Now hear me out. I am not doing this because I don't want to collect cards anymore. I'm not doing it because I don't like David Ortiz, Hanley Ramirez, or Jose Fernandez anymore. I am not doing it because I don't feel a thrill in chasing the newly released sets like Heritage, Chrome, or Allen and Ginter's anymore either. I am doing it because I am short on time, money, and space.
Time
Time is a valuable thing; however, it is a valuable thing that I have far less of these days. Going to school full time, along with working two jobs, can really take a chunk out of a persons time. Not to mention I like to get to get some exercise in, whether it be the gym, baseball field, basketball courts, or lately, the tennis courts. I also enjoy hanging out with family and friends, but who doesn't. I almost forgot to mention my commute time to simply get to town.
If those reasons weren't clear enough, just look at the amount of posts I've written over the past month. I wen't from writing one (sometimes two) posts a day, to having about five a week. And I have been cheating with digital cards and box break posts recently.
Being short on time isn't only detrimental to the state of my blog, but it hurts the organization of my cards here at home. I am unable to find time to sort, scan, and write considering the sheer size of my collection.
Money
The biggest problem I have may be universal: money. Everyone loves that green stuff, but it is hard to come by these days. With endless bills, textbooks, car repairs, and other crap I have to buy, I am unable to trade my paper currency for cardboard currency.
With a limited budget for cards, I am also having a hard time setting my priorities. I collect so many things, that I simply change my mind on what I want to purchase on a daily basis. Should I use most of my budget to pick up that Matt Kemp auto I have been eyeing for a few weeks? How about those sweet Simpsons autographs? Maybe I should save up for the higher priced Parks and Rec autos?
It is a never ending series of questions in my head, and I never have a good answer. Picking up the occasional card from every corner of my collections leaves me bored and feeling unaccomplished.
Space
Space is also a huge factor in my decision to downsize. I have a ton of cards. Maybe not as many as some of the other bloggers, but more than I could have imagined I would this time last year. I have tons of cards (base, insert, shiny, ugly, relics, autos, #'d) all over my room. Frankly, it is driving me a little crazy. I like to keep as organized as possible, and having tons of stacks of cards laying around does not help my OCD-like brain at times.
Cards have invaded my dresser, nightstand, and now my TV stand. This is not only due to the sheer amount of cards I have, but because I have not had the time to organize them.
So what is the solution?
It's simple. Get rid of some of the cards I have now, and adjust my collecting habits. Let's first take a look at some of my adjustments.
1. Shorten up the list of players I collect
This was not easy. There is a reason I collect every player I do, so cutting some of them out was difficult. However, after some thinking I took out quite a few. I will no longer be actively collecting David Ortiz, Hanley Ramirez, Jose Fernandez, or Paco Rodriguez. I have been going back and forth on getting rid of Manny Ramirez, but he is going to stay for now. Remember, I still love these guys, and would collect them if it was sensible to do so. But, it isn't so logical to do so at the moment.
2. Say goodbye to putting together sets
Another thing I didn't really want to do, but was necessary. I have been attempting to put together Topps Heritage, Flagship, Chrome, and Allen and Ginter's. Considering I have a small budget to work with, putting together so many sets is not very cost-effective. Of course, I could go and buy the sets online for a reduced cost, but I would rather put them together by busting packs. So, yea. No more sets. Well, except Flagship. I will still be putting together Flagship.
3. Bid farewell to a ton of my current cards
This ties in with how I plan on getting rid of my some of my cards. Actually, this will explain it. I plan on getting rid of about 50% of my cards. Most of these are cards of teams besides the Dodgers, but I do have quite a bit of Dodgers stuff to get rid of too.
I have not figured out one exact way to do this just yet. A blogging yard sale would be great, but this is the internet, and nobody is going to drive to my house for cards. I could just give away the cards, but I don't really have the money to just ship pounds of cards away to various bloggers at a time. I was also thinking of doing mystery card pack sales. Honestly, the options are endless. But I plan on using a mixture of all three to move my inventory of you will. So, whose ready to inherit some cards?
Let's move some cards!
A Blogging Yard Sale
This method involves me straight out selling cards to people that want them. Of course, I am not trying to do this to make money, but to move some cards. Here is what I am proposing. Tell me what cards you want from any of my 2013 and 2014 sets (minus flagship and 2013 Topps Chrome) and I will send them to you. You just cover the cost of shipping. I am not charging for the cards, rather just the amount it takes to cover shipping. First come, first serve.
Here is a list of the sets that are available.
2013 Bowman Chrome (Base Set Only)
2013 Bowman Platinum (Base Set Only)
2013 Bowman (Base Set Only)
2013 Topps Finest (Base Set Only)
2013 Topps Heritage
2014 Topps Allen and Ginter's
2014 Topps Heritage
Keep in mind, those link to lists of cards that I need to complete the sets. In other words, I have all of the cards NOT listed.
Mystery Card Pack Sales
I have always enjoyed the idea of a mystery pack. You never know what you are going to get, and cards can come from a ton of different products. That is why I have decided to have a mystery card pack sale. It will allow me to move some of my cards, while at the same time making a minimal amount of money to move them.
I will be selling 10 mystery packs. Every pack will come with 50 cards. Packs will include a few base cards, but primarily inserts, refractors, x-fractors, colored refractors, and #'d cards from 2013 and 2014 products. 1 pack will come with a couple of bonus autograph/relic cards. These packs will cost $5.00, and that includes shipping. These packs are already packaged up, and I have no way of knowing which pack contains the bonus cards. You can buy one, or you can buy all 10. First come, first serve.
If you are interested in purchasing one of these mystery packs, simply leave a comment of send me an email.
Simple Trades
This is probably the easiest way to move some cards. So let's trade!
My Set Needs page, as well as my What I Collect page have been updated. Just send me an email if you want to make a trade happen. I have tons of cards from most teams, but there are a couple of teams that I am just about out of (Braves and Orioles).
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I know I just typed out a ton of stuff. Honestly, I was just happy to have the day off to be able to do so. Depending on the type of feedback I get on this, I may have an additional post on the Yard Sale and Mystery Pack Sale later in the week.
Of course, I can't write up a bunch of words and leave you with no card pictures. I have been hinting at adding player to my collecting ways recently, so let's take a sneak peak at who it is!
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