The Sims 3 Collecting Guide

The Sims 3 Collecting Guide

Helping you Collect Riches

COLLECTING
Maps	Bugs	Butterflies	Gems	Metals
Nanites	Space Rocks	Transfiguration	World Adventures Maps

Collecting is not your usual type of skill in the Sims 3. You won't gain levels in the skill, but you do have access to many challenges in the skill journal. Sims can make money from this skill without first investing in any objects or joining a career. That's what makes it unique. The developers have created a skill that really makes use of the new open world in the Sims 3. I recommend everyone try a collector at least once.

Players who've purchased the World Adventures expansion will find that it adds many new collectibles to the game. There are new types of insects, ores and gems to be found. There are even new gem cuts to employ. Low quality gems even find a use as a way to transform into special objects using the new display case your Sims can use to store their collectibles. We are making efforts to improve this guide with good locations to find rare collecting items in the travel destinations.

Collecting Traits

Without Supernatural there are no traits specific to collecting. I would recommend the loves the outdoors trait, however, as your Sim can be happier while they're out in the world collecting. It can help push your mood to a level of happiness that keeps the lifetime rewards points rolling upward. Supernatural gives players the Gatherer traid. This gives better results for smelting and cutting gems, and Sims will harvest more produce when Gardening.

Keep in mind in building your character, that if you really want them to be serious as a collector, an easy to achieve lifetime wish is advised. This will help your Sim to get to finish their lifetime wish much faster, helping them to more readily afford the collection helper.

The Collection Helper
The Collection Helper in the Sims 3 does exactly what its name says. Costing 40,000 lifetime happiness points, the collection helper puts an object in your inventory that looks like a butterfly. Clicking it lets you select one of five options: None, Rocks and Gems, Insects, Seeds, and Fish. When one of the four finding options is selected, collectibles of that type will glow and can be seen from afar. Additionally, icons will appear in the map view indicating the location of every item of that type. This item is highly valued as it will lead your Sim to great riches, very very easily.

Getting Started Collecting

Like I said above, you don't have to do anything special to get started collecting. All you need to do is search the town for objects laying around, generally in places near buildings (with some exceptions). Look along roads, behind places like the science facility and within the graveyard to find some types. Locate areas like the stonehenge and mine in Sunset Valley. There are usually loads of collectibles there, many valuable, for Sims willing to depart from the beaten path.

You can see most collectibles from a decent distance away, so scanning a fairly large area isn't too challenging. Check the fields with trees between residential areas, as well. Sometimes the mansions in town can be nice spots to located some collectibles also. Lastly, look in and around the park for insects as there are usually a number of spawn points.

The items that can be collected (the collection helper finds them, but seeds are not exactly collectibles) are metal ores, gems, butterflies, meteorites (space rocks), and beetles. Gems can be sent to a jeweler to be cut, and ores can be sent away to be smelted. Both cost, and aren't always profitable.

It can be easy to get frustrated early on, but your eyes will get better at spotting the movement of insects, and the contrast between a piece of ore on the ground and the grass it's lying on.

Take note of where you find things, as later you will find that in that general area something will reload within a couple days. The respawning of items helps to ensure there is always something in the world for collectors in the Sims 3 to pick up.