2025 Collecting Goals

[LWMM]

Prior threads:

• 2009
• 2010 (thread 2)
• 2011
• 2012 (thread 2) (recap)
• 2013 (thread 2)
• 2014 (recap)
• 2015
• 2016
• 2017
• 2018 (thread 2)
• 2019
• 2020
• 2021 (recap)
• 2022
• 2023
• 2024 (recap)

For the 17th year running... What are your goals for the coming year?

Jonny Gomes:

1. Add one non-1/1 card from the needs list (2001–2019)
2. Finish the two non-1/1s from the 2022 Japanese set I just discovered (a /5 base parallel and a /5 auto)
3. Add two 1/1s
4. Add two game-used jerseys
5. Add two game-used bats
6. Add 365 serial-numbered cards

I'm missing only eleven non-1/1s for Gomes, two of which are from a 2022 set I recently discovered; see posts 5, 58, and 66, here. Finding the 2022 cards is a decent possibility, but the ones before that will be tough; I find one only every few years, and three of those nine likely don't exist. 1/1s, for their part, come around once or twice a year, so finding two is potentially doable.

Game used jerseys and bats are likewise possible; I found three jerseys and one bat in 2024, and several are available even now (albeit substantially overpriced).

Curious to see how the 365 goal pans out—given how sporadic new additions are, I've taken to collecting dupes of serial-numbered cards. This will be something fun to focus on throughout the year.

 

[finestkind]

I've never had any collecting goals. I always hoped that I might find one or two vintage cards for my collection. I did manage to finish my 1975 baseball set a few weeks ago.

 

[michaelstepper]

In no particular order,
2025 goals:

1) Aquire one of the two gold refractor Griffeys I need.
2002 Bowman chrome
2004 Bowman chrome

2) Find 5-8 of the remaining 2005 Sweet Spot red-blue stitch autos I need for my set swap
Current needs:
Tony gwynn
Tom seaver
Steve Carlton
Stan musial
Phil Rizzuto
Mark grace
Johnny bench
Harry kalas
Jim bunning
George brett
Fernando Valenzuela
Dennis Eckersley
Dave Justice
Dale Murphy
Cal ripken
Bob gibson
Bo Jackson
Billy williams
Al kaline

3) pick up 5-10 HOF patch, leaf bat barrel or legendary signatures cards for the PC

4) I'll bulk these together, Find 3-5 of ANY of my other Sweet Spot wants

5) Continue selling unwanted items

6) Buy more Mags and supplies to get the PC all protected correctly

 

[banjar]

Nice archaeology on the old links!

My goals for this year are simple as usual.

1) More Alomar pickups. And this time I am targeting one white whale.

2) More Parker pickups. This is turning out to be really fun. But as I keep building that PC, the ones I need will become more rare and expensive, so it'll slow down. Still fun though.

Prior threads:

• 2009
• 2010 (thread 2)
• 2011
• 2012 (thread 2) (recap)
• 2013 (thread 2)
• 2014 (recap)
• 2015
• 2016
• 2017
• 2018 (thread 2)
• 2019
• 2020
• 2021 (recap)
• 2022
• 2023
• 2024 (recap)

 

[LWMM]

1) More Alomar pickups. And this time I am targeting one white whale.

Is the whale one card in particular, or there are several whales and you're hoping to get one of them?

 

[banjar]

Ah, that was a little ambiguous. I'd like to land at least one of several that are still floating around out there!

 

[CardBoredom]

2025 Collecting Goals
Toning things down a bit in 2025 after a big hobby year:

1. Spend less than $120 on building my collection in the first six months of 2025. I need to keep expansion of the collection in check while I catch up on enjoying what I already have.
2. Surprise at least six collectors with unplanned mail days containing cards from their want lists.
3. Add three more cards to either my Charlie Bishop or Jose Canseco player collections.
4. Bring the percentage of cards meeting at least one of my overall collecting goals up from the current 79% to at least 90%. The most likely path to accomplish this will be a significant thinning of the contents of my sell/give away box.
5. Overhaul the “Other Cards” section of my website, separating out my player focused sub-collections into usable form.
6. Profile at least 60 cards on the site in the coming year.

