Happy New Year from all of us at hobbyDB! 2018 was a stellar year full of fandom, from Jeff Goldblum Pops to celebrating Hot Wheels’ 50th Anniversary! We (plus our amazing squad of volunteer contributors) had a bunch of fun documenting thousands of new collectibles and millions of price points on hobbyDB. Here’s a quick recap of all the goodies from 2018.

New Data – Data is our core. As many of you know, it’s our mission to get to 100 billion collectibles documented (eventually) and we take that very seriously, so this year, we decided to expand into new areas of collectibles that many of you have been requesting. Some examples include: Amiibo, Dark Horse Collectibles, DC Direct, Decoys, Diamond Collectibles, Garbage Pail Kids, Hot Toys, Mezco Toyz, Matchbox, NECA and Sideshow.

To top it all off, we added more than 84,000 Hard Rock Cafe pins to the database and now host the collections (more fondly referred to as Pin Lockers) of hundreds of pin collectors.

New Prices – We really hit our stride this year when it comes to adding prices to hobbyDB. In 2018, we added more than 1.25 million new price points to the guide. Our aim is to be the most accurate, up-to-date, go-to destination on the web for collectible prices. The most exciting new pricing feature to come in the next few weeks is the ability to calculate and track the value of your personal collection. To read more about our roadmap for a collectible price guide, read our Vision for the hobbyDB Value Guide.

A marketplace that has your back

It’s our goal to ensure you can always count on us to provide a safe trading environment, whether you are looking to buy or sell collectibles. We implemented proactive outreach programs to stop fraud before it even occurs and expanded our Trusted Seller program, so that you know when you’re buying from a Trusted Seller, your purchase is guaranteed.

On top of the additional security, we added new ways to buy and sell and a revamped buyer/seller dashboard! Now you have more flexibility as you can select Buy it Now, or Best Offer when listing items for sale.

Of course we can’t forget the Halls!

The Model Car Hall of Fame community grew to more than 4.3 Million collectors, including 107 clubs in 24 countries around the world. This influx of new community members led to our largest vote and inducted class ever. More than 4,000 votes were cast this year to induct 24 great people, models and brands into the MCHOF. The Pop Culture Hall of Fame debuted 11 new awards for titans of culture like Pokemon, Power Rangers and Alex Ross. The PCHOF now has 21 Inductees and 19 iconic brands and characters from across the collecting universe.

The Halls continue to grow in support every day, connecting with collectors from every edge of the hobby. 2019 promises to be another banner year, so stay tuned!

Looking towards 2019

Over the last four months, we’ve created a thorough road map that includes major changes to the site design. These changes will make it easier to find exactly what you are looking for, add to and manage your collection, and see how your collection changes in value over time.

We’ll also be adding a ton more data and price points to ensure that the database continues to get better and better over time. New data points include comics, action figures, statues and more. Price points will follow suit, with a goal of having values for 90% of the items on hobbyDB. If you’re interested in having a little price guide fun and joining our awesome volunteer squad, just let us know.

So go forth fellow collectors, into the fandom sphere and always let us know if there is anything else we can do to better.

Keep calm and yub nub,

Your hobbyDB team