Subjects are the basis for all of the interconnection within the hobbyDB database. The concept of a "Subject" is something that cannot be owned by an average collector, think characters like Batman or Buzz Lightyear, companies like Mattel or Hard Rock Cafe, and actors and film franchises like Chris Pratt or The Avengers.
Collectibles (the stuff you, a collector, actually own) can be connected to these related subjects to make the database easy to browse and search. As an example, the Marvel Subject page will show all Database Items associated with Marvel, from Pez dispensers, to comics, to model cars, and everything in between. Other related Subjects are listed on Subject pages so the Marvel Subject lists their various franchises, artists, characters, individual films, games, and more.
Subjects are the glue that binds the database together and makes it easy for collectors of all kinds to find collectibles based on the way they collect — by actor, brand, character, series, and so on. This is why it's important for Subjects to be created and added to carefully to maintain the collector-centric organization and searchability of the database.
Subjects are...
- Searchable on the site.
- The common links that bind collectibles (the stuff you can own) to fandoms (the incarnation of "why" and "what" you collect).
- Intangible. In most cases, a subject is something you can't put on the shelf and collect. It's the idea behind the thing on your shelf.
Subjects are not...
- Own-able. You can't own the character Buzz Lightyear, but as a collector, you can own an action figure of him. The character is a Subject, the action figure is a Database Item.
- Mutually exclusive. A collectible can have multiple Related Subjects.
- Very high-level or generic. For example, a Subject called "Farm" would contain millions of items, making it too large to be useful.
The same applies to other categories, for example, food. We do not have a page on chocolate, but we do have pages for chocolate brands like Hershey's and Milka.