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/

Rick

No, let us know how it goes

finepostervault

Rick said:

No, let us know how it goes

So. I went ahead and bought the full version of Recollector for $49 (https://www.collectingcatalog.com). That’s a one-time purchase. No subscription.

After trying the rather expensive iCollect Everything, being very disappointed, and cancelling the subscription there, I needed something new to archive my roughly 500 movie posters according to my own criteria. Not least because I need proper documentation for insurance purposes.

What I like:
• You can really define every field yourself.
• You can upload images as well as PDFs (e.g., invoices).
• It works without any cloud (which is also a downside at the same time).
• Entering data is straightforward; I was able to import my CSV file without any issues.
• You can create “subsets” (e.g., all Horror posters, all Sci-Fi posters).
• Good search and filter functions without a lot of unnecessary bells and whistles.
• Images are stored locally (which, again, can also be a drawback).
• You can create a fairly simple web presentation via a “wizard.”

What I don’t like:
• Whoever developed this clearly wasn’t an aesthete. The thing looks like a database from the dawn of computing. Really ugly. But functional.
• The image gallery is quite sluggish. It always has to reload images first, and scrolling can be a bit jerky.
• No definable pull-down menus. Nothing of that sort at all. That becomes problematic if you mistype something in a field like “edition type,” or simply use a slightly different spelling. Then the entry won’t show up under that column anymore. You really have to remember exactly how you name things. Do you always write “R1970” or “R-1970”? Same issue with the different international poster formats. Pull-downs would be extremely helpful.
• No night mode. I hate white databases. But that’s again a design issue. The whole thing is extremely minimalist.
• There is a mobile version, but it’s read-only and requires Dropbox for synchronization.

A bit more specifically about the CSV import. That’s exactly how I managed to completely wreck my database in iCollectEverything. There’s no way to create a proper backup, and all the images were gone. Completely insane. Recollector seems much safer in that regard, at least in my opinion.

I also tried Posterama.io, but to me that feels more like a presentation gimmick. Probably great if that’s what you want. But far too few options.

There may very well be better solutions. I’m sure there are. But they also cost more. And at some point you have to keep things in perspective.

For showing off in the bar, I now use Adobe Lightroom, which works perfectly. ;-)

Conclusion:
It does what it’s supposed to do, and at a fair price. I’ve heard the support is excellent, though I haven’t had any direct experience with it yet. For the specific needs of movie poster collectors, there simply aren’t that many suitable programs available, at least based on my research.

Tob

In case it helps - the owner/developer for Posterama is receptive to new functionality suggestions. 

If you join the Discord group, there is a 'feature requests' channel where you can have a chat about any enhancements and if they're feasible. He added a couple of things for me in a day or two. https://discord.gg/SS9wAUUp