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Back in January of 2012, I made a series of 10 different resolutions on my blog. Today, I thought it would be appropriate to take a look at how I did in terms of keeping the various resolutions. Tomorrow, I hope to create a new list of resolutions for 2013. You can find my original post here (which also highlighted how I did in 2011).
2012 Resolutions - How I Did:
1. Get a real job and/or go back to school for something that I can get a real job in.
Semi-success. I gave up on the math Ph.D. last year so I knew that my days were limited at the current four-year college where I teach. However, this year I managed to introduce a brand new course (Mathematics of Games and Gambling) with a high success rate...and I managed to secure what appears to be two more years of teaching at the school. There have been brief discussions about life after the next two years, but nothing is in writing yet. As I learned many moons ago, it's not official until it is in writing!
2. Finish at least three of the following sets:
2008 UD Spectrum (I need 1 card)
2008 Topps Heritage Base (I need 7 cards)
2008 UD Masterpieces (I need 8 cards)
2009 Upper Deck Spectrum (I need 2 cards)
2009 Allen & Ginter Inventions of the Future (I need 1 card)
2009 Allen & Ginter Extinct Creatures (I need 1 card)
2009 Allen & Ginter National Heroes (I need 1 card)
2009 Allen & Ginter Creatures of Legend, Myth, and Terror (I need 4 cards)
2009 Allen & Ginter Cabinet cards (I need 3 cards)
2009 Allen & Ginter regular back minis (I need 15 cards)
Success! Taking a look at my want list, I did ok with this particular goal! Here's the final tally:
2008 UD Spectrum: Complete!
2008 Heritage base: I now need 6 cards (acquired 1 card in 2012)
2008 UD Masterpieces: I now need 6 cards (acquired 2 cards in 2012)
2009 UD Spectrum: Complete!
2009 Allen & Ginter Inventions: No gain, still need the one card
2009 Allen & Ginter Extinct Creatures: No gain, still need the one card
2009 Allen & Ginter National Heroes: Complete!
2009 Allen & Ginter Creatures of Legend: Still need the four cards
2009 Allen & Ginter regular back minis: I now need 9 cards (6 acquired in 2012)
My goal was to complete three of the listed sets which is exactly what happened. Luckily, I made solid progress on a few others (Masterpieces and 2009 A&G regular back minis). It was a bummer that I couldn't finish off either of the A&G sets that I only need one card from - you can expect to see a similar goal as one of my 2013 resolutions!
3. Organize all of my extra cards
A total fail here. In fact, if anything my extra cards got even less organized. I have a table full of cards waiting to be sorted, not to mention all the stacks of assorted cards that are now almost too daunting to even attempt to sort. If there is any goal that I ought to make a priority (rather than a goal), it's this one for 2013.
4. Complete at least 150 trades with fellow bloggers (and blog readers)
Another fail, but that's ok. I will end 2012 with somewhere around 110 total trades. It's the fewest number of trades that I've made in the three years that I've kept track but even so, 100 trades is nothing to scoff at.
5. Grow my Barry Larkin Collection to at least 200 different posts
Yet another fail. I didn't do well listing my Larkin cards - my written/scanned collection sits at a modest 152 cards right now. At the end of 2011, I had 113 different cards already written up. With a net gain of only 39 cards, I didn't come close to the goal of getting to 200 total cards. The one bright spot here is that in 2011 I only managed to write up 35 Larkin card posts, so at least I beat last year's total.
6. Host at least 8 different group breaks
Success. I believe I held 7 different group breaks this year, but I'm counting this particular goal as a success anyhow. For one, I may have miscounted and two, seven group breaks is probably too ambitious anyhow!
7. Expand the scope of my blog
Success! I've managed to keep the standard baseball card fare that my readers have come to expect (Allen & Ginter, modern sets, occasional pack breaks) but I also added in a bunch of full box reviews and a few more complete set collection posts. I've also added in a completely new flair in LEGOs, something that I didn't begin to even collect until around August of this year. I can promise you that I'll have plenty more LEGO themed posts in the upcoming year!
8. Get a sponsorship from one of the sport card manufacturers
Fail. I gave up on this goal early on and never actually bothered to even try. I would love to be able to review more products (ideally sent to me for free) but I recognize that my blog isn't considered one of the "big boys" and thus I doubt any manufacturer will bother to give me the time of the day.
9. Organize my sets (and put them all in binders)
Success. I didn't get every set I own in binders, but I did end up putting quite a few sets in binders over the last year. Furthermore, I believe that all of my complete sets are now at least organized - and with a bit more time (and money for binders and sheets), they will all be tucked away before too long.
10. Have fun and avoid burnout
Success - but barely. There seems to be an epidemic of burnout on the baseball blogs over the past year or so. I believe I managed to avoid burnout specifically by shifting focus away from all baseball cards, all the time. My newly rediscovered love of the LEGO minifigures has given me something else to collect (and thus blog about) and I've also spent a bit more time as of late with my Barry Larkin Collection. Furthermore, I was fortunate enough to land a few boxes of cards for my birthday which gave me fresh fodder for the blog during a time of the year that's usually devoid of card stuff to talk about (November and December).
Overall, I had 5 successes, 1 semi-success, and 4 fails out of my ten goals. Given how ambitious a few of the goals were, I'm happy with the results. As I mentioned earlier in the post, I'll be posting a new list of resolutions for 2013 in the near future - some of which will be repeats from this year's list and some of which will be completely different.
How did you do on your collecting goals? I'd love to know!
