Collection Software


The Michigan Mineralogical Society does not endorse the use of any of these programs. We collected no money or favors at any time to publish this content, nor will we enter into partnerships with companies just so that their products can be featured here.
It has become evident that many collectors are using various computer programs to track and manage their collections and some of the trusted Mineral database softwares have not kept up with the times and many have simply disappeared. This page is intended to be used for research purposes only.
Remember, any software you download to your computer is done so at your own risk!
Any software that you download for the purposes of collecting can be a great tool to organize your collection but it also has its risks. Any software downloaded has the potential to spy on your home computer and any cloud-based software can have privacy and security issues. While this should always be kept in the back of your mind when you are looking into using any software we can share some links with you here that might help you to decide how you want to keep track of your personal collection.
Having said all that...
Software choices can be divided up in a number of ways: Cloud vs. downloaded, free vs. cost, Mac vs. Windows, mobile vs. desktop, professional use vs. home use, or even spreadsheet vs. database. Most everyone has some kind of budget so we will try to sort out the good from the bad. Hardware requirements and the features you need are also a major part of making a decision. We are not going to give you ratings, instead, we are going to list options and you can decide what you need vs. what you want to have in a mineral collecting software package.
Not everyone will approach this the same way. Some of the collecting community has a card system or keeps the little labels that come with the specimens and that's good enough. But some collectors want features like 360° views, voice notations, GPS locations, the ability to easily sort based on location, mineral name or type. Let's consider all the options of a fully-featured collection software package and see if any lightbulbs go off in your needed feature list.
Tagging to be able to set your favorite
examples in your collection & track them
Allows you to add in voice-based notes
or reads back to you

Close up and Alternate Views
in the same record
Imports from your Digital Camera
in still and movie formats
Allows you to easily send out emails of a record for selling and sharing and prints labels for identification
Tracks GPS coordinates
and locations
Allows you to post out to Social Media like Facebook or Instagram
Keeps your wish lists and allows
for placeholders in your collection
Ability to create and share collections
of selected specimens.
Runs on the Desktop and
creates Web Content
or exports out HTML
Let you create custom tagging fields and lets you annotate your collecting the way you want
Has a gallery or slideshow viewer
Powerful and Responsive Programming and Easy Interface
Runs on Mobile Devices and in the Cloud
Credit:
Three Main Categories of Collecting Software
Office Software
Microsoft Excel is often the main program people think of as an office spreadsheet application, but there are many out there that are free. Open Office is free, cross-platform and works pretty well with other office applications. Google docs are free and Apple also has Numbers. These programs are great because they are flexible and most everyone is familiar with how to set one up. You can create any fields you want, organize it how you need, add pictures and even export the data out to transferrable file formats like .xls, .txt, and .csv. In many ways, a spreadsheet is a very open source because almost everyone has a program that can read the data in some way. They are flexible and easily edited. On the bad side, you have to set everything up yourself and create what you want from pretty much scratch.
We will be reviewing the following offers below:
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Microsoft Office
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Open Office
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Truly Office
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Libre Office
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Google Docs

Desktop Collecting Software
There are many, many programs out there for collecting and keeping track of hobbies. Ones that can handle or are specifically written for the purposes of handling minerals, gemstones, fossils, and related subjects are rare. The fork in the road with buying a program to do what you want is finding one that has a good interface and is easy to use. One that is reliable is of paramount importance as well. Many database programs I have used will get slower and slower as more information is added to them. Some we have used in the past have even crashed and their information became corrupted and useless. Now that's frustrating!
The mineral collecting community has had some old favorites that were around for many years, but many have disappeared with the newest 64-bit operating systems and private developers who have retired or not felt like keeping their software current. It's always a possibility that any software developer can pull the plug on their software development, which means it's important that they give you a way to export all your data in some sort of open format so you can import it into your next choice. So, it goes without saying that it's a good idea to look for software that allows you to import from standard spreadsheet data as well.
The pros for an off-the-shelf offering is that they are usually pretty well set up for you to start organizing your collection and can do a great job of tracking your information with little fuss on your part. The cons are that sometimes they don't do what you need and you are responsible for keeping them backed up in case your hard drive crashes.
We will be looking into a few of the better software packages here and we welcome the feedback of anyone who has used these or is currently doing their own research.
We will be reviewing the following desktop solutions below:
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nmCollector
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Minfind SNAP - Replacement to Mineraldesk
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Recollector
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Trilobase
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& Workgroup Solutions like Extensis Portfolio or Cumulus

