2017's Collecting Goals

Happy New Year!

As I do every year, it's time to set goals for the 2017 collecting season.

I've been setting annual blogging goals that never seem to be met. But maybe this year will be different.

1. Update/post about card shops in Japan. Several shops have moved in the past couple of years, stock changes, and I visited some new card shops in 2016. It's time to get that information out there.
2. Build that Japan Card Index. I basically have the data put together, I just need to turn that into a post/page.
3. Calbee annual sets. I got a year or two done before going AWOL last year, and I'm pretty much done with the tough posts. As long as I can post consistently, that might just happen.
4. I didn't do a good job last year of keeping up with new releases (I'm not talking blogging - it turns out I missed the entire Carp team set release and several box sets). I'd like to post proper set reviews like I did in 2015, which help me stay on top of things.

These are basically last year's goals. I'm dropping the idea of an idol of the week. I might "go back" to that at some point, but there are so many other things to post about and so little time to write.

I met last year's collecting goals pretty well. I was pretty ambitious with my plans but still knocked out about half of the list. This year's goals:

1. Update my Japanese Type Collection master lists. It has lots of missing data from 2014 to present, and the non-BBM listings need to be reformatted.
   
2. Re-inventory, label, and organize my Japanese non-sport type collection. The inventory is now wrong, and right now the cards are just piled up on a shelf.
3. Add five vintage base sets to the collection (here, vintage will mean anything before 2016). I expect to get the 2017 Stadium Club and Topps sets already. I'm at 137 of 224 base sets (Topps with Traded/Update, Donruss, Fleer, Score, Upper Deck, Stadium Club, Ultra). Most of what I need is in the 1980s and 1990s, though that 2015 Stadium Club set is proving to be quite elusive.
4. I need 126 base cards for my type collection. Many of those are pre-1970. I would like to add all 126, but if I can get that list down to 50 I'll be happy.
5. Reach 25% on the 2012-2015 type collection. One major project I worked on last fall was building my type collection; 1981-2000 is at 50%+ for each year, and 2001-2011 is 25%+.  I can work on one year each month and then start focusing on pre-1981 vintage. 
6. Reduce my Japanese set want list from 177 to 150. Actually, that can be pretty easy if I delete off some sets that I shouldn't be chasing and grab a few other cards here and there. So I'll push for 125.
7. Finish the 2000 Japan Olympics set. I'm down to 18 cards in the 264 card set; hopefully I can find them!
8. Reorganize my Japanese single-card collection. This is just a one-day project. I gotta find that one day.
   
9. Complete the Japanese MLB collection. I say complete, but really just bring it up to date. I need to verify my spreadsheet, which currently lists 54 players. I need 30 NPB cards for those players, and 6 MLB cards.
10. Update the Gaijin (foreigners in Japan) card list for 2016 and reach 550 cards (from 514). It would be nice to get to 600, and it's doable.
11. Reach 200 cards in my Japanese player collection (currently at 124 cards of 501). That's Tanishige and Rami-chan.
12. Do something with the Japanese stadium card want list. I might make customs if I can find images.
13. Finish off the MLB Awards/Leaders list. There are 137 cards on the list. There are some toughies on the list.
14. Do something with the Japanese Awards list for the players who have no cards - mostly members of the Hall of Fame who didn't play in the NPB.
15. Add one figure for my player collection (I have 11 of 24 now).
16. Add three autographs for my player collection (I have 11 of 24 now). 
17. Add three vintage (~1979) Nolan Ryan cards to my collection.
18. Reduce my US sets list from 146 to 125. This is a carry-over from last year; with a little bit of luck I might actually make it to 100.
19. Add 3 non-sport hits (16 wanted). I've been searching for good deals for 16 specific actors/TV personalities and have yet to find something that makes me pull the trigger.
20. Add 6 baseball hits (12 wanted). Some of these players have no autographs, so I'll be grabbing relic cards if they exist; otherwise I'll find a filler card.

I have a lot of goals this year. Some are easy, and some are tough. We'll see how things turn out!