Getting Started
RetroTechCollector is a catalogue, valuation and marketplace app for retro tech: vintage computers, consoles, handhelds, games and accessories. Catalogue what you own, track what it's worth, and buy, sell and trade with other collectors.
Look around before you sign in
You don't need an account to explore. Open the app logged out and you land on the Library, the master catalogue of over 40,000 machines and games. You aren't dropped into a shop you can't buy from yet.
From there you can browse the Marketplace and individual listings, the wanted board, seller storefronts, the public Social feed with profiles, posts, hashtags and search, and the Leaderboard.
Logged out, the navigation shows three destinations (Marketplace, Library and Social) plus the central Add (＋) button. That button opens the sign-in prompt, not the add screen.
When you go to do something that changes data, such as adding an item, posting, making an offer, buying or messaging, the app prompts you to sign in or sign up at that moment. Viewing another member's full collection also needs a (free) account.
Get RetroTechCollector
You can use RetroTechCollector in a browser or as an app. Your collection stays in sync across all of them.
- Web: open retrotechcollector.app in any browser. Nothing to install.
- Android: get it on Google Play.
- iOS: get it on the App Store.
- Install as an app (PWA): from the web app, use your browser's install option to add RetroTechCollector to your home screen or desktop. It runs full-screen and works offline, syncing when you reconnect.
Signed in on mobile you get a five-tab bottom bar: Collection, Marketplace, Add (＋), Social and You. A More sheet holds everything else.
There's no card needed to start on the free Hobbyist plan. It holds an unlimited number of items with up to 10 photos each and 3 storage locations, includes 20 RTC Bot photo identifications a month, and it can buy and sell on the marketplace, post socially and export your data. Paid plans buy extra capability: aggregate analytics, a larger monthly AI allowance, unlimited photos and locations. None of them raises a cap on how much you can catalogue, and none of them is what unlocks photo identification. See Plans and billing for the full comparison.
Which version am I running?
Version numbers are dated: YYYY.MM.PATCH. The current release is 2026.09.0, meaning the first release of September 2026; the next fix that month would be 2026.09.1. You can tell at a glance how current the app on your device is.
Each product generation also carries a codename drawn from the history of computing. This one is Generation I, codenamed Macintosh, so the release's full name is RetroTechCollector 2026.09.0 — Macintosh. The codenames are historical references and nothing more: they don't imply any connection with the companies or machines they're named after.
Open Settings → About to see the release you're on, the exact build your device is running, and the date it shipped. The build number is the useful one to quote if you ever report a problem to us.
Find your way around these docs
New here? Start with the Quick start: sign up and add your first item in about five minutes. Then dip into whichever section you need.
Quick start
Account setup
Adding items
Your Collection
Beyond Getting Started, the docs cover Library, Values & History, the Marketplace, the Community, the Engagement Hub, and your Account & Settings. Stuck? Try the Help section or search the docs from the box up top.