Let's See How I Did

So this is it. Happy New Year (and decade) everyone, and greetings from 2020.

In just over a month, we'll have our first Baseball card release of the decade and, to say the least, there's a lot to look forward to in regards to 2020 Topps Series 1.

Cardboard Connection has detailed the release which includes a retail-exclusive Turkey Red revival, inserts that pay tribute to the past decades of Baseball history, the reprinting of the 1985 Topps design, and, above all, 25 Celebration of the Decades tickets randomly inserted into packs, promising an unprecedented experience.

It's almost as if Topps knew that the 2020 design is the worst we've seen since 2016, so they have to compensate with a whole bunch of other stuff.

I still have a few posts to get to acknowledging the end of the year/beginning of a new year. I have to set card collecting goals for 2020, get to the 2nd part of Sunday's card show recap, and, possibly, get to that year/decade recap that I've hinted at creating.

However, before I can select some new card collecting goals to go after in 2020, I have to check in with the 7 that I created and, somewhat, accomplished for 2019.

If nothing else, analyzing how I fared with last year's goals will teach me what I need to change this time around. I'll do my best to build off what worked and changed what didn't so that, 1 year from now, I can say that I accomplished virtually all of what I set out to do.

#1 Make significant progress with 1976 and 1979 Topps
Accomplished? Yes

Though my progress kind of plateaued following my trip to the 2019 National, I definitely made progress when it came to 1976 and 1979 Topps, a duo of sets that I've been trying to complete for a couple of years.

Set building, however, isn't my #1 priority in card collecting, so I'm glad I didn't tell myself to "complete '76 and '79 Topps" when I created these goals last year. A lucky day at the card show followed by a COMC purchase is all I really need to complete both of these sets in 2020.

I have 38 cards left on my want list from the '76 set whereas I'm 48 away from completing '79. Those 86 total cards can be found in several places, though I'll likely stick solely to online due to how scarce they can be at the show.

#2 Complete any year of Topps Heritage (2016-2019)
Accomplished? No

I definitely spread myself a little too thin when it came to goal #2. Not only did my interest in Topps Heritage die down slightly in 2019, but it's not like past Heritage SPs and inserts are on my radar every time I purchase Baseball cards.

If I had instructed myself to complete a non-Flagship set from the 2010s, that would've been much more feasible as 2018 Archives and Chrome are both worthy options. But the price point of Heritage SPs is too high, and the product simply doesn't interest me as much as it used to.

#3 Continue to focus on player collections
Accomplished? Yes

I should stop listing this as a card collecting goal because I focus on player collections in almost every single Baseball card purchase that I make. They're the foundation of my entire card collection, and I've taken huge steps not only to add to them but better organize them as well.

The filtering of duplicate cards out of my player collections was a massive undertaking that I just completed yesterday. Now, I have 2 2-row boxes of PC dupes plus another stack that didn't fit in the box. Throughout 2019, moreover, I also boosted every player collection, from Glenn Beckert to Nolan Ryan.

Speaking of Nolan Ryan...

#4 Obtain 500 Nolan Ryan cards
Accomplished? No

Yikes, I'm 2/4 for accomplishing my goals thus far, but in my defense, the Ryan PC lost roughly 70 cards thanks to the removal of all duplicate cards which, back in January of 2019, I counted as part of the player collection.

If not for this transformation, I'd be at around 490 cards right now instead of 415, so it's not that the objective wasn't possible, I just didn't envision removing 15% of the entire player collection.

Ryan still reigns supreme as my largest player collection, and I see no way that this will change in 2020. Perhaps this will be the year that I bring the total to 500 cards, but we'll have to wait a few days to see if I challenge myself with that goal.

#5 Sell and trade more cards than I did in 2018
Accomplished? Kind of

I sold a lot on eBay during the first few months of 2019, but then the sales gradually decreased. That, combined with the new online sales tax, has made selling a lot more challenging, though I do make some sort of sale every so often.

I didn't trade as much as I wanted to in 2019, but it wasn't nonexistent. I did Secret Santa and sent out a few cards/packages here and there. Goal #5 wasn't a definite "yes," but I also can't ignore the parts of it that I actually did well at.

#6 Collect more oddballs
Accomplished? Yes

The National definitely played a key role in my accomplishing the #6 card collecting goal for 2019.

