2025: the best, the worst, the ... haves and the have-nots

 

In 2025, the hobby started trying to kick me out at every turn.

 

I'm sure it probably started before 2025, but I didn't really notice until this year. And it's not going to succeed. Because I make the rules when it comes to my hobby. Let others play their pretend games, collect their fantasy role-playing products, act like cards are worth more because they're sealed in plastic, claim that 1/1 was not planted into their video break in front of thousands of subscribers.

 

I will collect the way I always do and treat the hobby as I did in 1982. But I know that I am a have-not in this current scenario. I see it when I visit a card store, a card show, an empty card aisle or an online site offering their latest high-end come-on with an annoying pop-up ad.

 

The hobby -- thanks, Fanatics -- isn't as generous as it once was, because it's a business to too many people. And business for people today is not about give-and-take. It's about take-and-take. It's about maximum profits. Selling dollar singles and catering to set-collectors aren't cost-effective and collectors like me are going from being accommodated to tolerated to simply cut out. I have never been reminded more often or more absolutely than I have in 2025.

 

But the hobby will not kick me out. It will have to wait until I die off. I'm hoping that it comes to a reckoning before I am all out of years, but I think for that to happen one hell of a crash is going to have to occur.

 

Once I could ignore the ugly parts of the hobby and know that it wouldn't affect me, or make sure it wouldn't. Today, I can't ignore them because they do affect me -- mostly because merchandise isn't as available as it was 10 years ago and all the years before that.

 

Still, I've always been a trooper. I will find the good parts, celebrate the deals and the steals no matter how "small" and know that they are bigger victories than they've ever been. I'm more fortunate than most. I have a better hobby budget than I have most years that I've written this blog. In the current atmosphere I managed to add a lot of good stuff in 2025. So enough mournful words and let's see the victories! 

 

BEST SET I COMPLETED

 

2025 wasn't as strong of a year for completing sets as 2024 was (see above), but I did pretty well. The best example -- by far -- was finishing the 1969 Topps set. 

 

That's not just because I landed a few huge cards this past year to get to complete but also because I'm pretty sure this set put the bow on me completing large-ass sets forever. With 1969 through 1992 Topps finished, I can't come up with any good reason why I should extend it, from either end. And I think it will be years before I do find a reason, if I ever do.

 

Other sets I completed:

 

1970 Fleer World Series

 

 

1971 Fleer World Series

 

 

1990 Pacific Legends

 

 

1988 Pacific Legends

 

 

1979 Topps football

 

 

1985 Rock Star Concert

 

I'll throw in a couple of completed team sets, too, just to pad the numbers.

 

2006 Topps gold Dodgers (I later added the Jose Valentin and Bill Mueller)

 

 

 1961 Nu-Scoops Dodgers

 

 

1952 Topps low-number Dodgers.

 

Hey, that includes the Pafko and I picked up some other biggies in the set this year.

 

 

BEST SETS I'LL COMPLETE IN 2026

 

 

1983 Donruss should be first on the list.

 

 

1985 Donruss. Just 15 cards away, three of those are Gooden, Clemens and Puckett, but is that really stopping me?

 

 

1987 Fleer. I still need a fair amount (less than 100) but if I focused on it for a couple of weeks, I could finish it instantly.

 

 

2025 Heritage. I'm 5 or 6 cards away (I think, I haven't checked for gremlins yet). Hopefully I can get it finished before 2026 Heritage is out -- but I haven't decided if I'll collect that given everything.

 

I also have a couple of completion projects in the works as I write this, which means I don't know if I should consider them 2025 completions or 2026 completions. I guess 2026 makes the most sense. Let's inflate those numbers in the new year!!

 

 

1975 Hostess

 

This is the second straight year I've anticipated completing this set in the coming year. I'm getting to the point where the only cards I need from this set are short-prints, and they've been more difficult to obtain than when I was collecting the '76 and '77 Hostess sets. Also, the Robin Yount rookie is an SP. Yay!!!

 

Speaking of which:

 

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BEST PICK-UPS FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2025:

 

January - I received this most-generous send of 15 cards from the 1979 Hostess set.

