2021 Collecting Goals

[jszczech]

Basically very similar goals to last year. Hopefully I can actually make progress on number 1 and 6 this year.

1. Add 3 more 2004 Exhibit Puckett cards.
2. Add 3 1/1 Puckett cards.
3. Finish at least 6 Twins Topps team sets.
4. Downsize my overall collection. I have a lot of random stuff that either needs to be sold, traded or tossed out.
5. Clean and Organize my card room/office. I have a lot of stuff that needs to be put on display yet. I started refinishing an old dresser for storage. Once I finish and add some shelving this should get better.
6. Find some very specific cards from my want list. Most of these I never see but one can always hope. List is below.
2001 DONRUSS STUDIO WARNING TRACK OFF THE WALL (#d/25)
2002 DONRUSS CLASSIC STUDIO LEATHER & LUMBER ARTISTS PROOF
2002 TOPPS GOLD LABEL MLB AWARDS CEREMONY RELICS TITANIUM ( ALL STAR MVP) ACR-KP2
2002 UPPERDECK SWEET SPOT CLASSIC GAME USED BAT GOLD (#d/25)
2002 UPPERDECK SWEET SPOT CLASSIC SIGNATURES (PR/74)

Time for an update I suppose.

1. I haven't seen a single one of these I need this year.
2. Complete...I have added 5 this plus I have one on the way. Prices are straight up insane though so they are few and far between.
3. I have added a few cards but haven't completed any sets yet.
4. This has been somewhat accomplished but still a long ways to go.
5. Not even close unfortunately.
6. I have added the 2002 Topps Gold Label which completed the run.

 

[nevermore]

Sorting & Organizing
No progress here...moving this month, will try for latter half of the year once we complete our move. Getting ready for 2022 NSCC in Atlantic City.
- create updated eBay/COMC saved searches for vintage, high #, and SSP needs
- create list of vintage cards requiring upgrades
- research/track prices on higher-end Mantles, Berra, etc
- research grading/vintage condition
- reorganize my albums, purchase UltraPro sleeves for pages
- reorganize my spreadsheets/site and hopefully consolidate to one real-time list

1952-1979 Topps Yankees
On pace, added 10-12 cards so far. Have sold a few autos as well. Goal for second half is to trade more. Higher-end Yankee autos for high-end vintage. Should be more diligent about the Munson, I have put it on the back burner due to crazy prices for graded PSA cards.
- trade/sell some of my Yankee autograph towards vintage needs
- pick up 1970 Munson PSA slabbed rookie
- add 25 cards

1980-now Topps Yankees
Also on pace, added a few SSPs and oddballs this year already.
- focus on crossing off easy oddball needs from last 20 years
- add 25 SP from recent years
- add 2021 base team set

Yankees Topps/Bowman Heritage
Also on pace, added a few SSPs 5-7 so far this year. Haven't pursued the base cards yet, should be an easy pick up later in one swoop.
- add 10 SP/SSP from prior years
- add 2020 & 2021 base team sets

Paul O'Neill
Probably exceeded all of these goals already, doing well here. Added my first 1/1 as well.
- add 10 autograph/GU needs
- add 10 insert/parallel needs
- add 10 Tek needs

Non-baseball
Added two biggies -- Federer & Nadal autographs.
- add 2 high-end autograph/sketch pieces

 

[JoshHamilton]

Only one 2021 goal, and has been the only goal since I got back into collecting 3 years ago: only buy stuff I will display. I have less than zero desire to ever purchase another thing that ends up in a box hidden in a closet.

So far, so good.



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[theplasticman]

Display looks great!

 

[JoshHamilton]

Thanks. Have another baseball one of guys I grew up watching

Realistic goal would be to add one more row to both majors and minors by the end of the year. It’s also a type set so no two cards alike. It’s been slow going thanks to that



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[chris19978]

I already hit my goal so I am slowly picking up cards needed. My 2022 goal is to get to 20 Derek Jeter 1992 to 1998 Beckett listed collection. I am currently at 26 left needed. I do not count 1 of 1’s and 1998 Topps Tek Difractors. If I can pick up a needed card every few months I will be good. Currently I need 1 from 1996, 1 from 1997, and 24 for 1998.


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[dano7]

Just added a fifth for the year, so I will count that toward next year

 

[Jhileman79]

I already hit my goal so I am slowly picking up cards needed. My 2022 goal is to get to 20 Derek Jeter 1992 to 1998 Beckett listed collection. I am currently at 26 left needed. I do not count 1 of 1’s and 1998 Topps Tek Difractors. If I can pick up a needed card every few months I will be good. Currently I need 1 from 1996, 1 from 1997, and 24 for 1998.


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Chris what is left? 96 Mirror gold still alluding you? What do you need for 97/98?

 

[Philip J. Fry]

I’m already working on my goals for next year. I doubt I’ll make a dent in any of my lists but I’m in no hurry.

 

[mrmopar]

Goals are great to have to keep you focused, but I have found that it's too hard to set and follow them in the card collecting world. I buy what catches my eye and I have little control over what comes available for sale. I suppose a goal like sending out X number of TTMs is something that I'd have control over and could be attainable, but saying something like I need 10 new Steve Garvey cards may be impossible to meet.

