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Documentation

Everything you need to know about installing, configuring, and getting the most out of Collect Detect.

Installation

Collect Detect is a Chrome extension that works directly on eBay listing pages. Install it in under a minute.

  1. Visit the Chrome Web Store
    Go to the Collect Detect listing on the Chrome Web Store.
  2. Click "Add to Chrome"
    Click the install button and confirm the permissions dialog. Collect Detect only needs access to eBay pages.
  3. Browse eBay
    Navigate to any eBay listing with graded collectibles. The extension activates automatically and begins scanning listing images.

Tip

Pin the extension to your Chrome toolbar for quick access to settings and your lookup count.

Your First Lookup

Once installed, Collect Detect works automatically. Here's what happens when you view an eBay listing:

  1. Image scanning
    The extension scans listing images for grading company certification numbers (PSA, CGC, BGS, SGC, etc.).
  2. Data retrieval
    When a cert number is detected, Collect Detect fetches pricing data, population reports, and official slab scans from grading company databases.
  3. Overlay display
    Results appear in an overlay panel directly on the listing page — no need to open new tabs or search manually.

The entire process happens in seconds. If no certification number is found in the images, the extension will attempt AI-powered card identification based on the listing title and images.

Creating an Account

An account is optional for basic usage but required for Pro features and tracking your lookup history.

Sign Up

  1. Go to the signup page
    Visit collect-detect-web.pages.dev/signup or click "Sign Up" in the extension.
  2. Enter your email and password
    You can also sign up with Google for one-click authentication.
  3. Access your dashboard
    After signing up, you'll be redirected to your account dashboard where you can view usage, manage your subscription, and get your license key.

Cert Detection

Cert detection is the core feature of Collect Detect. The extension uses computer vision to identify certification numbers printed on grading company slabs directly from eBay listing images.

How It Works

  • Images are processed locally in your browser — nothing is sent to external servers
  • The detection engine recognizes cert number patterns for PSA, CGC, BGS, SGC, WATA, TAG, ACE, and CSG
  • Multiple certs can be detected from a single listing (e.g., a lot of graded cards)
  • Results are cached so re-visiting a listing is instant

Supported Formats

Detection works on photos of slabs at various angles, resolutions, and lighting conditions. Both front-facing cert numbers and barcode-adjacent numbers are recognized.

Note

Heavily cropped images, stock photos, or images without visible cert labels may not produce a detection. In those cases the extension falls back to AI-powered title analysis.

Pricing Engine

Once a card is identified, Collect Detect retrieves comprehensive pricing data from multiple sources to give you a complete market picture.

Data Sources

SourceData Provided
PriceChartingAverage market prices by grade, historical trends
eBay Sold ListingsRecent sold comparables with actual transaction prices
Grading Company DBsPopulation reports, cert verification, official scans

Grade-by-Grade Breakdown

Pricing is displayed per grade so you can see how the value of a card changes across the grading spectrum. This helps you assess whether a listing is priced fairly relative to its specific grade.

Deal Scoring

Every detected listing receives an AI-generated deal score that tells you how the asking price compares to recent market data.

Score Range

Scores range from 0 to 100. Higher scores indicate better deals relative to market averages.

Buy / Pass Verdict

Each listing gets a clear Buy, Consider, or Pass recommendation based on the deal score.

Comparable Sales

See the actual eBay sold listings used to calculate the score, with prices and dates.

Price History

Track how a card's value has moved over time to spot trends and buying opportunities.

Official Scans

For verified cert numbers, Collect Detect retrieves the official front and back slab images directly from the grading company. This lets you verify the exact card in the slab without relying solely on the seller's photos.

  • PSA — Front and back high-resolution scans
  • CGC — Front scan with grade label details
  • BGS (Beckett) — Front scan with sub-grade breakdown
  • SGC — Front scan with cert verification

Population Reports

Population reports show how many copies of a card exist at each grade level. This is critical for understanding rarity and valuing cards accurately.

When a cert is detected, Collect Detect fetches the full pop report and displays it alongside pricing data. You'll see the total population at the card's grade and how many grade higher — key information for determining scarcity premiums.