Whether we're talking about Fleer Ted Williams cards, Fleer World Series cartoons, or even the Milwaukee Brewers combining with the city police department in the early 1980s (yes that actually happened), collect more oddballs receives a resounding yes.

#7 Collect only what I'm interested in and have fun doing it
Accomplished? Mostly yes

I don't think I'll ever be able to master collecting only a small range of products as I like to explore and sample sets as long as the price point is reasonable. At times, I went a little overboard in my purchases, but I never picked more of the product off the shelf unless I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Topps Allen & Ginter, Panini Chronicles, Bowman's Best, and Topps Archives all fit the bill for this one. These were some of my favorite releases of the year, so I purchased more than just a sample rack pack or blaster.

On the other hand, sets like Series 2, Bowman, and Donruss didn't receive quite as much love.

Overall, I'd say I did pretty well with my card collecting goals for 2019. There were only 2 that I flat out did not accomplish, but that's due, in large part, to my making one of them completely unreasonable

I'm excited about all the new releases that'll come our way in 2020 as well as the more feasible goals that I'll create for myself and, ideally, see through to the end.

Generous '79 and '83 Topps Mailday(s)

The past month or so has been a significant departure from my traditional means of collecting Baseball cards. As you've seen from my Baseball card show recap posts and 2019 Panini Prizm hobby box break, I've deviated away from how I typically collect cards.

As a result, my want list and the various sets that I'm collecting have been put on the back burner as of late. I still want, obviously, to build and eventually complete these sets, but my primary focus isn't always going to be the products on my want list.

I absolutely see myself as an all over the place Baseball card collector; I don't just stick to 1 player, team, or set at a time. At any given time, I'm focused on a few different aspects of my collection, and they usually change after a few weeks to a month.

I try not to leave any projects unfinished, and I enjoy how and what I collect. Although my, at times, disorganized methods of collecting Baseball cards can have repercussions, I wouldn't change it for anything.

Plus, being a part of the card blogging community has allowed me to continuously take cards off my want list, even if I'm not necessarily focusing on those sets at a particular time. 

I hadn't completed a trade with a fellow blogger in a bit, but that changed when Swing and a Pop Up reached out to me a little while back. A little over a week ago, he sent me a reasonable number of 1979 Topps needs which brought the total number of cards needed to complete that set down to just 42.

However, before I could even write my post about our trade, he graciously sent another package my way, filled to the brink with a huge pile of cards for my 1983 Topps set.

When I first began collecting the 726-card set that is 1979 Topps, I barely had 125 cards from this product. Nonetheless, my appreciation for the set design and 70s cards as a whole motivated me to continue building this set. 

Now, a couple of years and a surplus of trades later, I'm only 42 cards away from completing this wonderful set. Most of the '79 cards in my possession are thanks to bloggers, viewers, and Twitter users with whom I have traded with. 

Due to how rarely I spot '79 Topps base cards at the show, I've relied heavily on the people listed above in order to complete this set. Without them, I'd still be hovering around the 125 card mark, and that's not much of an exaggeration. 

Another reason why I've been able to make such rapid progress in terms of completing this set is that there aren't many highly sought after cards in the checklist. If I remember correctly, Topps stopped producing their Flagship sets in multiple series starting 1974. 

While a set like 1975 Topps still has some very valuable cards, the Flagship sets towards the end of the 1970s don't have many expensive cards within the checklists. Unlike other vintage sets that I've completed, like 1972 Topps, '79 has been a rather inexpensive project.

A large portion of the cards in the checklist resemble the 4 showcased above; virtually every one of them is extremely colorful, and there are a ton of semi-stars in the checklist, like Juan Beniquez and Rich Reuschel. 

I have a few different Topps Flagship sets in mind to start collecting as soon as I finish the '79 set. '67, '70, and '74 are all distinct possibilities, but I'm leaning more towards the 1974 Topps Flagship set due primarily to the fact that I already have a reasonable number of cards from that year.

I'd like to complete this set before I head to The National at the end of July so that, upon arriving in Chicago, I can devote my attention solely to '61 and '76 along with the next potential Topps set that I choose to collect.

As I mentioned earlier, I was shocked when a package of 1983 Topps cards arrived on my doorstep yesterday. I wasn't expecting to receive such a humongous stack of cards in the mail, for we never negotiated the 2nd trade for this surplus of set needs.

