Creating a plan for collecting, it's really the ticket to sanity

If you take Mayan prophecy seriously, then 2012 may not be looking to good for you.  I'm not so worried about it.  So I'm taking a minute to really plan out my collecting into the next year.  Really, if the Mayans were so damn brilliant, they probably could've predicted the end of their civilization.  So their little 'prophecy' can just leave me the hell alone.  I've got bigger and better things to do.

Really, to get the most out of collecting, at least in my opinion, you have to have a sense of completion when you're done collecting a certain set.  And let's face it, sets now days are pretty huge and can be daunting to say the least.  So I'm going to be smart about this, and really pre-plan this thing.

So, like anything else, I have to give myself a set of parameters for my collecting.  And parameters means making a list.  I love making lists. 

But before I can make a list, I have to a goal in mind.  So here's my goal:

1) Complete the Murad relics and minis

2) Complete the base set of Masterpieces football

3) Make a base set - but not a mini set - of Gypsy Queen

4) Complete a master set of 2012 Heritage baseball of everything numbered above 75-100 copies

5) Complete a set of 1963 Topps


Sounds daunting doesn't it?  But really, as a collector, seeing this list in written form makes sense to me.  This is a collection that defines my style and is something I would deem worthy of having.

But this list isn't as daunting as it seems.  First off, 2012 Heritage (which will be the '63 themed set) is still more than a year out.  So I have a lot of time to get myself prepared for that.  And I decided, after a lot of thought, that I really need to make the '63 Topps set.  It's the year that my parents were born....and without them, there would've been no me.  Plus, my birth year of '81 just wouldn't look as good.

And I really want to do a bang-up job on the 2012 Heritage set.  I don't know how the numbering will shake out, but I want to build a couple of variation sets, including the Chromes, relics and autos.  I'm thinking a case might be the best way to go about that.  So I'll have to look at how much this year's case costs and plan a budget accordingly.  Maybe it will happen and maybe it won't.  But it will for SURE NOT HAPPEN if I don't make a plan at all for this.

Now the actual 63 Topps set I can start building now.  There are some really spendy cards in that set.  I'll have to be dedicated to finding deals and parting with other things in my collection to achieve it.

So here's my plan:

I have to finish the Murad minis before the month of March is out.  This is doable.  I've just not done it.  I'm short only two relics, but I can't help that those two cards haven't been listed for purchase.  I'll pick them up when they pop up.  March is Murad month. 

I've decided to abandon a framed set of Masterpieces and just focus on building a simple base set.  It's a great set, but in the list of priorities, it's got to fall down a peg.  My goal for finishing the base set of Masterpieces is by mid-April.  I'll sell the autos and relics (if possible) along with any variations I feel could bring some money to get that done.

Now, from April to the end of summer, I'll be focusing on building a base set of Gypsy Queen.  Just the base set.  I really want to have the inaugural base set.  I'm not going crazy and declaring I'm building the mini set and relics from that.  I'll buy a box, and work the base set from the secondary market.  I figure an easy summer of a simple base set is called for. 

Depending on how quickly I finish Gypsy Queen will dictate how intensely I can start on the actual 1963 Topps baseball set.  But to be fair to myself, even though I'll be looking for deals now, I'm not going to put a ton of pressure on myself to build that in earnest until early fall of this year.

And of course, so that there is no confusion, there will always be a search for Bowman Batum RC's that will surpass all other cards in my priority list.  Just saying.

So I've given myself enough of a project to ensure that I'll be posting here for a long while to come.