for repair — away at a service shop.
• On loan — lent to someone (you can record who and when it's due back).
• Missing — can't find it / unaccounted for.

Notes

• Setting a piece to For sale or For trade creates a marketplace listing — see How do I list a piece for sale?
• For sale, For trade, and Sold show on public pieces; the rest are mostly for your own tracking.
• When you sell through a set, the set's status can cascade to its members — see What happens when I sell just one item from a set?

Editing

Open the piece and choose Edit. You can change any of your personal details — status, condition, location, notes, financials, photos, and so on. Remember that the shared catalog specs (manufacturer, SKU, base model info) aren't edited here; for those, see Why can't I edit a catalog model?. If the catalog entry was updated after you added your piece, you can pull those changes in — see What does "Update from Catalog" do?

Deleting

On the piece (or its edit page) choose Delete and confirm. Deleting removes the piece and everything you attached to it — photos, documents, maintenance records, financials, and tag assignments. It can't be undone, so if the records matter, consider exporting your data first.

Tip: if you've sold something but want to keep the record, set its status to Sold instead of deleting it.

Only you can edit or delete your own pieces.

You can add up to 25 images per piece.

The details

• File size: up to 10 MB each.
• Formats: JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP, HEIC, and HEIF. Photos from an iPhone (HEIC/HEIF) are converted automatically so they show up everywhere.
• Primary image: one photo is the "cover" used for thumbnails and previews — see What is a primary image?

Uploading

Open the piece, go to its photos, and upload — you can drag and drop. On a phone you can take a picture on the spot. Remove any photo you don't want.

Keep an eye on your overall account storage too — see Is there a limit to how many photos I can upload?

Want to add a receipt or manual instead of a photo? See Can I add receipts or manuals to a piece?

Yes. Alongside photos, each piece can hold documents — perfect for receipts, original manuals, service paperwork, and certificates of authenticity.

The details

• Formats: PDF, DOC, DOCX, and TXT.
• File size: up to 10 MB each.
• Label: you can give each document a short label (up to 60 characters) like "Receipt" or "Owner's manual" so it's easy to tell them apart.
• There's no fixed cap on the number of documents per piece, but they do count toward your overall account storage — Is there a limit to how many photos I can upload?

Uploading

Open the piece, find its documents area, and upload. Documents on a public piece are visible to others, so keep anything sensitive (full receipts with personal info) on a private piece if you'd rather not share it.

For photos, see How many photos can I add to a piece?

The primary image is the one "cover" photo for a piece. It's what shows up as the thumbnail in your collection grid, in search results, in the catalog, and in link previews when a page is shared.

Setting it

Upload your photos to the piece, then mark the one you want as primary (set as primary / make cover). The first photo you add is usually the primary by default until you change it. You can switch it any time.

Tip: pick a clean, well-lit side view — it's the picture most people will see first.

More on photos: How many photos can I add to a piece?

When you add a piece, we copy a snapshot of the catalog model's details onto it — the classification, road number, box dimensions, and other specs. Those copies belong to your piece, so you're free to tweak them without affecting anyone else.

Because it's a snapshot, your piece does not change automatically when the catalog entry is later corrected or improved. That's deliberate: you stay in control of your own records.

When you'd use it

A catalog model sometimes gets fixed after you've already added your piece — a Whyte classification typo is corrected, a road number is refined, box dimensions are measured more accurately. Update from Catalog lets you pull those improvements in.

How it works

1. Open the piece and click Update from Catalog.
2. You'll see a side-by-side list of every field where your piece and the catalog now differ.
3. Tick only the fields you want to copy over, then Apply.

Nothing changes unless you check it and apply — fields you've intentionally customized stay exactly as you left them.

Tip: If the button isn't offered, your piece already matches the catalog, so there's nothing to update.

Your My Collection page is built for slicing and dicing a big collection.

Search

Type in the search box to match across model name, manufacturer, SKU, road name, road number, and more. Press Esc or the × to clear it.

Filters

Narrow the list by things like:

• Manufacturer, category/type, and release year
• Status (For sale, On loan, and so on) and condition grades
• Whether it has a box, is weathered, or has custom modifications
• Tags you've applied — see What are tags?

