It is a common practice this time of year to set new goals and resolutions. We do it professionally (“I want to open five new accounts in Q1…”) and personally (“Ugh, I need to lose 20 lbs. by March 1…”), so it makes sense to put the practice to use in our hobby lives as well. Of course, part of why we love our hobbies is the break they offer from our daily tasks but having goals to aim towards is never a bad thing. The following are my hobby goals and resolutions for 2021.
ACQUIRE
My overall collection consists of a few subcategories and I plan to add to each of them.
- Autographed AFL Sets – I have not added a new card to my signed sets in nearly four years because I simply haven’t seen the ones I need. With only eight more required to complete my sets, I would be happy to knock just a single card off my want list in 2021.
- Player Sets – I added three new members to my player set collection in 2020: Dave Grayson, Walt Sweeney and Lamar Hunt (team owner). The Grayson set is complete, but I need three cards for Sweeney and one for Hunt. I want to complete those two sets in the new year.
- Lance Alworth – He’s my all-time favorite player and an integral part of my collection; after collecting all of his vintage issues I decided to add post-career cards to my collection in 2020. There are roughly 550 different ones including 1/1s, printing plates and all else. I acquired about 250 new cards this year and would like to add another 50 in 2021.
- Lacrosse Cards – This is a fun collection for me. I love the sport, but lacrosse cards have nowhere near the hobby following as the football cards I enjoy. I would simply like to continue to learn about what has been printed over the years and pick up examples whenever I can.
- Expansion – With the exception of the player sets above, I did not take on any large new projects in 2020. I find that I appreciate my collection more when it has a strict focus. I would like to continue that narrow focus in 2021 and only begin a new collection after much planning and consideration.
EDUCATE
This is one of my favorite parts of the hobby. The exchange of information between collectors is an important part of hobby growth. I have certainly benefitted from collectors who took the time to explain things to me, and I would like to offer similar guidance to others. I am fortunate because I am able to write for SMR and the PSA Blog. They give me platforms from which I can share information. One of my hobby goals is to be even more active with my writing in 2021 than in years past. Hopefully my efforts will be beneficial to collectors of all ages and levels of expertise.
LEARN
The flip side of teaching is learning. While I don’t have an immediate desire to begin new collections for myself, I still enjoy learning new things about the hobby. It helps me to better understand the items my friends collect, and I can then alert other hobbyists if I find something they need. My goal in 2021 is to be more active in hobby groups and message boards, and to learn more about different segments of the hobby.
ORGANIZE
I firmly believe that my organization contributes greatly to how much I enjoy my collection. In a moment’s time I can locate any card I own. I have a scan of every card in my collection, as well as documentation in an Excel spreadsheet. All of my graded cards are entered into the PSA Set Registry. It took time to get to this point, but it is easy to maintain with each new acquisition. One of my goals for 2021 is to maintain this level of organization and not fall behind.
SOCIALIZE
COVID-19 made socializing a challenge, but I was still able to have great hobby interactions in 2020. I participated in several Zoom-based hobby talks. They were a bit different from in-person gatherings, but they had advantages as well. Zoom offered the opportunity to meet with collectors from across the country and we easily shared cards and other items. It was like a post-National meetup from the comfort of our own homes. Interacting with other collectors makes this hobby infinitely more enjoyable than it could ever be alone. We don’t know when COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted, but don’t let that dictate your hobby interaction. My goal is to be more active on forums, and participate in as many virtual hobby discussions as possible. I also want to meet new collectors. To aid in that endeavor, please shoot me an introductory email at [email protected] I would love to hear about your collection!
If you haven’t already done so, take some time and set a few hobby goals and resolutions for 2021. You might just find that a handful of guidelines greatly improves your hobby experience!
