My want list site on the blog crashed more than two years ago and I've been attempting to reconstruct it ever since.
I haven't spent the full two-plus years on it. I go months and months and months without even touching it. But lately I've been making a little more of an effort.
The site was redesigned to be listed by year, instead of by card manufacturer. Within each of the years, I then list Topps first and the others alphabetically afterward.
I've pretty much got the years 2009-19 updated completely and I have most of the Topps sets done for all years. I'm currently finishing up 2008 for other brands and I'll continue to go back in time from there. But meanwhile I skip around and add stuff from the 1960s -- I just added the Dodgers needs for Post and Jello -- or some stray set from the '90s that suddenly intrigued me.
In short, the list will never be finished.
Although I like the way my want list is constructed these days (it's also got a new look thanks to the blog redesign), I admit I've always been confused about how to handle the listing of sets that I've completed already.
I have a link at the top of the want list site for full sets that I've completed -- for example, 1972 Topps or 1988 Score -- but I don't have the same for team sets that I've finished.
In the case of Dodgers team sets that I've completed, I simply don't list them. They're done. I don't want them anymore. Therefore they're not on a thing titled WANT list.
But maybe that's confusing.
Recently I received a generous swatch of cards from Johnny's Trading Spot, he's been distributing to others, too, lately.
A lot of the cards were marked with a note that said "these were not on your want lists." I'm not sure what those notes meant, but I'm guessing that Johnny was saying he didn't know whether I needed them or not -- because it IS possible that I didn't list the cards on my want list simply because I wasn't aware that the set existed.
I know that some bloggers when they complete a set, still list the set on the want lists but merely put "COMPLETE" underneath it. I've often wondered whether I should do that. But then that would require typing in a bunch of names of sets I've already finished and adding "COMPLETE" under each of them. That almost makes my brain hurt.
So I don't know the better path to acknowledging finished sets -- maybe I should create a separate page listing all the team sets I've completed with a link to the page.
Anyway, for most of the cards from sets that Johnny attached "not on your want list" stickers, I had them already. And they weren't listed because they were no longer wants.
But there were cards that I did need:
I'll start with some 2000-09 needs. The first edition Topps cards aren't really "needs," as I could go the rest of my life without owning them and be totally fine with it. But since they were sent to me and I don't see any of them around here, yeah, OK, I'll take them. But first let me put a pox on the 1990s for inventing these things.
Speaking of the '90s, here is one of those basic '90s sets that has eluded me. 1996 Ultra, what's your story?
More modern Dodger wants, heavy on the Kenley Jansen.
The first one is a GQ mini numbered to /199, the second came out even more shiny than it is in person, and the last Jansen completes my 2019 Big League Dodgers team set!
All right, the last few cards aren't Dodger-related, but I hope you know I'm more about just team collecting by now.
One of the 2011 Lineage '75 mini relics that I mentioned recently. Like I said then, not actively attempting to complete them but, yeah, they sure look nifty.
A night card that has found a spot in the Night Card Binder! Yay! It's been awhile.
Final two cards are from the 1973 Topps completion quest.
The Nettles I already purchased online but the Geddes was one of the last 10 cards I need to finish off this set.
Jim Geddes is an interesting one as it's his one-and-only Topps card (He's a One-Card Wonder). Yet he's a high-number so in his only appearance he proves to be a pesky little guy.
But I'm crossing him off that want list.
I'm hoping that 1973 Topps want list will completely disappear in the next few months to come. But I'll make sure to link it to my completed sets post so people don't get confused.
So what do other bloggers do with their want lists when they complete a set? Do you signify that it's complete somewhere/somehow or do you just take it off the board?
Comments
My list has set name then a list of the cards I need under it. As I get the cards I delete the corresponding numbers. When I get the last card I change the number to the word complete under the set name.
I can see your conundrum though. In my case the headers are already there but in your case you have to go in and add them all. If you do start a completed list you would have to add them all there so to me it would be the same. Actually it would end up being even more upkeep. Since every time you completed a set and deleted it off your want list you would then have to type it out on a second list.
I actually wish that I had done my want list a little differently from the start. I wish that instead of deleting the cards off after I got them I would have just just used the "strikethrough" on them to cross them off just like if it was a paper list. When I realized this I was way to far on my Red Sox list to go back and change it. I did however do my boxing and Virdon list with the strikethroughs and I like it much better.