2021 year in review: link to goals thread

[michaelstepper]

Hello Everyone,
Been thinking of starting this thread for a couple weeks now as my collecting has slowed considerably. I hope everyone has had a good year in the hobby and look forward to 2022.
I want to see how everyone has come along in their journey.

2021 Collecting Goals

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...

www.freedomcardboard.com

I'll start

.. My 2021 Goals

1) I currently have 45 autos on my sweet spot needs list.
I'd love to get that into the 30's
using the list I based my 2021 goal off of, I have 34 left! Success!!
With the rise in the hobby over the last 12 months I'd say at last 6 are never going to happen.

2) Make a needs list of 2019 leather and lumber baseball skin autos RC and veteran that I need and plug away at that
RC signatures checklist is done!! I believe I have as many of the veterans I can get as nearly half the checklist wasn't even made to my knowledge.
Some examples:




3) pick up more 2020 absolute baseball leather autos as possible. RC and needed vets. About 43-ish
There weren't many veteran sigs I needed from 2020 Absolute but I finished that run, as well as the RC checklist with the exception of outstanding redemptions for a few including Luis Robert
A few examples:




4) Continue on my run of Trout refractors/gold base, refractors and xfractors. bowman, topps and stadium club.
I narrowed my focus on Trout to Gold and a select few others that catch my eye. Here are a few pickups from this last year




5) If things are slow on other fronts I hope to pick up a graded HOF RC or two. I wish big in an Aaron or Mays but would be just as happy with a Banks or Koufax
This came to an absolute halt. No pickups on this front or the foreseeable future

6) Continue on my quest for flawless non-auto Jumbo patches. 2017- current
Picked up a few, then sold the entire group a few months back. It was a great set but a few I was looking for kept getting ransom priced or shill bid and re-listed so I moved on

7) I'm open for surprises and learning of cards I didnt know existed.
I hope to have my credit cards and my house paid off as well. so we'll see how far I get with all of the above.
Ventured back into a few Griffey items, 2021 Absolute baseball skins (nearly complete) and Soto. Though those are few and far between. Credit cards are paid off and house is nearly there. I'd be done but I'm also remodeling as I go so I don't stay focused on the payoff but what I can do next.
Couple cards from the last year:

 

[theplasticman]

Awesome stuff!!!

 

[gt2590]

I did reduce my eBay selling inventory significantly but otherwise basically an 0-FOR. LOL

Well, I did add a bunch of nice sets, including some great parallel sets and some nice low end 8x10 photos.

At least with their logjam loosening up I’ll finally be able to send in a huge COMC order…

 

[WizardofOz1982]

My list at the beginning of 2021

Jeff Frye Goals:

Add one of these. None of them are easy.

1. 1993 Topps Porcelain #197 Hand #’d /1,000 - I'm still not convinced this actually exists.
2. 1997 Red Sox Score Premier #10
3. 1998 Stadium Club First Day Issue #281 SER# /200
4. 1999 Fleer Tradition Starting 9 #404 SER# /9
5. 1999 Boston Red Sox Team Issued Photocards #NNO
6. 2000 Boston Red Sox Team Issued Photocards #NNO
7. 2017 Texas Rangers Team Issued Alumni Alley #NNO

Add 10 signed base cards.
I did okay with Jeff Frye stuff this year since I added about 15 signed base to that run but I'd really like to knock off the cards on the top list more. I could send a copy of all the base I don't have signed by Jeff to him and he'd returned them signed so there isn't much sense of accomplishment there.

Ryan Helsley Goals:

Add five of these. Add 2021 issues if there are any.

1. 2015 Bowman Draft Red #189 SER# /5
2. 2015 Bowman Chrome Draft Black Wave Asia Refractors #189 Print run of ~50
3. 2015 Bowman Chrome Draft Red Refractors #189 SER# /5
4. 2017 Topps Heritage Minors 5×7 #18 SER# /49
5. 2017 Topps Heritage Minors 5×7 Gold #18 SER# /10
6. 2017 Topps Heritage Minors No First Name #18
7. 2018 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autographs Blue Mojo Refractors #CPARH SER# /150 - Discovered this doesn't exist.
8. 2018 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autographs Canary Yellow Shimmer Refractors #CPARH SER# /10
9. 2018 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autographs Orange Refractors #CPARH SER# /25
10. 2018 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autographs Red Refractors #CPARH SER# /5
11. 2019 Bowman Prospects Red #BP121 SER# /5
12. 2019 Topps Update 5×7 #US248 /49
13. 2019 Topps Update 5×7 Gold #US248 /10
14. 2019 Topps Update Memorial Day Camo #US248 SER# /25
15. 2019 Topps Heritage Reverse Stock #717 Print Run of 5

