Now the HOF voting and the posting is done. I thought I b***h a little.
Okay, I believe the 2015 Release of cards is over. Most definitely it should be. AS someone who collects SETS (not all but certain sets), also is a TEAM collector, and also has too many "MINI" collections I like knowing what I am up against.
For example (MY RANT):
UPDATE:: JUST CHECKED THIS MORNING AND THE 2015 BRAVES ARE NOW AT 5822
Total Braves (includes Boston, Milwaukee, and Atlanta) 2015 released= 5,565. Just Braves cards mind you, and I should be thankful that number is significantly down from 2014 (7,122) and similar to the 2013 (5,453). Now these numbers by no means are 100% accurate they came from Beckett.com so there are some missing for sure. What drives me totally nuts is that Beckett only has a total all time Braves issues of 108, 551 items dating back to 1887. I say items because there are a lot of programs, pins, buttons, pennants, and ticket stubs especially for the "Pre-War" era Braves. My issue is with the card companies and not Beckett. If you average just the Braves released this Millennium at 5,000 cards each year that would make up apx. 75% of the total Beckett listing being that 5,000 is cutting it way short. No matter what these numbers have me seeing RED!
I posted about this last year as well (just the numbers not the rant), but with the cost of baseball cards these days combined with my renewed focus on building Base sets I may seriously drop the team (Braves) collections. This means a lot of work, pulling them out of their binder pages and of course placing them with the set builds if I don't already have the (Braves) card for that set which for most of 70s-2015 I do. What to do with the extras? It's not like I haven't already given/traded away 1000's of Braves already, and I currently have two more 5,000 count boxes full of Braves extras now of course those are pretty much non vintage Braves, but still.
On a positive note (always best to leave on one of those): Look at the money that would be saved on that particular duplication of a card need. Those proceeds could be directed at the set builds which is a good thing, and would most certainly clean up the want pages on my website. And then I wouldn't have to update them especially those on my resolution list. HMMMM. Then again, I don't really want to tear up or break apart my Braves Team Collection. (Just so you know....I have no plans on doing such. I just wanted to rant a minute, okay 35 minutes.....)
I would love to hear everyone's thoughts.
I gave up on trying to collect all the Reds' cards so I feel your pain. Instead, my plan is to make a Reds' frankenset - and then focus the rest of my energy (and resources) into my various set collections.
ReplyDeleteI've given up on set collecting thanks to all the ridiculous short prints, photo variations, back variations, sparkle $hit, etc.
ReplyDeleteI've also drawn a line for my team collection. I'm not even bothering with anything serial numbered less than 99 for the team sets, and I'm counting as in the team set anything serial numbered at less than 250 that is in a player collection for me. That way, I have realistic and achievable collecting goals that I can reach without having to win the Billion Dollar lottery.
Basically I just go for the base cards (no SPs/variations/parallels) in my set builds, and, for the Braves just the base cards and hope the others find their way to me.
DeleteSame feeling here, seriously considering quiting my team collection and just focus on some sets and players !
ReplyDeleteI don't put pressure to have a copy of every White Sox card released each year. I get what I get and that makes me happy. TO try and collect all the cards for one team each year is financially impossible for me.
ReplyDeleteThat is exactly how I've been doing it, and I'm happy with the way it has worked out. But, it is just absolutely NUTS to have that many cards for 1 team each year. Typically I go for the base cards and hope the rest find their way into my mailbox somehow.
DeleteI agree with Jeff. I get whatever I can for base cards and call it a day. Don't sweat it.
DeleteAfter this weekend's card show... I have plans for a post of my own on a similar topic. I really wish that Topps (any other card companies... although my particular post will be targeting Topps) would cut back on the number of products, the number of parallels, and the number of cheap inserts. It wouldn't surprise me if the (cardboard) market crashed again in the near future... due to overproduction of crap.
ReplyDeleteThe January issue of Beckett baseball addressed this issue. Apparently they surveyed its readers, and the numbers resemble those thoughts that we've all had. Hopefully someone at Topps read it too!
DeleteI really can't let go of my Braves team collection. That really is my #1 priority overall. This way if in the future I decide to let something go like say the set builds (my main focus for 2016), I will still have my Joy! I really want Topps to pay attention to us, and make it 100% possible to get every card for the team, barring the occasional 1/1 or short print, occasional TOPPS listen up!
ReplyDeleteBTW,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the Braves cards you sent. Needed them.