A Decade of Fun

 I'm trying to cut down on the amount of time I use social media.  In addition to being a major time suck, social media is, in my opinion, a somewhat pernicious influence on society as it seems to amplify and spread negativity. Mind you, it is not all bad, as it has allowed me to reconnect with old friends and I have managed to find several trade partners on Twitter. But, overall, I find my days more enjoyable the less time I spend on social media.

I don't tend to use Facebook anymore except for posting dog pictures, but I do check my Memories tab to see what I was up to on that day in years past.  A couple days ago, before I settled in to work, I discovered that 10 years ago to the day (December 16, 2010) I attended my very first card show to pick up the very first card in my collection.  What was it?

As a newbie to the hobby, I did the typical thing: I tried to collect everything! I spent a good part of the first year collecting modern cards. However, I slowly drifted away: not collecting flagship after 2011 and dropping Heritage after 2012. By the two year anniversary, I had found my niche: mostly vintage, with a few modern sets that caught my fancy.  As time moved foward, I began to expand again and now my collection is very broad again.  

I thought this would be a good time to do an admittedly brief recap of what I collect and show a few things I like from that part of my collection.  Now, understand going in that I am not a meticulous researcher like some of y'all.   I just have too many demands on my time for that. So, this will mainly re-use images already on the blog, so be forewarned.

But, since I showed the first card ever in my collection, let me show you the most recent.

I just got a shipment from Gregory Morris Cards yesterday of my eBay auction winnings from a earlier in the month.   This was one of five 1960 commons in the package.  Random observation: I've been bidding on cards from both 1960 and 1965 on Greg Morris auctions and using the same rules for my maximum bid.  I will bid on between 30-40 cards in each of their set breaks for those two years. Invariably, I will pick up a half dozen cards from 1960, give or take one or two.  Same rules, same number of individual bids, I usually win exactly zero in each 1965 set break.  I have probably bid in 6 or 7 1965 set breaks in recent months and I have won a grand total of 3 cards.  Is 1965 that much more popular than 1960?

Anyways, let me give you the nickel tour of my collection

Paul Blair Player Collection - This, of course, was the start of my collecting again. I now have 144 unique Paul Blair items in my collection.

Johnny Antonelli Player Collection - I started this player collection in September of 2011. I need to organize my records better, but I count 62 unique Antonelli items.

Vintage (1979 and earlier) Sets - So far, I have completed 1956 Topps and the complete Topps run from 1970 through 1979.  And I am within striking distance of finishing 1955, 1960, 1965, and 1968, though I have some painfully expensive cards still left to go in each set.

Other Vintage Sports sets - Here I have completed the 1960 through 1963 Fleer baseball sets, 1978 TCMA, and the Renata Galasso sets.  I am working on 1959 Fleer Ted Williams, 1961 Golden Press, 1972-73 Topps basketball, 1973 Topps football.

Vintage Sticker Sets - This is just the 1972 Sunoco Football stamps and the 1974-1975 Loblaws/Acme hockey stamps.  I've completed one Loblaws and one Acme album and have another Loblaws mostly complete.  The Sunoco stamps are surprisingly expensive, so I am probably only half complete with that album, with no serious interest in working on it.

Various Modern Sets - Here it is just sets that capture my fancy.  There really is no rhyme or reason.  I've completed the Fleer Greats of the Game base set for 2000 through 2004  (and all the insert sets for 2004), 2010 and 2011 Tristar Obak baseball (and just a few SP short on 2009), 1991 through 1993 Conlon, and the 2004 Upper Deck Yankees Classic set.

1960 to 1963 Fleer Autographed Sets - This all started in July of 2012 with a mail-in signing at the now defunct Chris Potter Sports.  I've made quite a bit of progress on this over the years. I now have signed versions of 15 out of a possible 40 from the 1960 set, 24 out of a possible 95 from 1961, and 63 out of 66 from the 1963 set.

19th Century Tobacco Cards - This started with my horse themed collection that I initiated just a week shy of two years ago.  The first additions were cards from the three horse racing themed Kinney Brothers sets issues between 1887 and 1889, but expanded to include the Allen & Ginter sets The World's Racers (N32), Fans of the Period (N7), and Parasol Drill (N18.)  I have one T206 card in my collection, but have no intention of collecting them given how expensive they are. These non-sports sets are much more affordable.  

Early 20th Century British Tobacco Cards - This was part of my horse themed collection, but expanded to include other sets that captured my interest. And what captured my interest is best described as random.  I haven't done much with this in almost a year.  I still like these cards and may pick it up again in the future.  But right now I have too many open sets in my main collection and I have been focusing my resources there.

Miscellaneous Vintage Cards - I will occasionally pick up vintage cards that are not parts of sets I intend to build. Sometimes it is at a show, but other times I may enter a group break. This isn't really a serious collection.  It is just randomness.  I haven't really added many cards in this category this year and that is probably a good thing.

Miscellaneous Modern Cards - This also isn't a serious thing.  Sometimes, when I have a few bucks left in my pocket at a show, I'll look through the dime and quarter boxes just to entertain myself and I'll grab a few things that interest me.  

So, there you are.  Way too much and I probably need to narrow my focus in 2021.  I'll think and, maybe, post about it.  

What I am listening to: Sleigh Ride by The Ronettes