 

[jmc855]

Not a ton of goals this year. Gonna slim down heavily on any buying due to having to add a car payment to the monthly financial mix and hoping to coach my 7 year old with little league this year. Priority shifts incoming.

Goal 1. Trade something for 98 pinnacle plus gold AP.

Goal 2. Get ALL cards into binders thatvarent on display.

Goal 3 get some key items IP auto'd.

 

[Philip J. Fry]

This past year was…busy, I guess you can say. I lost focus on my goals for 2024 once I was promoted at work and had playtime money.

But that helped out because this past month of sorting through what I bought this year, I decided to focus on a couple of things:

1. My main PC player will be Don Mattingly. Doesn’t mean I’m only collecting his cards, but focusing on one player instead of 5 should allow me to collect a good portion of his non-limited cards.

2. The Core Four - a little self-explanatory here, but I’m still going to collect Jeter, Posada, Pettitte, and Mo. this helps me focus on collecting cards of said players during their career with the Yankees.

3. I’m not a team collector like others here, who collect a card of each player that ever played for their collecting team. With that said, I will collect players that made an impact when they played for the Yankees, such as Mike Mussina, Wade Boggs, CC Sabathia, and others who played more than one season with the team. But they have to be in the NYY uniform.

364 days from now I hope to have made a huge dent in the first 2 goals.

 

[thelesquad]

Ryne Sandberg goals:
1. Hit three needs from his playing years list
2. Complete a modern rainbow
3. Acquire 10 HR ticket stubs (currently at 144/256)

 

[Dodgerfan74]

2025 Goals:
-Finish the 1974 Topps set-Still need some cards, but about 90% done

-Finish the 2012 Heritage set and continue to add serial #d, chrome, gameused, etc

-Trade or Buy more 1963 Topps & Fleer
especially stars

-Obtain more Kobe & Magic cards-

-Obtain Kershaw rookie card-Working on obtaining his 2008 Topps Update

-Finish Steve Garvey, Ron Cey, Dave Lopes, Bill Russell run-Their rookie cards to 1982. (Topps, Donruss, and Fleer)-Close to finishing. I need Russell 1972 Topps.
- I’m also trying to finish the run with OPC cards of the infield.

 

[nevermore]

For 2025, I am piggybacking off prior goals. I am setting a modest goal to pick up about 25 "core" cards over the year for my more advanced collections. This doesn't include common needs such as 1986-87 Fleer, 90s Marvel, and ultra-modern 2018-2024 Yankees Topps/Heritage commons.

Buying
1. Paul O'Neill -- add 10 cards from his playing years.
2. Vintage Yankees -- add 10 needs from 1952-69 Topps
3. High End -- add 4 cards, targeting one per quarter. Waiting for cards to surface and gathering the funds.

Sell/Trade
1. Thin the trade box, have purchases from 2 years ago waiting to be listed.
2. Curate the collection -- move what was once PC stuff now collecting dust.
3. Trade semi-PC towards core PC needs. Trading has been halted last few years. Larger trades are harder to complete. Have had better luck trading towards set needs, than higher-end PC cards.

Hobby
1. Spend more time reading sports books, comics and organize what I own. My goal is to spend just 25% of my hobby time browsing, searching, buying and selling and 75% time reading and organizing.
2. Attend six card shows.
3. Complete closet shelving in my office room and organize my collection.

 

[theplasticman]

2025 Goals

1. Liquidate any non-PC stuff, starting with my PSA Master registries (Will Clark and Eddie Murray)

2. Start grading with PSA.

3. Finish my son's memorabilia display in his room. He has a few dozen signed baseballs and around 15 game bats from the 2023 Northwoods League season.

4. Help my son add to his Anthony Edwards PC.

5. Add 2+ game-used items from any of my favorite players (Darin Erstad, Will Clark, Eddie Murray, Bucky Jacobsen, Aaron Kurcz, Stacey Augmon)

6. Have Aaron Kurcz sign any cards on which I don't already have an IP signature. He only had a few dozen cards issued, and I am collecting signed and unsigned versions of everything. Only five IP-signed cards are missing, six 1/1, and a card numbered 25 (2011 Bowman Draft Prospect Autographs Red #AK Aaron Kurcz /25).

