Looking for a Truly Professional Database Solution (Post-iCollect Disaster)

finepostervault

After a recent CSV import incident, I learned the hard way that my current setup is not robust enough for what has become a serious collection (386 items and growing).

I am now looking for suggestions for a professional-grade database solution to manage and secure a vintage movie poster collection properly.

What I need:

• Stable local database (not purely cloud-dependent)

• Full control over image storage (original high-res files, not just thumbnails)

• Clear separation between metadata and image files

• Reliable backup strategy (Time Machine compatible, ideally redundant)

• Bulk import/export (CSV is fine, but without destructive overwrite risks)

• Ideally customizable fields

• Long-term sustainability (I do not want to migrate again in five years)

This is not about a casual hobby spreadsheet. I want something archival, structured, and technically sound.

Has anyone here moved beyond iCollect or similar collector apps?
FileMaker? Airtable? Custom SQL? Dedicated collection software?

I would appreciate concrete recommendations and real-world experiences.

Thanks!

theartofmovieposters

https://posterama.io/

You can look at this.  It was recommended to me a while back but I never looked into it...I know nothing about it really and havent tried it but I believe it was done by other collectors/dealers...there are costs associated, but you might want to take a look?

finepostervault

Thanks. Tried it. Doesn’t work for me.

theartofmovieposters

Hmm, in that case...you might have to create your own.  Tech saavy enough?
I tried to do a basic access db many many years ago, but got sidetracked and never got back to it.

Surely there would be readily accessible tools for you to create something on the internet these days?

Rick

i have an Excel file for my collection, obviously without images. I don't always keep it up to date, but it's helpful to track things.

Charlie

Like I mentioned if you hold out for a year, AI will probably be able to make a personalized app with export ability. You can also go ahead and provide metadata as you take pictures for AI to search through. Or write a prompt for AI to provide metadata based on your photos with a certain format.

finepostervault

I finally found Recollector and will give it a try. 
Anyone got experience with it?

https://www.collectingcatalog.com/