My various projects

I think most card collectors -- most that I've come across anyway -- work on a variety of separate projects in their collection. I haven't come across many that collect just one thing and that's it.

I'm not sure why that is. Do we bore easily? Do all of us have ADD? Are cards so interesting that we can't possibly restrict ourselves to one way of collecting?

I'm going to go with that last one. That's what I think it is. Sure, I might spend a little less money if I confined myself a bit, but, damn, did you see how pretty that card is?!? I NEED that card! My eyes get bigger than my stomach at times.

In terms of "various projects," I think I'm somewhere in the middle. I can't have 35 different missions. I'll lose track of what I'm doing. Life is confusing enough without the hobby hassling my brain.

But I do like having multiple interests.

I received a box of cards recently from Billy, formerly of the late great West Virginia Cards blog. It targeted several of my various projects.

Let's let Billy's cards illustrate what those are:

1973 TOPPS

Billy sent a lot more than this, but I've been getting quite a bit of '73 Topps lately and am accumulating quite a few dupes (I think I have five of the Don Baylor card now). But it gets more exciting at this stage though because of the thrill of the hunt. I hunted down these three needs -- even though they came right to my door.

Did you know that Dave McNally was an Easter Seals campaign chairman? Easter Seals is one of those things I heard about a lot when I was growing up. But they're still going. Haven't seen those stickers in years though.

This is no ordinary '73 Pete Richert card.

BLANK BACK!!!!

1981 FLEER

Again, I'm getting more than my share of '81 Fleer lately, but that can be a bonanza because I get to look for errors!

I'm not really into scoping out all the errors found on card backs from the 1980s and early 1990s, but I make an exception for 1981 Fleer (and '82 Fleer). They're really the sets that got the craze started.

1975 TOPPS BUYBACKS!

(*cue heavenly music*)

Every one of these are needs. The buyback total is now 213.

I get a special kick out of buybacks that feature a stamp plastered right over the player's face. "Let's just put the stamp right here. Nobody looks at the face."

MINIS

I get the feeling that minis are moving out of favor with card companies. As much as I like minis, I'm not going to complain, as long as they leave the Allen & Ginter tobacco minis alone.

DODGERS

This is a big one. The biggest ongoing project that I have. It will likely always be ongoing.

I love that Nomo card so much. It is the banner card for my online listing of all the Hideo Nomo cards I own. And it is one of the rare exceptions to my dupes rule in that it will never go in a dupes box. I'll put it the binder next to my other one.

DODGERS THAT GO TO OTHER PROJECTS

Here is a reason for multiple projects: what are you going to do with all those dupes??

Well ... I will devote them toward my "one day I'll complete the '82 Donruss set" project, my "woefully pathetic 2015 Allen & Ginter completion project" and my "2006 Rookie Set That Made Sense" project.

FLEER, FLEER AND MORE '80s FLEER

Once again, I've received so much Fleer lately that I haven't had time to figure out what I have and what I don't. So right now, these are all needs!

The quest for 1981-88 Fleer has been a lot of fun, and that's a great reason for multiple card projects -- fun!

It's the only reason, really.