Hi everyone, I've mentioned this several times before, but I want to emphasize again: maintaining the catalog is a huge commitment, both in time and money, and I don’t personally benefit from it beyond the joy it brings to the collecting community. I’ve just paid €993.72 for the 2025 operating costs, and I’ve spent countless hours handling IT issues, user requests, and reviewing labels.
To be honest, this effort sometimes leaves me too exhausted to enjoy my own collection or to sort and trade my duplicates. I can’t help but wonder how you would feel if you were the one covering the yearly costs and adding 17,500 label images (an average of 200 each month), year after year.
So, moving forward, there will be a cost for using the catalog — not a financial one, but a contribution in the form of labels. Over the past 10 years, voluntary support unfortunately hasn’t worked, so I’ve decided on a different approach: I will select stickers from your tradelists, and I kindly ask you to send them to me. No trades, no choosing from my list — just support for the continued operation of the catalog. Maybe you’re lucky, and I already have most of your doubles.
You’ll see my name on your request list from time to time. If you send me the stickers, it helps me directly and ensures you can continue to enjoy the catalog.
If you have any questions or thoughts, I’m happy to hear them.
Best regards,
Michael
Comments
I am very sorry that you feel
I am very sorry that you feel disappointed by the catalog's problems.
I think I understand your state of mind too.
Collecting gives so much satisfaction.
In my life I have collected various objects.
After a certain period I felt the desire to change and start a new life.
I discovered this catalog five years ago and immediately fell in love with it.
It gives a precise address to this collection with a thousand aspects.
But the main reason is that it has a fantastic value.
It unites the world, without looking at borders and all human differences.
From the exchange of labels a great friendship was born in all collectors.
Friendship that united families in a fantastic embrace.
This, dear Michael, you were able to create and it is a wonderful thing.
You must be proud of what you have done.
This must defeat every moment of disappointment.
I personally collect double labels and check if you have them.
Then I will send them.
Thank you for what you do.
Thank you Pietro, I hope to
Thank you Piero, I hope to read more of this!
Hi Michael,
Hi Michael,
please feel free to choose from my duplicates. I will be happy to send them to you.
Thanks for your efforts.
Klement
Great, will do.
Great, will do.
Running this catalog takes a
Sometimes I feel like people have no real idea how overwhelming the work on this catalog can get. By now, I’ve uploaded nearly 18,000 stickers, and every week I spend hours correcting and adjusting things that others have added or missed. It’s incredibly time-consuming, and to be honest, it has started to take a toll on my own collection.
That’s why I’ve been asking for support over the past few years – not just to help with the catalog itself, but also with my own collection. Right now, I simply don’t have the time or energy left to go through my duplicates and organize sticker swaps. The fun of collecting is starting to fade because of all the pressure around the catalog work.
So when I ask for help or contributions, it’s really not about being unfair or unwilling to trade – it’s because I truly need some balance back in this hobby.
Thanks for understanding,
Michael
Sometimes I feel like people
Running this catalog takes a lot of time, energy, and long-term commitment – not to mention the costs involved. Most collectors understand this and show their appreciation by occasionally sharing duplicate stickers, which helps keep me motivated to continue the project.
Unfortunately, there are a few who make extensive use of the catalog without ever giving anything back – no swaps, no duplicates, no support. Just taking.
To those few: If you're not willing to contribute in any form, maybe it's time to reconsider whether this catalog is the right place for you. This catalog exists because of mutual respect and contribution – not one-way use. And it isn’t just about stickers – it’s also about valuing the work behind the scene.
I started to notice different
I started to notice different codes on the banana labels i had been loosly collecting and today i decided to add them to a sticker book and see if there was any way i could find out the codes. Well, let me tell you how exciting it was to find this cataloging site. I should have known that there would be other people who had seen the interesting beauty in banana labels. Michael, thank you so much for creating this site and continuing to curate it, im so excited to take a look around and see if i can spot any other i have so far and know what to keep an eye out for. I'm sorry to hear tof your struggles with the mutual aid on the site, i hope things improve for the sake of your wonderful hobby. If anyone has any tips or suggestions on how best to preserve the stickers for cataloguing and trading i'd appreciate your guidance.
I look forward to looking around the site and submitting any duplicates once i have a collection worth sharing; it's only been a few weeks.
Happy collecting
Fork
Hi Fork,
Hi Fork,
thank you so much for your kind words — it really means a lot to me to see your excitement and appreciation for the catalog. It’s always great to welcome new collectors into this small but passionate community.
Regarding preservation: some collectors remove the glue with white spirit (paint thinner), as otherwise the adhesive can make labels look a bit slimy and translucent over the years. Personally, I stick each label onto a small yellow note, which works very well too. I then keep them alphabetically organized in a Leitz folder.
I’m glad you’ve found your way here, and I’m sure your collection will grow faster than you expect. Looking forward to seeing your contributions whenever the time comes!
Happy collecting,
Michael