Looking back on 2012, the year after I returned to the hobby of hockey card collecting, it's pretty obvious to me that the NHL lockout had an immense impact on my motivation. As a meager show of protest against the repulsive greed shown by the Bettman Bloc I have resolved not to purchase new NHL-licensed merchandise for the foreseeable future - which includes cards. Such a stance has clearly taken a toll on my ability to grow my collection, but I have indulged in the second-hand market (eBay) from time to time in order to get my fix. As most of you know, hockey card collecting is an addicting hobby and any period of inactivity is destined to be short-lived. So as I am once again swept up in the wake of the hobby, I've decided to set out some goals for 2013 (assuming the 2012-13 NHL season will not exist).
1. Organize. My collection is in complete disarray. I made some significant progress in 2012 thanks to Zistle and SCF, but there's still an incredible amount of work to do. While most of my trade stock is sorted, cataloged, and properly stored, the cards that comprise my collections are scattered. I need to get that under control - sooner rather than later.
2. Trade. I've completed two trades on SCF thus far, and none on Zistle, so I have to work on increasing those stats. Not only do I want to get away from the often ridiculous shipping prices demanded by eBay sellers, but I have thousands of base cards and low-value inserts that I'd like to unload - preferably helping other collectors out in the process. The problem for me has been, so far, twofold - lack of cards I need on other collectors' trade lists and what seems to be a general reluctance by other collectors to actually engage in online trading.
3. Expand. Right now my active collections are Red Wings, Blue Jackets, and TTM autos of American-born active players. I want to expand to include player collections of all Michigan-born players. I've already got that underway with Keith Aldridge, but in 2013 I want that collecting focus to play a more active role in my acquisitions.
So there they are - my three hockey card collecting resolutions for 2013. I'd love to hear about some collecting resolutions from others in the hobby!
