it's good to have goals

just over four years ago, my very first post on this blog was not so much about my collecting goals as it was about the foci of my collection.  i've stayed fairly true to what my collection was back then to this day, although i have waned in my interest of current twins cards.

i'm going to take this opportunity to look back and to also look ahead.  here's what i had to say back then, followed by how i feel about it now:

• steve garvey - i collect all garvey cards, all variations, all manufacturers. he was my baseball hero growing up, and that still counts for something.

that is still true, and will remain true for as long as i collect cards.  while i am no longer a garvey supercollector, i still try to pick up some of his current releases when they surface.

• dodgers - i collect dodger topps team sets from 1970 on. i also collect dodgers cards from other years, sets and manufacturers, i just don't necessarily complete the team sets. i have a special affinity for cards of short time dodgers, e.g. david wells, rickey henderson, jimmy wynn, dick allen, etc.

that is also mostly still true.  1970 was the year i was born, and i set that benchmark for my team collecting pretty much when i started collecting in 1978.  however, i have paid more attention to completing team sets from other manufacturers since i started the blog.  also, i didn't write about it back then, but when i started the blog, i also had a collection of at least one card from every team, every subset, and every color combination from every topps set from 1952 through 1977.  i did this because i knew i probably wouldn't complete those sets (except for the 1970 set which i was working on at the time), but still wanted representation in my collection.  now, i have actually completed a few of those sets (see below), and i am very close to completing the dodgers' teams sets of the 1960's, so i don't think it makes sense for me to keep all the other cards.   i have already sent a couple of my 1960's topps cards to bad wax's traveling box, so the purge has begun.

• twins - i collect twins cards from all manufacturers from 2000 on. no real focus, although if pressed, i would say joe mauer is the key twins player i collect.

no more twins for me.  with maybe an occasional exception.

• dodger stadium - i collect cards whose pictures are taken in dodger stadium. the bright yellow field level seats were usually a giveaway in cards from before 2005. now it's a bit tougher.

this is still 100% true.  hello dale murphy.  looks like he might be talking to stu nahan out there in left field.

• the turn at second base - i collect cards that show the double play turn at second. these cards usually show a hard slide or the shortstop or second baseman in the air.

duh.  still way true.  and, the greatest double play card of all-time tournament will commence someday.  probably early 2013.  book it.

• 1970 topps set - i am working on this set and still need some cards. check my want list at right.

i completed this set a while ago.  i have also completed my 1973, 1976, and 1977 sets in the last four years.  i am currently working on a 1971 set, and have recently decided to build a 1974 topps set.  that's right - want list coming soon.

• topps sets 1978 to present - i started collecting in 1978 as a set builder. i still buy the topps factory set each year, or hand collate one myself. i am still working on the 2007 set, so check my want list at right.

no longer true.  i have not purchased or put together a topps flagship set since 2008.  i am thinking of selling off many of my sets, especially the post-1980's sets.

i left out a few things in that first post like o-pee-chee variations, non-red sox nomar garciaparra and vladimir guerrero cards.  i own all the o-pee-chee variations, and i have pretty much stopped seeking out nomar and vladdy cards.

so, if i were to say what i collect today, it would look something like this:

steve garvey cards

dodgers cards

cards featuring dodger stadium

cards featuring the double play turn

1971 topps and 1974 topps for my sets

any cards featuring the 1978 topps dodgers - this is a relatively new one, so send me your fleer, donruss, and any other junk wax era manufacturer lee lacy,  tommy john, and rick rhoden cards!

i will need to update my want lists.

i also decided to set some short and long term goals for the collection.

complete the 1960's topps dodger team sets - i actually set this goal at the start of this year.  i should be able to get there by the end of the year.

acquire an autograph of every dodger whose number has been retired - that means pee wee, lasorda, duke, gilliam, sutton, alston, koufax, campy, drysdale, and jackie robinson.  shouldn't be too tough, right?

get rid of non-dodger, non-double play, non-dodger stadium, non-final tribute, non-opc variation, non-lurker, non-members of the 1978 topps dodgers base cards from incomplete sets from all manufacturers, except for 99 cards that i will allow myself to keep.  this means that i can't keep my 1953 topps ralph kiner card or my 1989 upper deck ken griffey jr card unless i think they are among my 99 best cards to not feature a dodger, a double play, or dodger stadium.  this is going to be difficult, but i am looking forward to going through my collection and really focusing on my favorite cards.

besides, these goals should make for interesting posts.