Questions on how to Gather Collectibles

I researched how to catch a cometoise fish and learned that I need to gain scrips by gathering collectibles (in order to buy the bait (magma worm) you need in order to catch the granite crab you use to mooch the cometoise).

I started out in what I thought would be the easiest place to begin farming - the lvl 51 area of Dravanian Forelands.

When I try to gather a collectible item a screen appears with several options I can choose, including Scour, Brazen Prospector, and Meticulous Prospector.

I attempted about five different times to gather a collectible but I apparently run out of time (or something) before I gather anything because I get a message that the item is no longer collectible.

My gathering skill is 407 and my perception is 362. Is the primary reason I am unable to gather any collectibles because one, or both, of these skills is too low? My guess is "yes".

What is the minimum gathering skill and perception required in order to gather collectibles?

Is there something else I must do before I am able to gather them?

Thank you for your help.

You use the skills to increase the items collectability rating.
This reduces the nodes health, just like normal gathering. So if you would normally get 4 swings on a node, you get to use skills four times.
Collecting the item counts as one of those skills. You could, collect 4 times for 4 very low rated items. Generally you'd be using 2-3 skills to increase your items value, then collecting one or two of them.

There's some more advanced stuff but that's the basics.

Also to add, fishing works different. Just fish. Have collectors glove on. The bigger the fish, the better the collectable value.

So, If I hit scour once, brazen prospector once, and meticulous prospector once, even thought the circle is only partially complete, I can click on collect, and I will receive something?

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Originally Posted by qaija

So, If I hit scour once, brazen prospector once, and meticulous prospector once, even thought the circle is only partially complete, I can click on collect, and I will receive something?

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That's right. The circle is just there to visually show you how far away from the maximum possible rating you could have.