If you are a collector of anything and want to keep track of those items that are currently in your possession and those items you hope to have in your possession, you could use a spreadsheet to manage these lists, but a spreadsheet comes with limited functionality. If you were to use an app like allThings, you could post your lists or items you hope to get or buy by sharing them with your friends or fellow allThings users.
allThings costs just $1.99 but comes loaded with a ton of features that makes it easy to keep items that are a part of your collections organized so you know where they are, the details on each item, like where you’ve kept it and it’s general description and condition. The developers describe the app as being highly customizable. A quick pass into the Settings area of the app shows that you can do the following to make this app your own:
- Show item categories
- Choose image size
- Add an extra password to files
- Setup backups
- Show sources of imports and files
From the Collections area of the app, you can add as many items as you want. The organization functionality comes in as a field you select when you create a new item. To add a new item, you tap on the plus sign at the bottom of the screen. A new screen opens up and prompts you for information, including the item name and a category. Choosing a category is important if you want to find your items easily. The category is a pre-populated field, so you choose from the options the app provides.
The items you add and lists you build can be shared with friends and fellow collectors using email. Another feature important to collectors is the ability to build and maintain wishlists. As a collector, you probably have a list of items you want to find and add to your collection. allThings is the place to make that list, and what’s really cool about the app is that you can share that list via email so others can either help you find what you looking for or may even trade or sell to you if they have already have it. What is neat is that once you have that wishlist item in hand, you remove it from the Wishlist area and it will automatically be added to the Collections area.
If anything becomes confusing or if you ever need a quick overview or description of the app and its areas, you can tap on the question mark at the bottom of the main screen.
Overall, I found the app to be very easy to use and fairly straightforward. As a starter app, allThings is great. I would also like to see some interconnectivity with social media for quicker sharing.
Rating: 8/ 10
Price: $1.99
