I resolve to not be so scatter-brained

 

Longtime readers of this blog may know that I don't make New Year's resolutions when it comes to the hobby. Heck, most years I don't make New Year's resolutions period.

 

The hobby resolution ban has to do with how resolutions aren't very fun and imply that you're doing something wrong, and I am never doing anything wrong when it comes to collecting my cards.

 

But there's one thing I'd like to resolve to do in the new year, because it's driving me wacky right about now. I'd like to not be so scatter-brained.

 

This has come up twice recently as far as collecting cards (and lots of other times in other areas of my life because that's just what happens when you to get to my age).

 

A few days ago, I received a 1981 Kellogg's Steve Garvey card from reader Stewart. He had noticed that I had listed the card on my Nebulous 9 and he had an extra copy.

 

He's a sharp reader because it hadn't been on the Nebulous 9 for very long. I had placed it there in an emergency situation because I had suddenly discovered that the '81 Kellogg's Garvey card that I had, and knew very well, was gone. Nowhere to be found.

What's worse, I remembered trading the card away because I thought I had an extra copy. That was silly, because not only is a Garvey card a requirement for my Dodgers collection but an extra one is necessary for my pursuit of everything Kellogg's between 1970-83. I actually require two of them. I don't know what I was thinking. Or not thinking.

So that crisis has been averted, although I should get that extra Garvey at some point.

 

Now for the other issue. They flow together nicely because Stewart is involved in both.

He's one of the guys who said he'd be happy to take some extra Dodgers cards off my hands. I said that I'd begin distributing some of my too many extras at the start of the year and I actually got a jump on it last week, sending some early packages out to a couple of people.

I've also assembled and packaged 3 or 4 more to go out this week, but before I do that, I need to figure out what the heck happened to the 1992 Topps gold extras that I had set aside for somebody. Once again, they are nowhere to be found.

I have looked and looked -- in the two boxes of extras where I had been pulling extras, in all of the piles that I have set aside for each individual request, in the stacks of cards on my card desk that I might have mistakenly placed them in, in the stacks of dupes on top of my dupes box that I sift through every once in awhile.

They ain't there.

This probably is quite distressing for the person who requested them but I mentioned that they are 1992 Topps gold cards specifically in case I somehow placed them in one of two packages that I sent out last week. If you're one of those people and said, "what the heck are these '92 Topps Dodgers?" when you opened your envelope, now you know why.

And that's why I need to stop the scatter-brain business. This could be devastating to my hobby in which everything is based on organization and specific tastes. What happens when I carry out my post-retirement plan to sell cards (because there sure ain't time now to do that) and I can't even get people the right card?

So, that's my resolution, to try to keep my head screwed on straight.

Thanks for the card, Stewart. It was quite the relief. I'll try to make sure you get the cards you requested without sending you Diamondbacks or something.