Just wanted to share.

Since I have managed to get things organized and updated I wanted to share some of the additions that didn't make it onto my main wantlist but nonetheless represent some of the stuff I love to pickup from time to time.

First off, a card from one of my favorite sets of all-time:
While definitely not the most expensive card in the set, nor even the "best" player I have from it, how can I not love the horizontal cards from the 1952 Topps set. Really nice picture on this one and as you can see from the area near Virgils hands where the bat handle is, the damage is pretty much the main flaw which made this otherwise beautiful looking card nice and affordable for me.

This is really a set where there really isn't anything I don't like about it. The facsimile signature, the picture which resembles fine art and even the little series of stars that comprise the border around the name and aforementioned signature, this is a classic design, and pretty much the reason Topps decided to rip itself off with the successful series of Topps Heritage issues which continue to this day.

The second set of this heritage series of course was a remake of the subsequent 1953 Topps series, which is an appropriate segway into this:
Where 1952 Topps is obviously my favourite set, this ranks as a very close second. Simply beautiful cards with the large paintings, the bold solid border in the corner, containing the players name, position and team and a nice representation of the team logo all nicely placed out of the way of the main image which is really what we want to see with these cards. How could I not pick up this card for $15.

How could this be $15 you ask, well the back is basically torn off. As a result when a collector friend of mine showed me this one at a card show for $15 (or 10% of the BV at the time), I simply had to have it. The 10% rule is always a great guide in these situations, and with the front looking like this, I like this purchase just fine.

In the miracle to end all miracles....

I actually did a complete inventory and figured this whole numbers business out.

I wasn't planning on having it done so soon, but my intense annoyance at the whole thing spurred me on as no other motivator can.

So here ladies and gentlemen are the correctly updated totals as they stand on June 4, 2009:

Cards in my Collection: 5,074
Total Cards needed: 17,936
Cards remaining to achieve goal: 12,862
Percentage Complete: 28.28%

Not surprisingly I have surpassed the 5000 mark and am closing in on 5100.

In truth, I would probably have been past 6000 cards by now if I had given some more energy into my 70s sets, but that should change hopefully this summer. As it is I'm expecting 17 cards in the mail in and in particular the addition of a few more 1956 Topps stars which I will hopefully showcase once they do arrive.

That set in particular has made some pretty solid progress as it's well past the 60% completion mark. Another notable is the 1974 Topps set which will be one Pete Rose and one Mays 73' World Series card away from completion once the latest stuff gets here.

So there you go, things do still happen around here on occasion.

Testament to my memory and time management skills

It truly takes a man of great scheduling and even better organization to not be able to find time in his "busy" schedule to not be able to post here in over a year.

No, I have not abandoned the project, nor did I forget about it, at least not for the majority of the absence in question.

I simply haven't been keeping as diligent records as I had been up until last year. So while I'm definitely ahead of the 4900 different cards that I was last up to here, I actually have no idea how much further as I lost the papers I was using to track the acquisitions as they came in. Inexcusable I know, but that's the best explanation I've got.

So while I go back to the basics and start to slowly catalog everything to get the numbers right again I will ease myself back into posting by highlighting some of the different cards I have managed to pick up during my impromptu hiatus. I should have the first of these up and going this week.

Similarly I'll probably set up another little blog entirely for fun where I can talk about cards that interest me and little junk wax breaks that I like to have from time to time in order to amuse myself. Should be an interesting summer for the blogging.

Where does the time go?

Truly I can say that time is something that I'm still working to get a handle on.

In any event, despite my lengthy absence here there has been some progress.

In April Lynn Miller (OBCer) sent along 11 combined hits to my 74' Topps and 1961 Topps lists.

A period of silence followed which was broken today at the semi-annual Toronto Expo.

Amongst my various purchases I was able to get myself star cards commons and a variety in between. The highlight being a 1957 Topps Hank Aaron.

I didn't keep count as diligently as I could have when placing the cards into the various boxes/binders but I added about 65 cards to my collection from this one show alone.