View & sort

Switch between grid and list views, sort by the columns you care about, and set how many items show per page from your preferences.

Tip: combine a tag filter with a status filter — for example "For sale" + your "Spring show" tag — to build a quick working list. Filtering by multiple tags matches any of them by default; switch to match all to require every selected tag.

These are optional fields for locomotives, so you can note how much a particular engine has run.

• Odometer — a mileage-style reading.
• Chronometer — a run-time / hours reading.

Both are free text (up to 100 characters), so you can record them however makes sense for you — "approx. 12 hrs," "scale 1,450 mi," or just a date you last logged it. They only appear for locomotive-type pieces.

They're handy for tracking maintenance intervals on engines you actually run.

See What can I record about a piece? for everything else you can log.

Pieces use the hobby-standard TCA-style grading scales, split into three separate things so you can be precise:

Model (item) condition — C-scale

How the model itself looks, from C-10 (Mint) down to C-1 (Junk). C-10 is factory-fresh and unrun; the numbers step down through Like New, Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, and so on.

Box condition — P-scale

The packaging is graded separately, from P-10 (Mint) down to P-3 (Poor). A great model can live in a rough box and vice-versa, so they get their own grade.

Operational condition — O-scale

How it runs, from O-5 (Like New) to O-1 (Non-functional) — useful for engines and anything with moving or electronic parts.

Why three grades?

Buyers and fellow collectors care about different things — appearance, originality of the box, and whether it actually works. Grading them separately tells the whole story at a glance.

Related: What's the difference between box condition and shipper condition?

A lot of trains come in two layers of packaging, and collectors value both:

• Box — the individual product box the model sits in (often the colorful, printed one).
• Shipper — the plain outer carton that the box (or several boxes) shipped in from the factory or dealer.

For each, you can record whether you have it and what condition it's in. The box uses the P-scale grade described in How does condition grading work?.

Why it matters

Having the original shipper — especially with intact labels — can make a set noticeably more desirable to serious collectors, since most shippers got tossed decades ago. Recording both gives a complete picture of originality.

If you don't have one or the other, just leave it unchecked.

These are two flags you can set on a piece to note that it isn't strictly factory-original.

• Weathered — the model has been deliberately aged with paint/powders to look realistically used (rust, grime, fading). Common and often desirable, but it's not how it left the factory, so it's worth flagging.
• Custom modifications — any other changes from stock: added details, upgraded electronics or sound, repaints, kitbashing, new couplers, and so on.

Why flag them?

Originality matters to collectors and to value. Marking these makes your record honest and helps anyone viewing a public piece — or a potential buyer — understand exactly what they're looking at. You can also filter your collection by these flags.

See What can I record about a piece? for the full list of details you can track.

The wantlist is your personal hunt list — the models and sets you're looking to acquire. Think of it as a saved "wish list" that the platform can actually act on.

What it does for you

• Keeps your wants in one place instead of scattered notes.
• Surfaces matches that are for sale right now so you don't have to keep checking — see How do I see what's available now?
• Lets you share specific wants at a train show so attendees can keep an eye out — see How do I share my wantlist at a show?

Your wantlist is private — see Can other people see my wantlist?

To start adding to it, see How do I add something to my wantlist?

You add wantlist items by linking them to a catalog model or set — that way the platform knows exactly what you're after and can match it to listings.

Ways to add

• From a catalog model or set page, use Add to Wantlist.
• From your Wantlist page, search the catalog and add items directly.

Mark the ones you really want

You can flag an item as a priority hunt to mark the pieces you're most eager to find — see What is a priority hunt?. It helps you focus and stands out when you share wants at a show.

Once items are on your list, see How do I see what's available now?

When something on your wantlist is currently for sale on the marketplace, your wantlist flags it as available now — so your list doubles as a live shopping radar.

Open your Wantlist and look for the available-now indicator on matching items; from there you can jump straight to the listing to see the price, condition, and seller.

Because matches depend on other members listing items, the more specific your wantlist entries (linked to the exact catalog model or set), the better the matches.