I'm not complaining though; in fact, I'm beyond grateful for this surprise package. I haven't yet adjusted the want list, but I estimate that I'm around 150 cards closer to completing the set. 

There are a few big name rookies (Boggs and Sandberg) whose cards I need in order to complete this set. However, besides the RCs for those 2 Hall of Famers, 1983 Topps is similar to 1979 with respect to how there aren't many highly desired cards in the checklist.

Before I officially started collecting the 1983 Topps set, I bought a generous lot of cards from this product at the card show, not knowing that this purchase would turn into a project of mine. The lot didn't contain a ton of HOF players, so I've been forced to track these cards down myself.

Thankfully, the trade package that came in yesterday's mail contained a wide variety of HOF players, including Bruce Sutter on the Cardinals and Dennis Eckersley on the Red Sox.

As I mentioned earlier, I haven't adjusted the want list following the surplus of 1983 Topps cards that I received. However, I figure that I've made significant progress with this stellar product. I haven't been collecting this set for that long either, but I foresee myself completing it by the end of the year if everything goes as planned.

The main issue when it comes to completing 1983 Topps is not the price of the cards. Instead, it's how uncommon they are at shows, for dealers don't typically sell individual cards from this set at their tables.

Thus, I'm going to need to rely on trades to finish up this set, so if anyone has any cards from this set that appear on my want list, no matter how many cards you have, don't hesitate to reach out.

Completing My Largest Trade Ever

If Baseball card blogging has taught me one thing, it's incredibly easier to complete sets of cards or simply add to one's collection when I receive help from fellow bloggers and viewers alike. Not only does it drastically speed up the process, but I'm also able to interact and send cards to other collectors at the same time.

To put this into perspective, there's a reasonable chance that I'd still be working to complete both 1972 and 1975 Topps if not for the help I've received from other collectors to finish those vintage sets. It's unlikely that I would've ever met a majority of these trade partners if not for the blog.

Recently, I've been completing more trades than usual, both with bloggers/viewers as well as Twitter users. Over the last month or so, I've traded with numerous collectors who have helped remove countless Baseball cards from my want list. 

Like I previously mentioned, some of these trades have been completed on Twitter where collectors have been extraordinarily generous, sending me packages full of singles from '76 and '79 Topps respectively.

However, as the title of this post suggests, my most recent trade is a pretty significant one. That's because the box of cards that arrived in the mail earlier this week is the largest trade package I've ever received. 

With over 400 cards included in this box, this will go down as the biggest trade I've ever completed unless I've totally blanked on another trade that I've taken part in. The cards, on the other hand, span 5 different decades, beginning in 1976 and continuing up through 2018.

In return, I sent this collector a slew of vintage cards, dating back as far as 1961. That lot featured doubles from the (somewhat) recently-completed 1972 and 1975 Topps sets, but also other vintage Flagship designs like '66 and '71.

Even if you take into account what I traded in return for this box of cards, the sheer number of cards that were sent my way indicates how generous the members of this hobby truly are. 

I've yet to have a negative experience while completing a Baseball card trade in my life, and this awesome haul is certainly no exception. It's pretty evident that I would never receive such an elaborate package of cards without branching out to other collectors through the blog.

The most significant part of this trade centered around 1 set in particular; 1979 Topps. Thanks to the abundance of trades and Baseball card show pickups over the last few weeks, I've made significant strides towards completing this 726-card set. However, none of these acquisitions have been quite as notable as this one.

Roughly 1/2 of the cards in this incredible box are from the 1979 Topps set, an extraordinary step in the right direction towards completing this product. Although a few of the cards were doubles due to my initiating 2 trades at once, the majority of these cards are needed to complete this 70s Flagship product.

Because of when the set was released, it's a lot easier to track down star players in 1979 Topps than it is for other sets, even '76 which is only 3 years older. Aided by the fact that Topps was no longer producing their sets in series, '79 marked the last year of the iconic 1970s decade. As far as 70s cards go, the cards from the end of the decade entail fairly little value.

The All-Star cards of the past, primarily the 1970s, are far more interesting than the All-Star Game cards featured in Topps Update every year. In the case of 1979 Topps, the cards feature an extra banner that matches the color of the team name banner. 