In all these contributions bring me about 76 cards closer to completion. So the numbers at present stand as follows:

Cards in my Collection: 4,900
Total Cards needed: 17,936
Cards remaining to achieve goal: 13,036
Percentage Complete: 27.31%

I swear I didn't plan it out this way, but this leaves me an even 100 cards away from 5,000.

The plan still remains to pick things up during the summer months and see if I can't put some serious dents into the various lists. Time will of course tell as always.

Beginning of 2008

I would love to have had several updates between my last and this posting but unfortunately things have been pretty slow since the end of September last year.

In the interest of keeping you up on what I have managed to do, here is a brief recap of the activity since my last update.

September 4: An ebay envelope produces another hit for my 1956 Topps list in the form of former HR King Hank Aaron!

September 17: OBCer Jim Silva surprises me with a hit to my 61' Topps list, a pair of hits to my 74' Topps list (reducing that one to 20 remaining) and 9 hits to my 1975 Topps list. Quite the awesome variety pack Jim, much appreciated.

September 24: An ebay lot came in, adding a 1968 Topps Hank Aaron to my collection.

September 26: Joel Gyselink surprises me with 43 hits to my 1975 Topps list. Thanks very much Joel.

September 27: In another surprise, OBCer Bill Ashton sends along a hit to my 60' Topps set, a 74' Topps and 35 1975 Topps including Joe Morgan, thanks very much Bill.

So obviously my 1956 Topps Aaron did arrive.

My recent item comes from ebay in the form of this:


A 1960 Topps Mickey Mantle, quite the addition indeed.

So while there haven't been too many updates lately, these additions do combine to knock another 95 cards off my project. As such the numbers stand today as follows:

Cards in my Collection: 4,824
Total Cards needed: 17,936
Cards remaining to achieve goal: 13,112
Percentage Complete: 26.89%

So right now I stand 176 cards away from 5,000. Once I can devote some property time and energy into it this shouldn't prove to be much of a problem given the large gaps remaining in my 1975 Topps set.

Another lengthy absence...

Unfortunately it was unavoidable.

I have been pre-occupied with my pursuit for employment, which has used up the majority of my time and energies.

Despite this however, others did not forget about me and I'm able to report some hits to my lists.

Tom Housley hit my lists with 4 hits to my 1968, 1974 and 1975 Topps lists for a total of 12 hits towards my overall goal.

In addition I can report that I'm expecting the Hank Aaron 1956 Topps in the mail as I found one for a reasonable price to add to my set, so things should finally pick up a little as I have some more time, and more importantly some funding to put towards progress for my sets.

So with this newest group of additions (not including the Aaron) here is where I stand:

Cards in my Collection: 4,729
Total Cards needed: 17,936
Cards remaining to achieve goal: 13,207
Percentage Complete: 26.36%

Back from the Dead...

Not really, although it would appear that way given my extended absence.

Unfortunately this summer has been slower than planned. Despite this however there remained a slow trickle of incoming items and now I can at least put together a post to recap them.

In May, Peter Mead sent along 5 hits to my 1968 Topps set. This puts me at 21% completion for the set, which is fairly reasonable given that I officially started the set at the end of last year and haven't done much with it for the last few months.

Just today another pair of envelopes came in:
- The first from Mark Talbot included 4 hits to my 1960 Topps list. These additions moved that set to over 42% completion, making 1960 Topps easily my closest to completion from the 60's. I think a fair goal for this year might be to shoot for 50% by the end of the calendar year. It will require a little bit of focus on the set, but it's certainly doable.
- The second package came from Steve Rittenberg. This envelope contained 7 hits to my dwindling 1974 Topps set. At just 26 short of completion I shall likely make a final push to complete that one before the summer is out before I add another set back onto the list. It's destined replacement on my list will be either the 1978 or 1966 Topps set. Time will tell on that one.

So that's it in terms of the update. With these additions taken into consideration my overall tally stands as follows:

Cards in my Collection: 4,717
Total Cards needed: 17,936
Cards remaining to achieve goal: 13,219
Percentage Complete: 26.29%