2012 Resolutions - How I Did:
1. Get a real job and/or go back to school for something that I can get a real job in.
Semi-success. I gave up on the math Ph.D. last year so I knew that my days were limited at the current four-year college where I teach. However, this year I managed to introduce a brand new course (Mathematics of Games and Gambling) with a high success rate...and I managed to secure what appears to be two more years of teaching at the school. There have been brief discussions about life after the next two years, but nothing is in writing yet. As I learned many moons ago, it's not official until it is in writing!
2. Finish at least three of the following sets:
2008 UD Spectrum (I need 1 card)
2008 Topps Heritage Base (I need 7 cards)
2008 UD Masterpieces (I need 8 cards)
2009 Upper Deck Spectrum (I need 2 cards)
2009 Allen & Ginter Inventions of the Future (I need 1 card)
2009 Allen & Ginter Extinct Creatures (I need 1 card)
2009 Allen & Ginter National Heroes (I need 1 card)
2009 Allen & Ginter Creatures of Legend, Myth, and Terror (I need 4 cards)
2009 Allen & Ginter Cabinet cards (I need 3 cards)
2009 Allen & Ginter regular back minis (I need 15 cards)
Success! Taking a look at my want list, I did ok with this particular goal! Here's the final tally:
2008 UD Spectrum: Complete!
2008 Heritage base: I now need 6 cards (acquired 1 card in 2012)
2008 UD Masterpieces: I now need 6 cards (acquired 2 cards in 2012)
2009 UD Spectrum: Complete!
2009 Allen & Ginter Inventions: No gain, still need the one card
2009 Allen & Ginter Extinct Creatures: No gain, still need the one card
2009 Allen & Ginter National Heroes: Complete!
2009 Allen & Ginter Creatures of Legend: Still need the four cards
2009 Allen & Ginter regular back minis: I now need 9 cards (6 acquired in 2012)
My goal was to complete three of the listed sets which is exactly what happened. Luckily, I made solid progress on a few others (Masterpieces and 2009 A&G regular back minis). It was a bummer that I couldn't finish off either of the A&G sets that I only need one card from - you can expect to see a similar goal as one of my 2013 resolutions!
3. Organize all of my extra cards
A total fail here. In fact, if anything my extra cards got even less organized. I have a table full of cards waiting to be sorted, not to mention all the stacks of assorted cards that are now almost too daunting to even attempt to sort. If there is any goal that I ought to make a priority (rather than a goal), it's this one for 2013.
4. Complete at least 150 trades with fellow bloggers (and blog readers)
Another fail, but that's ok. I will end 2012 with somewhere around 110 total trades. It's the fewest number of trades that I've made in the three years that I've kept track but even so, 100 trades is nothing to scoff at.
5. Grow my Barry Larkin Collection to at least 200 different posts
Yet another fail. I didn't do well listing my Larkin cards - my written/scanned collection sits at a modest 152 cards right now. At the end of 2011, I had 113 different cards already written up. With a net gain of only 39 cards, I didn't come close to the goal of getting to 200 total cards. The one bright spot here is that in 2011 I only managed to write up 35 Larkin card posts, so at least I beat last year's total.
6. Host at least 8 different group breaks
Success. I believe I held 7 different group breaks this year, but I'm counting this particular goal as a success anyhow. For one, I may have miscounted and two, seven group breaks is probably too ambitious anyhow!
7. Expand the scope of my blog
Success! I've managed to keep the standard baseball card fare that my readers have come to expect (Allen & Ginter, modern sets, occasional pack breaks) but I also added in a bunch of full box reviews and a few more complete set collection posts. I've also added in a completely new flair in LEGOs, something that I didn't begin to even collect until around August of this year. I can promise you that I'll have plenty more LEGO themed posts in the upcoming year!
8. Get a sponsorship from one of the sport card manufacturers
Fail. I gave up on this goal early on and never actually bothered to even try. I would love to be able to review more products (ideally sent to me for free) but I recognize that my blog isn't considered one of the "big boys" and thus I doubt any manufacturer will bother to give me the time of the day.
9. Organize my sets (and put them all in binders)
Success. I didn't get every set I own in binders, but I did end up putting quite a few sets in binders over the last year. Furthermore, I believe that all of my complete sets are now at least organized - and with a bit more time (and money for binders and sheets), they will all be tucked away before too long.
10. Have fun and avoid burnout
Success - but barely. There seems to be an epidemic of burnout on the baseball blogs over the past year or so. I believe I managed to avoid burnout specifically by shifting focus away from all baseball cards, all the time. My newly rediscovered love of the LEGO minifigures has given me something else to collect (and thus blog about) and I've also spent a bit more time as of late with my Barry Larkin Collection. Furthermore, I was fortunate enough to land a few boxes of cards for my birthday which gave me fresh fodder for the blog during a time of the year that's usually devoid of card stuff to talk about (November and December).
Overall, I had 5 successes, 1 semi-success, and 4 fails out of my ten goals. Given how ambitious a few of the goals were, I'm happy with the results. As I mentioned earlier in the post, I'll be posting a new list of resolutions for 2013 in the near future - some of which will be repeats from this year's list and some of which will be completely different.
How did you do on your collecting goals? I'd love to know!
Comments
Congrats on not getting burned out! It's a bummer that it's happened to so many other bloggers, just when I've been getting into it.
ReplyDeleteMy main goal is to avoid burnout, and then get more organized. Nothing too exciting. Maybe try to complete a Padres team set from the 70s (either '73 or '77) or start TTM'ing more often.