After Topps transitioned away from The Sporting News All-Star cards, we began to see simple yet creative additions to the cards to signify that the player is an All-Star. Out of all the years that Topps did this for, the actual stars in 1976 Topps remain my favorites.

Another staple throughout most 1970s sets were the record breaker cards, commemorating various milestones from the previous year. Eventual Hall of Famers like Hank Aaron and Bob Gibson received their own record breaker cards in the 70s, but so did lesser-known talents like John Stearns and Sammy Stewart, both of whom set records in 1978.

Currently, I've eclipsed the 2/3 mark of the '79 Topps set through this recently-completed mega-trade. Additionally, I have a couple other trades that I'll be putting in-place this weekend as well. Thanks to the generosity of various collectors, what once seemed impossible now appears rather achievable, and I could surprise even myself and complete the '79 Topps set this year.

In what's become almost expected when it comes to trade packages, this recent box featured a stack of 1976 Topps cards as well. Like the '79s, the cards were mostly commons, all of which are needed en route towards completing this underrated Flagship set.

A few comparisons can certainly be drawn between the 2 70s Topps sets, but I must say that I'm slightly more fond of 1976 Topps because of how colorful the cards are. Not only is there a unique color combination at the bottom of each card, but unique uniforms appear far more often in '76 than the 1979 set.

Even though the traditional Sporting News All-Star cards were no more by the time 1976 Topps was released, the 2 companies still managed a small subset in 1976 Topps, featuring all-time All-Stars instead of current players. 

The checklist is fairly minimal, for the subset is reserved solely for the greatest players to ever play the game up until '76. In addition to the few cards that I had beforehand, I can now add Rogers Hornsby and Honus Wagner to this set.

As fabulous as these 2 Topps sets are, I've seen a slew of these cards over the last few weeks. Thankfully, this Twitter user took an in-depth look at my want list and ended up finding cards from all sorts of products that were listed.

Among the 400 or so cards that I received in the mail, a small stack of around 10 cards was from the 2005 Bowman Heritage set. It can be nearly impossible to find base cards from the 2000s when I head off to the Baseball card show, forcing me to rely on trades and getting lucky at the show to complete these kinds of sets.

The same thing could definitely be said about the 2006 Topps Heritage set. Apart from 1 or 2 times a year in which I stumble upon a small stack of these cards in the dime boxes, I'm forced to rely on trades or the internet to complete these base sets. Thanks to this major trade, I was able to add roughly 15-20 more cards to this set.

While I'm making my way through the 2000s, I should definitely address another major part of this trade; the 2008 Topps Heritage cards that were included in this box as well. A fairly large stack of cards from this Heritage set was featured as another element of this fabulous trade. 

I've had similar luck with completing this set as I've had for other 2000s sets, and I've never received this many cards from this product all at once. Commemorating the 1959 Topps design, this product successfully replicates one of the better Topps sets of the 1950s.

When sorting through the cards in this stack, it was pretty surreal to see so many veterans' photos from 11 years ago, including Joe Mauer who has since retired. Apart from Adam Jones, all of these stars have remained with their respective teams since 2008. Jones, on the other hand, spent many years in Baltimore before recently signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks on a 1-year deal.

The sheer simplicity and color featured on the original 1959 Topps combo cards is a major reason as to why they've been replicated not once, but twice by Topps. The first time was in 2008 Topps Heritage, shown above, while the others were included as SPs in the 2018 Topps Archives set.

As I was addressing The Sporting News earlier, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out the fact that for over a decade, including the 2008 Topps Heritage cards above, the All-Star cards were titled "The Topps News" instead.

Flashing forward an entire decade, the 1959 Topps combo cards were replicated once again, this time as SPs in last year's Topps Archives set. With a base set that featured the 1959, 1977, and 1981 Topps Flagship sets, it was one of the greatest Topps Archives sets that we've ever seen thanks to the extensive variety.

Not only was it surprising to find short prints in this trade package, but I was pleasantly surprised at this collector's willingness to part with a Miguel Andujar rookie card so that I can, hopefully, complete the 2018 Topps Archives set.

Seriously though, from the Clemens base card to the Bob Gibson SP, these Archives cards are awesome.

But perhaps the most generous card included in this entire insane trade package was an original 1959 Fleer Ted Williams card. That's right, a 60-year old card was kindly included in this spectacular box of want list needs, helping me on my journey towards completing this set as well.

