Donating items to the museum plays a critical role in advancing your progress in Stardew Valley, but it also comes with a nice perk—players can earn a variety of rewards for the items they contribute. Donations are sorted into three main categories: Minerals, Artifacts, and Scrolls. If an item can be donated, you’ll notice a special message indicating that "Gunther can tell you more about this if you donate it to the museum."
However, it’s important to remember that not every item should be donated right away. Some items, like your first Prismatic Shard, a Dinosaur Egg, or a Diamond, have significant value and may be better kept. As you play, keep track of your donation progress. When you’re sure you won’t need certain items, go ahead and donate them. The rewards can vary; while not all of them are essential to gameplay, several are necessary for progressing in Stardew Valley.
Rewards Based on Total Item Donations
Total Number of Items to Donate
First off, you’ll earn specific rewards based purely on how many items you donate, irrespective of what they are. There are 95 items in total eligible for donation, and you typically receive a reward for every five until you reach 40 items, at which point the rewards start coming every ten donations. Below is a breakdown of the rewards based on how many items you have donated.
Keep in mind, you’ll achieve two milestones based on the total number of donations: you will unlock the "Treasure Trove" achievement after donating 40 items and "A Complete Collection" once you hit 95 items, completing the museum.
The Rusty Key is a notable exception: unlike other rewards, you can’t pick it up from the museum yourself. Instead, Gunther will deliver it directly to you the next day after you reach 60 donations, allowing you access to the Sewers and the chance to meet Krobus.
Rewards for Minerals
Let’s move on to Minerals. The rewards for donating Minerals function similarly to total item count rewards. You’ll receive specific items based on the number of minerals you donate, but there are no additional bonuses for specific mineral types. Rewards show up after every ten donations. Here’s how the rewards are structured:
Most rewards are decorative items, except for the last one you receive: the Crystalarium. This item is particularly useful as it allows you to endlessly replicate mined minerals. You can use it to produce Quartz for crafting Quality Sprinklers or Diamonds for profit.
Don’t forget that donated Minerals also count toward your total item count for rewards, as stated earlier. Interestingly, you don’t need to donate all 53 types of minerals to unlock the Crystalarium—donating 50 is sufficient. However, if you wish to obtain the Stardrop, you must find all 53 minerals.
Rewards for Artifacts
Artifacts are a bit different. You typically won’t receive rewards just for donating a specific quantity, but certain artifacts do yield unique rewards. Although there are exceptions where item counts contribute to rewards, many artifacts are given based solely on the quantity you’ve donated.
This means that rewards for artifacts can seem irregular. The specific artifacts you come across are randomly determined by your actions, exploration, and luck. It’s possible to go through an entire in-game year without receiving any artifact rewards, only to discover several on the same day.
Despite the randomness, most artifact rewards aren’t essential. The only crucial one for your progress and profit in Stardew Valley is the Ancient Seed, which you can obtain with just one donation.
Understanding Dwarvish
When it comes to Lost Books and Dwarf Scrolls, these are different from other donations because the museum does not directly reward you for collecting them. Instead, filling out the library leads to the invaluable knowledge contained within these books. Each Lost Book delivers insights—either tips about lesser-known game mechanics or hints towards secrets. While you won’t get physical rewards, the information is often quite beneficial.
However, do ensure you collect all four Dwarf Scrolls to unlock the Dwarvish Translation Guide, which allows you to understand Dwarvish. This enhances your interactions with Dwarves, enabling you to purchase items and create friendships in the Mines and Volcano Dungeon. It also grants you the ability to read a gravestone near the Mayor’s Manor, which provides hints about obtaining the Galaxy Sword.
And there you have it! You’re now equipped with the necessary information to start donating items enthusiastically. Just remember to double-check your inventory beforehand to avoid accidentally giving away something valuable, like a Prismatic Shard or a Dinosaur Egg!
