State of the Collection 2011

2010 in review and an outlook to 2011

Well it's been an interesting year.  I've gotten a new job, moved, proposed to my fiance, bought a house, slayed a dragon, popped my trading cherry, officially started a new player collection (the Big Hurt), added to my current PC's, bought way too many cards, and participated in my first group box break.

So it's time to reflect on my collection and my collecting goals for the new year. Sorry for the lack of pictures.

The teams. 

After the big move which is still only a few weeks old.  I've come across things and cards I hadn't seen for months and sometimes years.  Always fun to find that stuff.  That being said I came across a large collection of Brewer and Packer Team sets, some I didn't even know I had.  One of the goals I had set for myself mid-year and one that will hopefully dominate is my Brewers super set.  I'm inspired by some of the great super setters around the Blogoteria, I decided to start putting together as many Brewers and Packers Team sets as possible.  The first step is to complete all Topps base team sets from the flagship.  This is fairly attainable since  Brewers cards have only been around since 1971 and the most expensive cards from the 1975 set, (Yount Rookie and Hank Aaron) and 1978 (Molitor Rookie), I already own making this fairly cheap.  Of course I'm going to be posting a complete  need list eventually and trust me I have tons to trade. 

The Player Collections.

As you can see I'm a big Robin Yount and Rollie Fingers fan.  I wouldn't have taken the time to make there own blog space if I wasn't.  This year was a slow year for Yount.  Mainly because there just wasn't that much out there and the stuff that was was fairly pricey.  Near the end of the year I finally decided to pick up some of the higher priced cards I needed before they disappeared totally.

Mainly his Topps Update bat barrels, Triple Thread Logoman, and Series 1 and 2 Hat Patch Cards.

He also had a card in the National Chicle which I picked up 3 of the backs, just missing the numbered Topps Umbella back.  I also have his Turkey Red from Update and the 1975 Yo momma cards, original back and regular, still need to find the 1985 cards without breaking the bank.  I also picked up his base #d to 250 Sterling card, a couple Tribute relic cards and his Series 2 variation.  Actually not a bad haul this year after all for a retired guy. 

That being said I have amassed  a lot of Yount cards over the years I'm still working on a finally count of unique cards but it's over 700 for sure.  That being said cards I need or want for the collection are slowing and that allowed me to focus my attention and collection dollars on my other player collections.  I have added a lot of sweet cards to the Fingers collection.  It's amazing how cheap I've gotten some of these great relic and auto cards for.  Some of the highlights this year was my completion of the 2009 Topps Tribute Rainbow for Rollie.  Snagging the Red 1/1 was a highlight, as well as, 2 printing plates.  I also finally added a Goodwin Champions Magician back mini #d to 8 to the collection.

My Reggie Jackson collection is coming along nicely.  While I'm pretty fanatical about the Yount and Fingers collections, going after cards sometimes with careless abandon, I'm much more opportunistic when it comes to Reggie and the rest of my PC's.  The one major goal I'm setting for myself this year is to acquire a 1969 rookie card for Reggie in excellent or better.  I have lots of base and oddballs from the 70's but have not gotten around to picking up his rookie.  I also haven't tried very hard.  I could always break down and buy the one at Don's Sportscards but I do love the chase and possible bargain of buying online.  I do however have his  Milton Bradley rookie card so that eases the pain somewhat.

Switching gears a minute to football.  My Brett Favre collection has slowed down.  I've still been adding new stuff regardless of uniform over the last few years but mainly just from packs I've busted.  I have a feeling after he retires prices will plummet until he's elected to the HOF and this will be a great time to pick up new stuff.  One of my continuing goals for this collection is to complete his Flight to 420 set from Topps.  Probably just the base set not the Chrome but maybe I might get crazy who knows.

I'm going to lump Bo Jackson and Frank Thomas together.  Both of which are fairly passive PC's, meaning mostly pack pulls and the like and I've been collecting their cards since their rookie years both I'm hoping to add a few more cards to over the next year but like Reggie it'll probably very opportunistic in nature and possibly through trades.

The Sets.

Since I started collecting card in 1987 I've tried to put a Topps Baseball set together from packs.  There are a few years missing in that timeline but I've done pretty well and am on the way to filling the holes. 

This year I ended up buying so much Baseball that I put 2 sets together, Series 1, 2 and Update, and still have a shit load of extras, I also put together a football set.

I'm looking forward to the 2011 set of baseball that'll be Topps' 60th.  Seem like lots of cool cards to be put into wrappers.

This year out of boredom to my chagrin I tried to put a Heritage set together, which I still haven't finished.  I put together a Score football, which would have been 200 dollars cheaper if I'd just bought a factory set, but I did pull 2 autos.  I also put a Panini Rookies and Stars base set together and Prestige base set, still working on the rookies.  I'm working on a Score hockey set for the first time ever and I like it.  I also finished my 2010 Allen and Ginter set, with the help of my favorite LCS, Don's Sportcards. And tried to put together a T 206 and National Chicle set both of which are unfinished but I'll probably post a needs list sooner or later.

I've been trying to finish the Turkey Red inserts from 2009 and this year and I'm close.

whew.

Next year since I just bought a house and will be a little cash strapped, I'm planning on holding to my guns but still plan on putting together at least one set of Topps Baseball and Football, because for all the shit I give Topps I still like a lot of there products.  This is going to be hard after having opened a few packs of Topps Magic, that set is beautiful.

Looking into 2011....

My goals are pretty simple this year. After moving into my new house, I realize how much shit I have. 
One of my goals is to consolidate and reduce my inventory of cards I don't want, through trades and selling.

I also put up my Yount collection at the Yount Collector and I'm slowly uploading scans of each card to photobucket and linking them to each card. I also plan to do the same thing with my Rollie Fingers collection and I hope that I can have that completed by the end of this year, taking my time so as not to get too overwhelmed.

Organize my Brewers and Packers Team sets.  One of my long term goals is to put together a Topps team set from 1971 to present.  I do believe I have 1971 complete so on to 1972!!! You can check out all the action once I set it up at Miles from Miller, my Brewers blog. I guess as a completist I would love to get a team set from every set but I'm just being reasonable.

I spent way too much money on cards in 2010 so I'll be scaling back a bit on boxes but I love to bust open a few packs of new stuff, so I won't deny myself that pleasure,  I think I'm probably going to try and complete the Kimball insert set in 2011 Baseball, I love mini's and inserts and retro so this is a no brainer, they'll go nice with my turkey red sets from 2009 and 2010.

ONTO 2011.......hiddy ho.

cb out

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