 

 

 February - I added this super-sharp 1965 Topps Willie McCovey card from the local card show.

 

 

March - This 1952 Duke Snider also came from the same local show, in fact from the same dealer. It's not as sharp as the McCovey, obviously, and I was feeling about as well as this Snider card looks at the time, so all things considered, I did pretty well.

 

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BEST SET OF 2025

 

 

It's Heritage. There was not a lot to go on for the first 10 months of the year -- nothing was being released. I probably would have chosen Heritage regardless because I wasn't crazy about the flagship set this year (it's OK) and everything else has grown less-and-less appealing.

 

2025 Heritage isn't perfect by any measure, but it does give off those nostalgia vibes of collecting in the fifth grade. Just look at that All-Star star (but don't pay attention to the position name being in all caps).

 

While I'm on the topic of releases in 2025, here's a primitive bar graph I made of most of the baseball set releases in 2025:

 

This doesn't include everything -- for example I didn't acknowledge Leaf's goofiness -- but most of it is here, even stuff that would never make it to retail shelves. But I also compiled a bar graph for the sets that would traditionally show up at retail stores if things were normal.

 

In both cases, December is jammed with releases while in the rest of the months we were practically starving for product. This is the Fanatics way, just find the time period when you will make the most money and shower consumers with cards then when most couldn't possibly collect them all. Also, forget about spotting product on store shelves longer than three weeks. Fanatics can't conceive of anyone collecting a set for a month.

 

WORST SET OF THE YEAR

 

I don't have any pictures here because I'm told that 2025 Heritage High Numbers is an online product only. A set meant for set collectors for as long as it's been a thing is now an online exclusive and still has short-prints, too. Oh and three of the Dodgers are SPs. Now you know why I'm thinking waffling about collecting the 2026 set.

 

 

BEST UNEXPECTED COLLECTING DEVELOPMENT 

 

 I started picking up pre-1950s cards. It really has been almost a subconscious pursuit and only here and there (the cards aren't cheap). But I'm more interested in these than I've been in the past. Will I go full-in on these in the next year? Doubtful. But you'll see a handful more I'm certain.

 

 

WORST TOPPS GOOF

 

They still haven't realized they flubbed the name of a Hall of Fame icon despite all the recent previous times, even one from earlier this year!

 

 

BEST CARD OF 2025

 

I first added this Heritage card recognizing the Dodgers' 2024 World Series title in May. Since then I've added a parallel or two of it. In an ideal world, I'd have all the parallels of this card.

 

Runners-up:

 

Best flagship card.

 

 

 

I like this, too.
 

That's it. That's all I've got. Maybe release Stadium Club again, Fanatics.

 

 

BEST DRUG STORE DISCOVERY, NON-ANTIBIOTIC VERSION

 

In March, at the local Walgreen's -- which only sold cards in a locked case -- I found a display of blister packs up near the checkout. This was a one-time only thing, I haven't seen them since, kind of like the hardware store that I raved about selling cards last year didn't put out anything in 2025.

 

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BEST PICK-UPS FOR THE SECOND QUARTER OF 2025

 

 

April - The second half of the two 1969 cards I traded in high school for a 1955 rookie Sandy Koufax. The first one -- Roberto Clemente -- returned to my collection in 2024 and now I the '69 Pete Rose again.

 

 

May - 1950 Bowman Pee Wee Reese. The first half of the year was about finding older Dodgers from Bowman sets, I need to get back to that.

 

 

June - Following the '52 Snider in March, I finally acquired the Gil Hodges that I have seen (and owned) in various other card reprint tributes for years. Finally this orange beauty is mine.

 

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BEST CARDS PEOPLE SENT/GOT ME

 

Hang on for some greatness:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BEST NON-CARDS PEOPLE SENT ME

 

 

 A Ron Cey bobblehead from Nick.

 

 

Jersey replicas of Freddie Freeman, Orel Hershiser and Jackie Robinson as a thank you for giving away some of my surplus Dodgers. I've worn both the Freeman and Hershiser to card shows. Haven't dared to don the Robinson yet.