Cloud-Based Software
There are many websites devoted to tracking mineral information. Some of these are based on wiki-like forms and WordPress templates that can be added easily, provided you have the access rights to do so. In addition, some will allow its end users to also add information and upload to their website (think Wikipedia). There are many positives to this. They take care of the hardware and software issues, they keep the data backed-up and its accessible from anywhere you have a web browser. The cons to cloud software are that the interface can be confining and hard to alter for your needs, your information is now in the "cloud" somewhere and you don't have control over what happens to it and another person might be able to change your content. Another issue with cloud software is that's it's only as fast as your internet access and only as safe as your password. Slow access makes editing information and uploading pictures very painful.
Another term for cloud-based software is "SaaS" or Software as a Service.
We will be reviewing the following SaaS's:
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mindat.org
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mineralnet.com
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Mineralsoft
Desktop Software Information
In No Particular Order
nmCollector
nmCollector.net LLC began in the year 2000 when Clay Pryor began selling his NM Gun Collector Software online. After receiving multiple requests for collecting software for different computer operating systems and collection types, nmCollector.net answered the call with NM Collector Software JE. This software became popular enough to justify incorporating in 2010. Recognizing the need for mobile products nmCollector.net introduced NM Collector for the Android in late 2011. He is currently looking for funding to create an iOS version and his software runs in Windows, Mac OS, and Linux as well.
nmCollector.net LLC intends to produce the most useful and flexible software available to the collector community at the most reasonable cost. nmCollector.net LLC recognizes the effort put into data entry and keeps the preservation of that data at the forefront of their development efforts.
This software is written in Java and is designed to be portable, meaning you can run it from anywhere, it does not install as traditional programs do. You can keep it on a USB stick and move it around from computer to computer (provided that the java versions are comparable).
One purchase entitles you to use this collecting software for all of your collections on all of your computers. There is also an option to run the software from the cloud as well by running it from one of your personal cloud drives.
The software has a 30-day trial period and only costs $29.95 and is 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.
What is really neat is this software allows you to manage multiple collections. It's not specifically set up for just mineral collecting and the developer has created various template forms to do different types of hobbies.
Under the engine of nmCollector is a very compact relational database built on open source software from Apache. The developer has used this to build upon the java commands to create a powerful cross-platform modular collector's database.
The software is easily downloaded and the trial period makes testing is quite easy. There is very good help online at the website and a quick start guide and owner's manual are easily found and downloaded if you get into trouble. The developer has been in business long enough that he has anticipated known issues and helps you stay out of trouble.
Website: http://www.nmcollectorsoftware.com




Mac OS Screen Shot


Windows Geology Screen Shot

Android Gun Collecting Review
Quick General Training Video
Mineraldesk (previously featured here) is being replaced by the Minfind SNAP app. It is designed to offer the collector instant access to the best minerals available for sale on the web, using the latest mobile technology to help you browse, search and view specimens from the top mineral dealers worldwide. Use the Minfind mobile app to compare specimens from all major mineral dealers and then get in touch with them to confirm availability, price, and shipping costs.
The cost to get the app is $50 USD a year and a google account handle. Right now we only find it available on the android store and the app is still under heavy development, but it looks like it will be highly integrated with Minfind and will install on up to five devices simultaneously for the yearly fee.
Website: "currently down"

While we are really sorry to see Mineraldesk go, we hope that the new Minfind app will be a worthy replacement. It's hard to tell at this point if the app creators are really interested in developing a top-notch product, or if it's just a grab for more money being tied to their online mineral sales offering. Time will tell as they continue to struggle with poor long term execution.

Minfind SNAP Features Movie


Minfind SNAP Android App
MapRecord Publications was founded in 2002 by Jeremy Pool. A collector created it for collectors. The goal of the company is to offer versatile software solutions to collectors in all categories - maps, books, toys, glass, wine, cameras, dolls, jewelry, coins, movies, guns, classic cars, comic books, sports memorabilia, vintage photographs, militaria, figurines and more. Recollector offers an array of features designed to organize, catalog, and record your entire collection.
This software is mature and seems to have a large user base. It has been reviewed and recommended by many people. Like nmCollector, it is not designed primarily just for collecting Minerals or Fossils, it is set up to manage multiple types of collections through multiple templates and screens. It's easy to upload existing spreadsheets, attach image files to your item records and export your collections to spreadsheets and custom reports.
Input your collection on your Mac or PC, then download the free Recollector App for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android phone or tablet and view it on-the-go. It's a great reference tool for auctions, antique shows, or any place you need an easily accessible record of your collection.
The Online User's Guide provides in-depth information on how to use the software. Learn how to define a new collection, import or export a collection, add information to an existing collection, upload images and more. In addition they offer multiple video tutorials. Several users have commented that the developers are responsive and listen to their community plus a new version is scheduled to be released about every 18 months.
Recollector seems to have enough power to manage collections for the beginners through to advanced professionals and its database is responsive and easy to back up. It is very flexible and will allow you to make it what you want for a collection database.
The company does offer a free trial period and the software is easily downloaded from their website. If you decide to purchase Recollector, its cost is $49 as of this review. They also have training videos on how to install the software and get up and going on their website and youtube.
Website: http://www.collectingcatalog.com
