Documentation

Installation

Collect Detect is a two-part system: a desktop app that runs locally on your computer and a Chrome extension that connects to it while you browse eBay. Both components need to be installed for Collect Detect to work. Install in under a minute by following the steps below.

1. Download the Collect Detect desktop app
   Download and install the Collect Detect desktop app on your computer. The desktop app is the brain of the system — it handles cert detection, pricing lookups, and deal scoring.
2. Install the Chrome extension
   Go to the Collect Detect listing on the Chrome Web Store and click "Add to Chrome". The extension only needs access to eBay pages.
3. Launch the desktop app
   Open the Collect Detect desktop app. It runs in the background and starts a local server on your computer. The Chrome extension will connect to it automatically.
4. Browse eBay
   Navigate to any eBay listing — graded, raw, or sealed collectibles. As long as the desktop app is running, the extension activates automatically and Collect Detect begins working.

Your First Lookup

Once both components are installed and the desktop app is running, Collect Detect works automatically. Here's what happens when you view an eBay listing:

1. Image scanning
   The extension scans listing images for grading company certification numbers (PSA, CGC, BGS, SGC, etc.).
2. Data retrieval
   When a cert number is detected, Collect Detect fetches pricing data, population reports, and official slab scans from grading company databases.
3. Overlay display
   Results appear in an overlay panel directly on the listing page — no need to open new tabs or search manually.

The entire process happens in seconds. If no certification number is found in the images, the extension will attempt AI-powered item identification based on the listing title and images.

Creating an Account

An account is optional for basic usage but required for Pro features and tracking your lookup history.

Sign Up

1. Go to the signup page
   Visit collectdetect.com/signup or click "Sign Up" in the extension.
2. Enter your email and password
   You can also sign up with Google for one-click authentication.
3. Access your dashboard
   After signing up, you'll be redirected to your account dashboard where you can view usage, manage your subscription, and get your license key.

Cert Detection

Cert detection is the core feature of Collect Detect. The desktop app uses OCR and Vision API to identify certification numbers printed on grading company slabs directly from eBay listing images — the Chrome extension captures the images and passes them to the desktop app for processing.

How It Works

• The detection engine recognizes cert number patterns for PSA, CGC, BGS, SGC, TAG, ACE, AGS, PCGS, NGC, PMG, ICG, ANACS, WATA, VGA, CBCS, PGX, and AFA
• Multiple certs can be detected from a single listing (e.g., a lot of graded collectibles)
• Results are cached so re-visiting a listing is instant

Supported Formats

Detection works on photos of slabs at various angles, resolutions, and lighting conditions. Both front-facing cert numbers and barcode-adjacent numbers are recognized.

Pricing Engine

Once a collectible is identified, Collect Detect retrieves comprehensive pricing data from multiple sources to give you a complete market picture.

Data Sources

Grade-by-Grade Breakdown

Pricing is displayed per grade so you can see how the value of a collectible changes across the grading spectrum. This helps you assess whether a listing is priced fairly relative to its specific grade.

Deal Scoring

Every detected listing receives an AI-generated deal score that tells you how the asking price compares to recent market data.

Official Scans

For verified cert numbers, Collect Detect retrieves the official front and back slab images directly from the grading company. This lets you verify the exact item in the slab without relying solely on the seller's photos.

Trading Cards

• PSA — Front and back high-resolution scans
• CGC — Front scan with grade label details
• BGS (Beckett) — Front scan with sub-grade breakdown
• SGC — Front scan with cert verification
• TAG — Front and back slab scans
• ACE — Front and back slab scans
• AGS — Front and back slab scans

Coins & Currency

• PCGS — Front and back coin scans
• NGC — Front and back coin scans
• PMG — Front and back currency scans
• ANACS — Front and back coin scans
• ICG — Front and back coin scans

Collect Detect also detects and verifies certs from CBCS, PGX (comics), AFA (action figures), and WATA / VGA (video games) — with scan support coming soon.

Population Reports

Population reports show how many copies of a collectible exist at each grade level. This is critical for understanding rarity and valuing items accurately.

When a cert is detected, Collect Detect fetches the full pop report and displays it alongside pricing data. You'll see the total population at the item's grade and how many grade higher — key information for determining scarcity premiums.

Free vs Pro

Upgrade to Pro from your account dashboard or the pricing page.

License Keys

Pro subscribers receive a license key that activates the extension and desktop app on their devices.

Finding Your Key

Your license key is displayed on your account dashboard under the "License Key" card. Click "Copy" to copy it to your clipboard.

Activating a Device

1. Open the extension or desktop app
   Click the Collect Detect icon in your browser toolbar, or launch the desktop app.
2. Enter your license key
   Paste your license key in the activation field and click Activate.
3. Done
   The device is now linked to your license. You can manage active devices from your dashboard.

Managing Devices

Pro plans support up to 3 active devices. You can see your linked devices on the dashboard under the License Key card, showing the device count (e.g., "2 / 3 devices").

To free up a device slot, sign out of the extension or desktop app on the device you want to remove. The session will be revoked and the slot becomes available for a new device.

Subscription & Billing

Pro subscriptions are billed monthly at $9/month through Stripe. You can manage your subscription from the dashboard:

• Upgrade — Click the "Upgrade to Pro" button on your dashboard or the pricing page
• Manage — Pro users can access the Stripe billing portal to update payment methods, view invoices, or cancel
• Cancel — Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. You keep Pro access until then.

Extension Not Working

If the extension doesn't seem to be activating on eBay listings, try these steps:

1. Check the URL
   Collect Detect only activates on eBay item pages (URLs containing /itm/). It won't run on search results or category pages.
2. Reload the page
   Sometimes eBay's dynamic loading interferes with extensions. A full page reload usually fixes it.
3. Check extension permissions
   Go to chrome://extensions, find Collect Detect, and make sure it has access to eBay.
4. Update the extension
   Go to chrome://extensions, enable Developer Mode, and click "Update" to get the latest version.
5. Clear cache
   If issues persist, try disabling and re-enabling the extension, or removing and reinstalling it.

Detection Issues

If cert detection isn't picking up a slab in a listing image:

• Image quality — Low-resolution or blurry images may not contain enough detail for OCR
• Stock photos — Some sellers use generic stock images that don't show actual cert numbers
• Cropping — If the cert number area is cropped out of the image, detection won't work
• New grading companies — We're constantly adding support for new graders. If you encounter an unsupported company, let us know

Missing Pricing Data

Pricing data may not appear for some collectibles. Common reasons:

• New or rare items — Collectibles with very few sold comparables may not have enough data for pricing
• Unsupported categories — Some niche collectible categories may not yet be covered by our pricing sources
• Temporary outages — Pricing sources occasionally experience downtime. Try again in a few minutes.

Account Issues

Forgot Password

Visit the login page and click "Forgot Password" to receive a reset link via email.

Lookup Count Not Resetting

Free tier lookups reset on the first of each month. Your reset date is shown on your dashboard under the Usage card.

Need Help?

For issues not covered here, reach out via the contact page and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.

Grading Companies

Collect Detect currently supports cert detection and data retrieval for the following grading companies:

Trading Cards

Coins & Currency

Comics, Video Games & Toys

Collectible Categories

Collect Detect works across multiple collectible categories:

We're continuously expanding category support. Check the changelog for the latest additions.