2013 Goals

I didn't do very well on my 2012 goals. Even my scaled down goals that I published in April. But, that is okay. This is a hobby, a frivolous pursuit.  The fate of nations aren't at stake here.

I am half inclined to not even bother with goals for 2013, but I do think I need some structure around how I go about things this year.  2012 was fun, but a little too haphazard.  So, here is the broad outline about what I am going to do this year.

Sets I intend to finish:

1. All the Insert sets to 2004 Fleer Greats of the Game, except the Announcing Greats which appear to be rarer than a hen's tooth. I've put a want list up over there to the right.
2. 1971 - I just need to focus and stop with the impulse purchases. Now, several of my most favoritest cards of 2012 were impulse purchases, but I've been working on 1971 for a year and half and it is time get it out of the way. Focus, man!
3. 1973 - I got a start with a trade with Ted of the now defunct Crinkly Wrappers.  So, I am going to do this one next. 
4. 1963 Fleer - Apart from the autograph project, I only need 5 cards to finish. Two of them, Don Drysdale and Roberto Clemente, will be a bit painful.  But, I am too close to not finish.

Sets to continue working on:

1. 1960 and 1961 Fleer - Not a high priority, but something I'd like to chip away at.
2. 2009 through 2011 Obak - I am basically down to short prints for these three sets. More than a few of the cards I need just don't seem to pop on EBay or any of the various online merchants, so I am not confident I can finish any of the three even though I only need one card to finish 2010 and five to finish 2011.
3. Continue to work on my Paul Blair and Johnny Antonelli player collections - this is probably, at the same time, my most modest and most difficult goal mainly because I have so many cards in the collection now. The main area I'd like to focus is on the Blair O-Pee-Chee  cards, of which I only have 9. For Antonelli, the only card I specifically want to knock off this year is his 1950 Bowman card. There are other cards for both that I know about, but they come up so rarely or at so high a price point, I just don't feel it is realistic to expect to add them to my player collection at all.
4. 1974/75 Loblaws Hockey Album - I am willing to pay up to 10 cents each for the commons, but stars like Stan Mikita and Bobby Orr can get relatively expensive. I love this album, but it is teetering on the edge of being a distraction
5. 1963 Fleer autograph project

Sets that I'd like to start of the opportunity presents itself (the bar of success is low here.  I consider getting one card from the set to be starting)

1. 1975 Topps - only if I finish both 1971 and 1973
2. 1959 Fleer Ted Williams - I've actually seen a fair number of these at recent shows and I am not talking about the 2004 reprints either. The big problem here is card 68 which was discontinued and costs upwards of $400 or more in VG condition.  Unless I hit the lottery, I am not going to spend that kind of cash. So, since I don't even buy lottery tickets, I am ambivalent about working it seriously.
3. 1959 Fleer Three Stooges - another set that will likely be near impossible to finish. But, it is the Stooges. Need I say more?