30 Day Baseball Card Challenge

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Sunday, January 1, 2017

Hobby Resolutions: Past and Present

In life, it's important for people to set boundaries and create guidelines to help us stay focus and motivated.  Last year, I came up with five resolutions in regards to our hobby to keep me in line.  Let's see how I fared:

 #1:  Create a Monthly Hobby Budget and Adhere to It

 Although I'm very good about living within my means and not buying things I can't afford, I never actually stuck to a monthly hobby budget.  Or if I did... I didn't do it for long.  On the other hand, I did open a special savings account for recreational spending, which includes things like vacations, holiday shopping, and hobby expenses.

 Final Grade: C-
#2:  Purchase Five 1956 Topps Hall of Famers

I'll actually discuss this resolution a little more in Tuesday's post, but for now I'll just tell you that I didn't come close to reaching this goal.

 Grade: D-
#3:  Resurrect my Annual Summer Contest

 Epic fail.  I don't even think this entered my mind last summer, which is a shame.  This contest was always a lot of fun.  A lot of work too.  But bottom line... a lot of fun.  Maybe in 2017?  We'll see.

 Grade: F
#4:  Pick Up One of These Topps Sets:  1973, 1974, or 1977


 Finally... I succeeded with flying colors.  I picked up the 1977 Topps set for a project I'm currently working on at a card show for $80.  The 1973 and 1974 Topps baseball cards are the only two sets I need to complete my birth year through 1986 Topps set run.

 Grade: A+
#5:  Have Fun, Continue Blogging, and Read More Blogs

 The total number of posts I published declined for the fourth consecutive year and actually hit an all-time low.  Plus there were a few long periods where I was so busy, I didn't have time to read your posts either.  However... I was able to add a few new blogs to my reading list... and in terms of collecting, I did have a lot of fun.

 Grade: B-

 Normally I'd be very disappointed with a D+ average, but overall... I feel I did okay on my 2016 resolutions.  Could I have improved?  Of course.  But at the end of the day, I walked out of 2016 a pretty happy camper in terms of blogging and collecting.

 As for my 2017 resolutions, I think I'm going to hold off on making any new ones.  My major goals for this upcoming year are to...

 #1:  Maintain an average of 3 posts per week.
#2:  Continue reading your blog posts.
#3:  Pick up at least one 1956 Topps HOFer.
#4:  Continue to live within my means.
#5:  Have fun.

 What about you?
Did you create any 2017 hobby resolutions for yourself?

 I hope all of you enjoyed a safe New Year's Eve last night.  Happy New Years and sayonara!
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9 comments:

  1. Nachos GrandeJanuary 1, 2017 at 4:11 PM

    All good goals for sure. I think we should all put "have fun" on our list! Happy New Year!

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  2. SumoMenkoManJanuary 1, 2017 at 4:12 PM

    I'll be posting my 2017 goals soon. Thanks for a rundown of yours

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  3. night owlJanuary 1, 2017 at 6:51 PM

    My goal is the same every year: accumulate.

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  4. Billy KingsleyJanuary 1, 2017 at 9:47 PM

    I set 10 goals in 2016 and 6 in 2017. I will post my results and new challenges tomorrow. 2017's are kind of easy, and I expect to do them all, but it will take some effort.

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  5. AnonymousJanuary 1, 2017 at 11:15 PM

    have fun, YES!!!

    being away from blogging this year made me really miss the hobby...it's much more fun sharing with like minded folks.

    i really enjoy reading your blog and wish you best this year!

    ReplyDelete
  6. ManJanuary 3, 2017 at 4:18 AM

    Number 1 is my biggest challenge-but this year by god I will stick to a budget

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  7. GCAJanuary 3, 2017 at 8:41 AM

    Resolution #1 - Try to become a regular blogger.
    #2 - Keep it down to a couple dealer orders or shows per month so I don't spend ALL my cash on my wantlists.
    #3 - Help you kill your '74 set
    #4 - Repeat #3 for a lot of other people and their sets too.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Pro Set CardsJanuary 6, 2017 at 5:02 AM

    That's a great list of goals and I'll be cheering for you to reach them all. I just want to get back to posting on a consistent basis and making trades with fellow collectors and most importantly getting a chance to comment on other people's posts. Happy New Year Fuji!

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  9. FujiJanuary 6, 2017 at 5:52 AM

    nachos grande - it's the simplest and most important goal on my list.

    r laughton -read them earlier in the week. great list

    night owl - i like it. however i need to make it a little more specific. maybe something like "accumulate very specific cards"

    billy - my father always told me to make my goals realistic, but challenging.

    cardboard hogs - you too. i've really enjoyed reading your posts

    brady - once upon a time, i set that goal for myself. i don't bother anymore. i'm just going to be responsible and collect in moderation

    gca - thanks for the offer... but please pass those 74's to a collector who is actually building the set. i don't have the money or the patience to build it. i'll hold off and end up buying a completed set one day (or maybe never). who knows. best of luck on your 2017 goals

    forestrydave - thanks! happy new years!

    ReplyDelete