General Forum

I think we may have done this thread in the past, if so, please forgive me- the memory is not as good as I'd like it to be.

For me, I think I have a new record. I got a card today I've been chasing since before Christmas 1998. That's when I began my paper listing showing every card I have, and when I got them. When I made the listing for 1994-95 Topps Embossed, I was short 1 card on the set, and I've been chasing it ever since.

Until Tuesday...when it arrived in the mail as part of a large COMC purchase, and one of 19 sets I completed, a new personal record.

Here is the card: (hphillips scan)

This is the card that somebody on the Beckett forum once told me they had but wouldn't bother to send to me because it "wasn't worth the effort". Any wonder I don't post there anymore?

While I have always been after any card I didn't have, since I began collecting in 1988, I am really rather passive most of the time. I collect whatever comes my way...until I get close to a set, then I try and complete it.
Almost every set that I was close and actively chasing is now done...but I got a few others that weren't as close to that close mark, but they weren't available at the time. The hobby is never ending, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

I am closing in on 100 sets completed for both NBA and NASCAR. I never imagined that would be possible but it looks like it might just happen. Not this year, probably not 2017, but perhaps 2018 for both of them...I'm at 81 for NBA and 80 for NASCAR as of right now, not counting inserts, parallels, etc. Base sets only.

I also knocked a couple of cards off my Top 10 Most Wanted list with this purchase. Today is a good day for me in the hobby!

(An expanded version of this post will appear on Cardboard History in the next couple of days, with my own scans of all the sets I completed)

out of curiousity what made that one card so difficult to get?

Interesting question. Took me nearly a decade to get the 1995 Maxx Premier Series Update U3, but unlike yourself I had to buy the set and break out the one I wanted.

Interesting question. Took me nearly a decade to get the 1995 Maxx Premier Series Update U3, but unlike yourself I had to buy the set and break out the one I wanted.

There was an update to Maxx Premier series? I didn't even know that!

There is nothing rare or particularly special about this card, I just couldn't locate a copy! It was not included in the box I opened back when the set was a year or two old, and I've never been able to hunt one down. It's actually the case of people nothing bothering to list "common" cards because there's not a lot of money in them...this copy cost me something like 62 cents.

Congratulations!

This example shows what determintation can do!

Congrats on finishing that set. I have a good bit of it myself, though I never tried to do a set. Got the gold MJ and stopped buying it, was kind of high per pack when new. Might give it a try when I run across my commons.

I know I'm missing one card from '91-'92 UD Basketball, gave up after about a year. Think it's a series 1 card.

Also missing 1 card from 1980 Topps Empire Strikes Back series 1, was buying packs then, and trading with a couple friends but never could get it. Series 2 was a breeze.

All those are stored, and no telling when I will get around to them again. The lists are long lost, be easier to find the sets to check them.

Here are a few that have been preventing me from completing sets for quite a while.

1973 Topps Team Checklist Yankees

1969 Topps #500 Mantle

1968 Topps #177 Nolan Ryan

1954 Topps #94 Ernie Banks

1954 Topps #128 Hank Aaron

1954 Topps #201 Al Kaline

1952 Topps #289 Tommy Holmes

1950 Bowman #22 Jackie Robinson

For me not being a complete set collector anymore it would have to be the 2006-07 BAP Signature Portraits 8x10 autograph cards. There are 94 cards in the set and I have 92. Missing the Sidney Crosby and only seen it for sale a couple of times for 500-600 range and the Kari Lehtonen card that I have only seen for sale once and lost out on the eBay auction by a nickel. Got sniped.

The surprising thing on the Lehtonen it is not listed as an SP.

Decided to tackle player PC and the Ultimate Hockey card collection project (One card for every hockey set ever made)

1951 Topps Red Backs, either of the #36 Gus Zernial variations. Need it to complete the set, and ones that I find are either a) totally overpriced, or b) graded and I only collect raw cards.