I'm really happy with this one and how much my Helsley collection has grown this year. He didn't have any 2021 issues so all I had to focus on was his previous years' cards and it shows.

Add 3 1/1s.

1. 2015 Bowman Draft Metallic #189 SER# 1/1
2. 2015 Bowman Chrome Draft Superfractors #189 SER# 1/1
3. 2017 Topps Heritage Minors Orange #18 SER# 1/1
4. 2018 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autographs Black Mojo Refractors #CPARH SER# 1/1
5. 2018 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autographs Superfractors #CPARH SER# 1/1
6. 2018 Topps Bowman Holiday Autographs Gold Festive #THRH SER# 1/1
7. 2018 Topps Bowman Holiday Gold Festive #THRH SER# 1/1
8. 2019 Bowman Prospects Platinum #BP121 SER# 1/1
9. 2019 Bowman Chrome Prospects Superfractors #BCP121 SER# 1/1
10. 2019 Topps Update Platinum #US248 SER# 1/1
11. 2019 Topps Update ’84 Topps Autographs Platinum #84ARH SER# 1/1
12. 2019 Topps Update Legacy of Autographs Platinum #LBARH SER# 1/1
13. 2019 Topps Chrome Update Autograph Superfractors #CUARH SER# 1/1
14. 2019 Topps Chrome Update Superfractors #25 SER# 1/1
15. 2019 Topps Gallery Red #126 SER# 1/1
16. 2019 Topps Gallery Red Autographs #126 SER# 1/1
17. 2019 Topps Transcendent VIP Party ’19 Bowman Preview Prospects #BP121 SER# 1/1
18. 2019 Topps On Demand Mini Platinum US248 SER# 1/1
19. 2019 Topps Walmart Holiday Snowflake Gold Metallic #HW115 SER# 1/1
20. 2020 Donruss Retro 1986 Signatures Black 1/1
21. 2020 Prizm Game Ball Graphs #18 Gold Vinyl 1/1
22. 2020 Topps Total Wave Gold 1/1

Super, super stoked with this section of the Helsley collection. The three Supers make me especially happy.

Add 3 Printing Plates.

1. 2015 Bowman Draft Printing Plates Black #189 SER# 1/1
2. 2015 Bowman Draft Printing Plates Cyan #189 SER# 1/1
3. 2015 Bowman Draft Printing Plates Magenta #189 SER# 1/1
4. 2015 Bowman Draft Printing Plates Yellow #189 SER# 1/1
5. 2015 Bowman Chrome Draft Printing Plates Black #189 SER# 1/1
6. 2015 Bowman Chrome Draft Printing Plates Cyan #189 SER# / 1/1
7. 2015 Bowman Chrome Draft Printing Plates Magenta #189 SER# 1/1
8. 2015 Bowman Chrome Draft Printing Plates Yellow #189 SER# 1/1
9. 2018 Bowman Chrome Prospects Autographs #CPA-RH Black 1/1
10. 2018 Bowman Chrome Prospects Autographs #CPA-RH Magenta 1/1
11. 2018 Bowman Chrome Prospects Autographs #CPA-RH Yellow 1/1
12. 2019 Bowman Prospects Printing Plates Black #BP121 SER# 1/1
13. 2019 Bowman Prospects Printing Plates Cyan #BP121 SER# 1/1
14. 2019 Bowman Prospects Printing Plates Magenta #BP121 SER# 1/1
15. 2019 Bowman Prospects Printing Plates Yellow #BP121 SER# 1/1
16. 2019 Bowman Chrome Prospects Printing Plates Black #BCP121 SER# 1/1
17. 2019 Bowman Chrome Prospects Printing Plates Cyan #BCP121 SER# 1/1
18. 2019 Bowman Chrome Prospects Printing Plates Magenta #BCP121 SER# 1/1
19. 2019 Bowman Chrome Prospects Printing Plates Yellow #BCP121 SER# 1/1
20. 2019 Topps Update Printing Plates Black #US248 SER# 1/1
21. 2019 Topps Update Printing Plates Cyan #US248 SER# 1/1
22. 2019 Topps Update Printing Plates Yellow #US248 SER# 1/1
23. 2019 Topps Chrome Update Printing Plates Black #25 SER# 1/1
24. 2019 Topps Chrome Update Printing Plates Cyan #25 SER# 1/1
25. 2019 Topps Chrome Update Printing Plates Magenta #25 SER# 1/1
26. 2019 Topps Chrome Update Printing Plates Yellow #25 SER# 1/1
27. 2019 Topps Gallery Printing Plates Black #126 SER# 1/1
28. 2019 Topps Gallery Printing Plates Cyan #126 SER# 1/1
29. 2019 Topps Gallery Printing Plates Magenta #126 SER# 1/1
30. 2019 Topps Gallery Printing Plates Yellow #126 SER# 1/1