This card is pretty awesome and is definitely the highlight of the entire box, but what I'm more impressed with is the incredible selection of different cards showcased in this trade package. This box highlighted the fact that I'm in the process of collecting a surplus of Baseball card products, but that doesn't mean I can't complete them.

All that means is I have to complete more trades with bloggers, viewers, and Twitter users, and after this trade, I'll have even more motivation to complete a trade from now on.

Thank You, Twitter

I realize it's not a terrific mindset to have, but I started collecting 1979 Topps, with the idea in the back of my head that I wouldn't finish the 726-card set. 

Never before had I ever started collecting a set with this idea in mind, but the notion still genuinely made sense. Even to this day, I rarely see 1979 Topps at the Baseball card show and on the occasions which I do see singles from the set, they're grouped in with a bunch of other cards. 

I've never seen a vendor with a marked section devoted to this product, likely due to how it doesn't quite fit in with either the 70s or the 80s of Baseball card collecting. Card shows don't typically have cards from '79 Topps, and it can get too complicated to find them all for the right price on either Sportlots or COMC.

Therefore, I spent a couple of years collecting singles from this set as best I could, and I ended up making it to around the 40% mark before receiving a ton of help from other bloggers and collectors. 

I certainly have Mark Hoyle, Night Owl, and many Twitter users to thank for my recent surge in collecting the 1979 Topps set. Recently, I was able to complete yet another Twitter trade to add 50 new cards en route towards completing the 1979 Topps set.

As expected, there was plenty of color with this new stack of 1979 Topps singles, from the memorable rainbow Astros jerseys to the red banner featured on every Oakland A's card. The combination of red banners with almost-always green uniforms is an unorthodox one, but the color combo does work well with the theme of the set.

I'm not familiar with a ton of the names from a set like '79 Topps, but I easily recognize all the different jerseys present. Even when considering the era in which this set was produced, I don't know of a Topps set that features this many colorful uniforms.

Like I said, the sheer number of cards in this set with "non-traditional" jerseys must be pretty insane which makes for an incredibly interesting product.  There's no shortage of different bright and bold uniforms, but my favorite is most definitely the all-gold Pittsburgh Pirates.

One of the many criteria that I think about when choosing to collect a set is roughly what the finished product will look like. This is a significant factor in determining whether I'll collect a set or not. The idea of having the 1979 Topps set completed and in 9-pocket sheets inspired me to take initiative and begin collecting this product, in the first place. 

Even though the cards aren't super easy to come by, I'm always keeping the finished product in mind when going about my means of filling in gaps in the set.

As is the case for most sets from the 70s or before, a few of the cards I acquired for my 1979 Topps set have some slight creases or marks on them. The condition of a Baseball card has never been a huge deal for me, so I'm going to let these cards slide until the set is 100% completed.

However, if the condition becomes more significant to me later on once the set is finished, I can always go back and upgrade a few of the cards with versions that are in better shape and have fewer flaws.

This trade was completed with a fellow collector on Twitter who noted to me that the PC's White Sox and Mets cards. Thus, in return for the generous haul of '79 singles, I sent a few autographs and relic cards his way, featuring players on those 2 teams. 

The standout card of the entire trade was, without a doubt, the Twins team card. If you look closely enough at the bottom row, you can see 3 Twins players forming Xs with Baseball bats. Pretty cool though if you ask me.

It's almost become expected for me to receive a couple of these team prospect cards every time I complete a trade for some 1979 Topps set needs. At this rate, I'll have this small portion of the 726-card set completed rather soon.

Even though I have roughly half the team prospect cards that make up this subset, I don't believe that I've recognized a single one of these players so far. In fact, they remind me quite a lot of the 70s rookie stars cards as well.

Thanks to another generous card collector, this time via Twitter, I officially have 430 cards, or roughly 60%, of the 1979 Topps set. At this point, since I'm approaching the 2/3 mark, finishing up the last Topps set from the 70s definitely seems achievable, the exact opposite of what I expected when I started this set a while back.

I was pleasantly surprised that I've made such significant progress with this set over the last few months and am very appreciative to those who have helped me. Maybe, just maybe, I can get '61, '76, and '79 Topps to near-completion by the time 2019 draws to a close.

