OPINION - 90%

Happy (belated) New Year everyone!!!  It's been a quick last few weeks (time flies when you're having fun).  With the Christmas season coming and going, my nephew's birthday a few days after, New Year's celebrating and a few other events to keep me busy, I'm coming to grips that it's "back to work" time in a matter of days.

I'm looking forward to the 2016 year.  I hope to change a few things up while keeping the things I like running as smooth as ever.  While I didn't come up with any sort of "resolutions", I did take stock of where I'm at and where I'd like to be.  And it's pretty simple - if I want to cross that next line, I have to travel to it....it won't come to me.

In the hobby world, I feel like things will be fairly similar to the last year or two - not too crazy, not too anxious, but still having fun and building.  I really need to get back into doing custom work.  That would be my only real 'resolution' on that front.  Time.....it's a quick killer of projects though.

No pictures in today's post (I've only landed one Linden card during my break and will show it later) but I really wanted to talk about a topic I've been anxiously looking forward to.  I needed the right time and today is the day.

As a long-time player collector I quickly learned that getting one of EVERY Linden card out there just isn't possible (and I think you'd be living in a miserable hobby world if that's your expectation).  Hitting the 100% mark is not a realistic goal.  But 90%......that's a landmark number.

90%.  Let's take a quick look at that amount.

If you have a hundred bucks and blow ninety of it.....that's a considerable amount.

A 10 gallon tank that has 9 gallons in it....that's pretty full.

If you see a plate of 20 cookies and decide to eat 18 of them....well, you're gonna be sick and are clearly not good at sharing - you've scarfed down a huge amount.

If you're uploading photos and see the bar at 90%....you know it'll just be a couple more seconds.

If you have a hairy back (and I do not) that takes 10 strips of waxing to clean up....you're almost done after the ninth pull.

OK.....that's the worst example ever - but you've got the visual now.

90% is a key amount.  Bragable (is that a word?) in the hobby world if you ask me.

With few real large hobby pursuits ever hitting the full completion number, the next big thing is 90%.  I feel like it's the moment where you start saying "I can see the light at the end of the tunnel".  That is until the next release and your wantlist goes straight to H-E-double hockey sticks.  But seriously, the 90% threshold is the biggest attainable number for many collectors out there.  Once you hit 90....everything else after is gravy.

So where am I going with all of this?

For years I have been following The Amazing Shea Stadium Autograph Project blog.  It is a custom card project that celebrates the 45-year homestand of the New York Mets at Shea Stadium.  When the team moved on at the end of the 2008 season, Lee Harmon (the blog author and creator of this project) decided to build a custom cut-autograph card of every single Met player to play in Shea Stadium.  790 players.

790.  Think about that number for a moment.  Now think about 90%.

For a few years, Lee was feverish in his work creating, building and sharing his project on his blog.  In addition to creating his custom card, Lee would do a great write-up of the player and how he got the signature.  He hit the 80% mark a few years ago.  I've been keeping a keen eye on that number ever since.

Knowing that getting to 100%, while possible, is always difficult.  But reaching the 90% mark was not only doable, but within relative reach.

Yesterday, Lee hit the magical mark.

I feel that it's a tremendous accomplishment and I'm really excited for him....and I know that one day he will hit that completion number.

It inspires me to strive for that 90% myself - in a number of areas.  After all, if you can get nine-tenth of the way there.....you've done a great job.

So what are your thoughts on the 90% threshold?  Is it a big deal to you?  Is it a goal or nary a thought?


If you have a bit of time, go venture over to Lee's site and check out some of his work.  He's laid out his blog so that it's super easy to follow.  Have some fun and take a trip back in time.