Fell short on this one but it's the only Helsley plate I saw listed all year, and it was just in a last month, so I'm not too bummed about it.

Ginter Goals:

1. Finish three modern year sets.
2. Add 10 of the 1890 N30s.
3. Add 10 of the 1890 N44s.
4. Add 10 of the 1888 N11s

Didn't accomplish any of these other than the N11 set I added mid year and that was done with the starter lot I bought. In fact I've pretty well abandoned my modern Ginter collecting other than buying a Master set every year going forward. I'm still working on the vintage Ginter sets and actually added a couple sets to the list mid year. I'm currently at 29/47 for the 1888 N11s so that's a win.


'90s Insert Set Goals:

Finish fifteen sets.

Final total for the year was 62 insert sets finished so that's a win.

Other Set Goals:
1994 Upper Deck The American Epic
1. BC1 - Mickey Mantle Bonus Card - Only one I need to finish the master set
I just bit the bullet and bought the overpriced Mantle that had been listed on eBay for over a year so I could put this one to bed.

1998 Donruss Significant Signatures Master Set:
1. Add 10 cards

Umm...well. I added a PSA 9 Ozzie Smith Image Variation for my Ozzie PC in March or so. I fell in love with the set when I got it in hand and decided to build it. Then my OCD kicked in. While searching for them I was seeing blue and black ink for more than just Catfish Hunter so I dug into the set a little bit and found out several players signed in both blue and black ink, there are unreleased image variations, damage replacement copies, you name it, and worked out that the complete Master set has 32 known cards in it. I ended up with 27 of the 32 this year so the five I still need will certainly be on 2022's list.

 

[smapdi]

This was it, the year I went completely nuts collecting Heritage. It hasn't turned out the way I hoped, though, due to the production increase and corresponding increase in odds on almost every card. I opened one case of the pair I ordered and got 3 autos, and my case hit was probably a flip stock. Pretty much every numbered card was about twice as hard to hit as last year. Some unnumbered ones like the Action variations were also twice as hard going from 1:27 last year to 1:52 this year, which makes no sense to me. In my case I got one silver refractor /572 but no red, black, or better refractor. Even after adding the red refractor tier, hits were hard to come by. And I think I had 5 or 6 base /999 chromes rather than close to 1 per box as usual. No super-rarities #/25 or less, no big name pulls, no alternates, no nicknames, nothing like that.

Presell prices started around $1K last November, and hit about $1300 by release date. Sadly, the big jump in odds plus a fairly lackluster rookie crop made it pretty much DOA. I probably spent 90+% of my hobby dollars on Heritage cards this year, but I haven't reached the level of completion I expected. The product was pretty much DOA without much of the usual rush of opening that one used to expect. Because of that, there just wasn't the bumper crop of cads to scoop up. Fewer overall on the market, and people were starting them at prices higher than you might have seen a couple years ago. I'm at about half the autograph set, 33% of the black refractor set (the one I've been really wanting to chase for years), and I've barely touched the other chrome tiers besides blue sparkle and purple, which I am about halfway on each. I have not even completed the 24-card Action set. I did complete the Error subset (5 cards), I have about half the Alternates (aka Throwbacks), and all but 2 of the Nicknames (need Polar Bear and El Mago), and I have most of the boxtopper jumbos, 3 of the jumbo autos, most of the Rangers Inaugural autos, and all the other more common insert sets, plus the boxtopper posters, which I love. I knew I wouldn't complete any of the rarer sets this year, going after everything, but I expected to be a bit further than this. Most disappointing is the Alternates. Some of them just never surface. They were 1:17,000+ packs, just huge odds. I have no idea but I wonder if some might be short-printed. I've seen probably 6 Roberts, Gallos, and Tatises for every Lewis, Madrigal, and Carlson.

