Red Dead Online Collector Role Guide (2024)

Frontier Pursuits brought a whole new dimension to Red Dead Online’s gameplay by introducing Roles, a new concept that provides players with a way to engage in roleplay in Red Dead Redemption 2.

Three roles were initially added to the game, Bounty Hunter, Trader and Collector, with additional roles such as Moonshiner included later on.

In this guide, we’ll be focusing on how you can achieve fame and fortune as a Collector.

Becoming a Collector

In order to become a Collector in Red Dead Online you’ll need to meet with Madam Nazar. Madam Nazar can be found with her caravan, the specific location of which moves around the map daily. You can always find the latest location on this page.

Once you’ve found Madam Nazar you can purchase the Collector’s Bag for 15 Gold Bars, which is quite expensive, though worth it in the long run.

Other ways to acquire the Collector’s Bag include becoming a Twitch Prime subscriber and linking your Social Club account with your Twitch account. You used to be able to complete the special playing cards collectible challenge in Grand Theft Auto Online with the same Social Club account and receive the bag for free too – this promotion ended on October 16, 2019 though.

Starting Out

Once you begin your journey as a Collector, don’t gallop off into the Frontier the second you get your hands on a bag. Madam Nazar happens to sell a number of important tools and equipment too, that will make your life a lot easier. The metal detector and the improved field shovel are key, though the standard shovel will do for a while if you are short on cash.

You’ll definitely have to buy one of the shovels, though, as only then will Nazar sell you maps, which are important early on. While treasures can be found without the associated map, you’ll need the guidance when starting out. However, once you’ve memorized the locations you can probably get by without them.

Once you’ve purchased a map – make sure that only one is active at any given time – go to the marked locations. Here, usually by digging, you’ll find a valuable item that you can then sell to Madam Nazar, either individually or as a collection. You should always sell collections, as it makes the whole activity much more worthwhile, while individual sales boil down to a waste of time.

Tips and Hints

Controller vibration is your friend. If you are playing on PC with keyboard and mouse, you’re missing out on this added benefit and might even want to consider investing in a cheap controller you can hook up and play with. When you are near a collectible, the vibration will help you gauge whether you’re getting closer or further away from it.

Collectibles can be duplicated, which might seem annoying at first, but if you think of it in the long run, it will just make completing subsequent collections that much easier. Collections also grant XP bonuses over the individual collectibles.

As mentioned above, the metal detector will be your most trusted ally. Using it will make finding metallic collectibles almost trivial. When the metal detector is equipped, you won’t be able to sense other collectibles and the controller vibration won’t indicate proximity either – for those, you can rely on Eagle Eye. The metal detector is accessible from the weapon wheel.

Various types of items spawn in specific areas, and once you learn these patterns the time needed to find any collectible will greatly decrease. Most metallic relics like ancient arrowheads, old coins and jewelry – which require the usage of the metal detector – will be found under disturbed earth. Collectible items likes Tarot cards and old bottles of liquor are usually in buildings, on shelves or tables. Same is true for heirlooms, though they’re usually hidden in chests or wardrobes.

Eggs and rare plants are tricker to find. Eggs are typically found in nests up on trees, and must be knocked down with weak weapons like a Varmint Rifle. Herbs and collectible herbs aren’t differentiated by Eagle Eye so you might bump into a lot of false positives at a distance. Keep in mind that the elusive Agrarita and Blood flowers only appear between 10 PM and 5 AM.

Collector Items, Earnings and Profit

Persistent collections – that is all collections excluding the dynamic weekly collection – all have fixed sell prices when taken to Madam Nazar or a Post Office as a full set.

All of the collections are worth a pretty penny, but when prioritising for maximum efficiency it isn’t enough just to look at the sell price, as the number of items required to complete a collection greatly impacts the speed with which you can complete it. You only need eight bracelets to complete a set, while you need 14 cards for a tarot deck – and the profit difference is minimal. Additionally, certain tools, like the metal detector, make collecting certain items such as the metallic ones easier than the rest.

Role Ranks, Collector Abilities and Items

As you progress along your path as a Collector and gain Role Ranks, a number of abilities and items will be unlocked that can help you find more valuable treasures. Role Tokens are earned each time you Rank up your Role, at a rate of 2 Tokens per Rank.