That said, my lifelong goal has been to slowly organize things so that when I want to find something specific, I can. Space constraints are a big factor in this, not to mention decades of bulk that tends to bury stuff under piles, in the backs of closets, etc. I am going to try to use this winter to get my Steve Garvey collection back in order once and for all. Pick the best copies of things I have multiples of and make it so I can see for sure if I need something more common that I thought I needed (or thought I had all along and didn't). From there, I move into organizing everything else. most of my cards have been sorted A-Z for a long time, I just need to consolidate box after box so that finally all of my Wade Boggs cards for example are together, in one place instead of under B in 36 different A-Z boxes!

 

[theplasticman]

Goals are great to have to keep you focused, but I have found that it's too hard to set and follow them in the card collecting world. I buy what catches my eye and I have little control over what comes available for sale. I suppose a goal like sending out X number of TTMs is something that I'd have control over and could be attainable, but saying something like I need 10 new Steve Garvey cards may be impossible to meet.

That said, my lifelong goal has been to slowly organize things so that when I want to find something specific, I can. Space constraints are a big factor in this, not to mention decades of bulk that tends to bury stuff under piles, in the backs of closets, etc. I am going to try to use this winter to get my Steve Garvey collection back in order once and for all. Pick the best copies of things I have multiples of and make it so I can see for sure if I need something more common that I thought I needed (or thought I had all along and didn't). From there, I move into organizing everything else. most of my cards have been sorted A-Z for a long time, I just need to consolidate box after box so that finally all of my Wade Boggs cards for example are together, in one place instead of under B in 36 different A-Z boxes!

Organization helps me beat the down seasons. I'm auditing my player collections to make sure they're in proper order and that I haven't made mistakes on my wantlists.

 

[Letch77]

It's been a collecting goal for a couple of years, but I'd like to get a nice, graded '68 Topps Jerry Koosman RC.

I'd also like to find a nice graded Ripken RC, but I haven't been searching as hard for that one.

 

[MrMet]

It's been a collecting goal for a couple of years, but I'd like to get a nice, graded '68 Topps Jerry Koosman RC.
.

Grab me one too!


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[Topnotchsy]

Looking back at the year to this point:

Mostly similar to last year's since I've largely continued focusing on the same collections. (Actually pretty much just copied last year's and modified it a bit)

These range from somewhat achievable to highly unlikely (not in any particular order)

1) Jackie Robinson signed baseball from his time in the ***** Leagues. There was a team ball from the team that went to Venezuela in 1945 that sold at Christie's a few year back. Would love to find where that one or similar.

No success on this so

2) Looking to find at least one contract from someone associated with Integration. Something like a Don Newcombe minor league contract.

Actually was able to acquire the exact item mentioned here; Don Newcombe's 1946 Nashua Dodger's Contract. Newcombe was the 3rd black player to sign a contract with a MLB team, and together with Roy Campanella, integrated the Minors within the US (Jackie Robinson and John Wright were playing in Montreal). The most exciting acquisition of the year for me.

3) I collect integration pieces in general and love finding contracts, but there is one other specific item I would love to pick up, and that's a ticket from Jackie Robinson's 1st Minor League game. They are rare and super expensive, though not as expensive as his Debut with the Dodgers so it may be possible.

No luck on this. I have been able to acquire a few tickets and programs from Jackie Robinson's time playing football at Pasadena Junior College and UCLA

4) Continuing to build the collection of lineup cards from significant games and vintage lineup cards. Was able to pick up a few major collections this year along with some incredibly cool individual pieces. If 2021 is half as successful as 2020 in this department it will be a great year.

I haven't been able to acquire any large collections to this point this year, but have acquired some really cool individual pieces

• Dodgers 9/28/1988 - Orel Hershiser record-setting game (most consecutive shutout innings)
• Chipper Jones 1st career HR
• Oct 7, 1944 Cardinals and Browns WS lineup cards - Stan Musial only career WS Homerun
• Clinching game of 1981 World Series
• Ripken 3000th hit

5) Looking for at least one lineup card from a HOF manager that I don't already have. This past year I was able to find Joe Cronin. Still don't have Yogi Berra, along with some others that have been much harder to find than I might have expected.

No real success on this

6) Would love to pick up some more barnstorming programs and other barnstorming related items. Barnstorming games were maybe the first place that fans could see African American players playing against MLB players. So many big names toured including Ruth and Gehrig in their time, Jackie Robinson, Musial and so many others. Incredible and fascinating history tied to the tours.

Was able to acquire a Paige/Feller barnstorming tour from 1945 along with a 1946 Paige/Feller Barnstorming tour from the end of the tour in a game that Jackie Robinson actually played and is listed in the lineup.

An area of my collection that I forgot to mention my earlier post are WWII-related items. I've just been able to acquire some really cool pieces for that collection including some items belonging to an MLB player who played in the military. Hoping to share soon when they arrive

 

[banjar]

So what are those 47 sets of 90's inserts that you've assembled?