To add the items that get matched, see How do I add something to my wantlist?, and to browse everything for sale see How do I find things to buy?

By default, no — your wantlist is private. There's no public wantlist page, and other collectors can't browse what you're hunting for.

The one exception: shows

The only time you share wants is when you choose to. At a train show you can share specific wantlist items with that show's registered attendees so they can spot them for you on the floor. You pick which items to share, and it only applies to that show — see How do I share my wantlist at a show?.

Everything you don't explicitly share at a show stays private to you.

See also What is the wantlist?

Sharing your wants at a show turns the whole room into extra eyes for your hunt.

How to do it

1. Register for the show — see How do I find and register for a show?
2. From the show, share the wantlist items you're hunting at that event. You choose which ones; only those are shared, and only with that show's registered attendees.
3. Other attendees who spot one of your items at a table can mark it as spotted, optionally noting the booth, price, or condition — see What does "spotting" mean?

It's a private-by-default feature that you opt into per show, so nothing leaves your control. Flagging items as a priority hunt helps fellow attendees know what matters most.

Your wantlist stays private otherwise — see Can other people see my wantlist?

Tags are your own colored labels for organizing your collection however you think about it — beyond the built-in fields like manufacturer or status.

Use them for anything: "Display shelf," "Bring to spring show," "Needs repair," "Dad's old set," "Layout — coal district." You make up the labels.

Where they apply

You can tag your pieces, your sets, and your wantlist items, then filter by tag to pull up exactly that group in a click.

• Create and apply them: How do I create and apply tags?
• How many and what colors: How many tags can I have, and what colors?
• Privacy: Are my tags private?

Tags are managed on your My Tags page.

Creating a tag

Go to My Tags, add a new tag, give it a name (up to 50 characters), and pick a color. That's it — it's ready to use.

Applying tags

Open a piece, set, or wantlist item and assign one or more tags to it. You can apply the same tag to as many items as you like, and an item can carry several tags at once.

Filtering by tags

On your collection (and wantlist), filter by a tag to pull up everything that carries it. Select multiple tags to match any of them by default, or switch to match all to require every selected tag — great for narrowing things like "For sale" and "Spring show."

More: How many tags can I have, and what colors? and How do I delete a tag?

How many

You can create up to 25 tags by default — plenty for organizing even a large collection. Each tag name can be up to 50 characters.

Colors

There are 8 colors to choose from so your tags are easy to tell apart at a glance: Slate, Rose, Amber, Teal, Violet, Green, Blue, and Gray. Pick whatever helps you scan your collection fastest — for example warm colors for "to sell," cool colors for "keepers."

You manage all of this on the My Tags page.

See How do I create and apply tags?

Yes — completely. Tags are private to you. They're your personal filing system, so no one else sees your tag names or which items you've tagged, even on pieces and sets you've made public.

Tag freely with whatever shorthand makes sense to you ("overpaid," "from Grandpa," "maybe sell") — it stays between you and your collection.

See What are tags? and How do I create and apply tags?

On the My Tags page, delete any tag you no longer need.

What happens to tagged items

Deleting a tag only removes the label — it does not delete any of your pieces, sets, or wantlist items. The tag simply comes off whatever it was applied to, and everything else stays exactly as it was.

So it's perfectly safe to clean up old tags. If you later want it back, just create it again (you have a generous allowance — see How many tags can I have, and what colors?).

Listing happens right on the piece you already own — there's no separate "create a listing" form.

Steps

1. Open the piece and change its Status to For Sale or For Trade.
2. You'll be taken to the edit form to fill in the listing details:
   • Asking price (and currency — USD for now)
   • Listing description — a plain-text blurb for buyers (formatting is stripped)
   • Shipping policy — local pickup, ships buyer pays, ships seller pays, or n/a
   • Accepts offers — whether buyers see a Make Offer button
3. Save, and your piece goes live.

Good to know

• Listing a piece forces it public, and your profile must be public to sell. (We ask for consent the first time.)
• Your item appears on the public Listings page and gets its own shareable listing page — handy for a QR code at a show.
• There's no in-app checkout. Interested buyers contact you (message or offer) and you arrange payment and shipping off-platform, however you both prefer.
• When the deal is done, mark it sold so it leaves the marketplace and your sale is recorded.

