VGC Shelf

VGC Shelf (Video Game Collection Shelf) is a self-hosted, open-source video game collection manager designed by collectors, for collectors.

Track physical and digital games, systems, peripherals, and collectibles from a central location that you control. No subscriptions, no vendor lock-in, and no dependence on a third-party service to access your collection.

Why VGC Shelf?

I created VGC Shelf because I couldn't find a collection tracker that fit my needs.

Many collection apps either:

• Require recurring subscriptions
• Focus on marketplaces instead of collections
• Lack self-hosting options
• Don't provide centralized access across devices
• Make it difficult to maintain ownership of your data

I wanted a system that allowed me to:

• Track my entire collection
• Access it from any device
• Host it myself
• Control my own data
• Share collections with family and friends

About This Project

This is my first major software project.

I'll be honest: AI played a significant role in helping me build the backend of this app. If you're a developer, designer, tester, or collector who wants to contribute, I would love your help!

My goal is to grow VGC Shelf into a community-driven project that continues improving over time.

Features

Collection Management

• Create multiple collections
• Shared collections with multiple users
• Collection images
• Collection descriptions
• Collection ownership and permissions
• Physical and digital games
• Systems and consoles
• Peripherals and accessories
• Toys-to-life collections
• Barcode support
• Metadata lookup

Lending & Asset Tracking

• Asset tags with QR codes
• Custom asset numbering
• Check-in / check-out tracking
• Due dates
• Lending reports

Wishlist & Sell List

• Separate wishlist management
• Sell list tracking
• Collection-to-sell-list workflow

Reporting

• Collection value tracking
• Platform breakdowns
• Collection analytics
• Checked-out item reports

Administration

• User management
• Registration controls
• Branding customization
• Custom app icon and favicon
• Database backup and restore

Self Hosting

• Docker support
• Docker Compose support
• Unraid compatible
• PostgreSQL backend
• Optional Redis caching

Technology Stack

Quick Start

Requirements

• Docker
• Docker Compose

Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/mstrlargo/vgc-shelf.git
cd vgc-shelf

Start the Application

docker compose up -d --build

Once started, access:

The first account created automatically becomes an administrator.

Updating

Pull the latest changes:

git pull
docker compose down
docker compose up -d --build

Optional Redis

Redis is optional.

If Redis is unavailable, the application automatically falls back to PostgreSQL.

Enable Redis:

docker compose \
  -f docker-compose.yml \
  -f docker-compose.redis.yml \
  up -d --build

Data Persistence

Your collection data is stored in Docker volumes.

Before major upgrades, it is recommended to:

• Create a database backup from the Admin page
• Export important collections
• Back up Docker volumes

Unraid Installation

VGC Shelf is designed to run on standard Docker hosts and Unraid.

Roadmap

Planned improvements include:

• Improved mobile experience
• Enhanced barcode scanning
• Additional collection analytics
• More metadata providers
• Expanded reporting
• Community-requested features

Contributing

Contributions are welcome.

Whether you are:

• Fixing bugs
• Improving the UI
• Refactoring code
• Writing documentation
• Testing releases
• Suggesting features

Your help is appreciated.

Please open an issue or submit a pull request.

License

This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0.

Disclaimer

VGC Shelf is a community project provided as-is.

Always maintain backups of your data before upgrading or modifying your installation.