 

BEST ENTIRE SET PEOPLE SENT ME

 

Well, just one people. Zippy Zappy bestowed upon me the entire 2012 Sega CardGen set.

 

 

WORST CARD EXAMPLE OF FANATICS' CORNER-CUTTING

 

If you're a sports fan that likes to wear sports apparel then you are already aware of Fanatics' quality issues. For decades all I ever wanted was a hat for my team to wear. Then the Dodgers won two World Series titles just in time for Fanatics to dominate with their flimsy clothing. The best 2025 card version of this for me is the 2025 Heritage insert sets.

 

There is very little of what made Heritage a true nostalgia set for years with a look back at TV shows, movies and political figures of the past. Now we get more inserts of the players who are already featured in the base set. A drumbeat of stars and rookies with little thought involved.

 

 

WORST COLLECTING DEVELOPMENT OF THE PERSONAL KIND

 

The only person I could talk to regularly about cards, a co-worker of mine, died from a heart attack in September. He started selling cards over the last two years and I'd visit his table every chance I'd get. These are the last two cards I bought from him when he was alive. I was fortunate I got to buy a few more of his cards after he passed.

 

 

WORST COLLECTING DEVELOPMENT FOR COLLECTORS LIKE ME

 

The baseballcardstore.ca shut its doors after one of the owners, Stephen, lost his wife. Ever since the pandemic I had visited the site for super-cheap cards and the proprietors were always so kind.

 

 

In May, I landed this Johnny Bench OPC card for 15 cents from the site. You can't find something like that at any of your popular online selling sites.

 

Another win for The Haves.

 

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BEST PICK-UPS FOR THE THIRD QUARTER OF 2025

 

 July - Getting closer to the set finish with this perfectly cool 1969 Topps Hank Aaron card.

 

 

August - The second big Duke Snider card of the year with the 1955 Topps version.

 

 

September - Hey Nolan, the ball's in your glove!

 

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BEST THINGS I LIKED ABOUT CARDS THIS YEAR

 

 

 Topps actually did not ignore relievers, as has been tradition for years, with its Update set.

 

 

I know this is exactly the stuff I usually complain about but I loved that the 1990 All-Star inserts come in red and blue flavors for each player.

 

 

BEST PULLS OF THE YEAR

 

Hah, hah, this has become a joke as I open less and less product every year, but:

 

 

 

 

 Those were the biggest.

 

 

BEST WRITING DEVELOPMENT

 

 

 

 I had articles published in three consecutive Beckett Vintage issues for the first time since I started writing for them seven years ago.

 

 

WORST WRITING DEVELOPMENT

 

I had my least productive month as a writer in the history of this blog in June with just 12 posts. For the year I will have published the least ever with 212 total. It's just not as easy or exciting to post as it once was. I'm busier, I've been writing for a long time and a lot of the card stories have already been written, and people just aren't reading blogs much, which makes it less appealing for me.

 

It's getting harder to blog, that's for certain. I don't see the numbers going up. But I don't feel like quitting.

 

 

BEST REASON FOR ME TO READ MORE

 

I've been trying to get myself to read more books for at least the last 10 years. It's an annual resolution at the start of the year. This past year reading a book got me to add this 1950 Bowman card of Mike Guerra. I was reading Bill James' Historical Abstract.

 

My book-reading didn't improve though in 2025. Maybe if I can find a card for every book I read that's the incentive I need.

 

 

WORST PARALLEL DEVELOPMENT

 

Topps drastically increased the amount of parallels in its products and several of the ones it placed in flagship are indistinguishable from each other. Is it confetti? Is it sandglitter? Is it tinsel? Hey, how about putting the name of the parallel on the back of the card? This is the stuff that I used to make fun of Panini about.

 

BEST ANNIVERSARY GIFT 

 

 I received a Shawn Green Starting Lineup figure and card from the local flea market from my wife for our anniversary. Easily my best anniversary gift.

