Do You Have A Specific Goal In Your Collection?

[dabigyankeeman]

We all collect specific things, complete sets, favorite teams or players, but do you have one specific goal that you are really trying to complete?

For me, i collect new york cards, mainly baseball and the Yankees are the most important cards to me, but also i collect a few new york cards in the other sports, and a few miami cards and a few cards from other cities in baseball only when i like the player or i like the photo on the card, so i collect a lot of stuff, and i go from the early 1900's thru current (i cant wait to get my hands on 2008 baseball cards already!).

However, within this collection of all that stuff, my favorite cards are the Yankees of 1959 and older. So i have set myself a goal of having 500 different Yankee cards that are 1959 and older. Not as easy as it sounds, as you cant just do it with Topps, Bowman, and Goudey. You have to get into oddball stuff like Play Ball, Red Man, Diamond Stars, Cigarrette cards, Swell Sports Thrills, Leaf, Blue Tint, Berk Ross, Dan Dee, Red Heart, etc.

Right now, i am waiting for 4 Red Man cards to come from Ebay, and when they come, i will have 452 Yankees of 1959 and older. "Only" 48 more to go and i will hit my collecting goal of 500 cards from this time period. I already have all the Bowmans, and am missing only 1 Topps (of course the 52 Mantle), so its a challenge now, but its fun, and it will be a great feeling when I get that 500th old Yankee card.

Who here has any burning desire to complete something? Could be old, or could be new, doesnt make any difference, we all feel great when we complete something we have been working on for awhile. It doesnt mean anything whether its expensive or cheap, its just fun to set a goal and then try to complete it.

[Mike D.]

I collect a lot of different things...from TTM autographs to Red Sox prospects to cards of my favorite stars, but one of my major collecting goals is to acquire one of every major rookie card of the 1980's. I actually am fairly close, with the remaining ones being mostly pretty expensive (Clemens, Puckett, and Ripken traded set RC's).

I am also working on doing the same for the 1970's and 1990's, but am much less further along.

[BoofBonser26]

I try to limit what I collect so I stand a chance of completing something, but as you can see, I'm not very good at disciplining myself. :)


Any and all Cleveland Indians
any and all Boof Bonser cards
2002 Topps Total
any and all Coco Crisp
TTM cards (mostly Indians and Indians prospects)
every year I say I'm going to complete the Topps base set and every year I don't do it

[phillyphanatic05]

i collect all phillies baseball cards, jim thome cards, and auto cards

[nyyfan]

I want to have the biggest Yankee collectoin there is and I am slowly trying to get the A-Rod road to 500 set. (only have about 10) I am also trying to get the Mantle homerun history cards too.

[RuthMayBond]

All Barry Bonds cards. Yeah, about a thousand different is only a dent

[J.P]

I collect Cuban/Cubanamerican, and Marlins players.

[duckydps]

David Justice Collection - I am going to try to get all except Printing Plates and other 1/1 cards...

Roger Clemens - any/all, over 8000 cards though...

Yankees cards (I will not include duplicates in the collection... when I get a duplicate it goes to the TTM Box)

TTM Autographs

A-Rod Cards - same deal as the Clemens

Yankees Baseball DVDs - any big games/games I attended (76 Games so far)

[gosox55]

Main Goal to get as many different white sox cards as possible; Just passed 11,600.

Other than that, any Nellie Fox card I don't have.

452 different Yankees before 1959 is pretty good, so far I've got 278 Sox.



richard
(gosox55)

[Utter Chaos]

My goal is to complete every Topps Base set from 1952 to present. Here are the number of cards I need for each year.

1952 - 77
1953 - 3 (1 Jackie Robinson, 244 Willie Mays, 276 Ken Raffensberger)
1955 - 1 (164 Bob Clemente)
1958 - 5 (47 Roger Maris, 52 Bob Clemente, 187 Sandy Koufax, 310 Ernie Banks, 343 Orlando Cepeda)
1959 - 10 (60 Turley, 76 Richardson, 102 F.Alou, 202 Maris, 464 Mays, 509 Cash, 514 Gibson, 555 Maz AS, 559 Banks AS, 563 Mays AS)
1961 - 29

1999 - 2 (150, 220)
2002 - 11 (372 Roberts, 373 Hall, 393 Rapp, 415 Furcal, 427 Ishii, 431 Singleton, 495 Karros, 573 Nathan, 588 Richard, 657 Twins, 695 D.Johnson)
2003 - 20 (161, 239, 309, 338, 344, 431, 446, 506, 516, 517, 660, 661, 670, 674, 690, 694, 697, 698, 706, 715)
2004 - 24 (22, 92, 163, 200, 253, 261, 325, 407, 409, 458, 471, 490, 515, 532, 555, 569, 601, 604, 606, 616, 629, 660, 686, 693)
2005 - 53
2006 - 1 (297 Alex Gordon)
2007 - 91

Total needed : 125 old + 202 new = 327 cards

Completed Sets: 1954, 1956, 1957, 1960, 1962-1998, 2000, 2001

[Dalkowski110]

Anything and everything Steve Dalkowski. Autographs, memorabilia (repro, of course, but as close to original as possible), as well as my holy grail: a PSA 10 1963 Topps #496 Rookie Stars...Steve's only baseball card.

