Disclaimer. Collectalia is not a legal, tax or insurance advice site. The information on this page is general and based on French legislation in force as of 09/11/2026: it may change, does not necessarily apply outside France and does not take your situation into account. Always have it checked by a notary, a lawyer, an accountant or your insurer before acting on it.
The essentials
- For champagne caps, bottle caps or beer mats, the brand, the country, the theme and the series identify each piece.
- The catalogue reference lets you swap with other collectors without ambiguity.
- Duplicates for swapping and wanted pieces are tracked in the same inventory.
Small collectibles: what to keep track of
Champagne caps, bottle caps, beer mats, king cake charms, pin badges, key rings, matchboxes: these collections quickly run to hundreds, even thousands of pieces. Each one is worth little, but together they represent years of searching. Without an inventory, you buy duplicates and no longer know what is missing from a series.
For each piece, note its type, the brand or producer, the country, the theme or design, the colour, the series and the catalogue reference. Add the print run when it is known, the material and a photo.
What an entry contains
| Field | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Type (champagne cap, bottle cap, beer mat, king cake charm, pin badge, key ring…) | Classify and find quickly. |
| Brand / producer, country | Identify the piece. |
| Theme / design, colour | Tell apart the variants of the same brand. |
| Series / no., catalogue reference | Follow series and swap without mistakes. |
| Print run, material | Flag rare pieces. |
| Photo, purchase price, location | Recognise the piece at a glance and find it in a binder. |
Sub-categories separate champagne caps, bottle caps, beer mats, king cake charms, pins and badges, and key rings.
Duplicates, swaps and wanted pieces
Swapping is at the heart of these collections. Mark your duplicates as available for swapping, keep a list of the pieces you are missing, and share either list with the collectors you meet at collectors’ fairs and on forums.
Value and insurance
Some rare pieces reach surprising prices, and a large collection represents real value. For the insurer, keep an up-to-date list, photos of the display sheets and of the important pieces, and proof of purchase. The method is detailed in our guide to making a home inventory for insurance.
Succession and inheritance
A collection of small objects inherited without an inventory is hard to value and often ends up scattered. Flag the rare pieces, say where the binders are and which association or collector to contact.
Photos from your phone and sharing
Photograph each piece flat on a plain background, then the complete display sheets. For a swap, share your list of duplicates through a password-protected, time-limited link. To choose between a spreadsheet and software, see our comparison Excel spreadsheet or collection software; for phonecards, see postcards and phonecards.
With Collectalia
Collectalia keeps one entry per piece: type, brand, country, theme, colour, series, catalogue reference, print run, material, photos taken from your phone by scanning a QR code, price and location. Track your duplicates for swapping and your wanted pieces, import your existing Excel file and produce PDF or Excel reports. Free trial, free read-only access.
Disclaimer. Collectalia is not a legal, tax or insurance advice site. The information on this page is general and based on French legislation in force as of 09/11/2026: it may change, does not necessarily apply outside France and does not take your situation into account. Always have it checked by a notary, a lawyer, an accountant or your insurer before acting on it.