7. Add at least 1 Bucky Jacobsen card. I need 3 non-1/1 cards. Wanted: 2005 Topps Black /54.

8. Add at least 10 Darin Erstad cards from my want list. I need about 80 non-1/1 cards out of around 2,700 different.

 

[OakAth]

Someone started a thread here this past year regarding "what happens to my collection when I am gone" and that one hit home with me. I have three boys and their interests lie elsewhere.....would rather start liquidating and get value rather than someone taking advantage of them. That being said, there are five sets that I will continue to pursue otherwise my collecting has stopped. Would like to add 2-5 cards to each set this year and these sets are;

1) 2006 Topps Finest White Frame Refractors and XFractors 1/1; currently have 42 out of the 155 Refractors and 47 out of the 155 XFractors

2) 2021 Topps Finest Purple Pink Vapor Refractors /3; currently have 58 out of 100

3) 2000 Pacific Paramount Premiere Date /50; currently have 182 out of 250

4) 2000 Pacific Paramount Holo-Silver /99; currently have 108 out of 250

5) 2021 Topps Finest Rose Gold Mini Diamond Refractor /50; currently have 90 out of 100 (would like to finish this one in 2025)

 

[dano7]

1. Add 3 more Hassan T202 cards

2. Continue to look for a Frank Chance B-18 Blanket with yellow pennants - SP so will be tough

3. Continue to look for T209 Contentnea Roanoke players

4. Make it to 1450 different Yankee autographs

5. Get more college players autographs at Viirginia Tech & from visiting teams

6. Get more in person autographs at ballparks this year and maybe visit Cary,NC for team USA autographs

 

[WizardofOz1982]

2024 was an awesome year for my player collections even as I've pivoted most of my collecting focus to pre-war non-sports issues. I managed to add a Jeff Frye card for the first time in three years with the addition of his 1999 Fleer Tradition Starting 9 as well as a 2001 Topps National 1/1 I didn't know existed. I managed to add a couple nice pieces to the Ryan Helsley Collection as well including his 2015 1st Bowman Platinum 1/1. He was in both 2024 Topps Update and 2024 Topps Chrome Update Sapphire so I had a few parallels (about 40 not counting 1/1s) to chase this year and managed to add 34 of them so far. Well...Ryan is in 2024 Triple Threads too even it's only an All Star Game Triple Relic /9 and 4 1/1s including his first Logoman and first ASG patch booklet. It's going to hurt but if those two show up I'm getting them.

2025 Goals

Jeff Frye

1. 1997 Red Sox Score Premier #10
2. 1998 Stadium Club First Day Issue #281 SER# /200
3. 1999 Boston Red Sox Team Issued Photocards #NNO
4. 2000 Boston Red Sox Team Issued Photocards #NNO
5. 2017 Texas Rangers Team Issued Alumni Alley #NNO

I'd still especially love to add the first two to finish up his pack issued cards.
Ryan Hesley

Add five of these non 1/1 issues.

1. 2017 Topps Heritage Minors 5×7 #18 SER# /49
2. 2017 Topps Heritage Minors 5×7 Gold #18 SER# /10
3. 2019 Bowman Prospects Red #BP121 SER# /5
4. 2019 Topps Update 5×7 #US248 /49
5. 2019 Topps Heritage Reverse Stock #717 Print Run of 5
6. 2022 Topps 206 El Principe de Gales Back W3-91 /15
7. 2022 Topps 206 Polar Bear Back W3-91 /3
8. 2022 Topps Postseason PS-70 Purple /25
9. 2023 Topps 1st Edition Light Blue Foil #229 SER#/5
10. 2023 Topps Big League Baseball Black Foil #196 SER#/25
11. 2023 Topps Chrome Sapphire Purple #229 SER# /10
12. 2024 Topps Update #US263 Mother’s Day Hot Pink SER# /50
13. 2024 Topps Update #US263 Skeletons SER# /50
14. 2024 Topps Update #US263 Witches Hat SER# /5
15. 2024 Topps Update All Star Jumbo Patch #ASJP-RH SER# /5
16. 2024 Topps Update Sapphire Green Sapphire #US263 SER# /99
17. 2024 Topps Update Sapphire Orange Sapphire #US263 SER# /25

