General Forum

I quit setting goals completely. I just didn't see the point. Sure, I completed lots of those goals, but I also didn't complete some that were more important to me. So now I just play it as it comes. Since I have such a large footprint in the online card world, I constantly get offers from all over. I make lots of trades and some purchases and sells as well. With all that going on, I'm acquiring wants and removing traders constantly. I guess it helps that I collect so much different stuff too. It just keeps it more fun to me. Setting goals was leading to unwanted frustration and stress.

Still frustrated about people wanting $1.25 plus shipping on a .50 card.

1.  Changing my focus every so often has helped.  Worked on my Ahman Greens (over 1,000 now)  Then cards fron eary 90s.  then autographs.  etc.   Very helpful for me.

2.  Trading has been slow  at 84 so the 20 has not been reached.  Send out several messages in hopes to get a few more deals done before the end of the year.

3.  Total cards are 9,301 as of now  

4.  Autographed cards at 729  add a lot over the Black Friday sales

5  Jersey cards  297  again good Black Friday sales

6.  Goes back to changing focus  clean up on a few sets and some nicer older cards

7.   Still have approx. $25.00 for Dec 

8.  Do not get any out in Nov but plans to send out some Christmas cards.  Geting them ready to go.

I am happy to see that you have found a way to enjoy the hobby once again.  Like all goals that we set for anything (New Year's resolutions come to mind), we often set them too high and then when we "fail", we are frustrated.  I have learned through the years of collecting that it is best not to set short-term goals (other tha in fun) or unrealistic goals.  Yes, I have goals in the hobby but I look at it as if I have a life time to achieve them.  And if I don't, well in the end, the cards are not coming with me.

Like you, I regularly change what I am doing in the hobby so as not to get frustrate or bored.  I sometimes look for cards to buy, enjoy filling trades, continue to keep my collection organized (new card lots means everything from adding cards into my sets, my PC, in the database and my excel files, then merging the extras into my traders boxes), buying plastic sheets and getting more of my sets into binders, and imagine, even looking at the cards I have. Organizing my collection is one goal that I did set and determinedly worked hard to get where I am - I don't care to fall back.  Other goals:

I hope to one day own all of the OPC baseball cards issued from 1965 to 1994 - I am just under 700 cards now.

I also want to complete as many of the vintage Topps sets as I can in my lifetime.  Because access to the cards is more difficult in Canada (shipping prices and other costs on ebay and some of the other card sites make it almost cost prohibitive to use those), I don't focus on any one set but take the opportunity to buy cards I need as they come available.  That is why I gladly bought the large lot of vntage cards recently which helped getting my 1959-1961 sets down to less than 100 cards missing in each set.  It may be a while before I add any more to those sets but one never knows where the next opportunity may show itself.

After that, I take what the hobby throws at me.  I enjoy the time I spend in it including this site but I don't allow any one thing to take over my focus and cause me frustration.  It is a hobby; it is not a life and death issue.

Enjoy the hobby as you are now.  I am happy to hear you found the way as I remember you expressing the frustration last year when others posted their own goals.