[ChuckBrown]

I have all of the Topps sets (or base sets, whatever) from the first year I started collecting (1974) to the present. My goal is now to get a Topps set run from my birth year (1966) to the present.

[Mike D.]

I collect Cuban/Cubanamerican, and Marlins players.

Do you have a list of Cuban/Cubanamerican players you're interested in? If so, I'm sure many of us have cards of these players we'd be willing to trade to help your collection.

[Coachsmallhead]

I am working on collecting autographs from every player that was on the active roster for the 1981 Dodgers World Series Champion team...I'm nearly there....of the 36 guys that played for the team that year....I've got 30. Looks like Mark Bradley is going to be the one guy I may not EVER be able to track down!

[AutographCollector]

My goal has been and will always be : collecting ttm autographs of every NY Giant & Philadelphia Athletic who is still alive. It's a tough project as sadly we average about a death per month or so. So I have been sending 8x10's out left & right.

[J.P]

Do you have a list of Cuban/Cubanamerican players you're interested in? If so, I'm sure many of us have cards of these players we'd be willing to trade to help your collection.

Mike,

Thanks for the suggestion, I have the list on my home computer, right now I'm at my inlaws, I'll post it as soon as I get back.

[Mike D.]

Thanks for the suggestion, I have the list on my home computer, right now I'm at my inlaws, I'll post it as soon as I get back.

Great, I bet if you post it on the Baseball Card Trading board, you'll get some folks who can help you with your collection. I'm sure I'll be checking for it and trying to get you some cards!

[dabigyankeeman]

Main Goal to get as many different white sox cards as possible; Just passed 11,600.

Other than that, any Nellie Fox card I don't have.

452 different Yankees before 1959 is pretty good, so far I've got 278 Sox.



richard
(gosox55)

Big collection Richard! 278 Sox oldies is really great too, except thats a lot of sox to clean and launder, how can you wear so many? You should try getting baseball cards instead! :D

Seriously, you are doing great! All you guys posting, its neat to see what you are into, keep up posting, this is a neat thread to read.

[Mike D.]

All you guys posting, its neat to see what you are into, keep up posting, this is a neat thread to read.

I agree, it's nice to see what other people collect and how they approach the hobby. I also think this thread could lead to some trades to help each other out in our collecting goals!

[gosox55]

dabigyankeeman

My wife would agree, keep those piles of sox out of the living room.

Getting a true mantle rookie card is great. Even though I didn't care much for the yanks as a kid in the fifties, I would have kept a Mantle, never pulled one though. My best rookie card probably is a fox 1951 bowman.

I need 77 for a complete run of regular topps sox cards including variations (1951 - 1981), and have amost all the more recent topps.

The biggest problem is a 1963 Al Weis card. (has some nobody named Rose on it.)

Richard

[dmbfan]

I used to collect everything and anything. Now, I've switched my focus to TTM & IP autographs using primarily the cards I have in my personal collection and printing off photos that I find. I also collect NY Mets cards of any player in a Mets uniform and many of these I try to turn around and use to add to my all-time Mets collection. I have a few players that I collect specifically, which include any and all cards of Pat Neshek, Frank Thomas (played from 1951 to 1966 and was an original 1962 Met), and Cooper Brannan. Otherwise, I try to have fun with the hobby and share it with friends that I've made.

[dabigyankeeman]

dabigyankeeman

My wife would agree, keep those piles of sox out of the living room.

Getting a true mantle rookie card is great. Even though I didn't care much for the yanks as a kid in the fifties, I would have kept a Mantle, never pulled one though. My best rookie card probably is a fox 1951 bowman.

I need 77 for a complete run of regular topps sox cards including variations (1951 - 1981), and have amost all the more recent topps.

The biggest problem is a 1963 Al Weis card. (has some nobody named Rose on it.)

Richard

You are getting there, thats a great run. And yes, the Al Weis card. One day when that card was SO expensive due to Rose on it, and i was looking for one in lessor condition, i was going to a spring training game of the Yankees in Ft Lauderdale and it was rained out, so i went to a small card show instead, and there, in really bad condition, was the card for $7 (remember, this is 20 years ago), so i bought it. It was like fate that the Yankee game got rained out. I still have that card today, wouldnt part with it as i love Rose. Have faith, you will find one when you least expect it.