Add 3 1/1s

1. 2015 Bowman Chrome Draft Superfractors #189 SER# 1/1
2. 2018 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autographs Black Mojo Refractors #CPARH SER# 1/1
3. 2019 Topps Chrome Update Autograph Superfractors #CUARH SER# 1/1
4. 2022 Topps 206 Ty Cobb 1/1
5. 2022 Topps Update All Star Stitches Relic Gold ASSC-RH 1/1
6. 2022 Topps Update All Star Stitches Jumbo Relic Gold ASJC-RH 1/1
7. 2023 Topps Foilfractor #229 SER# 1/1
8. 2023 Topps Pristine Superfractor #299 SER# 1/1
9. 2023 Topps Pristine Black Pristine Refractors #299 SER# 1/1

There are 36 Helsley 1/1s I don't have currently and I'd love to add any but my preference would be the 1st Bowman Super or any of the Autos.

Add 3 Printing Plates:
There are 35 plates I don't have but they aren't a big priority. I'm not a huge fan of plates so I only add them if I see them at a reasonable price.

Autograph Set Goals:

1998 Donruss Significant Signatures Master Set:
I've finished this set once, minus the two expired redemption cards, and sold it. I've rebuilt it again and would still love to have the redemptions so they stay on the list. No change to this list. I'd still love to add the unsigned redemption cards for Ozzie and Nolan to my personal master set. I did manage to add an unsigned Sample copy of the Koufax Refractor, a signed Sample of the Nolan Ryan Refractor, and an unnumbered Damage Replacement copy of the Koufax Image Variation in 2024.

1. Nolan Ryan Unsigned Redemption
2. Ozzie Smith Unsigned Redemption

 

[mrmopar]

Someone started a thread here this past year regarding "what happens to my collection when I am gone" and that one hit home with me. I have three boys and their interests lie elsewhere.....would rather start liquidating and get value rather than someone taking advantage of them. That being said, there are five sets that I will continue to pursue otherwise my collecting has stopped. Would like to add 2-5 cards to each set this year and these sets are;

1) 2006 Topps Finest White Frame Refractors and XFractors 1/1; currently have 42 out of the 155 Refractors and 47 out of the 155 XFractors

2) 2021 Topps Finest Purple Pink Vapor Refractors /3; currently have 58 out of 100

3) 2000 Pacific Paramount Premiere Date /50; currently have 182 out of 250

4) 2000 Pacific Paramount Holo-Silver /99; currently have 108 out of 250

5) 2021 Topps Finest Rose Gold Mini Diamond Refractor /50; currently have 90 out of 100 (would like to finish this one in 2025)

it is a reality a lot of people will need to face at some point. I have thought a lot about it over the past couple of years, but clearly it has not been impactful enough to diminish my collecting. I feel as though I need to stop soon, simply to give me sufficient time to try to get rid of everything in a reasonable way, but not having any idea when the big one is coming, it's hard to really make solid plans. I still get a great deal of enjoyment in owning, sorting through and even looking for new stuff. It's going to be hard to stop adding new things. I just turned 55 this year, so there is a good likelihood that I will have a fair amount of time left to both collect and to liquidate, but you never know.

 

[mrmopar]

2024 was an awesome year for my player collections even as I've pivoted most of my collecting focus to pre-war non-sports issues. I managed to add a Jeff Frye card for the first time in three years with the addition of his 1999 Fleer Tradition Starting 9 as well as a 2001 Topps National 1/1 I didn't know existed. I managed to add a couple nice pieces to the Ryan Helsley Collection as well including his 2015 1st Bowman Platinum 1/1. He was in both 2024 Topps Update and 2024 Topps Chrome Update Sapphire so I had a few parallels (about 40 not counting 1/1s) to chase this year and managed to add 34 of them so far.

2025 Goals

Jeff Frye

1. 1997 Red Sox Score Premier #10
2. 1998 Stadium Club First Day Issue #281 SER# /200
3. 1999 Boston Red Sox Team Issued Photocards #NNO
4. 2000 Boston Red Sox Team Issued Photocards #NNO
5. 2017 Texas Rangers Team Issued Alumni Alley #NNO

I'd still especially love to add the first two to finish up his pack issued cards.
Ryan Hesley

Add five of these non 1/1 issues.

