Collecting

One of the fun activities or hobbies Sims can have is collecting things. The Sims 4 has 13 different collections. They range from frogs to plants and even to aliens. Some things to collect are found by scouring the neighborhoods while others require using objects or even exploring outer space. Once you find a collectible, it is checked off for that collection. You do not need to hold on to the items forever to complete a collection. In fact, many items can be sold or put on display in your home. Some even have emotional auras that you can enable or disable as you wish to provide a moodlet for all Sims in that room. Let’s take a look at each of the different collections and how Sims go about collecting them.

Open your inventory and then click on the Household Collections icon to open up a window showing all of the things your household has collected.

Aliens

Ten different aliens can be collected. The only way to get them is to build a rocketship and explore outer space. As your Sims have adventures in space, they collect rewards and items. Sometimes they get an alien. To get all of the aliens, your Sims will need to make a lot of trips into space.

You need a rocketship to collect aliens.

Aliens

Crystals

Sims can find crystals by digging up rocks. Rocks are scattered all around each neighborhood—usually along the perimeters. If you want to find crystals, then explore and dig up those rocks. Rocks can also contain metals or other objects, so you never know what you will find. When you find a crystal, it appears in your inventory. You can collect 20 different crystals.

Crystals are composed of elements, another item you can collect. You can call the Geo Council to find out what types of elements the crystal is composed of. Then send it to the Geo Council and for §20 they will separate the crystal into its elemental components. Now instead of a crystal, you have a new element for your collection.

Dig up rocks to find crystals.

Crystals

Elements

Elements are a bit different. You can’t dig them up out of the ground. Well, actually you do. However, they are found in the form of crystals and metals. Once you find either of these objects, you can call the Geo Council (one of the interactions when you click on a crystal or metal) and find out what elements make up that object. Then for §20 you can send in the crystal or metal, and in a few days, your elements will arrive in your mailbox. There are 15 different elements.

Select a metal or a crystal, and then send it to the Geo Council. You can do this right from the Inventory window.

Elements

Fish

Not all fishing spots are the same. Fish the common spots first until you develop the Fishing skill more.

You can catch 22 different fish. This collection is directly related to the Fishing skill, discussed in greater detail earlier in this chapter. To catch all of the 22 fish for the collection, your Sims will need to develop their Fishing skill. In addition, some fish can only be caught with bait. While there are lots of fishing spots—almost every neighborhood as more than one—not all spots are equal. Some contain only Common fish. Others have both Uncommon and Common, and finally there are those special spots that contain Rare fish—along with the others as well. The neighborhood maps in the Tour of the Worlds show which spots are the best for catching each type of fish. However, Sims must have enough skill to fish at those special spots or they won’t have any success at all.

Fish

*Price varies depending on the weight of the fish you catch!

Fossils

Fossils are another interesting type of collectible. You do not find fossils by themselves. Instead, when Sims dig up rocks, they sometimes find limestone. Then Sims can extract the fossil from the limestone. Sometimes you only get a broken fossil. However, there are 15 different fossils to find. You can take a sample of the fossil and put it on a microscope slide to analyze it on the microscope. You may get a microscope print by doing this.

Fossils make great decor in a home. Sims can also study them and get a Focused moodlet as a result.

Fossils

Frogs

Find frogs by searching dead logs and some small ponds. With 25 different frogs, this is one of the largest collections. You can also breed frogs—as long as you have at least two. Pick one frog from the inventory and select to breed it. Then a window opens up where you can pick a different type of frog. This breeding process creates a new type of frog. By looking at the different names of frogs, you can see what types of frogs are crossbred.

Find frogs in old logs located around the neighborhoods.

Create new types of frogs by breeding two different frogs you have found.

Frogs

Gardening

Like fishing, the gardening collection is directly related to a skill—in this case Gardening skill. With 31 plants to collect, this is the largest collection of all. To collect the gardening specimens for your collection, you do not have to grow all of the plants yourself. Instead, you just need to find or harvest the plants to add them to the collection. Sims can get some plants just by exploring their neighborhoods and communities. However, others are more difficult to find. Some only come from other planets, so you will need a rocketship to explore space to find them. You can create others by splicing and grafting parts of different plants together to create new plants. Doing this requires a high level of Gardening skill.

Collect gardening collectibles by harvesting them from plants. Sometimes you can even find them while fishing or doing other activities—such as exploring space.

Gardening

Metals

Metals, like crystals, are found directly in the ground by digging up rocks. They can be displayed around the home and add to the environment. Because they contain elements, you can call the Geo Council to find out which elements make up each metal, then pay §20 and send them to the Geo Council to have those elements extracted for you. There are 20 different metals.

Call the Geo Council to get the composition information on the metals you find.

Metals

Microscope Prints

Getting microscope prints is a multiple-step process. First you need to collect a microscope sample onto a slide. You can take samples from any plant or fossil. Once you have the sample, go to a microscope and analyze the sample. As you do this, you have a chance of getting a microscope print. To get all 12 prints, you will need to take samples of lots of different types of plants and fossils.

Sims need to have developed their Gardening skill in order to take microscope samples from plants.

Analyze the sample in the microscope for a chance to get a print.

Microscope Prints

MySims Trophies

All 20 of these little statue-like trophies are buried underground. To find them, start digging up rocks. As you do this, you can find treasure maps. Once you have a treasure map, you can choose to search for treasure when you interact with a rock. The map is used up and your Sim will find a capsule in the ground. In the inventory, you can choose to open the capsule. Inside, you will find one of these trophies.

Search for treasure under rocks to find capsules in the ground.

Open up these capsules to find these trophies.

MySims Trophies

Postcards

Postcards are a cool collectible, but many players have trouble finding them for their collection. The process is not immediately obvious, but easy once you know how. First off, you need to have a computer. While using the computer, from the socialize category, choose Find a Pen Pal. Wait a few hours and then come back to check for pen pal replies. You will then find out where your pen pal lives. Now you have the option under the socialize category to write a letter. You can select the town of the pen pal and send them a letter. After sending a pen pal a couple letters, you can then ask for a postcard from the city where your pen pal lives. There are 15 different cities. Get pen pals in each and ask them to send you postcards for your collection.

Make a pen pal, then after writing some letters to them, ask them to send you a postcard from where they live.

Postcards

Space Prints

Unlike microscope prints, space prints are easy to collect. First off, you need a backyard observatory. These cost §1,500 and require a large corner of your lot. But once you have one, you are ready to go. Just select Observe the Night Sky from the observatory menu and then just sit back and wait. Not only do you develop the Logic skill, after a while of looking as the cosmos, you may end up with a space print—already framed and suitable for display in your home. There are 15 different prints you can collect, so just spend a lot of time looking at the sky to get them all.

Go out into the backyard observatory and make some prints of what you see of space.

Space Prints

Space Rocks

Space rocks are found only in outer space. So to collect them, you need a rocketship. As you are exploring space and going on adventures, you will occasionally find a space rock and bring it back home. You can put them on display or keep them in your inventory. You can also sell them, but they you don’t get a lot for them compared to the effort to get them. There are only four different space rocks to collect.

Go explore space to find some space rocks.

Space rocks make great decor and add a lot to a positive environment for your Sims. Plus they just look cool. Maybe that unnaturally large space rock should go out into the yard. Someone could poke an eye out.

Space Rocks