Tip: Selling a whole boxed set? List it from My Sets instead — see How do I sell a whole set at once?

When you set a piece's status to For sale (or For trade), a short listing form appears. Here's what each field does:

• Asking price — your price (US dollars for now). For trade listings you can leave this off and describe what you want.
• Listing description — free text for condition notes, what's included, flaws, and so on. Formatting/HTML is stripped to keep listings clean and safe.
• Shipping policy — how you'll get it to the buyer; see What do the shipping options mean?
• Accepts offers — turn this on if you're open to negotiation rather than firm price only.

Two things to know

• Listing an item makes it (and your profile) public so buyers can find it.
• There's no checkout on the platform — buyers contact you and you arrange payment and shipping off-platform.

Step-by-step: How do I list a piece for sale?

To sell a set as one unit, list it from My Sets rather than listing each car separately.

What happens

When you list the set for sale (or trade), the for-sale status and asking price cascade down to its member pieces automatically, so the whole set shows as available together. Two sensible exceptions: members you've pinned to a different status, and any piece already marked Sold, are left alone.

If you'd rather split it

Selling individual members instead will trigger a "break up the set" warning — see What happens when I sell just one item from a set?

For listing the fields themselves, see What do I set when I list something for sale?

Head to the marketplace listings (the Listings page) to browse everything members currently have for sale or trade. Listings are paginated, and you can search and filter to find what you're after.

Smarter ways to find things

• Wantlist matches — add what you're hunting to your wantlist and the platform flags matches that are for sale. See How do I see what's available now?
• Search — use the site search to jump to a specific model or set, then see its listings. See What can I search for?

Each listing has its own shareable page with the price, condition, photos, shipping policy, and how to reach the seller.

When you find something, see How do I buy something or make an offer?

There's no checkout on CCMF Trains — the platform connects buyers and sellers, and you arrange the actual payment and shipping between yourselves.

On a listing page

• Contact the seller to ask questions or say you want it.
• If the seller has Accepts offers turned on, you can make an offer rather than paying the asking price; they can accept, decline, or counter.
• Agree on price, payment method, and shipping directly, then the seller marks it sold.

Stay sensible

Because deals happen off-platform, use good judgment — clear photos, fair payment methods, and tracked shipping. See How trustworthy is the marketplace?

To browse what's for sale, see How do I find things to buy?

Once a deal is done, open the listed piece (or set) and Mark as sold.

What it does

• Sets the status to Sold and removes it from active marketplace listings so no one else tries to buy it.
• Creates a sale record so you keep the history — you can store the sale price, who you sold it to, and the date in the piece's financials.

Marking sold keeps the item in your account for your records; it's not deleted. If you'd rather remove a listing without selling, see How do I take a listing down?

When you sell a whole set, marking the set handles its members together — see How do I sell a whole set?

Sale Pending is a soft hold for when you've agreed a deal but it isn't finished — you're waiting on payment, shipping arrangements, or a meet-up. Open the listed piece (or set) and use Mark Sale Pending.

What it does

• The listing stays live and visible in the marketplace — it does not close or get removed from browse the way Sold does.
• The chat thread stays open, so buyers can still message you with questions or get in line in case the current deal falls through.
• The Make Offer button is greyed out — new offers are paused while you finish up — and a Sale Pending badge appears so everyone knows where it stands.

Clearing it

Hit Cancel Sale Pending and the listing is fully open again, offers included. It also clears automatically if you Mark Sold or change the item's status, so a stale "pending" tag never lingers.

Sale Pending vs. Sold

• Sale Pending — deal agreed, not finished. Listing stays open; offers paused.
• Sold — deal complete. Listing closes, leaves browse, and a sale record is created. See How do I mark something as sold?

Changed your mind, or it sold elsewhere? Just change the piece's status away from For sale / For trade — set it back to Delivered (or whatever fits). That removes it from the marketplace immediately.

You don't have to mark it Sold to delist it; Sold is only for items that actually sold and that you want a record of. See How do I mark something as sold?