Crossing the Halfway Mark

Over the next few weeks, the majority of my Baseball card budget will likely be devoted to the 2019 Topps Heritage set, whether it's a hobby or retail box or individual cards. 

Although I'm highly anticipating the release, the product will likely prevent much progress from being made regarding my various want list sets, or at least stop me from purchasing set needs myself.

Thankfully, there's still the possibility of trading, and I was fortunate enough to receive a package filled with 1979 Topps singles right before the Heritage is set to be released. I completed this trade on Twitter, something that I'm not totally used to, but I can definitely say it was a very pleasant experience overall. 

Thanks to the generous Mark Hoyle's shoutout on Twitter, I was able to complete a trade with Yankees fan Mark Del Franco. Thanks in large part to my abundance of Yankees cards and a few needs for his '69 Topps set, I was able to even out a trade in which I received roughly 100 1979 Topps singles that took me over the halfway mark for this set.

Yeah, that's the stack of cards that arrived at my door on Monday, all cards that I needed for my 1979 Topps set, a product I seldom see available at the Baseball card show. I've always seen it as a transition set of sorts between the 70s and 80s, and maybe that's why collectors don't necessarily hold onto it. 

It's also helped by the lack of big-name rookies besides Ozzie Smith, yet I've always been a huge fan of the set design, nevertheless. Now, thanks to Twitter, I have over 50% of the set in my possession, and like 1961 and 1976, completing this Flagship set finally seems achievable.

As for the cards that Mark sent my way, there were multiple standouts that really screamed "1970s" even though the iconic decade was almost over by the time this set was released. Seeing color on 70s cards is most definitely a given but between the uniforms, banners, and backgrounds, there's definitely no shortage when it comes to 1979 Topps.

Also, I know I've mentioned this before, but I absolutely love the retro-style Baseball with the Topps logo shown on every card. It's definitely a design I'd love to see again, and it makes me excited for Topps Heritage in 9 years (but who's counting?).

1979 Topps is the best possible set to witness the changes that the 1970s presented for the game of Baseball. Brand new teams, a fresh wave of MLB players, and different uniforms were all introduced in the 1970s, causing it to be night and day between '79 Topps and one of the first few Flagship sets of the decade.

Although the Astros' rainbow jersey is an easy choice for one of the greatest uniforms of all-time, the all-black White Sox uniform, quite paradoxical, isn't anything to sneeze at either. 

It can be slightly odd, at first, to witness players changing teams, especially when that player is showcased on a Baseball card with their new ball club. This was even more prevalent in the 1970s when, for the first time ever, MLB players were allowed to become free agents.

Jim Lonborg spent 7 years with the Red Sox before becoming a Phillie for the final 7 years of his MLB career. Though he spent equal time in Boston and Philadelphia, I still don't completely recognize the 1967 AL Cy Young award winner unless he's in a Red Sox uniform.

While I don't mind the combo cards that Topps uses as checklists in their Flagship and Update sets today, the 1979 Topps set was able to accomplish something that's nearly impossible; make a checklist card seem interesting, fun, and appealing.

I wouldn't ever think that a bright pink checklist with an old-school logo and a green banner would be a fitting combination for a checklist card, but these look pretty awesome, as awesome as checklist cards can look, at least.

I may not have taken a long look at the 2019 Topps Heritage checklist, but I did not spot any team cards on the 400-card base set list or the 100-card SP checklist either. This likely means we won't see team cards in Heritage this year, and I'm not upset about that whatsoever.

After Series 1 switched to ballparks following Topps' "attempt" at a "team card" for years, it doesn't appear that team cards will be featured in Heritage, likely because it would get repetitive to feature the same ballpark shots in at least 2 different products.

To cap it all of, I received 2 All-Star cards in this extremely generous trade package as well that's helped me make unprecedented progress with the 1979 Topps set. Before receiving these cards in the mail, I was struggling to find these cards at the show no matter when I went, so any progress I can make with this product is an incredibly positive thing.

Not to mention, I love the All-Star cards in this set, and Greg Luzinski and Vida Blue are perfect examples of some forgotten 70s players who were, at one time or another, superstars. 

Having these 2 cards, along with all the others that I've acquired on my journey towards completing this set, affirms the belief that, eventually, 1979 Topps will be completed.