[gosox55]

1963 Pete Rose Rookie; It's one I'll probably never get, but I thought that about the 1959 Bazooka Fox too, but found one on eBay several years ago for 6$ from an antique dealer in Michigan (best deal I've ever gotten on eBay).

The 2007 Topps set has another sox card rarity (the Josh Fields Wal Mart Variation). I saw one sell on eBay for 157$, not bad for a new card.


Richard

[kearns643]

Initially I don't collect cards.
But I do collect autographs, so I get them to send out or to do IP.

When my son and I first started we did the hobby randomly, just get 'em and send 'em. But we seem to have become more selective now. Which leads me to answer the thread question.

We find that working on "sets" makes in more fun and easier to organize.

We are currently working on "family" players..father and sons and brothers in baseball. And there are many. Just the fact that in the 2007 draft there were over 50 players taken with family ties. So many minor leaguers.

And we are always working on MiL'ers...with draft selections. 1st and 2nd rounds a priority.

To go along with that, MiL coaches and Mger's are being announced and cards gathered for all those players. I have found that those players sign at a very high rate. In that large list there are "family" players there as well...Bill Gardner Jr. Lee May Jr., Tom Kotchman and Kevin Boles, with many more...so it makes it a nice crossover list.

Other lists:
Same name players..I just found cards of Greg W. Harris, Chris Carpenter and Mike Brown.
Players born on our birthdays
and many more...so not really any goals in the hobby just working on sets with the help of friends.

[Sockeye]

My goal is to get every regular Topps card for every member of the 400 home run club in EX+ condition or better. I have 50 left to go.

MIKE SCHMIDT (RC) 1973 615 $150.00
HARMON KILLEBREW 1963 500 $150.00
WILLIE MAYS 1963 300 $150.00
HANK AARON 1962 320 $150.00
HANK AARON 1963 390 $175.00
WILLIE MAYS 1959 50 $175.00
CARL YASTRZEMSKI (RC) 1960 148 $200.00
HANK AARON 1958 30 $200.00
ERNIE BANKS 1955 28 $200.00
DUKE SNIDER 1954 32 $200.00
REGGIE JACKSON (RC) 1969 260 $250.00
WILLIE MAYS 1966 1 $250.00
WILLIE MAYS 1962 300 $250.00
EDDIE MATHEWS 1953 37 $250.00
MICKEY MANTLE 1968 280 $300.00
MICKEY MANTLE 1967 150 $300.00
MICKEY MANTLE 1966 50 $300.00
WILLIE MAYS 1958 5 $300.00
HANK AARON 1957 20 $300.00
FRANK ROBINSON (RC) 1957 35 $300.00
MICKEY MANTLE 1969 500 $350.00
MICKEY MANTLE 1964 50 $350.00
HANK AARON 1956 31 $350.00
WILLIE MAYS 1957 10 $400.00
HANK AARON 1955 47 $400.00
MICKEY MANTLE 1965 350 $500.00
MICKEY MANTLE 1963 200 $500.00
MICKEY MANTLE 1960 350 $500.00
TED WILLIAMS 1956 5 $500.00
DUKE SNIDER (RC) 1952 37 $500.00
MICKEY MANTLE 1962 200 $600.00
MICKEY MANTLE 1961 300 $600.00
TED WILLIAMS 1958 1 $600.00
TED WILLIAMS 1957 1 $600.00
WILLIE MAYS 1955 194 $600.00
DUKE SNIDER 1955 210 $600.00
TED WILLIAMS 1955 2 $600.00
MICKEY MANTLE 1959 10 $800.00
MICKEY MANTLE 1958 150 $800.00
WILLIE MAYS 1954 90 $800.00
TED WILLIAMS (RC) 1954 1 $800.00
MICKEY MANTLE 1957 95 $1000.00
ERNIE BANKS (RC) 1954 94 $1200.00
MICKEY MANTLE 1956 135 $1500.00
HANK AARON (RC) 1954 128 $1800.00
WILLIE MAYS 1953 244 $2500.00
MICKEY MANTLE 1953 82 $3000.00
WILLIE MAYS (RC) 1952 261 $3000.00
EDDIE MATHEWS (RC) 1952 407 $10,000.00
MICKEY MANTLE (RC) 1952 311 $20,000.00

[RuthMayBond]

Players born on our birthdays
In case you weren't aware of this

http://www.baseball-reference.com/friv/birthdays.shtml

[bailiff]

I don't have any real specific goals, but I like to collect new draft picks, college players, and former Rangers.

[dabigyankeeman]

Sockeye, thats a heck of thing to collect, in such good condition. Wow, i couldnt do it, too expensive. I am gladly taking PSA-1 condition in my old Ruths, Gehrigs, DiMaggios, Mantles, etc. Its the only way i could build up such a large collection of old cards.

