2013 Goals

The past two days I did a look back at 2012 – here’s a look forward at 2013 on this blog.  I’m going to put out a list of my 2012 collecting goals.  I think most collectors do some form of “goal-setting”.  Collecting means you’re trying to accumulate something.  Many collectors aren’t specific – but there is usually some kind of guidelines of what you collect – like Retro cards, base Topps, Jalen Rose – or in my case, all of the above.  Some collectors are more specific to what they want – I probably tend to follow a pretty set pattern.  If I don’t define what I want to collect, I’ll think I can get everything and just get frustrated.

Anyways, here’s my “card hopes and dreams” for the upcoming year – based on the collections I discussed in the past two posts:

1) Lifetime Topps Project #1 – Bust boxes for and post 6-7 more sets.  This would put me through 2003 or 2004 by this time next year.  This is far more realistic than what I hoped to do last year.

2) Lifetime Topps Project #2 – Finish up every set that I had started in 2012.  This will require me to finish up the following sets:

• 1992 – only 3 cards left, this should be easy
• 1993 – less than 10 cards to go, also should be easy
• 1994 – about 60 cards left – anybody want to trade!!!!
• 1995 and Traded – about 80 cards left – anybody want to trade!!!!
• 1996 – 1 cards left, should be easy.  Frankly, I wrote this post in mid-December.  Who knows, I may have finished it already by the time I actually post this!
• 1997 – 11 cards left, should also be easy.
• 1998 – 50 cards left – mostly because I got damaged cards in my series 2 box (see a forthcoming post).  This should be doable.

3) Lifetimetopps #3 – make dents into any insert sets that I’ve started.  I’d like to put a number to finish – but this is just too difficult to do.  Some of these older inserts are just hard to find via trade or at a decent price.  I just want to continue to make progress via trades (hopefully) or via Sportlots or COMC (more likely).  Here’s some of the sets still open:

• 1989 Batting Leaders – 8 cards left.
• 1990 Batting Leaders – 5 cards left.  Both of these are tough to find.  If I knock off a couple more cards in 2013 I’ll be very happy.  No way do I finish them, though.
• 1991 All-Star Glossy – 7 cards left.  I’d really like to finish this one.
• 1994 Black Gold 20 cards left.  Another set I’d love to cross off the list.  I don’t want to buy these though unless I find them dirt cheap.
• 1994 Topps Spanish Legends – 2 cards left.  Like Batting Leaders, this obscure set is tough to find.  I’ll probably just purchase these 2 cards at some point.
• 1995 League Leaders – 22 cards left.  This is a large set.  I’d like to finish it this year.  I think it’s doable.
• 1995 Finest Total Bases – 10 cards left.  This would be tough to finish.  These are also hard to come by.  Making a small dent would be fine.
• 1995 Traded and 1996 Power Boosters – 7 and 19 cards left.  I would also be happy just making a dent in these.
• 1996-00 “Reprints” and “Finest” (Mantle, Mays, Clemente, Ryan, Aaron).  Also just want to make dents into these.
• 1996 inserts and on – many cards left.  I’d just like to finish a few sets out of these, and make dents in some of the others!

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4) Jalen Rose – get up to 93% from my wantlist.  This is a small step – I’m at 92% of my “wantlist” currently.  This is harder than you might think.  This would take about 10 new cards in 2013.  I have so many, and frankly, a few of the cards I’m showing as “missing” may not even exist now.  I spent about $100 on the 20 cards I bought last year.  We’ll see what I can find!

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5) Retro Sets #1 – movement toward finishing my personal “master set” (as I define it based on when I see the product) for sets I’ve started:

• 2011 & 2012 Heritage.  Other than the Lifetimetopps project, Heritage is the second set I want to collect each year.  I don’t mind it spilling over into future years.  I would like to finish these up in 2013, though.
• 2012 Gypsy Queen.  Just need a few insert cards for these.  The retail cards are the toughest.  I want to finish this up.
• 2011 & 2012 Goodwin Champions.  I’m really close on both of these.  Hope to finish them this year.
• 2011 Lineage.  I should be able to finish the remaining inserts this year.  Getting all of those would be quite an accomplishment if I do say myself – but I think I can get there.
• 2012 Archives.  This will be tough because of the retail cards.  I’d just like to continue making a dent in this guy!

6) Retro Sets #2 – collect 2012 Gypsy Queen, Heritage and Goodwin Champions.  I’m assuming Upper Deck will release Goodwin again.  I may collect other retro products, but I plan on these three.  I don’t want to put any goals on them – it’s too tough to finish these up in the year of release.

7) Blog Posting – 200+ posts.  I posted over 330 times this year, but this number will go down.  I thought about saying 250, but I’m not sure I’ll get there.  225 would be a good reach goal.

8) Trading – at least 20 trades.  I made over 40 trades this year, and the year before.  We’ll see how this year goes – it’s getting harder to trade as I have less time for cards.

9) Think about a plan of what to do after I finish the Lifetime Topps project.  This is a carry-over from last year.  I have some ideas, and have put them in a list.  I really won’t have to put this into action until 2014.  I like doing my side posts like Saturday Suds, so those are some things I’ve done already toward this plan.

10) Have fun!  Probably the most important!  I enjoy collecting cards and blogging.  I’ll have less time for both next year, but I’d still like to keep it up and keep it fun!