The catalog now contains around 50,000 different banana stickers, making it the most complete archive of its kind. Every month, about 200 to 300 new stickers are added. Almost every day, large batches of “new” stickers must be checked and compared with the existing database. There is hardly ever a chance for a longer break, because after some time away the backlog becomes overwhelming and it is easy to lose track of what has already been published.

Over the years, my role has slowly changed. I started mainly as a collector and trader, but today I often feel more like the curator and museum administrator of the banana sticker world. Most of my hobby time now goes into maintaining, organizing, correcting, and preserving this archive for everybody else.

Behind the scenes, this means:

• maintaining the database structure and the table of contents, including all known brands and sticker sets
• correcting mistakes, incomplete descriptions or checking for redundant labels
• adjusting catalog entries regarding classification and sorting or replacing low quality images when necessary
• adding labels shared on Facebook, WhatsApp or by email
• organizing information and articles
• answering user questions
• maintaining the technical side of the website

In addition to the huge amount of time involved, the catalogue also creates yearly costs of nearly €1,000, which I still mostly cover alone.

Many collectors think as if I were a regular trading partner, expecting traditional exchanges of duplicates like we have done it in the past. However, this is no longer the reality of how I can operate. Due to the scale of the catalog and the workload involved, I can only handle very limited or selective trading today. The bigger and more successful the catalog becomes, and the more members join it, the less time I have left for actual collecting and trading myself.

That is why I now ask collectors from time to time to support the project with some duplicate stickers. Not money, not rarities, just a few spare labels that help me continue building my own collection while maintaining the catalogue for everyone else. If you enjoy using something that somebody else has built with passion, time, and personal effort, then it is fair to give something back once in a while. You can decide yourself what and how much the catalogue is worth to you, but supporting it from time to time helps keep the whole project alive for the future.

Collectors who support me in this work by sending banana labels in return for using the catalog receive more than just access to the database. They benefit from full visibility of trade lists, direct contact with other collectors, ongoing exchange of information, discovery of new and missing labels, and regular insights into updates and additions to the catalog. In this way, the catalog is not only a reference tool, but also an active network for sharing and developing collections.

Supporters can be recognized by the golden badge next to their username. A heartfelt thank you to all of them. Their contribution is essential and helps keep this project alive and growing.