2013 Collecting and Blog Goals

Time for the 2013 Collecting Goals post.  This is actually my 3rd year of setting collecting goals, but since I started this blog last April, it is my first time of laying them out to the world at the beginning of the year.  I am a big list and goal person, I like nothing more than marking something off a list.  Having these goals helps me keep focus (or refocus when my attention drifts) and gives me energy and excitement to actually complete a goal I have set out to do.   Fortunately, I do not get too frustrated if I don't achieve a goal so there is little downside to setting these goals.

I am going to break my list into 2 sections, those pertaining to my collection and those revolving around the blog.

First up are the goals for my collection:

I just about finished with the Fleer, Upper Deck and Donruss flagship sets and Topps since the 1970s in 2012 so I decided to pick some of my favorite base sets from the past few years. I just thumbed through my binders and decided on some sets that I really enjoy.  If this goal goes well, I may add on a few as the year progresses.  Here is the goal.

1. Complete Giants Base Team Sets of Following Brands:

1. Ultra
2. Stadium Club
3. Allen & Ginter
4. Topps Heritage
5. Greats of the Game
6. Turkey Red
7. All-Time Fan Favorites
8. Upper Deck Retro
9. Upper Deck Vintage
10. Gallery
11. Topps Archives

I also plan on seeking out as many Ultra and Stadium Club inserts as I can but decided against setting a goal of getting all of them - too many super expensive Barry Bonds inserts.

2. Complete 1961 & 1963 Fleer Sets
This is 2 higher numbered 1961 cards and the Willie Mays 1963 card.  Not a big quantity but I have to be able to get these at the right price.

3. Complete 5 1960s Topps Team Sets
Last year I had a goal of completing all the sets from 1963 forward, with the number of Mays cards that becomes a challenging goal for purely financial reason.  I thought completing half of the sets for the decade is a more realist, yet still challenging goal.

4. Make progress on 1970, 1972 and 1973 Vintage Sets

1. Complete 1970 set through 459
2. Obtain at least 250 different 1972 cards
3. Complete 1973 set through 528

I will still try to pick up higher numbered cards from the 1970 and 1973 sets but completing either of these is just not realistic this year.  I thought going after the full lower numbered series would be a fun way to make progress and feel a sense of accomplishment.  I am just starting on the 1972 set, right now I am focusing on picking up small lots of cards on the cheap and adding in some stars and semi-stars when I see them at a reasonable price.

5. Add 5 new HOF Autos
I currently have autographs of 62 Hall of Fame players and managers along with 2 announcers.  The ones I need are getting more rare and more expensive but I still want to more the collection forward.  I will shoot for 5 new ones in 2013.

6. Add 1 pre-1910 Giants Card to my collection
This is a carry over from 2012 that wasn't accomplished.  I would love to have a tobacco card of a New York Giant in my collection.

7. Make progress on my non Giants player collections

1. Rickey Henderson
2. Vida Blue
3. Dave Winfield
4. Reggie Jackson

These collections haven't gotten a lot of attention lately.  I have picked up a few here and there but I want to make a want list for each player and decided how to focus my efforts.  I actually have started with Vida and have really enjoyed picking up some of his newer cards along with some vintage oddballs.  I also think it will be fun to have more posts that aren't solely focused on the Giants.  I am definitely a Giants fan through and through but I am also a huge fan of the game of baseball.

8. Launch new collections of Ben Petrick and Dave Parker
I have started these both a little bit but really haven't shared much on the blog or put more focus on them.  My Grandmother suffered from Parkinson's Disease and it ultimately took her away from us so Petrick's story is very touching and somewhat personal to me.  I thought collecting his cards would be a good way to honor him.  My Dave Parker collection will focus on him in only his Pirates uniform.  One of my early memories of baseball is his throw from right field in the All-Star game.  It is still one of the best throws I have ever seen and I love the look of the 70s Pirates uniforms so I am really looking forward to this one.

9. Re-energize my USC Football Collection
I have a collection of over 10,000 cards from former USC players but since I started my Giants focus and the blog I have gotten away from this collection.  With their struggles this year and the so-so performance of some of their recent draftees, I am strongly considering going after some of the older players as a way to bolster my collection. I recently picked up one of my top wants that I will share in a future post.

10. Obtain all 2013 Giants base cards from all releases
The past 2 years I have gone after this one and gotten fairly close. I still need 14 2011 base cards and I am in need of somewhere between 20-30 in 2012 cards.  With the World Series win I suspect there will be quite a few to go after and I am looking very forward to acquiring all of them.

Next are my goals for the blog:

1. Hold at least 20 contests.  I really have enjoyed the weekly contest and will restart them soon for a run.  They do take some work however so I am thinking of doing 2-3 stretches of 6-8 weeks each.

2. Execute on some ideas that have been brewing in my head for a while and finish some I have started.  For example, I have an idea I want to share for a concept for a set of cards, I posted half of the Ultimate Card Collection from my visit to the Baseball HOF and never did the second half, I still plan on going pack by pack on the Conlon set, and in the next week or two I want to do a recap of my favorite sets from 2012 that I collected.  I have a lot of fun on these types of posts but I too often take the "easy way out" and just post cards.  I don't see myself becoming a Night Owl or Dime Box Nick where every post is a masterpiece but I do think I am capable of more.

3. I would like to get up to over 100 followers.  I have been stuck at 91 for quite a while.

4. Create a banner for my blog.  I actually dabbled with one prior to launching this blog but never got it done.  I don't have great photoshopping skills but the best way to improve is practice.

5. Continue having fun and never let this little blog of mine become a chore.

There you have it, my 2013 goals. Also I just noticed this is my 200th post since I started the blog in April, pretty cool.  I never thought I would make it this long, I should be able to get to 500 by this time next year!

Happy Collecting!