 

 

BEST EVIDENCE I'M ON THE DOWNWARD SLOPE ON MY HOBBY JOURNEY

 

I started downsizing with giveaways. I had been thinking about this for several months. The last two giveaways were a success. There will be more in 2026.

 

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BEST PICK-UPS OF THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 2025

 

October - The Mickey Mantle finished the 1969 Topps set for me and the price convinced me to stop trying to finish vintage sets.

 

 

November - I've owned a 1961 Topps Sandy Koufax for decades. It's autographed. I finally decided I needed one without a scribble.

 

 

 December - The oldest card I added this year, a 1939 Play Ball Cookie Lavagetto.

 

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Let's keep the accumulating vibes going:

 

BEST (OTHER) CARDS I SENT MYSELF THIS YEAR

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's always my favorite part.

 

 

WORST PACK PULL

 

These two cards came out of the same pack of Topps Series 2. Maybe someone thought it'd be cool time-traveling back to 1991. But it wasn't. I hated 1991. And only part of that was the collation.

 

 

WORST TOPPS GOOFS THAT WEREN'T YAZ

 

Neglecting to delete the zero.

 

 

Using a reverse image for the regular base card.

 

Those are just the ones I found. Imagine if I opened a ton of product.

 

 

BEST BLOG RESEARCH EXAMPLE

 

I'm still trying to set this blog apart, though it's getting more challenging.

 

Comparing all the 1970s Topps sets for the four major sports.

 

BEST SURPRISE CARD OF SOMEONE I KNOW

 

I discovered this card (and a parallel version) of someone who grew up where I live, whose dad is my dentist and who I have known since the time she was a little kid.

 

 

BEST REASON TO FREAK OUT OVER A CHECKLIST

 

When you're attempting to complete the 1975 Topps buyback set and it's the first instance of a stamped checklist that you've seen!

 

 

BEST VICTORY DESPITE WHAT SOCIAL MEDIA THINKS

 

The Dodgers' Game 7 World Series victory, highlighted by the astonishing home run by Miguel Rojas, was one of the best sports events I have witness in 50 years of watching sports. It made me the happiest I probably was in 2025 but I think I would have been happier if I turned off social media when it was going on. You think I'm grouchy?

 

BEST CHANGING OF THE GUARD

 

For the first time in 17 years I selected a new favorite player. Maybe it's not the wisest pick considering what the hobby does with Shohei Ohtani cards, turns them into lottery tools and such. But I likes who I likes. 

 

 

BEST MILESTONES

 

I completed my 100th TCDB trade. Imagine how many I would have if I put any effort into the trading aspect of the site.

 

This milestone pales in comparison to the biggest of 2025.

 

 

This year marked 50 years since I first started collecting cards. Though I didn't collect for every year in that span, it still marks around 42 or so years of collecting cards in some way.

 

Given everything that's happened in the hobby, particularly in the last six years, I think it's pretty amazing that I still have the enthusiasm to keep doing this. 

 

And that's why this year's Person of the Year is "Collectors Like Me".

 

Kudos to collectors who search for 50-cent boxes at card shows, who send cards out to fellow like-minded collectors just because, who participate in giveaway threads, who scout out thrift stores and flea markets, who loves common base cards, who like to build sets when he or she can, who collects their team, who appreciated the history of the hobby and stores their cards in a binder or a box.

 

There seems to be fewer of those kinds of collectors in 2025, so I just wanted to say that.

 

Happy New Year everyone. I hope 2026 is a better collecting year. Even if it isn't, I have a feeling that I'll find a few things that I want.

 

(Persons of the Year: 2025: Collectors like me; 2024 - Shohei Ohtani; 2023 - Shohei Ohtani; 2022 - The idea man behind Kellogg's 3-D baseball cards; 2021 - Retail card shelf stockers; 2020 - Dustin May; 2019 - Gary V.; 2018 - Kylie Minogue; 2017 - Aaron Judge; 2016 - Justin Smoak; 2015 - Sandy Koufax; 2014 - Bill Wetmore; 2013 - maybe Josh Donaldson; 2012 - Adron Chambers)