Now High Number is hitting and it's both reinvigorated me but also daunted me because it's another big block of cards to chase. I hadn't really figured out what to do about this set. I won't go hardcore completist but I will chase it to some degree. However, High Number cases are only $800 now, so that's actually kind of tempting. Oh well, I was planning on this being a 3-year project until 2024 Heritage comes out and I go nuts chasing the 75 set.

But I did complete the Yordan Alvarez rainbow. Now he's got autos in High Number, so the chase continues.

 

[chippernate]

I didn’t post in the original thread but was a goal of mine, grabbed a card I’ve wanted for 15 years

 

[banjar]

Sixty two 90's insert sets completed?

Wow.

'90s Insert Set Goals:

Finish fifteen sets.

Final total for the year was 62 insert sets finished so that's a win.

 

[michaelstepper]

My list at the beginning of 2021

Jeff Frye Goals:

Add one of these. None of them are easy.

1. 1993 Topps Porcelain #197 Hand #’d /1,000 - I'm still not convinced this actually exists.
2. 1997 Red Sox Score Premier #10
3. 1998 Stadium Club First Day Issue #281 SER# /200
4. 1999 Fleer Tradition Starting 9 #404 SER# /9
5. 1999 Boston Red Sox Team Issued Photocards #NNO
6. 2000 Boston Red Sox Team Issued Photocards #NNO
7. 2017 Texas Rangers Team Issued Alumni Alley #NNO

Add 10 signed base cards.
I did okay with Jeff Frye stuff this year since I added about 15 signed base to that run but I'd really like to knock off the cards on the top list more. I could send a copy of all the base I don't have signed by Jeff to him and he'd returned them signed so there isn't much sense of accomplishment there.

Ryan Helsley Goals:

Add five of these. Add 2021 issues if there are any.

1. 2015 Bowman Draft Red #189 SER# /5
2. 2015 Bowman Chrome Draft Black Wave Asia Refractors #189 Print run of ~50
3. 2015 Bowman Chrome Draft Red Refractors #189 SER# /5
4. 2017 Topps Heritage Minors 5×7 #18 SER# /49
5. 2017 Topps Heritage Minors 5×7 Gold #18 SER# /10
6. 2017 Topps Heritage Minors No First Name #18
7. 2018 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autographs Blue Mojo Refractors #CPARH SER# /150 - Discovered this doesn't exist.
8. 2018 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autographs Canary Yellow Shimmer Refractors #CPARH SER# /10
9. 2018 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autographs Orange Refractors #CPARH SER# /25
10. 2018 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autographs Red Refractors #CPARH SER# /5
11. 2019 Bowman Prospects Red #BP121 SER# /5
12. 2019 Topps Update 5×7 #US248 /49
13. 2019 Topps Update 5×7 Gold #US248 /10
14. 2019 Topps Update Memorial Day Camo #US248 SER# /25
15. 2019 Topps Heritage Reverse Stock #717 Print Run of 5

I'm really happy with this one and how much my Helsley collection has grown this year. He didn't have any 2021 issues so all I had to focus on was his previous years' cards and it shows.

Add 3 1/1s.

