Colorado companies, museums and collectors are helping power Boulder-based hobbyDB to new heights! Built by collectors, for collectors, our goal is to document one billion collectibles. From Hot Wheels to Funko, and trading cards to comic books, the database currently houses more than 500,000 collectibles. And it’s growing every day.
We’re able to make this happen thanks to the help of volunteers and supporters worldwide. Today, we want to take the time to feature a few of the cool Colorado companies partnering with us to make this dream a reality.
The Auto-Archives mission is simple – to be a world leader in the archiving of historic automotive and motor racing research materials. The archive will be a living collection, open to all automotive enthusiasts, car clubs, researchers, and journalists. We encourage everyone to view and use the collection, or simply ‘hang-out’ at the club with like-minded people.
Our missions instantly meshed and in 2016, we teamed together to create the Auto-Archives official online archive. Throughout the years, we’ve continued to work with Auto-Archives volunteers to document multiple donated collections with an estimated total of 300,000 items. Now we’re talking to five other museums about the same treatment.
Check out the Auto-Archives Collection here.
Like many diecast collectors, Charles “Bud” Kalland started collecting a few favorites, mostly Ford high-performance models. Over time, the hobby quickly mushroomed into an obsession. Also like many collectors, trading and selling a few extras became something of a business. And then it became his main business.
He was impressed with hobbyDB not only as a seller, but also as a collector. “Of all the internet sites I’m acquainted with, hobbyDB suits my interests best,” he said. “Facebook and social websites are a mess for accuracy, manufacturers are nice, but it’s only about their brands. For me the internet isn’t just about entertainment, it’s mostly about accurate information.”
Check out Bud’s awesome store on hobbyDB here.
Even if you’re not yet familiar with Coterie Press, you’ll definitely know all about the subjects of its books. Ferrari, Lotus, McLaren and other prominent European marques, all with a strong racing heritage are all covered extensively. Lotus is a particular favorite, with individual titles covering the cars, the racing wins, the advertisements, collectibles, and of course, the people behind the brand started by Colin Chapman in 1948.
Specialist automotive publisher Coterie Press is another hobbyDB partner, bringing its archives and information to the database. “We decided to host the Coterie-Press official archive on hobbyDB as we knew it would give us lots of extra exposure. I love the hobbyDB vision and am proud of being part of making it happen.”
Check out the Coterie Press Official Archive here.
GeePeeKay.com is the brainchild of Matt Oldweiler, who has been an avid collector of GPK stuff since he was a kid. “I was 10 years old when I saw my first Garbage Pail Kids sticker (Dead Ted), and I was instantly hooked,” he said. ‘They were this perfect storm of everything my little brain could handle. GPK were little pieces of artwork that were both funny and gross…they were hated by teachers and despised by parents…and every kid in their right mind was obsessing about them 24/7.”
As one of the foremost experts on a popular collectible, Oldweiler, is a member of the hobbyDB Advisory Council and is helping us add as many GPK items to the database as possible.
You can check out the Garbage Pail Kids Archive here.
Marshall Fogel walked into a Chicago memorabilia convention in 1989 and exited with a passion for collecting baseball nostalgia that’s difficult to match. Several Mickey Mantle rookie cards and thousands of historic relics later, Fogel now owns one of the premier baseball memorabilia collections this side of Cooperstown.
“You have to know your history,” says Fogel, a self-proclaimed stickler for condition and owner of one of the world’s three GEM MNT 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie cards valued at $12 Million. “You can’t rely on third party info for validation. It’s always great to get the back story on this stuff.”
Now the renowned collector, author and vintage sports photography connoisseur is bringing that expertise and vast collection to hobbyDB as an advisor.
Peruse the highlights of Marshall Fogel collection here.
Founded in 2002, Kidrobot is acknowledged worldwide as the premier creator and dealer of limited edition art toys, signature apparel and lifestyle accessories. An innovative cross between sculpture and conceptual art, Kidrobot offers not only a powerful medium for today’s international fashion designers, illustrators and graffiti artists, but also the creative canvas for emerging street trends and pop art. It is based in Broomfield, Colorado.
Kidrobot was one of the first hobbyDB Brand Partnerships to join the hobbyDB arsenal. Launched in 2015, the Official Kidrobot Archive is the most up-to-date and comprehensive brand archive around. These types of Brand Partnerships help us to help brands. How it works is the brand, customizer or artist provides us with the data in their back catalog in as much detail as possible, then our data elves get it all uploaded. In return, whomever provided the data gets an “Official Archive” subject page, a free storefront to sell their items on hobbyDB and major promotion across all our social media.
See the Kidrobot Archive here.
Interested in getting an Archive of your own? Contact us.
If you were to list all the automotive meccas in the United States, you wouldn’t immediately think of Boulder, Colorado. But it’s the home of the Shelby American Collection, a museum of anything and everything related to Shelby cars and the man behind them.
The museum is working with hobbyDB to create an online archive of these items (there are literally thousands of pieces, so it’s a long-term project). We’re also their partner via their official online store, selling limited edition posters, books, and other collectibles.
“Teaming up with hobbyDB will bring the museum new exposure and help Shelby fans and collectors get their hands on museum apparel, books and our collection of Shelby American Collection produced posters,” said Steve Volk, President of the museum.
Volk joined the hobbyDB Advisory Council in 2017 and has continued to provide essential insight to documenting everything Shelby.
Check out the Shelby American Collection Official Archive here.
Moving forward, it’s our mission to continue to shine the spotlight on Colorado companies by adding pages from every local business to hobbyDB! Here for example, you can see the Coors Brewing Company page and the Denver Broncos page. You can see everything we have related to Colorado already at the Colorado page.
The great news is that you don’t need to own a museum, make collectibles or publish books to be part of the magic! hobbyDB is looking for avid collectors and anyone with a passion for documenting collectibles in Colorado (or the rest of the world!) to join the hobbyDB family as shareholders. Our crowdfunding campaign is currently underway, lending a voice (and ownership) to supporters. Learn more about hobbyDB and how to invest here.
Thank you hobbydb!! Having started with distaste of aquiring of the scoomer site, I did see the possibilities of the future with hobbydb. Thank goodness I was for once open minded enough about the future to accept the change.
Now there are more opportunities to list other collectibles in my possession. I will be listing many more diecast toy items as well as items associated to the collecting hobby. I am now very busy in my waning years. 🙂
Bud
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