Free vs Pro

FeatureFreePro
Cert detection50 lookups/monthUnlimited
Pricing dataIncludedIncluded
Deal scoringIncludedIncluded
Official scansIncludedIncluded
Pop reportsIncludedIncluded
Devices13
Desktop appNot includedIncluded
PriceFree$9/month

Upgrade to Pro from your account dashboard or the pricing page.

License Keys

Pro subscribers receive a license key that activates the extension and desktop app on their devices.

Finding Your Key

Your license key is displayed on your account dashboard under the "License Key" card. Click "Copy" to copy it to your clipboard.

Activating a Device

  1. Open the extension or desktop app
    Click the Collect Detect icon in your browser toolbar, or launch the desktop app.
  2. Enter your license key
    Paste your license key in the activation field and click Activate.
  3. Done
    The device is now linked to your license. You can manage active devices from your dashboard.

Managing Devices

Pro plans support up to 3 active devices. You can see your linked devices on the dashboard under the License Key card, showing the device count (e.g., "2 / 3 devices").

To free up a device slot, sign out of the extension or desktop app on the device you want to remove. The session will be revoked and the slot becomes available for a new device.

Subscription & Billing

Pro subscriptions are billed monthly at $9/month through Stripe. You can manage your subscription from the dashboard:

  • Upgrade — Click the "Upgrade to Pro" button on your dashboard or the pricing page
  • Manage — Pro users can access the Stripe billing portal to update payment methods, view invoices, or cancel
  • Cancel — Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. You keep Pro access until then.

Extension Not Working

If the extension doesn't seem to be activating on eBay listings, try these steps:

  1. Check the URL
    Collect Detect only activates on eBay item pages (URLs containing /itm/). It won't run on search results or category pages.
  2. Reload the page
    Sometimes eBay's dynamic loading interferes with extensions. A full page reload usually fixes it.
  3. Check extension permissions
    Go to chrome://extensions, find Collect Detect, and make sure it has access to eBay.
  4. Update the extension
    Go to chrome://extensions, enable Developer Mode, and click "Update" to get the latest version.
  5. Clear cache
    If issues persist, try disabling and re-enabling the extension, or removing and reinstalling it.

Detection Issues

If cert detection isn't picking up a slab in a listing image:

  • Image quality — Low-resolution or blurry images may not contain enough detail for OCR
  • Stock photos — Some sellers use generic stock images that don't show actual cert numbers
  • Cropping — If the cert number area is cropped out of the image, detection won't work
  • New grading companies — We're constantly adding support for new graders. If you encounter an unsupported company, let us know

Tip

When detection fails, the extension falls back to AI-powered card identification using the listing title. You'll still get pricing data in most cases.

Missing Pricing Data

Pricing data may not appear for some cards. Common reasons:

  • New or rare cards — Cards with very few sold comparables may not have enough data for pricing
  • Unsupported categories — Some niche collectible categories may not yet be covered by our pricing sources
  • Temporary outages — Pricing sources occasionally experience downtime. Try again in a few minutes.

Account Issues

Forgot Password

Visit the login page and click "Forgot Password" to receive a reset link via email.

Lookup Count Not Resetting

Free tier lookups reset on the first of each month. Your reset date is shown on your dashboard under the Usage card.

Need Help?

For issues not covered here, reach out via the contact page and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.

Grading Companies

Collect Detect currently supports cert detection and data retrieval for the following grading companies:

CompanyDetectionPricingScansPop Reports
PSAYesYesYesYes
CGCYesYesYesYes
BGS (Beckett)YesYesYesYes
SGCYesYesYesYes
TAGYesYesPartialYes
ACEYesLimitedNoNo
WATAYesYesYesYes
CSGYesLimitedPartialNo

Collectible Categories

Collect Detect works across multiple collectible categories:

Trading Cards

Sports cards, Pokemon, Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh, and other TCGs.

Comics

CGC-graded comics with full census and pricing data.

Video Games

WATA and VGA-graded sealed games and CIB (complete in box).

Coins & Currency

PCGS and NGC-graded coins and currency with pricing.

We're continuously expanding category support. Check the changelog for the latest additions.