The Minimum Useful Data Set
For each figure: name/edition, series, purchase price, purchase date, and condition. That's five fields. Anything less leaves gaps that matter later — purchase price becomes critical for resale decisions, and condition matters for insurance claims.
Add a 'current estimated value' field that you update quarterly. The gap between what you paid and current market value is the data you need to prioritize which figures to sell, which to keep, and which are underwater.
Tools That Work
A Google Sheet is the most practical solution for most collectors: accessible anywhere, shareable for insurance documentation, and easy to add photos via Google Drive links. Create one tab per series, plus a master tab with all figures.
For larger collections, Notion works well with a database view that lets you filter by series, condition, or value. The free tier is sufficient for most collectors. Some serious collectors use Airtable for its more powerful filtering, but the free tier limit of 1,000 records is usually enough.
Tracking What's Missing
For each series you're collecting, create a checklist of all figures in that series (pull from Pop Mart's official series page). Mark what you own. The gaps are your want list.
Cross-reference your want list against current secondary market prices before buying. A figure you've been missing from a series might be available for $25 secondary or for $90 — knowing the price in advance prevents impulse overpaying at events or pop-ups.
Insurance and Documentation
High-value collections are worth insuring. Standard homeowner's or renter's insurance has per-item limits and collectibles exclusions that may not cover your figures adequately. A collector's insurance rider or a specialty policy (like those from American Collectors Insurance) provides proper coverage.
For documentation: photograph each figure from multiple angles, include the receipt or purchase price in the filename, and store the photos in cloud storage. This documentation is what an insurer needs to process a claim. Update it when you add significant new pieces.