Identify an item from a photo
Optional AI research: photograph a cover and FirstFinder searches for comparable sales, then drafts the record with a suggested edition and a value range, ready for you to check and save.
Why it's useful
- Cataloguing a stack of finds goes from typing every field to checking a draft.
- The photo you take is attached to the record, so the cover is on file from the start.
- Values for books come from a live search of what copies are listed for, not from memory.
How to use it
- 1
Open Add Items
From the menu, choose Add Items and scroll to the last card, Research what it's worth. (To fill in the fields without the research, use Snap a picture in Quick Add instead.)
- 2
Take or upload a photo of the cover
Tap Research a photo. On a phone this opens the camera; on a computer, pick an image file. A clear, straight-on shot of the cover or title page works best.
- 3
Check the draft
FirstFinder fills in what it can see and find: title, author, publisher, edition, and an estimated value. Every field stays editable. Correct anything it got wrong before you save.
- 4
Add what you paid, then save
The one thing a photo can't tell us is what you paid for it. Enter that, and the item joins your collection with the photo attached.
Good to know
- Each account gets 2 identifications a day. Every one is a paid, search-grounded call, and FirstFinder is self-funded.
- Identification is a starting point, not an appraisal. Condition, the jacket, and provenance decide what a particular copy is worth.
- Ran out for the day? Snap a picture, in Quick Add on the same page, still fills in the fields from your photos. It doesn't research a value.