But If You Try Sometimes...

300 some odd days ago on January 1st, I did something I never planned to do for this blog.  I made a list of goals for the year.  The main reasons I didn't want to do it was because first everyone else was doing it and I didn't want to do it just because everyone else did.  Another reason is because I'm about as laid back as can bee with my collection.  Sure I have goals and things I want to do and get, but I knew if I made an actual list it had the possibility of taking the fun out of collecting because I would focus more on the goals instead of the actual collecting.

I went ahead with the goals because mainly I needed a blog post, and at worst I wouldn't accomplish anything on the list so I wouldn't have to do it next year or in future years.  However when I did the mid year report, I got a lot of the tasks done.  Some were easy and I included them knowing this, just so I wouldn't be a total failure, but others I happened to luck into and was grateful I got done.  As the year went on, I knocked more off.  Realistically my goal was maybe hitting 4 of the 10 I made and I think I'm at 6 right now.

Well add another one to that list, this one possibly one of the easiest ones to do.  I have finally made a top 25 wanted cards.  As the title implies, you can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you get what you need.  Well, if I made this list earlier in the year, my #1 card on the list would have been the George Brett rookie card, but I knocked that off early in the year in a surprise and as a result, the list after that gets a little less prominent and high desire.

With that said though, I did make a list, and over the next two days, I'll break them down in mostly no order at all, and give my reasons for inclusion.  Some are easy to get, and I may even get a couple this weekend, but others aren't so easy.  Most are realistic, and that is what I had in mind.  Sure I want a Roberto Clemente rookie (and any of his cards from his playing days), but I never see me having the money or willingly allow myself to depart with that kind of cash.  These are cards that probably have a total book value of 50 bucks, maybe even a lot less (I don't use price guides anymore), so realistically I could get them all in the next few months.  Well, most, I do have a couple that are holy grail cards that I never expect to get, but wanted to remind myself that it would be no fun to knock out all these cards in a few months, then I'd have to make another list.

Enough talk, let's dig in.

You know Johnny Damon had to pop up on here somewhere.  I know if I make a list of goals next year I might try to add more of his cards, as I was off pace this year.  This is his 1996 Studio card, and while nothing too fancy, it is one I've had my eye on for a while.  Again, I could get it at any time, but I'm cheap and waiting for it to get a little cheaper on COMC.

At this point let me explain that I am not writing this to solicit cards from you.  It is more of a mental note to myself that these should be the focus of wants if I am just bored and trying to find cards online instead of aimlessly looking.  It gives me a starting point on what to look for.  It also gives me a reason to post two days in a row.

Yes, laugh all you want, but this card means a little more to me than it did a few months ago.  Leroy Van Dyke is from Missouri, so I want to add this card to my Missouri Collection.  In addition, he was also one of the very few artists that I know my Grandma really liked.  I never got a grasp on what singers she really liked and I can't say how much she really enjoyed music, but I do remember her liking him and she liked watching TNN when it was around with shows like the Grand Old Opry.  My Grandma passed away a few months back and if I get this card it will make me think of her more, so this card does have a little more meaning now.

1989-90 Topps Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- 137 Down Goes Donatello! (NO PHOTO)
1989-90 Topps Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- 152 Saving Michaelangelo  (NO PHOTO)

These two cards which I have no photos to show are the last two cards that I need to complete my set.  Again, not the most valuable cards, but I do want to finish the set.

While I've stated many times that I don't really want every card from every player that went to Mizzou, I would like at least one, and I think this would be a nice addition.  This is a 1961 Nu-Cards Football Stars card.  I don't believe I have a card this old, but it would still be nice.


1972 NFLPA Wonderful World Stamps- #148 Francis Peay (NO PHOTO)

Another Mizzou player was Francis Peay.  I have one of his stamps, but according to Trading Card Database, this could be the only other issue he has, so if I would like to get it.

CHARLIE BROWN?  CANADIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE?  FORMER MIZZOU PLAYER?  How could I not want this card?  1970 O-Pee-Chee CFL- 29 Charlie Brown is next on my list.  This is the only card of his I could find of his, so I would like to add it, but like most of these, I'm in no real rush for them.

One more former Mizzou guy.  He also played for the St. Louis Hawks, which I may not have a card for so it would fill two categories.  1957-58 Topps- 45 Med Park  I know nothing about early sets of basketball, but I have watched this card for a while, and really hope a sale comes up for it soon. 

Ok, so you may not know, but I had a huge crush on Britney, and I still like her.  If I could find a way to get out to Vegas, I would totally go see her there.  This card is 2001 Sports Illustrated For Kids- #43 Britney Spears which I guess focused on singers or something and not athletes, but at any rate, I WANT A BRITNEY CARD!  Her sister Jamie Lynn has some cards in the Country music set that came out a couple years ago.  I've watched that off and on a few times too, but don't have a real desire for it.  I would like to find a really cheap box of them though to bust open.

2003 Inkworks Angel Season 4 Autographs- #A24 Eliza Dushku (NO PHOTO)

I never watched Buffy or Angel, but I've always been a fan of Eliza Dushku.  Oddly enough I also didn't watch Dollhouse or that other show she was on either, but I do remember her from Bring It On, Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, and the first movie I saw her in- 1993's This Boy's Life starring Leonardo DiCaprio.  Something about her I've just always liked, so getting an autographed card of her would be awesome.

At first glance half of you will comment, "I have like 30 of those cards, I'll send you one", but this isn't just the 1994 Fleer card, this is the very similar 1994 Fleer Sunoco card.  Sure all that is different is the Sunoco logo on the back, but still its one I don't have and one I'd like to get.  For the record, I have more than a couple of the regular 1994 Fleer cards of Mad Dog.

1989-90 Hoops- Steve Physioc  (NO PHOTO)

I wasn't even aware of this one until last year.  Until I met and got Steve's autograph last year I wouldn't have cared.  However, he was very nice, and I've grown to like him much more since then.  It's tough to get cards of announcers and I wish more sports would include them, but I'm just glad I found this one existed.  This one is tough to find though, so I've only seen it for sale on ebay at crazy prices.

So I guess that 50 buck overall book value is WAY OFF.  This card alone I bet books more than that.  This is a 2001 Bowman Autographs card of Albert Pujols.  I've always been a fan, so its a no brainer.  I would also like to build my AP collection more one day, but I think Damon, Maddux, and Mike Alstott will have higher precedence over him.  This card ain't cheap, but who knows, maybe one day I can find it and get it.

So that is half of my Top 25.  You may notice an absence of Royals on here for the most part and its mainly because I would like to get all the Royals anyways, so if I don't have it, I should already have it on my radar. The Damon does remind me though that I need to focus on Royals cards I don't have too.

So with that I will wrap it up for today, tomorrow I will show the rest.  It will feature more Royals cards, more Maddux, and a couple big cards that may take a while to get, but that's okay.  Thanks for reading, have a great night.