The one-card challenge

In the few years that I've been running this blog, communicating and trading with fellow collectors, I've noticed a few things about us collecting types.

I'm not going to list them all because that would mean I would have to sit down in a darkened house at 3 in the morning and actually try to come up with a list. No way I'm doing that.

I'm just going to mention one thing. And that thing is: have you ever noticed how fired up collectors get when they find out that another collector needs just one card to complete a set? They get fired up. I mean REALLY fired up. I'd say it's like when the teacher asks a question and a student knows the answer and raises his hand so vigorously that he practically dislocates his shoulder.

But it's more intense then that. It's almost as if a siren goes off in every collector's head and they immediately run to their collection to see if they have that card for their fellow collector in need. Before you know it, two hours have passed, but the collector has found that 1992 Topps Doug Dascenzo card.

This is a tremendous instinct we have. I love it.

I just experienced it myself a few days ago. In a post, I mentioned that I was one card short of finishing off the Dodger team set for 2001 Heritage. All I needed the Jeff Shaw card.

I wrote this post on a Wednesday.

BAM!!!!!

I had the Shaw card in my hands on Saturday.

That's three days!

And it came from about a thousand miles away!

That's crazy. But that's the helpfulness of a fellow collector.

Many thanks to carlsonjok for shipping this to me so urgently. I'm now done with the '01 Heritage Dodgers' team set.

I've experienced this phenomenon several times now. And I've actually participated in it myself, responding to that pleading voice, that someone needs a certain card to finish off a set, and, wonder of wonders, I HAVE THAT CARD! OK, it's taken me a little longer than three days to send it out. But I got it there. Because there was a needy, hungry collector with a single hole in his collection.

This is one of the coolest parts of blogging that I have experienced. And I thought I'd try something here and see if we can help some collectors in need.

I'm calling it The One-Card Challenge.

If you are lacking a single card from a set, whether it's a card to complete an entire base set, or a team set, or whatever, leave a comment on this post with the name of the card and the set. If you know the card number, throw that in, too. The more details the better.

The comments will then be available for all to see. If I have the card, I will try to fill the need, but anybody else can send the card out, too. If people don't know how to get in contact with the collector who needs the card, I will try to track down an email address for the collector.

I'll link this post up on the sidebar so people can consult it whenever they want. Also, if this becomes successful at all, I'll provide periodic updates and maybe fine-tune what is a very off-the-top-of-my-head idea.

So if there is one card that has been pestering you, keeping you from finishing off a set, never fear. Rely on a collector's basic instinct to help fill this need! We can't help it. It's who we are.

We must meet the One-Card Challenge.