1. 2015 Bowman Draft Metallic #189 SER# 1/1
2. 2015 Bowman Chrome Draft Superfractors #189 SER# 1/1
3. 2017 Topps Heritage Minors Orange #18 SER# 1/1
4. 2018 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autographs Black Mojo Refractors #CPARH SER# 1/1
5. 2018 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autographs Superfractors #CPARH SER# 1/1
6. 2018 Topps Bowman Holiday Autographs Gold Festive #THRH SER# 1/1
7. 2018 Topps Bowman Holiday Gold Festive #THRH SER# 1/1
8. 2019 Bowman Prospects Platinum #BP121 SER# 1/1
9. 2019 Bowman Chrome Prospects Superfractors #BCP121 SER# 1/1
10. 2019 Topps Update Platinum #US248 SER# 1/1
11. 2019 Topps Update ’84 Topps Autographs Platinum #84ARH SER# 1/1
12. 2019 Topps Update Legacy of Autographs Platinum #LBARH SER# 1/1
13. 2019 Topps Chrome Update Autograph Superfractors #CUARH SER# 1/1
14. 2019 Topps Chrome Update Superfractors #25 SER# 1/1
15. 2019 Topps Gallery Red #126 SER# 1/1
16. 2019 Topps Gallery Red Autographs #126 SER# 1/1
17. 2019 Topps Transcendent VIP Party ’19 Bowman Preview Prospects #BP121 SER# 1/1
18. 2019 Topps On Demand Mini Platinum US248 SER# 1/1
19. 2019 Topps Walmart Holiday Snowflake Gold Metallic #HW115 SER# 1/1
20. 2020 Donruss Retro 1986 Signatures Black 1/1
21. 2020 Prizm Game Ball Graphs #18 Gold Vinyl 1/1
22. 2020 Topps Total Wave Gold 1/1

Super, super stoked with this section of the Helsley collection. The three Supers make me especially happy.

Add 3 Printing Plates.

1. 2015 Bowman Draft Printing Plates Black #189 SER# 1/1
2. 2015 Bowman Draft Printing Plates Cyan #189 SER# 1/1
3. 2015 Bowman Draft Printing Plates Magenta #189 SER# 1/1
4. 2015 Bowman Draft Printing Plates Yellow #189 SER# 1/1
5. 2015 Bowman Chrome Draft Printing Plates Black #189 SER# 1/1
6. 2015 Bowman Chrome Draft Printing Plates Cyan #189 SER# / 1/1
7. 2015 Bowman Chrome Draft Printing Plates Magenta #189 SER# 1/1
8. 2015 Bowman Chrome Draft Printing Plates Yellow #189 SER# 1/1
9. 2018 Bowman Chrome Prospects Autographs #CPA-RH Black 1/1
10. 2018 Bowman Chrome Prospects Autographs #CPA-RH Magenta 1/1
11. 2018 Bowman Chrome Prospects Autographs #CPA-RH Yellow 1/1
12. 2019 Bowman Prospects Printing Plates Black #BP121 SER# 1/1
13. 2019 Bowman Prospects Printing Plates Cyan #BP121 SER# 1/1
14. 2019 Bowman Prospects Printing Plates Magenta #BP121 SER# 1/1
15. 2019 Bowman Prospects Printing Plates Yellow #BP121 SER# 1/1
16. 2019 Bowman Chrome Prospects Printing Plates Black #BCP121 SER# 1/1
17. 2019 Bowman Chrome Prospects Printing Plates Cyan #BCP121 SER# 1/1
18. 2019 Bowman Chrome Prospects Printing Plates Magenta #BCP121 SER# 1/1
19. 2019 Bowman Chrome Prospects Printing Plates Yellow #BCP121 SER# 1/1
20. 2019 Topps Update Printing Plates Black #US248 SER# 1/1
21. 2019 Topps Update Printing Plates Cyan #US248 SER# 1/1
22. 2019 Topps Update Printing Plates Yellow #US248 SER# 1/1
23. 2019 Topps Chrome Update Printing Plates Black #25 SER# 1/1
24. 2019 Topps Chrome Update Printing Plates Cyan #25 SER# 1/1
25. 2019 Topps Chrome Update Printing Plates Magenta #25 SER# 1/1
26. 2019 Topps Chrome Update Printing Plates Yellow #25 SER# 1/1
27. 2019 Topps Gallery Printing Plates Black #126 SER# 1/1
28. 2019 Topps Gallery Printing Plates Cyan #126 SER# 1/1
29. 2019 Topps Gallery Printing Plates Magenta #126 SER# 1/1
30. 2019 Topps Gallery Printing Plates Yellow #126 SER# 1/1

Fell short on this one but it's the only Helsley plate I saw listed all year, and it was just in a last month, so I'm not too bummed about it.

