This article helps our Volunteer Squad keep the database clean and consistent! It pertains to members who have Creator access and above. If you're interested in getting involved, read more about joining the Squad here. We'd love to have you aboard!

Thanks for giving this a try!

If you have photos, your first Mug will not take you longer than 3-5 minutes and you should be able to get it down to 30 seconds over time.

So just get a cup of coffee, read these instructions carefully and follow along as you add that first Starbucks mug to hobbyDB.

NOTE: Once you have added your first mug, please ask Timo to review it before adding more. That will help us make sure we're all on the same page and see where we didn't explain things well (Starbucks mugs are new to hobbyDB, so we're learning how to do this right alongside you!)

How to add Starbucks mugs to hobbyDB

1. Choose a mug from the project spreadsheet  that you want to add to the database. You can press Control+F (on a PC) or Command+F (on a Mac) to search the list.
   • If the row is highlighted red, that means it hasn't been added to the database yet and you're good to proceed.
     
     
   • If you can't find the mug you want to add on the list, contact Timo and he'll help you find it or add it if it isn't on the list yet.
     
     
   • We have photos of most of the mugs already (thanks to Hong Luong), so you can also help with mugs that you don't personally own!
     
     
2. Gather the photos:
   1. If you will be using Hong's excellent photos,
      1. If we have a full photo set of a mug available from Hong’s archive, a folder name will be listed in the first column of the spreadsheet. Not all folders lead to a full photo set and sometimes only serve the purpose to show the mug so you know which one the entry represents. Go to our Starbucks Google Drive folderand navigate to the stated folder to find the photos of the mug you'll be adding. 
         • If a folder only has a single photo of the mug, we don’t have a full photo set. Either choose a different mug.
           
           
         • It may be helpful to change the view from list to grid so you can see the photos as thumbnails:
           
      2. When you get to the folder with the photos of the mug you're adding, download them to your computer/device.
         • If you're working on a phone, save each photo to your device.
           
           
         • If you're on a PC or Mac you can download all the photos at once by clicking the down arrow next to the name of the mug, then click Download. This will download a Zip file, which you should be able to simply double click to extract the photos.
           
           
   2. If you will be using your own photos, be sure to shoot at least the front, back, and bottom of the mug (you can also add more if you want). 
      • Photos should be well lit and the mug should fill as much of the frame as possible.
        
        
      • Place the mug on a white background, if possible.
        
        
      • If you also own the original box the mug came in, please add a photo of that as well, maybe even showing both the mug and the packaging in the same photo!
        
        
      • Don't include any unrelated objects in the photo.
        
        
3. Choose a mug to clone. Either:
   1. Go to hobbyDB.com and search for a similar mug (we have some tips for searching here), then tap/click it to go to its Database Item page. OR—
      
      
   2. Check the project spreadsheet to see if someone has already added a mug from the same series. If so, click the link to go to the mug's item page on hobbyDB.
      
      
4. Tap or click New, then Clone:
   
5. Fill out the form, changing or removing any pre-filled data if it isn't applicable to the new mug. Here are some guidelines for what to enter in each field:
   
   
   1. Item Name (Important)
      • Name: This should be the main text on the mug. Enter the name exactly as it appears on the mug, including punctuation and spelling mistakes, but always use standard English title capitalization regardless of the capitalization used on the mug.
        
        
      • Alternative Name: If there's smaller text under the main text on the mug (like a subtitle) you can enter that here. Correct spelling also goes here in case the title has a spelling mistake.
        
        In case a mug with the same title has been released in different design variations, enter the title from the spreadsheet in the Alternative Name field as well. The mug “Epcot” for example was released in different designs. The database item Name for all of these will just be “Epcot”, and the Alternative Name will be “Epcot I”, “Epcot II”, and “Epcot III”.
        
        
   2. Related Subjects (Learn about Subjects on hobbyDB here)
      • Brand: Should always be Starbucks only.
        
        
      • Series: You can leave this empty, or keep any or all of the Series from the mug you cloned if they match what's on the bottom of the new mug. A mug may be part of more than one series—for example, this mug is in Series One of the Barista Skyline Series, so we've added the Barista Series, Skyline Series, and [Skyline] Series One Subjects:
        
        
        If the mug you cloned doesn't list the series shown on the bottom of the new mug you're entering it great to add the series here, but this is optional—someone else can come through and do it afterwards.
        