It'll just have to wait until after 2019 Topps Heritage is released. 

My 2019 Card Collecting Goals

In order to have some control over this crazy hobby of Baseball card collecting, it's imperative that I set goals for myself to reach this year. When I have guidelines to follow as to what I should and shouldn't purchase, it allows me to zero in just a little bit on what I'll be collecting throughout the next 12 months.

Last year, I set 7 goals for myself and pretty much stuck to all of them. It was my very first time setting goals for me to achieve in this hobby, and they seemed to work out pretty well. I feel like 7 goals is a good number, so I've decided to stick with that for my 2019 goals as well.

One change I've tried to make for this years' goals involves choosing fewer straightforward tasks to complete. For example, while completing a certain set is a good goal, it's very direct in what it's asking. Given the wide range of cards I collect, I don't think those types of goals are the best for me.

Instead, I'm going for objectives that are a little more up for interpretation. Goals that allow me to freely choose what to collect without the direct burden of completing a certain set. With goals like the ones I've created, I can see myself going 7-7 once again with them in 2019.

#1 Make significant progress with 1976 and 1979 Topps

While I can see myself completing one of these 2 sets in 2019, my main mission is to make progress with the 2 70s products rather than finish off the sets altogether. Neither 1976 nor 1979 Topps is all that common at card shows, where I do most of my buying, so I have my work ahead of me to complete these 2 sets in 2019. However, if I can bring each set down to 100 cards or so that I need, I'll be in a great position to complete both of these Flagship products next year.

#2 Complete any year of Topps Heritage (2016-2019)

Yes, I realize I'm immediately contradicting myself by pledging to complete one of the 4 Topps Heritage sets listed above, but it's only because I haven't seen any of these sets through completely despite me being an avid Heritage collector for years now.

I've collected Topps Heritage from 2016-2018 and see no reason to stop this year with the set design being 1970. Out of all the years, I seem to have the most from 2017, so it seems likely that I'll choose that year to complete before the end of 2019.

#3 Continue to focus on player collections

I don't think any of my goals are more critical than the one to continue focusing on my player collections, because frankly, I don't know what I'd collect without them. My player collections make up most of what I bring back from trips to card shows and shops, and I have complete inventories of the cards of every player I collect. 

Player collections are one of the most fun parts of collecting cards, and I've put so much work into them, especially over the last year and a half. Therefore, I'm in big trouble if I don't concentrate on player collections like I have in previous years.

#4 Obtain 500 Nolan Ryan cards

At the start of 2019, my Nolan Ryan player collection was at exactly 450 total cards, meaning I need to acquire 50 new cards for the player collection to reach 500 by the end of the year. While it's far from impossible, it's going to take a lot of work, and I'm intentionally trying to avoid just buying 50 online to get this over with. I want to enjoy the process of adding cards to the largest PC in my collection. As long as his cards don't disappear from the dime bins, I think I have a reasonable shot.

#5 Sell and trade more cards than I did in 2018

I have Sportlots and eBay stores for selling, and there are countless fellow bloggers that I can trade with. However, 2018 wasn't a huge year for selling and trading cards, something I hope to rectify this year. I've already been selling quite a bit on eBay in the last few days and have a trade in the process of being completed as I speak. I don't expect to keep up the same momentum all year, but this year, it's important for me to sell and trade more than I did in 2018.

#6 Collect more oddballs

With all that I collect, the one thing that manages to escape my mind whenever I'm thinking about buying cards is oddballs, and that's a shame because they're probably the most fun thing to collect. No matter what set you choose or how seriously you decide to collect it, oddball sets and cards have something for everybody. Even if the goal is just to pick up oddballs for player collections and not to complete sets, it's something I hope to achieve this year.

#7 Collect only what I'm interested in and have fun doing it

I've saved the best, or at least, the most important goal for last; collect only what I'm interested in and have fun doing it. If this goal isn't achieved in its entirety, that means I need to reaccess how I collect cards. 

I'll be trying my hardest to stay away from splurging and instead collect only what I want to collect in 2019 and in reasonable amounts. Most importantly, it's important that I have fun no matter what I choose to collect. 

It's one thing to have a bad blaster of cards, but to go back for a 2nd and equally disappointing blaster box would mean that I'm buying cards just for the sake of buying them, and that doesn't translate well into enjoying what I collect in 2019.