Stuff I wanna do

Yeah, you got me, it's one of those start-of-the-year "goals" posts. I don't like doing these, but I'm resigned to the fact that they do help me focus a little, mostly here on the blog.

As you know, collecting is fun. I don't want to put stringent guidelines and goals on something as carefree as this hobby. So, the "I will complete this set," "I will pursue these cards" talk is out. I will do what I feel. And I will change my mind when I feel like it. I will be a collecting engima.

But, yes, I should probably figure out at least generally what I want to do in 2016. I'm going to use some cards that reader Chris gave me to help me in processing this.

So -- *ahem* -- stuff I wanna do:

COLLECT SETS I WANT TO COLLECT

Pretty obvious, right? But I think I will be able to be more serious about this in 2016, particularly relating to older sets.

I got caught up in 2015 sets last year because I liked them, and I still have to finish off those. But as for 2016 sets, I don't see anything I'm going to complete. The usual top candidates -- flagship, Stadium Club and Allen & Ginter -- are already out, and I don't see myself changing my mind once those sets come out (but I reserve the right to do so!).

The only 2016 set that may give me problems is Heritage. It's featuring the 1967 design this year and as you know, that is in my top five of Topps designs ever. If Heritage didn't have those blasted short-prints, there would be no doubt in my mind that I would be collecting this.

So without 2016 in the way that means trying to complete cool sets like the 2001 Upper Deck Decade '70s set. And trying to wrap up 1972 Topps. And finishing 1981 Donruss. And whatever else I want to complete that's musty and old. 2016 will be the year for that!

SPRING CLEAN MY WANT LISTS

I think sometime in May or so -- right around the time when Topps is issuing boring sets like Gypsy Queen -- I'll spruce up my want lists.

I don't think they need a lot of work, but I know there are plenty of gaps as far as inserts. And I get suspicious when I get cards like the ones above in the mail. I receive those Topps '52 World Series cards from 2002 constantly. It makes me feel like I have these listed somewhere on my want list and I don't know it.

That's what I hope to clear up this year.

STILL COLLECT NON-BASEBALL SETS

I'm pretty particular in this area, so let me lay it out for you.

My chief non-baseball sportscard interest is football, specifically 1977 Topps football and the Buffalo Bills.

As for the Bills, I've received so many Bills cards in the past year that I am limiting it to just Bills from the time period when I covered them to the end of their Super Bowl run. So 1985-94 is a good time period.

That doesn't mean I don't want Bills (or football cards) from earlier than 1985. Anything from the 1970s or early '80s is fun, and who wants to turn away a card from the '60s with anything on it? Those are still fair game.

By the way, this Ferguson card is my first 1978 Topps football card. How I can be so gaga over 1977 Topps Football and so oblivious over 1978 football, I have no idea.

I still like Sabres cards, really from any period, and I plan to seek out nonsports cards that I am interested in -- which likely means TV and movie cards from the '70s, Wacky Packages stickers, etc.

However, all of these are much more secondary to my baseball and Dodgers interests.

CONTINUE TO HAVE ADULT CONVERSATIONS

Hey, look! It's a Mets Mike Piazza card! This brings my Mets Piazza total to four!

I love the postcard theme to these cards, although this is the most lecture-y postcard I have ever read. Kind of a downer there, Skybox.

So, anyway, "adult conversations."

I like to have fun on the blog and I'm not much for "discussing big topics" whether it has to do with the hobby or baseball or beyond. But I am an adult and I have interests and opinions about a lot of things and I want that to show on the blog.

Although I think ranting about the Hall of Fame can get very tired, I like comments that are sometimes long and expressive. The "great pick-ups!" comments are OK once in awhile, but if most of my comments were like that, my blog probably would disappear quickly.

I will continue to write what interests the very adult me, while continuing to play in a very kid-like hobby. It's a balance that I know I can continue to maintain.


KEEP THE BLOG SERIES ALIVE

Last year I put together a rundown of my various blog series and established what I wanted to do with each of them. I liked that. And I'll do it again here now.

a) Awesome Night Card: The first series ever created on NOC. It will continue 2 to 4 times a month.

b) The 100 Greatest Cards of the '70s: I sort of promised that this would happen in 2015. It didn't because I did a Topps set countdown and I didn't have all the cards I wanted for the '70s countdown. I have most of them now. So I'll be doing this countdown in 2016. Not sure when I'll start though. Summer sounds good right now.

c) Most Hall of Famers in a Set: These have started to appear just once a year and right around the time that the newest Hall of Fame class is revealed. I think that's the appropriate time and I'll continue to do that. So you can expect to see one of those posts soon.

d) Cardboard Appreciation: Yup, still doing those, although the golden age for when someone would blog about a single card and get 15 responses died about four years ago. I would like to have a vote-off poll in 2016 and get another card in the Cardboard Appreciation Hall of Fame.

e) Best Set of the Year: It will continue. We're going to enter Upper Deck territory very soon, which is when this series will get tricky.

f) One-And-Done Players: Difficult to compile each time I do it, but I find it fascinating each time. These individuals got one major card and that was it! You'll see one or two of these in 2016.

g) Define the Design: I think I've already named the 2016 Topps design, but I've got to make it official like. Plus I'll throw in some names for past designs. A couple more posts of this in the next year.

h) The Card After: This is where I spotlight the card for an individual that came the year after an iconic card for that player. I like it. I'm still doing it.

i) '56 of the Month: Now that a want list is up for this set, I see myself obtaining more of these cards. I would like to land at least one or two major cards from this set at card shows in the coming year. If I do, '56 of the Month is an excellent place to showcase it.

j) Team MVPs: This is where I find the best card for each team for an individual set that I have completed. I'll do a couple of these in 2016. Next up is 1982 Topps.

k) Spawn: This was a new series in 2015. I started with the name "Cabrera" and figured out which player with that name "spawned" all the other Cabreras. This idea fascinates me because names fascinate me. It got mixed reviews last year. Great feedback the first time, almost none the second time. You'll see it again.

l) Best of the '70s: The '70s rule. I didn't do enough of these in 2015. I'll try to do more in 2016.

m) Joy of a Team Set: I love this series for its simplicity and it's easy to do. Going to do more.

n) Match the Song Title: I think the key to this series is finding a group or singer or album that connects with people (the ELO post was a big hit). That's difficult to do because music is more subjective than even what cards people like. But I got the music in me, so you'll see it again.

o) Get To Know Me: I started this series in 2015 with my plea for more Kellogg's cards. The plea didn't work and I promptly forgot about the series. I think I put enough of myself in each post that readers know me. This series will disappear.

p) I'm Bad Ass And You're Not Club: I said I'd revive this series in 2015 and then did nothing with it. I'll try to raise it from the dead again this year.

q) Legends Of Cardboard: Surprisingly, one of the most popular sets that I've written. I will be searching out more cardboard legends in 2016. Already have a few people in mind.

RIP, SORT, CATALOG, REPEAT

Really, this is the only thing that I've mentioned so far that I guarantee I will be doing in the next year.

And it's what will make 2016 a collecting success.