Inspiration
Diecast Keeper started with a simple problem: collecting diecast cars is fun, but keeping track of the collection can quickly become difficult.
As a collector, it is easy to forget which models you already own, buy duplicates, or lose track of details such as the brand, series, scale, purchase price, and when you acquired a car. Spreadsheets and notes can work for a while, but they don't provide the experience a collector really needs.
I wanted to build something specifically for diecast collectors, a simple, modern app that makes managing a collection as enjoyable as collecting the cars themselves.
What it does
Is a mobile app designed to help collectors catalog, organize, and manage their diecast collections.
How we built it
Diecast Keeper was built as a cross-platform mobile application using React Native and Expo, allowing the same application to run on both iOS and Android.
The application uses TypeScript to keep the codebase strongly typed and easier to maintain. Local collection data is stored using SQLite, providing fast access to the collector's data directly on the device.
Challenges we ran into
One of the biggest challenges was designing a data model flexible enough to support different diecast brands, series, collections, and scales without making the application complicated to use.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
I am proud to have turned a simple idea into a complete application designed specifically for diecast collectors. Most importantly, Diecast Keeper is not just a technical project. It is an application built around a real hobby and a real problem faced by collectors.
What we learned
What's next for Diecast Keeper
I want to expand collection statistics and insights, improve import and export capabilities, make it easier to discover and catalog new models, and continue improving the overall user experience. And adding some visual processing to identify the model and automatically complete some registration information, but for now the problem is the cost involved with Google's APIs.
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