Hobby Bucket List
I’m just about finished with the main part of my PC (graded HOF rookies elected from 1999 on). Finishing a collection is great but it can leave collectors feeling listless. I ran into that problem over a decade ago when I finished a similar ungraded collection I started when I was in high school. That time, I realized I was just buying cards out of habit and made the deal with myself that I’d stop collecting when I hit a Ken Griffey Jr. auto. I never pulled an Upper Deck one, but hit one in 2012 Topps Gypsy Queen and stopped collecting for seven years.
That’s not happening this time. I’ve been building smaller collections like a Braves team set of 2024 Topps Team Color parallels and haven’t gotten bored at all. The hobby has a ton to offer, but I find I enjoy it exponentially more when I have a collecting goal. In fact, I’ve got so many things I want to do in the hobby I decided to make my top 10 hobby bucket list items. There are more things on the list but these are the 10 I’m most excited for.
The List
1. Spend a year chasing Pacific cards- I love Pacific cards unequivocally. They were often considered a joke and were treated almost like unlicensed cards are now, but they had innovative designs and their die-cut cards are some of my absolute favorites. At some point in the next decade, I’m declaring it the year of Pacific and buying nothing but die-cut 90’s goodness for an entire year.
2. Getting a Nolan Ryan Rookie- This will be the last card I need for my HOF PC. Like many, I set pretty strict weekly/monthly hobby budgets and a decent grade 1968 Nolan Ryan isn’t in it. That means I’ll either need to either make more money, sell off some cards, or save up for it. All three are possible but require a bit of planning.
3. Attend “The National”- The last show I went to was in my local mall twenty years ago that had only ten tables. I’m just not a show guy. I don’t like crowds much. Still, I do feel like getting here at least once is a must in the hobby. I plan on combining this one with the purchase of the Nolan Ryan rookie so I can see the card in person before buying.
4. Complete a big set (at least 100 card checklist) with a pr under 50- I’ve done a couple of sets slightly under 100 and they were a blast. This one likely will be one I’m always in the process of as I can see the last few cards being impossible to find already. I also need the right set to chase. I don’t want to choose a set just because of the print run.
5. Complete a rainbow- The key here is no cheating. I want to do the full thing including the 1/1. I’ve done a few without the 1/1. Just once, I want to do the full parallel rainbow. My plan here is to do a rainbow for any 1/1 I pull that I like or I’ll look for the 1/1 first at least.
6. Pull a Mike Trout auto- I’ve pulled a Griffey and a Pujols. I want to hit a Trout. This one will be difficult as I’ve pretty much gone to only buying singles and don’t regularly buy products that would be easier to hit a Trout auto. It’s a bucket list though and I don’t have to work out all the logistics yet.
7. Star Wars Wonder Bread set- I love this set and want to finish getting them all in PSA 8 or higher grade. This one is by far the easiest on my list.
8. 1989 Orel Hershiser Donruss #648 PSA 10- This was my favorite card I got in my first-ever pack of cards. I’ve still got it, but it would grade a 1 or 2. I want to get a PSA 10. Problem is there are only 16 graded gem copies currently and my guess is they are all in PCs. That means I’ll have to try my luck sending in cards to grade. I can’t see myself sending off multiple copies of this to grade at once so think I’ll start sending in one a year until I get a 10.
9. Curate a set- This is the one almost certain not to happen. A man can dream though. I want to make my own set down to the smallest detail. Unless I switch careers and go work for Fanatics, I don’t see how this happens which is why this is lower on my list. It’s definitely one of my big dreams (along with writing a Hallmark movie and being in a Pepto Bismol commercial) so I had to include it.
10. Sell almost everything in 2039- I don’t really care to be buried with my cards so I do intend to sell all but 100 cards at some point. For me, that some point comes the year after I go crazy chasing 2038 Heritage which should feature the 1989 design from the year I started collecting. I won’t stop collecting but I will stop accumulating. Any new card in means one of the 100 goes. I implemented a one card out for every card in rule a year ago and am paring down my collection a tiny bit each year.
Wrap Up
That’s my bucket list. I’m curious as to what other folks have on theirs so let me know in the comments.