Ginter Goals:

1. Finish three modern year sets.
2. Add 10 of the 1890 N30s.
3. Add 10 of the 1890 N44s.
4. Add 10 of the 1888 N11s

Didn't accomplish any of these other than the N11 set I added mid year and that was done with the starter lot I bought. In fact I've pretty well abandoned my modern Ginter collecting other than buying a Master set every year going forward. I'm still working on the vintage Ginter sets and actually added a couple sets to the list mid year. I'm currently at 29/47 for the 1888 N11s so that's a win.


'90s Insert Set Goals:

Finish fifteen sets.

Final total for the year was 62 insert sets finished so that's a win.

Other Set Goals:
1994 Upper Deck The American Epic
1. BC1 - Mickey Mantle Bonus Card - Only one I need to finish the master set
I just bit the bullet and bought the overpriced Mantle that had been listed on eBay for over a year so I could put this one to bed.

1998 Donruss Significant Signatures Master Set:
1. Add 10 cards

Umm...well. I added a PSA 9 Ozzie Smith Image Variation for my Ozzie PC in March or so. I fell in love with the set when I got it in hand and decided to build it. Then my OCD kicked in. While searching for them I was seeing blue and black ink for more than just Catfish Hunter so I dug into the set a little bit and found out several players signed in both blue and black ink, there are unreleased image variations, damage replacement copies, you name it, and worked out that the complete Master set has 32 known cards in it. I ended up with 27 of the 32 this year so the five I still need will certainly be on 2022's list.

Great progress!

 

[RogerMarisCollector61]

This has been such a great year for my collection its crazy actually. It started off with a bang, with the two best pickups of the year happening in the first 10 days of January. And then I had another huge pickup in March, together these are 3 of my favorite 4 cards. I've got to get around to taking pictures so I can show some of them off.

 

[JVHaste]

I didn’t post in the original thread but was a goal of mine, grabbed a card I’ve wanted for 15 years
View attachment 316163

Congrats! Do you have any of the other Chipper/Braves Crusades?

 

[chippernate]

Congrats! Do you have any of the other Chipper/Braves Crusades?

Nah, that’s the only one. If I come across deals on others I may grab one, but not a priority like that Chipper haha

 

[Dilferules]

Alright 2021 is over so let's see how I did:

- Pick up ONE Trent Dilfer card I don't have from his playing career. This might be the toughest goal on the list...I was able to find a few I needed in 2020 that were produced after he retired, but nothing from his active career other than oddball items and maybe a couple of non serial-numbered replacement cards. I mean picking up something that's actually on my wantlist, or a legit 1/1.

Yup! Found a 2002 Bowman's Best Gold/25:


- Get to 95% complete on my autographed 1988 Topps set. Counting what I have incoming or sitting at COMC, I'm only 18 away from this goal right now so even though I'm getting down to the big stars and rare signers this is very achievable.

Yup! Made it to 96.3% (757 of 786). But now I'm to the point where any advancement is veeerrryyy slooowww.

- Complete the full A's Topps Gold run 2001-2020. I need to catch up on the last 4 years but the major difficulty will be finding the two cards I'm missing between 2001 and 2016, which are evidently short prints.

Nope! I did complete everything up to 2020 except for those same two short-printed cards from the early years of the set.

- Get my 2003-2014 A's Topps Black needs below 20. I think the number is around 50 right now so that's a lot to pick up, but I put a massive dent in my 2003-2010 needs during 2020 so I'm hopeful for this one.

Yup! Down to 16 Topps Blacks needed between 2003 and 2014. I made a lot of progress and actually completed 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2011, and 2016.

- Complete the full run of A's *base* refractors from 1993-2013 Finest, Bowman's Best, Topps Chrome, and Bowman Chrome. This doesn't count embossed/no-protector/inserts/colors, we're talking just the normal refractor parallels of base set (and Bowman Chrome Prospect) cards. I've got the three biggest ones on my current wantlist incoming right now, the biggest hurdle here is 2001 Topps Chrome & Update, which accounts for a full half of my needs.

Nope! Not much progress made on 1998-2001 but I did complete everything 2002-2019. I only picked up one of my seven needs from 2001 Topps Chrome and neither of the two cards I'm looking for that are older than that. I'll keep trying!

