My 2012 baseball card collecting goals reviewed

My goals usually get derailed because it's a made up list of random things that sounds good at the beginning of the year - but ends up being a tedious to do list that doesn't hold up, becoming esoteric, redundant and maybe impractical.

This post is basically a review of the one I had at the beginning of this year - to see whether or not I was satisfied with what I did.

I realized I'd misnumbered my first list and skipped a goal - I added #5 about graded cards that was on the original draft I'd written up for myself.

1.) Doing something with my favorite players collection - basically count up and listing all the cards I have for particular players in a database and for this year picking up five to 15 'interesting' cards for my Top 10 favorites as well as 10 other players I'm interested in on a 'rotating' basis.

I don't think working on my favorite players lists have been a priority when it comes to actually picking up player specific singles or accounting for anything I may have already - updated 12/30/12

2.) Personal collection cards - I'd like to be able to count out a Top 30 list, tally up another 25-30 'alternative' PC cards and create a binder of PC cards for more sentimental purposes.

I got kind of started working on my PC at the beginning of the year but have to figure out a way to put my cards together in one physical place as opposed to a couple or more assorted boxes - updated 12/30/12

3.) Regional focus - establishing a Top 30 personal collection of cards, building an 'A-Z' singles collection [interesting cards of various players] and maintaining an Angels 'shoebox collection' under team boxes [featuring more rank-and-file cards / inserts].

I'm still kind of out of focus with these goals and it's killing me I may have no clue to organize my Angels cards - updated 12/30/12

4.) A-Z singles stored in top loaders - I want to store various singles in top loaders in a box, list in a database and file away by player in 'ABC' order and maybe by card type i.e. basic rookie cards, parallels and certified autograph cards.

I'm still kind of out of focus with these goals and it's killing me that my collection of A-Z singles is completely jumbled up - updated 12/30/12

5.) Organize my graded cards - it's harder to weed out any cards that are 'dated,' when the cards make up a chunk of my graded colllection...it is what it is...make note of any PC type cards but don't want to physically separate any slabs.

I'm still kind of out of focus with this goal because all I have are low quality graded cards I don't want to go through - updated 12/30/12

6.) Collecting topics cards - add about 500 different ones with 250 either old-school [pre-1980] and/or vintage [pre-1973] cards.

I may have about 150-200 total cards for 2012 with some 'old school' or 'vintage' pick-ups, but nothing close to 500 cards overall and nowhere close to 250 'old school' or 'vintage' cards - updated 12/30/12

7.) Pick up 15-20 first-year autograph cards and 10-15 first-year Angel autograph cards.

Doesn't seem realistic to go after prospect cards that are already signed when I'm going for many of the players in-person - updated 12/30/12

8.) Pick up a 'PC' rookie card or two - something like a PSA graded 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson RC or a PSA graded 1983 Topps Tony Gwynn RC and so forth.

Not happening anytime soon just because I feel like I don't have to pick up any particular cards at the moment just to store away in a box - updated 12/30/12

9.) Bust about three to five 'full' boxes every three months - I want to bust boxes on a somewhat regular basis, but the cards I will need are probably base cards, more common parallels. I'll try to see if I can bust mostly current-year product with a mix of some 'oddball' stuff that maybe fun if now relatively worthless.

I made the card shop I go to happy [though not quite rich] by busting the following:

1.) 2011 Donruss Elite Extra Edition $120
2.) 2012 Bowman jumbo $140
3.) 2012 Topps Heritage Minors $70
4.) 2012 Bowman Draft $70
5.) 2012 Bowman Draft $70
6.) 2012 Bowman Draft $70

Still, I was no prolific box buster where I'm ripping up three or four boxes of a product or a case many times during a year, so I couldn't get into busting something on a somewhat regular basis - updated 12/30/2012

10.) Finish my Topps team runs [except for any expansion teams that may apply, a 1978-current year card for each of the 30 MLB teams] and my Topps sampler runs [a card from 1978-current year] - I'd like to get these out of the way sooner than never as sort of 'side projects' I work on when I stumble upon appropriate year Topps cards.

I'm working on my 'runs' at a snail's pace when I don't have access to cards that I need and don't want to dig for particular cards during a card shop or card show trip - updated 12/30/12

11.) Pick up 10-15 blasters and/or various retail offerings and maybe 20-25 assorted retail / hobby packs - I don't really pull anything of significance but the hunger to bust something never ceases.

I feel like I don't want to pay $20 for a retail blaster all too often [no real chance at nice hits and too little cards per box] and after the novelty of a new release wears off, I can live without a Target or Walmart trip ending without cards - updated 12/30/12

12.) Do 10-15 impulsive card related things - point being is to have some fun.

1.) Build up a pack surplus to bust at different times of the year - MY PLANNED PACK ATTACKS NEVER QUITE HAPPENED BECAUSE WHAT IS OUT THERE THAT IS UNIQUE - updated 12/30/12.
2.) Bust my COMC cherry - DONE though I have one more card left to be shipped and I never bothered to pick up anymore cards - updated 12/30/12.
3.) Add one or two graded Angels rookie cards - franchise legends, doesn't have to be a Hall of Famer, but more of the vintage pre 1973 variety - NOTHING IS HAPPENING WITH THIS AT THE MOMENT - updated 12/30/12.
4.) Add three vintage Angels Topps graded cards [1961-1980] - a sampler run of sorts - NOTHING IS HAPPENING WITH THIS AT THE MOMENT - updated 12/30/12.
5.) Bust an assorted number of random packs from the 1980s from BB Card Exchange - NOTHING IS HAPPENING WITH THIS AT THE MOMENT - updated 12/30/12.
6.) Pick up two or three minor league sets - I ACTUALLY PICKED UP SEVEN OR EIGHT SETS FOR A ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE TRIP - updated 12/30/12.
7.) Bust some 'oddball,' 'forgotten' wax such as 1986 Donruss box, 1986 Fleer, 1989 Upper Deck - MAYBE TIED TO #1 and #5, I DON'T FEEL THE SAME WAY UNLESS I KNEW THERE WERE BETTER CARDS TO UNEARTH OTHER THAN WHAT IS OUT THERE ALREADY - updated 12/30/12.