A five minute quick start

This is the fastest path from an empty account to a real, catalogued item. You will create a collection, add one item with a photo, record one physical copy you own, and view the result. Along the way you will meet the one idea that makes KolleK click: the difference between an item and a copy.

By the end you will know the core loop you will use for everything else.

What you will need

• A KolleK account you can sign into. If you do not have one yet, create your account first.
• One thing you own that you would like to catalogue, ideally with a photo of it on hand.

Throughout, we will follow Emma, who collects comics and wants to catalogue her copy of Amazing Spider-Man #1. Follow along with something of your own.

Step 1: Create a collection

A collection is a named group that holds related items. Emma makes one called "My Comics".

From your dashboard, choose to create a New collection. Give it a name, and optionally pick an emoji and add a short description. You can leave the other choices at their defaults for now. Save it.

Why this matters: every item lives inside a collection, so you need one before you can add anything.

Step 2: Add an item

Open your new collection and choose to add an item.

Give it a name. Emma types "Amazing Spider-Man #1". A name is all you need to create an item. You can fill in a description, a category, tags, and custom details later.

Why this matters: the item is the kind of thing you are cataloguing. It is not yet tied to any particular physical object. That comes in step 4.

Step 3: Add a photo

While you are editing the item, upload a photo of it. Emma adds a picture of the cover.

If you add more than one photo, you can choose which is the main one, the cover image shown in your lists.

Why this matters: photos make a large catalogue far easier to scan, and the cover is what you will recognize at a glance.

Step 4: Add the copy you own

Here is the important step. An item on its own does not record anything you physically own. A copy does.

On the item, add a copy and set at least:

• Condition, such as Very Good or Mint. Choose from the ready made list.
• Location, where the copy is stored, for example a shelf or a box.

Emma adds one copy, marks it Very Good, and sets its location to "Long box 1".

Why this matters, and why it is the heart of KolleK: if Emma later buys a second copy of the same comic, she does not create a new item. She adds a second copy to the same item. Each copy carries its own condition, location, value, and history. One item, many copies.

Step 5: View the result

Save, then open the collection. You will see your item with its cover photo, and the item shows that it has one copy. Open the item to see the copy you recorded, with its condition and location.

That is the whole loop: collection, item, photo, copy. Everything else in KolleK builds on it.

A common mix up to avoid

Keeping it to one item with multiple copies is what lets KolleK track each physical piece separately while keeping your catalogue tidy.

Where to next

You now know enough to catalogue anything. When you are ready to go deeper:

• Tailor what each kind of item records with collection types and custom fields, covered in the Organizing your catalogue section.
• Record what you paid and what a copy is worth. See the Tracking a copy's history section.
• Understand the item and copy distinction fully in the Core concepts section.

For now, try adding a second item of your own and get comfortable with the loop.