How would you design a collection app for complete beginners?

Coin collecting got me thinking about a product design challenge: how do you make a specialized hobby app useful to someone who doesn’t yet know the terminology?

A beginner may have a coin they’re curious about, but not know its country, year, or denomination. Asking them to fill out a detailed catalog entry could make the first step feel like homework.

My instinct is to start with a photo, let them save a basic record, and introduce more detail as they learn. But simplifying too much could also make the app less useful as their collection grows.

For makers building tools for specialized hobbies:

• What should a beginner accomplish in their first session?

• How do you introduce advanced features without overwhelming new users?

• Have you tried an onboarding approach that worked—or failed—for this kind of product?

I’d love to hear concrete examples, including experiences from hobbies beyond coin collecting.