        
      • Related Subjects(optional): Add things like the city, country, and landmarks depicted on the mug to Related Subjects helps collectors find mugs in the database. Start typing in the field and if the landmark/city/etc. is already in the system as a Subject, it will show up in a dropdown. Click or tap to add it. 
        • If the Subject you're searching for doesn't appear, just press the Esc key, tap outside of the field, or backspace what you've typed and either try another Subject or continue to the next field.
          
          
        • When adding landmarks or buildings, please also add the geographical Parent Subjects up to the country. For example, if the mug shows the Space Needle, add the Space Needle Subject plus the Seattle, Washington State, and United States of America Subjects.
          
          
        • If you accidentally add an incorrect Subject, just tap/click the X on the Subject's name bubble to remove it.
          
          
      • Here's an example of what a completed Related Subjects section looks like:
        
        
   3. Production Details (Optional)
      • Released: Copyright year on the bottom of the mug.
        
        
      • Discontinued: Leave blank.
        
        
      • Production Status: Most mugs should have "Regional" selected here to indicate they were only sold in a certain area, like in a specific city or country. 
        • If the mug was exclusive to a non-Starbucks store, like Kabayashi or Svarovsky, set the Production Status either both "Regional" and "Exclusive", or "Exclusive" only.
          
          
        • You can select multiple Production Statuses by holding the Control key (PC) or Command key (Mac) when you click on items in the list. On mobile devices, the Production Status list should show up as a checklist where you can select multiple items.
          
          
      • Material: Always Ceramic.
        
        
      • Coating: Leave blank.
        
        
      • Made in: Find on bottom of mug.
        
        
   4. Characteristics (Optional)
      • Fill in as appropriate or leave blank and move to the next section.
        
        
   5. Dimensions (Optional)
      • Height and diameter can be added if known.
        
        
      • Enter the mug's Volume if known (it is often printed on the bottom).
        
        
      • Be sure to select the correct units from the dropdown menus when you enter dimensions.
        
        
   6. Product Identifiers
      • Leave all blank.
        
        
   7. Item Description: This field is optional. If you'd like you can add additional information from the bottom of the mug that doesn't fit in any of the above fields, like the copyright year or other text.
      • Note: If you have information about the mug's original retail price (whether from the bottom of the mug or from elsewhere) you can add it directly to the mug's Price Guide by following the instructions on the Retail Prices help page. Please do not add retail price information to the Item Description.
        
        
6. After completing the form, tap/click Save & Add Photos at the bottom of the page.
   • Upload the photos you downloaded earlier to hobbyDB by tapping or clicking Browse Files and selecting the photos to upload. If you're working on a computer, you can also drag and drop the photo files onto the page.
     
     
   • Add the photo showing the front of the mug first so it will be automatically set as the Main Photo. If the wrong photo is set as the Main Photo, click/tap the gear icon on the correct main photo, then click/tap "Set as Main Photo". If you include a photo that also shows the packaging, set this one as the Main Photo and the one that only shows the mug as the Show on Search Photo.
     
     
     • If you're using the photos from our Google Drive folder, add "starbucks-city-mugs.com" to the Courtesy of field for each photo. We want to give Hong credit for all the work she's been kind enough to share with the community :)
       
       
     • If you're using your own photos, leave the Courtesy of field blank. Your hobbyDB member name will automatically show as the photo credit.
       
       
   • Learn more about adding Database Item Photos here.
     
     
7. After uploading the photos, tap or click Save.
   
   
8. Now that the mug has been added to hobbyDB, it needs to be recorded on the "all mugs tab" of the project spreadsheet. Find the mug you added to hobbyDB on the spreadsheet again (see step 1 above). There are just two cells you'll need to fill out:
   
   
   1. HDBID (column C): You can find this number in the bottom left corner of the item page on hobbyDB under "Reference Numbers". Copy the HDBID number and paste it in the HDBID column on the spreadsheet.
      
      
   2. Added by (column E): Tap or click the down arrow on the right side of the cell and select your hobbyDB member name from the dropdown list.
      

Quality Check Columns

Columns H to S on the project spreadsheet are used for quality checks. We’re reviewing each submission for different criteria and you will be able to see which fields are correct once this step has taken place. Don’t worry if not all the boxes are checked off—we’ll be sure to explain everything and coach you on your way to creating perfect entries!

If you notice that fields aren’t checked on the quality control, either simply correct the item and check the checkbox in column G or ask for clarification. We’re always happy to help!

Again, thank you so much for volunteering to help with this project! If you have any questions, no matter how small, please feel free to reach out to Timo or anyone else on the hobbyDB team.