They try to have as many minerals in their collection as they can. Since there are over 3,000 minerals, and each one has variances, they will never reach the goal of having every mineral. No collection in the world is close to complete. A collection method known as specialized collecting is used by many collectors throughout the world. These groups compromise minerals that have some similar characteristics.
Some collectors have thumbnail and micromount collections.
Both are usually stored in small, plastic, clear, covered boxes, and mounted on thin stands . There are several advantages to thumbnail and micromount collecting. The smaller a crystal is, the more perfect its shape. These tiny crystals can have near-perfect crystallization that is beautifully displayed when viewed through a microscope. Micromounts and thumbnails also take up less space and are considerably cheaper than larger specimens.