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v2.2.5: Marketplace for Everyone

· 5 min read
Joshua Yewman
Joshua Yewman
Senior Security Engineer, Founder of RetroTechCollection

The marketplace is now open to all users, including the free Hobbyist tier. But that's just the headline — this post also covers everything that's changed since v1.0.

Marketplace for Everyone (v2.2.5)​

When RTC Collector launched, the marketplace was locked behind a paid subscription. That made sense at the time — we needed to cover costs and ensure quality — but it also meant that free users couldn't sell their duplicates or buy that one piece they've been looking for.

As of v2.2.5, every user can browse listings, create listings, make offers, propose trades, and message sellers. No upgrade gate, no interstitial, no "unlock with subscription" buttons.

Tiered Fees​

To keep things fair, marketplace fees now scale with your subscription:

TierFee
Hobbyist (Free)7.5%
Collector (£5/mo)5%
Enthusiast (£15/mo)2.5%

Paid subscribers still benefit from lower fees, higher listing limits, priority listings, and other premium features. But the door is open to everyone now.

What's Changed Since v1.0​

For those who've been following along since launch, here's a summary of everything that's shipped between v1.0 and now. There have been 20+ releases, so I'll group by theme rather than listing every patch.

Redesigned Item Details (v2.0.0)​

The item detail page was completely rebuilt. On desktop, it's a two-column layout with images, photos, tasks, and notes on the left, and item info, specs, and description on the right. On mobile, you get a full-width hero image, six circular quick action buttons, and a tabbed interface (Details, Photos, Tasks, Notes).

New capabilities on every item:

  • Maintenance Tasks — track repairs, cleaning, and upkeep with status tracking (To Do, In Progress, On Hold, Complete)
  • Timestamped Notes — running log of observations and history with automatic timestamps and clickable URLs
  • User Photos — personal photo gallery separate from shared product images, with captions and full-screen viewing

Barcode Scanning (v1.9.0 - v2.0.8)​

Point your camera at a UPC or EAN barcode and the item form fills itself in. If the barcode isn't in our database yet, you can match it to an item so future scans work for everyone. Supports UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-13, and EAN-8 formats with torch toggle for low-light scanning.

Major UI/UX Overhaul (v2.2.0)​

Every page was reviewed for dark mode consistency, mobile responsiveness, and accessibility:

  • Flawless dark mode using DaisyUI semantic tokens throughout
  • Redesigned settings page (mobile vertical list, desktop sidebar layout)
  • Advanced search redesigned (full-screen slide-up on mobile, two-column on desktop)
  • Form progress indicators on multi-step flows
  • Focus-visible indicators, ARIA labels for icon-only buttons, toast notifications with aria-live regions
  • Master item autofill now warns before overwriting your form data

Disputes, Sent Offers & Blocked Users (v2.1.0)​

  • File disputes directly from the transaction page with 5 problem categories
  • View your sent offers in a dedicated Sent sub-tab
  • Block and manage blocked users from settings
  • Disputes tab accessible from mobile Activity navigation

Social Features (v1.7.0)​

  • Follow other collectors
  • Create and share posts with your collection
  • Like and comment on posts
  • Social feed for staying connected with the community

Live Market Prices (v1.8.0)​

Items now show real market values from PriceCharting. Track price history and watch your collection value change over time. Valuation conditions include Loose, CIB, New, Box Only, and Manual Only.

Library & Wishlist (v1.3.0 - v1.3.1)​

A browsable library with four tabs: Platforms, Games, Wishlist, and History. Browse master items, see device variants, save items to your wishlist, and mark them as owned when you acquire them. Compact list view shows 10+ items at once.

Interactive History (v1.4.0)​

Browse the history of retro technology through visual timelines, articles, and quizzes. Timelines grouped by era with zoom controls and minimap navigation. Five quiz types with leaderboards and point tracking.

Native Android App (v1.5.0 - v1.6.1)​

RTC Collector is on the Google Play Store. Built with Capacitor 8, it includes biometric login, app shortcuts, a branded splash screen, and improved offline caching compared to the PWA.

Sign in with Google (v1.8.4)​

One-tap sign-up and sign-in with your Google account. Usernames are now required for all new accounts.

PWA Improvements (v1.4.10 - v1.4.11)​

  • Automatic update detection with one-click updates
  • App shortcuts from the home screen
  • Offline fallback page with auto-reconnect
  • Manual update checking in Settings > About
  • Improved mobile navigation labels ("Collection" instead of "Home", "Browse" instead of "Library")

Offline Mode (v1.1.11)​

Browse your entire collection without internet. View item details, images, and use search/filter with cached data. Smart automatic caching as you browse, with clear sync status indicators.

Everything Else​

Across 20+ releases, there have been hundreds of smaller fixes: mobile input fields that no longer extend off-screen, password reset emails that link to the correct page, dropdown menus that open correctly on mobile, quiz improvements that show correct answers, and performance improvements throughout.

What's Next​

More features are in the pipeline. API access for Enthusiast subscribers is high on the list, along with bulk image uploading and continued improvements based on user feedback.

If you haven't tried the marketplace yet, now's a good time — there's no subscription required.

Happy Collecting!

— Josh