If it was part of a set you listed, adjusting the set's status will bring its members back in line too — see How do I sell a whole set?

For now, marketplace asking prices are in US dollars (USD). That keeps listings consistent and comparable while the marketplace is in its early days.

A note on your private records

Your personal financials on a piece — what you paid, replacement value, and so on — can use your preferred currency from your preferences. That's separate from the public asking price, which stays in USD.

If you're dealing internationally, just mention your terms in the listing description and sort out the details directly with the buyer, since payment happens off-platform anyway.

See What do I set when I list something for sale?

CCMF Trains is a community of collectors, which already raises the bar — profiles, collections, and listings are tied to real, ongoing accounts rather than throwaway logins.

What the platform gives you

• Public profiles and collections, so you can see who you're dealing with and their track record.
• Detailed listings — condition grades, photos, and notes — to reduce surprises.
• A sale history that builds reputation over time.

What's on you

Because payment and shipping happen off-platform (there's no checkout here), the platform doesn't process money or guarantee transactions. Use the same common sense you would for any private sale: ask questions, get clear photos, prefer payment methods with buyer protection, and use tracked shipping.

See How do I buy something or make an offer?

When you list an item, you pick a shipping policy so buyers know what to expect:

• Local pickup only — no shipping; the buyer collects in person. Good for big, heavy, or fragile sets.
• Ships, buyer pays — you'll ship it and the buyer covers postage. (This is the usual default.)
• Ships, seller pays — you'll ship it with postage included in your price ("free shipping").
• Not applicable — for trades or anything where shipping doesn't apply.

Whatever you choose, the actual arrangements happen directly between you and the buyer — see How do I buy something or make an offer?. Add any specifics (regions you'll ship to, carrier, packing) in the listing description.

See What do I set when I list something for sale?

Shows are train-show events — swap meets, club meets, big regional shows — that the community can coordinate around right here.

For each show you can register, share the wantlist items you'll be hunting, and have fellow attendees spot them for you on the floor. There are even leaderboards for the most helpful spotters.

The lifecycle

A show moves through stages: it starts Proposed (suggested by a member), becomes Approved, goes Active during its event window, and is later Archived.

To get going:

• How do I find and register for a show?
• How do I request a show?
• What is the active window?

Open the Shows page to see upcoming and active events with their dates and locations. Pick one to see its details, then Register to mark yourself as attending.

One requirement

To register you need a proper display name (not the default User####), so that other attendees can recognize who spotted what. Set yours first if needed — see What is a display name?.

After you register

• Share the wantlist items you're hunting at that show — see How do I share my wantlist at a show?
• Help others by spotting their items — see What does "spotting" mean?

Don't see your show? Request it.

If a show you're attending isn't listed yet, you can propose it from the Shows page — look for the option to request or add a show.

Fill in the details you know: name, dates, and location (plus a venue and description if you have them). Your request comes in as Proposed, an admin reviews it, and once it's Approved it shows up for everyone to register.

This is how the show calendar grows — member suggestions. Once it's approved and its window opens, see What is the active window? and How do I find and register for a show?

The active window is the stretch of time around a show when its spotting-and-sharing features are live — not just the single show day.

It opens about two weeks before the show starts and stays open until a few days after it ends. During that window the show is Active, so registered attendees can share wantlist items and spot each other's finds.

Why a window, not just the day?

Collectors plan ahead and follow up afterward — lining up wants beforehand and recording finds for a few days after. The window gives breathing room on both ends.

See What does "spotting" mean? and How do I find and register for a show?

Spotting is the heart of the show feature: when you're walking a show and see an item that's on another attendee's shared wantlist, you mark it as spotted so they know it's there.

How it works

1. Attendees share the wantlist items they're hunting at the show.
2. As you browse tables, you can browse those shared wants and tap Spot on anything you find.
3. Add an optional note — which booth/table, the price, the condition — to make your tip genuinely useful.
4. The owner gets notified that someone found their item.

It's collectors helping collectors cover a big show floor. Helpful spotters even climb the leaderboards.

One rule: you can't spot your own items.