If you can afford to get them in Ex or better, thats great! Good for you, man, i wish i could too, but for me, its having the card thats important. I will admit, my few old expensive cards that are in real nice condition DO give me great enjoyment though!!!!!

I just thought of one other goal to add to my Yankee collection - AS MANY DIFFERENT YANKEE PLAYERS AS I CAN FIND. In other words, while its fine to have 100 different Jeter cards, I want to find cards of guys like Celerino Sanchez, Ray Barker, and all the odd-ball guys like them that i never bothered to collect and see how many different players i can have with the Yankees. First i gotta finish getting my cards in albums, then input the names into Excel and sort by name, drop the duplicates, and see how many names I've got. Oy, what a job! Once done though, i can easily add names in the future to up the count. This is what makes collecting so great, there are so many different ways to collect. However, still my number one goal is to get those 500 different 1959 and older Yankees. Still 48 to go!!!!

[edsachs1]

Mostly I'm collecting Orioles players. I'm hoping to get an autographed card of all the members of the O's Hall of Fame. Also I'd like to try and get a ball for each player with a retired number (Earl Weaver, Brooks Robinson, Cal Ripken, Frank Robinson, Jim Palmer, Eddie Murray).

Also I wanted to try and get a card of everyone that has hit a Homerun onto Eutaw Street at Camden Yard. But I can't seem to find an updated list. I've e-mailed the O's and a writer for the Sun that covers them, with no response. If anyone has a list could they send it to me.

[Captain Cold Nose]

There are the players I really like (Yaz, George Foster, Kent Hrbek) and stuff from sets I'm working on.

And, of course, I'm always specifically looking for what I consider a bargain. A good price on an item I would like to have is an item I will soon own.

[RuthMayBond]

Also I wanted to try and get a card of everyone that has hit a Homerun onto Eutaw Street at Camden Yard. But I can't seem to find an updated list. I've e-mailed the O's and a writer for the Sun that covers them, with no response. If anyone has a list could they send it to me.It's not updated, but about two-thirds of the way down

http://pressbox.mlb.com/pressbox/downloads/y2007/bal/oriole_park.pdf

[hudsonharden]

I really just want to get rid of the entire thing. The hobby has just gotten too overwhelming and I haven't bought a pack in a long time. I doubt I will get much money for it, but I might try to pull out some of the stars and sell them in big lots.

[gosox55]

dabigyankeeman wrote:

"First i gotta finish getting my cards in albums, then input the names into Excel and sort by name, drop the duplicates, and see how many names I've got. Oy, what a job! Once done though, i can easily add names in the future to up the count."

Once you get a database or excel program up and running you can really see how easy it is to keep track. I use a works database and I don't know what I would do without it, it's well worth the effort.

Richard

[edsachs1]

It's not updated, but about two-thirds of the way down

http://pressbox.mlb.com/pressbox/downloads/y2007/bal/oriole_park.pdf

Thanks alot, I've looked everywhere for that. Where did you get it? I'd like to find next years, so I can see hit one in 2007 (I'm pretty sure that Johnny Damon did). I'm also surprised Nick Markakis isn't on there. I went to his 3 HR game, I was certain his 2nd one made it. But I guess not.

[chucksk8er]

My goal is to collect every base Cubs card. I have around 2,800 Different ones. I also go for Cubs TTM and anything Cubs really.

[HexsHeroes]

Long term goal (vague) is to obtain a signature example of as many former Detroit Tiger ballplayers as is financially possible. Former Detroit Wolverine specimens will not be turned away either (if the price is tolerable).

Short term goal (New Year's resolution) is to be able to cross off one or two names off my want list each year. That's one reason why I look forward to the National Show each year. Unfortunately, it's gotten to a point where the signature examples are few and far between. And the prices for those encountered has made me realize how insignificant my income truly is.

[nmboxer]

My seven year old daughter likes baseball and we've begun collecting TTM autographs for her. Her number one criteria--nothing else matters, including whether you've ever actually HEARD of the player--is that the player is smiling. She also likes Mets cards and crazy action shots, such as when the player is in mid-air, but when you look through her little binder, the overall effect of smiling faces with autographs is kind of neat.

[dmbfan]

I also have an informal collection started with signed copies of books written by the player. All are hardcover copies. Right now I have 4: Duke Snider, Frank Thomas (former Pirate), Milt Pappas, & Ned Garver. I will probably be picking up Virgil Trucks in the very near future.

[howiek]

I used to collect Cards when I was younger. After awhile cards started getting real expensive and there where to many to keep track of. Now I have a closet with approx. 80,000 cards. Now I collect Auto's. Mostly on Balls and pics. Just last week I sent out my first group of TTM's. Can't wait to get something back.

[1964nova]

My goal was to get a Satchel Paige auto, goal surpassed, signed pic. with Feller. New goal, to own as many T206 cards as possible.