A TIP OF THE HAT TO 2010... BRING ON THE NEW YEAR!

2010 brought with it the first full calendar year that this blog has existed. I am very proud of that fact and want to take a quick moment to look back at this past year.

One of the goals I had with this blog was to keep it active. Not to let it dwell in obscurity. I managed to write just over 200 entries this past year and am very happy with that number. I didn't overdo it and I didn't let it sit too often. Sure , work and holidays sometimes took precedent - as it should, but the enjoyment that I got out of sharing my hobby with the readers of my blog is something that I really found fun.

I now have 32 'followers'. That to me is pretty cool. While I am not hung up on that number, I'm curious to see how much this blog expands over the next year.

I have over 13,500 views to this site (and I'm sure a bunch are mine) but it's neat to see that there are a bunch of people who pop by frequently and I just want to say thank you. I hope you are enjoying the blog as much as I am writing it.

Now on to the collection itself. My Trevor Linden collection definitely took on some key cards this past year. Highlighted with the 'Trevor Linden Card Of The Year'. That one was a huge addition. That said, I still managed to add quite a few cards. Some that have been dodging my grasps for years and some that are brand new releases. What will the new year hold? I can say that there will be a number of fantastic Linden cards coming my way. Some are already in the mail. Tune in!

My goalie masks collection was a little stagnant for most of the year. I have made a couple trades of late that have really helped knock some cards off the list. I look forward to sharing more of my mask cards as I think they are some cool looking pieces of cardboard.

My 1 vs. 100 project is really progressing nicely. It's not a hindrance nor a challenge. I find what I find when the opportunity presents itself. With that, I am ready to knock the wantlist to hopefully less than 10 by this time next year.

My 'One Sheet, One Set' project is growing - rapidly. With my finally scrounging through all my boxed up base cards, I've got a ton of sheets to create. I have had the opportunity to land some large trade with guys who I'm sure are asking 'Why do want all these base cards?'. I've also landed some dirt cheap jersey cards which really add a cool dynamic to the project. Again, I am looking forward to sharing more of this project which I am really excited about.

With all that, I have also picked up some neat oddball stuff, some cool cards to be used as traders and I have even managed to pick up some very cool pieces for others. Seeing some really rare stuff hit my hands before it finds its final owner and be cherished in their collection really makes me feel good. My big goal is to better itemize what I have that is tradeable/sellable. I need to build the funds back up and see a few dollar signs in those cards.

Lastly, I'm going to set a couple goals for 2011. First, all the goals from 2010 will carry forward - not because I didn't do them, but because I want to carry on with them. Things like keeping the hobby fun, staying focused with my collecting goals and not letting this blog take a higher priority than it should be.

New goals, not many really. The big one is that I'd like to write more magazine articles. The hobby mag I have written for in the past is putting the call out to more submissions and I'd like to try my hand at it on a more consistent basis. I'd like to learn more about the process of creating hockey cards and hope to interview photographers, designers and producers of these products.

I'd also like to go to one of the big expo shows in Toronto. While it might not be this year, I'd like to eventually scratch that off my list of 'things to do'.

A heartfelt thanks again to everyone who has stumbled across this simple little blog and I wish you all the very best in the new year.

Take care!
Brett