- Complete the full run of 2001-2005 Leaf Certified Mirror Red/Blue/Gold A's. This would be the "base" version of each Mirror, not counting the GU and auto versions from 2003-05 but counting the 2002 GU cards because those were the only versions. With some that I have incoming, I'm down to needing just 7 blues and 10 golds. It will be tough to complete but hopefully I can get close at least.

Nope! I only picked up 6 of the 17 I needed. I made some good progress on the GU and auto versions, though.

- Complete the full run of 1996-1999 Circa/Thunder Rave A's. I'm down to 3 cards for the run: 1997 McGwire, 1998 Henderson, and 1999 A.J. Hinch. I was the second bidder on a recent '98 Henderson so at least I seem to be willing to pay the going rate for these. Just a question of them popping up and me getting lucky. As a side note I own zero A's Super Raves.

Nope! Picked up absolutely none of the three I need. I did get 3 Super Raves though.

- Finish several '90s parallel A's team sets I'm within 1-3 cards of completing: 1991 Topps Desert Shield, 1994 Collector's Choice Gold Signature, 1994 Pinnacle Artist's Proofs, 1994 Stadium Club First Day, 1995 Upper Deck Electric Diamond Gold, 1997 and 1998 Donruss Gold and Silver Press Proofs, 1997 Score Showcase Series Artist's Proofs, and 1997 Ultra Platinum Medallion. With some of these it's a question of being willing to pay up for McGwire/Canseco/Henderson, with others it's just impossible to find them.

Of the 11 sets mentioned I completed 6 of them: 1994 Collector's Choice Gold Signature, 1994 Stadium Club First Day, 1997 Donruss Gold Press Proofs, 1997 Donruss Silver Press Proofs, 1997 Score Showcase Series Artist's Proofs, and 1998 Donruss Silver Press Proofs. Not too shabby.

- Cut my T205 & T206 A's needs to 8 cards. I'm at 18 currently with one incoming and one suspected Christmas present. The suspected present is a T206 Home Run Baker so if that's the case the only remaining HOFer I will need is one of the two T205 Eddie Collins variations. If I continue at my 2020 pick-up rate I'll reach this goal, but it's getting tougher to find low grade cards that are appealing to my eye and within the price range I set. I am clearly not counting the T206 Plank in these numbers.

Nope! I got it down to 9 but that's only because I got 3 as Christmas presents...I was pretty bad at picking these up during the year.

- Scan the nicer cards in my collection up through the 2012-2016 A's teams. I'm through 2011 now but I also have a year's worth of pickups to add before I can even start on doing newer years. Tough to get motivated for this because editing the pics is so tedious and time consuming.

Giving myself 75% credit on this one, I spent practically all of my free time for a month scanning and editing and completed all of my most highly collected players from the 2012-2016 era, but still have a ton of stuff to complete. Maybe this year.

 

[theplasticman]

I can't find the 2022 thread. Did I miss it?

 

[michaelstepper]

I can't find the 2022 thread. Did I miss it?

I haven't seen one. Didn't think to start one as it was started by another member last year.

 

[Philip J. Fry]

I’m still working on my goals for this year and it’s already the end of the month (!).

 

[Topnotchsy]

Here were my 2021 goals:

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 luck on this

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

Biggest acquisition of the year was a 1946 Nashua Dodgers Don Newcombe Contract

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 one, and ticket prices have blown up, so it's probably no longer a consideration even if I come across one

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.

The year started with a huge pickup, the vast majority of umpire John Hirschbeck's personal collection of lineup cards. Highlights included Carl Yastrzemski's final career HR, Steve Carlton final career win, Adrian Beltre's 1st career HR, Vladimir Guerrero final career game.

Some other highlights
- 1951 AL All-Star team lineup card signed by Casey Stengel
- 10/7/1944 World Series Game 4 - Only intra-St Louis series. Stan Musial's only playoff HR
- 1969 Mets lineup card signed by Gil Hodges
- 9/28/1988 Dodgers lineup card - Orel Hershiser record scoreless inning streak

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.

Picked up a couple of Yogi Berra autograph lineup cards in the Hirschbeck collection.

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.