1. 2017 Topps Heritage Minors 5×7 #18 SER# /49
2. 2017 Topps Heritage Minors 5×7 Gold #18 SER# /10
3. 2019 Bowman Prospects Red #BP121 SER# /5
4. 2019 Topps Update 5×7 #US248 /49
5. 2019 Topps Heritage Reverse Stock #717 Print Run of 5
6. 2022 Topps 206 El Principe de Gales Back W3-91 /15
7. 2022 Topps 206 Polar Bear Back W3-91 /3
8. 2022 Topps Postseason PS-70 Purple /25
9. 2023 Topps 1st Edition Light Blue Foil #229 SER#/5
10. 2023 Topps Big League Baseball Black Foil #196 SER#/25
11. 2023 Topps Chrome Sapphire Purple #229 SER# /10
12. 2024 Topps Update #US263 Mother’s Day Hot Pink SER# /50
13. 2024 Topps Update #US263 Skeletons SER# /50
14. 2024 Topps Update #US263 Witches Hat SER# /5
15. 2024 Topps Update All Star Jumbo Patch #ASJP-RH SER# /5
16. 2024 Topps Update Sapphire Green Sapphire #US263 SER# /99
17. 2024 Topps Update Sapphire Orange Sapphire #US263 SER# /25

Add 3 1/1s

1. 2015 Bowman Chrome Draft Superfractors #189 SER# 1/1
2. 2018 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autographs Black Mojo Refractors #CPARH SER# 1/1
3. 2019 Topps Chrome Update Autograph Superfractors #CUARH SER# 1/1
4. 2022 Topps 206 Ty Cobb 1/1
5. 2022 Topps Update All Star Stitches Relic Gold ASSC-RH 1/1
6. 2022 Topps Update All Star Stitches Jumbo Relic Gold ASJC-RH 1/1
7. 2023 Topps Foilfractor #229 SER# 1/1
8. 2023 Topps Pristine Superfractor #299 SER# 1/1
9. 2023 Topps Pristine Black Pristine Refractors #299 SER# 1/1

There are 36 Helsley 1/1s I don't have currently and I'd love to add any but my preference would be the 1st Bowman Super or any of the Autos.

Add 3 Printing Plates:
There are 35 plates I don't have but they aren't a big priority. I'm not a huge fan of plates so I only add them if I see them at a reasonable price.

Autograph Set Goals:

1998 Donruss Significant Signatures Master Set:
I've finished this set once, minus the two expired redemption cards, and sold it. I've rebuilt it again and would still love to have the redemptions so they stay on the list. No change to this list. I'd still love to add the unsigned redemption cards for Ozzie and Nolan to my personal master set. I did manage to add an unsigned Sample copy of the Koufax Refractor, a signed Sample of the Nolan Ryan Refractor, and an unnumbered Damage Replacement copy of the Koufax Image Variation in 2024.

1. Nolan Ryan Unsigned Redemption
2. Ozzie Smith Unsigned Redemption

Do you have the 98 Signature set displayed somewhere to see? I finally completed the 97 set, after thinking I had finished it at least 2-3 times and then ended up buying a full set as well, which was at a seemingly too good to pass up price, not that I needed dupes of an entire autographed set!. I doubt I'd chase the 98 set at this point, but I have a number of them.

 

[WizardofOz1982]

Do you have the 98 Signature set displayed somewhere to see? I finally completed the 97 set, after thinking I had finished it at least 2-3 times and then ended up buying a full set as well, which was at a seemingly too good to pass up price, not that I needed dupes of an entire autographed set!. I doubt I'd chase the 98 set at this point, but I have a number of them.

1998 Donruss Signature Significant Signatures Gallery

Overview Checklist Base Set Ernie Banks Black Ernie Banks Blue Yogi Berra George Brett Black George Brett Blue Catfish Hunter Black Catfish Hunter Blue Al Kaline Black Al Kaline Blue Harmon Killebr…

jefffryecollection.com

If you aren't OCD like me it's only an 18 card set and other than the two Koufax cards it's fairly inexpensive to put together.

 

[packbusta]

My goals boil down to (re)focusing my collection-- Dodgers, MGR Dave Roberts, Topps Now, random likes. Also need to improve my cataloging.

Spent too much time and money breaking random "in the wild" wax, instead want to continue the Topps.com Exclusives, Limited Run type products.