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Nativity Collection Catalog

Welcome to the Nativity Collection Catalog!
This free database app for Microsoft Windows is designed to help you easily create a stunning, photo-rich catalog of your collection. With our simple interface, you can quickly build your catalog and print a beautiful book that showcases your treasured items.

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Nativity Collection Catalog was developed by Phillip Garding and is available free to all collectors.  

Key Features

Easily add and edit nativity info

  • Use a simple form to add and edit info about your nativities

  • Click to add photos from your computer

  • Describe your nativities with no limit to text size

  • Customize your own category lists

  • Store thousands of nativities in your catalog

  • Import your existing catalog from a spreadsheet to save time

  • Search quickly based on any information

Print reports of your catalog

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  • Print your full catalog with a choice of photo sizes

  • Print automatic statistics of your collection:

    • Number of sets

    • Number of countries and number from each country

    • Number of each category and material

  • Print photo labels to identify storage boxes for nativities

  • Track your collection's value for insurance or investment​

Find your sets with index reports

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  • Find the set you need by looking at indexes of your collection

  • Index reports give a thumbnail photo and short description to find a set in your full catalog

  • Indexes are sorted by

    • Origin country

    • Category

    • Material type

Video Overview

Phillip Garding presented an overview of the Nativity Collection Catalog in the September 12, 2026 online seminar.

Play Overview Video.jpg

Get started in four simple steps!

​​1) Get Microsoft Access

If you have Microsoft Office or Microsoft 365 installed on your Windows computer, your version may already include Access. Check by pressing the Windows Start button and typing "Access". If you see Access listed as an app, you have it!

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If you don't have Access already, you can download the free Microsoft Access Runtime. (A runtime is a scaled-down version of Access. You can open and use database files, but you can't create new databases.)

  • Click here: Install Microsoft Access Runtime 

  • Follow the steps in the “Install the Microsoft Access Runtime” section of the page.  (For most Windows computers, click the 64-bit Download option.) 

  • After the download finishes, run the installation program.​

​3) Approve security prompts from Access

The first time you open the database file, Access will prompt you to confirm that the files are from a known, safe source. You must approve this prompt to use Nativity Collection Catalog. It is 100% safe to click Open.

4) Set the folder as a Trusted Location

Access will show the security notice every time you open the database file unless you set the folder where your database is located as a “Trusted Location”.  This is a one-time action needed to prevent seeing this dialog box in the future.

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NOTE: If the database file is located in Dropbox, OneDrive, or any other cloud-synced folder, Access will always prompt you when you open the database.  To prevent being prompted every time you open the database file, move the file to a location that is not cloud-synced and then set the location as trusted.

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To add the Nativity Collection Catalog folder as a Trusted Location:

  1. Open the Nativity Collection Catalog database file

  2. Click File → Options

  3. Select Trust Center

  4. Click Trust Center Settings…

  5. Choose Trusted Locations

  6. Click Add new location… and browse to the folder that contains the catalog file

  7. Check “Subfolders of this location are also trusted”

  8. Click OK

  • Click this button to download a compressed ZIP file containing the database, manual and a spreadsheet for importing data. After downloading the ZIP file, you must extract the files onto your computer.  Generally, you double-click the ZIP file and click "Extract all files" on the toolbar.

    • IMPORTANT: When extracting the files from the ZIP file, it is best to choose a file location that is NOT in Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, or any cloud-synced folder.

  • Open the folder where you extracted the files (not the compressed ZIP file) and double-click Nativity Collection Catalog.accde.

​2) Download and install the Nativity Collection Catalog files​​​​​​​

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​4) Read through the beginning of the Nativity Collection Catalog Manual for instructions and tips.

The manual was written to help you get the most out of your nativity collection catalog.  There are some aspects to think about, and the manual will help you do that.  I recommend that you take a look at the first few sections at least. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I use the Nativity Collection Catalog as a Mac user?

Microsoft does not make a version of Access that runs on Mac. It is possible to run Windows on a Mac, and that could work. Some Mac users have purchased an inexpensive Windows computer to use for their nativity catalog.

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​Can I copy my current nativity list from a spreadsheet into the database?

Yes, Access has a tool for importing data from an Excel or CSV file. The manual has a chapter that gives instructions for this.

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How many nativities can I store in Nativity Collection Catalog?

You can store thousands. The only limitation is the space used for photos, so you should try to limit photos to 3-4 MB or less each.

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Is there any cost to using Nativity Collection Catalog?

No, the catalog is completely free for all users.

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How do I get technical support if I have a problem, question or suggestion?

For support or to send feedback, send email to nativitycollectioncatalog@gmail.com. 

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