Use case · Workflow
Cataloguing a collection you already own
To catalogue a collection, photograph each piece the same way every time, record its identification, period, condition and value range, and keep provenance alongside it. Trove saves each appraisal to a collection stored on your own device. Treat the result as a research record — insurance schedules still need a qualified appraiser’s replacement value.
The workflow, step by step
- Set up a consistent photograph routine. Same plain background, same indirect light, same four shots for every piece: whole object, mark, construction, faults. Consistency is what makes the record comparable later.
- Appraise each piece and save it. Each appraisal — identification, period, condition, authenticity verdict and ranges — is saved to the collection in the app, stored in a database on your phone rather than uploaded or synced.
- Revisit pieces Trove could not settle. Where the result was “not enough evidence”, take the specific shot it asked for and run the piece again. Those are often the pieces worth researching further.
- Keep provenance with the record. Store receipts, catalogue entries and letters with the piece they belong to. Provenance separated from its object is provenance lost.
- Use a formal appraisal for anything insured. Insurers require replacement value from a qualified appraiser who has inspected the object. The catalogue tells you which pieces need that.
Keep a copy you control
The collection lives on the device and is not uploaded or synced, so clearing or deleting the app clears it. If the record matters to you, keep your original photographs and any paperwork backed up separately.
Trove identifies antiques from photographs and gives an estimated value range, with the reasoning behind it. Every figure is an AI estimate, not a professional appraisal.