Spotting is about other people finding things for you, so the platform stops you from spotting items on your own shared wantlist.

If you could spot your own wants, the spotting counts and leaderboards would be easy to game, and the "someone found it for you" notifications wouldn't mean anything. Keeping it to others' finds makes spotting genuinely helpful — and the leaderboards fair.

When you find your own want at a show, just buy it and log it like any other acquisition.

See What does "spotting" mean?

A priority hunt is a flag you put on a wantlist item to mark it as one you're really chasing — your grails and most-wanted pieces.

Why use it

• It helps you focus your own list on what matters most.
• When you share wants at a show, priority items stand out, so fellow attendees know which finds you'd be most excited about spotting.

Set it when you add or edit a wantlist item — see How do I add something to my wantlist? — and share them at events via How do I share my wantlist at a show?

The leaderboards celebrate the most helpful spotters — the members who find the most items for fellow attendees.

There are two:

• Per-show leaderboard — top spotters at a specific event.
• Global leaderboard — top spotters across all shows.

Every time you spot an item on someone else's shared wantlist, it counts toward your standing. It's a friendly, community-spirited way to recognize the people who make a big show floor easier for everyone.

(And yes — you can't pad your numbers by spotting your own items.)

See What does "spotting" mean?

Notifications keep you posted on the things you care about — when someone spots an item for you at a show, reacts to or comments on your collection, when a wantlist match comes up for sale, when a show you're in opens, and plenty more.

Where you see them

• The bell in the top navigation shows your recent notifications and an unread count.
• The Notifications page is the full history, with tabs to sort through them and the ability to pin important ones.

Beyond the app

You can also receive an email digest and, if you opt in, push notifications in your browser — all under your control. See How do I control which notifications I get? and Can I mute notifications for a while?

You're in charge of what reaches you and how. In your notification preferences you can tune things by category — for example show updates, spottings, reactions and comments, wantlist matches — and choose how you want each delivered.

Your options

• In-app — always available via the bell and the Notifications page.
• Email — toggle the daily digest and category emails on or off.
• Push — opt in to browser push notifications, per category.

Turn off anything you don't care about and keep the signals that matter. Per-show notifications can be muted individually too — handy once an event is over.

To pause everything temporarily, see Can I mute notifications for a while?

Yes. Alongside the per-category controls, you can mute everything temporarily — a quiet period when you don't want any outbound notifications (handy while you're traveling or on a break).

When the mute expires, your notifications resume exactly as before, using the category preferences you already set.

You can also mute a single show's notifications without touching anything else — useful once an event has wrapped up but you're still registered.

For the per-category settings, see How do I control which notifications I get?

There are three ways to search, and they all use the same powerful engine:

• Navbar search — start typing in the search box (a couple of characters is enough) for instant type-ahead suggestions.
• Command palette — press Ctrl+K (or Cmd+K on a Mac) anywhere to pop up search without reaching for the mouse.
• Full search page — press Enter (or open Search) for the complete, filterable results.

Search spans both the public side of the site and your own collection, wantlist, and sets — see What can I search for?. If you mistype, it offers "did you mean" suggestions, and scanning a barcode jumps you straight to the match — see Can I search by barcode?

A lot — search reaches across the whole platform and groups results by where they live:

• Catalog models and catalog sets — the shared product library.
• Marketplace listings — things for sale right now.
• Public collections and collectors — other members and what they share.
• Your own pieces, sets, and wantlist items — your private records included (only ever visible to you).

Results are organized by these groups so you can jump to the right kind of thing fast. Type a model name, manufacturer, SKU, road name/number, a collector's name, and more.

How to get there: How do I search?. Have the box in hand? Search by barcode.

Yes — searching a product barcode (UPC/EAN) jumps straight to the matching catalog item instead of showing a list, so you go from box in hand to the right record in one step.

It's especially handy at shows or when cataloging a pile of new arrivals: enter or scan the barcode and you're taken directly to that model or set, ready to add to your collection.

If a barcode doesn't match anything yet, the item may not be in the catalog — see The model I own isn't in the catalog. What do I do?

For the other ways to search, see How do I search?