'90s Insert Set Goals:

Finish fifteen sets.

- I've done this one and more. I was at 47 finished sets at last count so far this year. I've probably added 100 sets to my wishlist too though lol.

 

[banjar]

Damn. Nice work.

Looking back at the year to this point:


No success on this so


Actually was able to acquire the exact item mentioned here; Don Newcombe's 1946 Nashua Dodger's Contract. Newcombe was the 3rd black player to sign a contract with a MLB team, and together with Roy Campanella, integrated the Minors within the US (Jackie Robinson and John Wright were playing in Montreal). The most exciting acquisition of the year for me.


No luck on this. I have been able to acquire a few tickets and programs from Jackie Robinson's time playing football at Pasadena Junior College and UCLA


I haven't been able to acquire any large collections to this point this year, but have acquired some really cool individual pieces

• Dodgers 9/28/1988 - Orel Hershiser record-setting game (most consecutive shutout innings)
• Chipper Jones 1st career HR
• Oct 7, 1944 Cardinals and Browns WS lineup cards - Stan Musial only career WS Homerun
• Clinching game of 1981 World Series
• Ripken 3000th hit

No real success on this


Was able to acquire a Paige/Feller barnstorming tour from 1945 along with a 1946 Paige/Feller Barnstorming tour from the end of the tour in a game that Jackie Robinson actually played and is listed in the lineup.

An area of my collection that I forgot to mention my earlier post are WWII-related items. I've just been able to acquire some really cool pieces for that collection including some items belonging to an MLB player who played in the military. Hoping to share soon when they arrive

 

[WizardofOz1982]

So what are those 47 sets of 90's inserts that you've assembled?

Whole bunch of Ultra stuff, a 1995 Zenith Z-Team, 1997 Ultra Hitting Machines, and a bunch of others.

I also added the 1998 Donruss Signature Significant Signatures set to my list and I'm 9 cards away from finishing a master run of it.

 

[banjar]

Well here we are at 9/22/21. Happy fall equinox to everyone.

Looking back at my goals for 2021, here's where I stand...

A new year is just around the corner, hopefully bringing better days with it. So, optimistically speaking, what are you hoping to accomplish over the next year in your collections? Here's my list.

For my Alomar PC:

1) Reduce new card purchases even further. At current count there are 537 unique issues from 2020, which as I've said before is just asinine. I've only bought 55 of them, but that still adds up to several hundred dollars that I shoulda coulda used to buy higher priced stuff from his playing career.

Done! Currently, my checklist shows 260 new unique releases for 2021, and I own exactly 13 of them. That's 5.0% for those of you scoring at home. And I'm proud of it. I'm just buying a few really cool new cards that strike a chord with me. And to hell with the rest of them.

As a side note, I suppose things are different this year since the homes got banned from MLB for life. Until that news dropped a few months ago, he had something like 200 new unique card issues for 2021. Since then, just a few dozen. And I suspect those were already in the pipeline.

For comparison, my final count for 2020 was 615 unique new cards, and I have 70 of them, which is ridiculous. So I'm really glad those numbers are reduced significantly for 2021.

2) Land another 90's white whale. There's roughly 10 or so I'm missing, so one of them has to pop up this year, right? One that's not in the hands of our favorite hostage holders, that is.

This one is a maybe. I got a few fairly rare 90's inserts that I'm stoked about. But not one of the usual White Whale suspects. Those cards are still orbiting out there, and I will have them eventually.

3) Find other collectors to trade with. This is a lot harder than it sounds. Maybe once I finish scanning my collection, and get a website up, that will help.

Hah. Yeah right. Finding other Alomar collectors is like pulling teeth. I did connect with a fellow named Derek from the Great White North this year, and we did a nice trade. But otherwise it's like crossing the Gobi on foot. It's been done, but it's hard.

3a) Finish scanning my collection

I did make progress on this one. I finished scanning all the Playoff cards tonight, which took me up to 2222 cards scanned. Only 2399 left to go. Given that I started this project in May 2020, I guess I'll be done sometime in summer 2023.

But I'll say this. It's really awesome to be able to pull up high res scans of your collection on your computer. Its the next best thing to thumbing through them in person. And sometimes even better. Scans often bring out some really nice colors, textures, and details that you don't see in person.

Also you can flip back and forth between images to see the differences between parallels, and who doesn't love doing that? Maybe it's just obsessive nerds like me, but still. I really like my burgeoning digital collection.

Other goal:

4) Continue to add to my "Denver sports heroes" auto card collection. I started this little collection this year, and it features guys like Fat Lever, Steve Watson, Alex English, Dante Bichette. Guys I really enjoyed watching over the past few decades.

Yes! I have added a few here. Andres Galarraga, Dan Issel, Bryant Stith, and my homie Seth Smith to name a few. I love this little collection.

 

[Topnotchsy]

Damn. Nice work.

Thanks! The contract was a piece I've been searching for, for years, so that was super exciting.

With the lineup cards, it's always a crapshoot as far as what will become available. I definitely overpaid on some, but also found some really nice deals on others.