If you already track your collection in a spreadsheet, you can bring it in from Rail ▸ Collection ▸ Import (the Import link, /Import). It's the fastest way to add a lot of pieces at once.

The basic flow

1. Pick a category. Imports are grouped by type — Locomotives, Rolling Stock, Accessories, and Sets — so the columns match what you're adding.
2. Download a blank template. Each category gives you a starter CSV with the right column headers already in place. Fill in one row per item.
3. Upload your file. Drop the finished CSV back in and CCMF Trains checks it for you.
4. Review the checks. First the column headers are validated, then every row — anything it can't understand is flagged with a plain-language explanation and how to fix it, so you can correct the file and re-upload before anything is saved.
5. Run the import. Rows are added in small batches with a progress bar, so a large file keeps moving and you can watch it work.

Handy to know

• Spreadsheet encoding. Templates are saved as UTF-8 so special characters (®, ™, ½) survive the round trip. If your saved file looks garbled, re-save it as CSV UTF-8 from your spreadsheet app.
• Made a mistake? Every import is tracked. Open the import History and undo a batch to roll the whole thing back.
• Import the same columns every time? Save your setup as a reusable template — see What are saved import templates?.

Going the other way? See How do I export my collection?.

When you import a CSV, you choose which columns to include and what order they're in. A saved import template remembers that setup so you don't have to rebuild it every time.

Why use one

• Match your own spreadsheet. Pick just the columns you actually track and arrange them in the order your file uses.
• Reuse it. The next time you import that category, load the template and your columns are ready to go.
• One layout per category. Templates are tied to a category (Locomotives, Rolling Stock, Accessories, or Sets), so each type can have its own layout.

Managing templates

• Save a template from the import screen once you've chosen your columns.
• Edit a saved template later with the pencil icon on its card, then update it.
• Download a matching blank CSV for any template so the file you fill in lines up with the columns you saved — no guessing at headers.

You'll find all of this under Rail ▸ Collection ▸ Import (/Import). For the full import walkthrough, see How do I import my collection from a CSV?.

You can download your collection at any time from Rail ▸ Collection ▸ Exports (the Exports link, /Exports). It's useful for backups, insurance, or crunching numbers in your own spreadsheet.

Two kinds of export

• Collection Value — a valuation-focused export of what you own and what it's worth. Good for tracking your collection's value or sharing a summary.
• Insurance Inventory — a fuller record built for insurance and record-keeping, so you have documentation of what you own if you ever need to make a claim.

Three formats each

• CSV — opens in any spreadsheet; best for your own analysis or re-importing elsewhere.
• Excel — a formatted .xlsx workbook, ready to read.
• JSON — structured data for developers or other tools.

Pick the export and the format, and the file downloads to your device. Nothing about your collection changes — an export is a read-only snapshot.

Want to bring data in instead? See How do I import my collection from a CSV?.

Your dashboard is the home base for your collection. Open it any time from the house icon at the very top of the navigation rail (/Dashboard). It pulls together an overview of what you own, what it's worth, and what needs your attention.

What you'll see

The dashboard is made of cards ("modules"), including:

• Summary Chart and Collection Financials — the size and value of your collection at a glance.
• Spend vs. Value and Value Over Time — how what you've paid compares to current value, and how that's trended.
• Needs Attention — pieces missing info or that need a look.
• Items in Inventory, Milestones, and Marketplace Matches — recent activity, goals you've hit, and listings that match your wantlist.

New here? A Get started card helps you add your first pieces, and you can dismiss it once you're up and running.

Filter by acquisition date

The Acquisition date filter (From / To) scopes the value and composition cards to items you acquired in a date range — handy for "what did I add this year?" Cards marked All-time always reflect your whole collection and ignore the filter. Hit Clear to go back to everything.

Make it yours

• Customize — turn on Customize mode to rearrange cards by dragging and show or hide the ones you don't use. Hidden cards tuck into a sidebar you can restore them from.
• Presets — save your current layout as a named preset and switch between saved presets.
• Reset — put everything back to the default layout in one click.

Your layout is remembered, so the dashboard looks the way you left it next time you visit.