Your Hobby Goals & Resolutions For 2025

[Avalanchefan21]

Seconded.

3rded...

and my ego 4ths it

 

[Srt4gurl]

yer kidding.....right?

Seconded.

3rded...

and my ego 4ths it

It's been in my thought process for a while now.
It's has to be at least ten plus years since I have actually watched a hockey game.
I'm to the point where my patience are wearing thin waiting for cards to pop up. or waiting for people heads to pop outta their own arse and them to come to their senses with the prices on cards and do some actual research! , As they want your firstborn for payment. and have been sitting on the card(s) for years. But, not my cards.. and my bank account thanks me.

I haven't a made a transaction on this site. I couldn't tell ya how long. And because everyone and their brother collects the same player(s).
I don't gamble my money away opening products.. When only 1 player I collect is sometimes in those products. Seems like this hobby is more for profit than joyfulness.
It's getting to be frustrating or exhausting.


Sorry you asked?

 

[TMLFan3]

For the Canada Post strike to end!

 

[Nick2317]

Just keep plugging on with the John Gibson pc ...hoping if he gets traded its not to a team I cant stand

 

[Glenfiddich]

My loose goal in 2024 was to sample a wider range of products by either buying a box of each, or buying break spots equivalent to the price of one box.

Based on my 2024 experience, in 2025 I vow to only buy OPC cardboard and Parkhurst Champions (fun sets to complete at a reasonable price), anything from President’s Choice (they’ve never disappointed me) and hopefully Stature, if it ever returns.

I think UD will need to scrap some mid-range products over the next few years, since the appetite on the secondary market for infinite parallels, sticker autos, cup-of-coffee rookies and manufactured patches just isn’t there relative to the box prices.

 

[quincy]

Sorry you asked?

Nope. This is as much a part of your collecting journey as everything else was. I'm here for that.

 

[Avalanchefan21]

It's been in my thought process for a while now.
It's has to be at least ten plus years since I have actually watched a hockey game.
I'm to the point where my patience are wearing thin waiting for cards to pop up. or waiting for people heads to pop outta their own arse and them to come to their senses with the prices on cards and do some actual research! , As they want your firstborn for payment. and have been sitting on the card(s) for years. But, not my cards.. and my bank account thanks me.

I haven't a made a transaction on this site. I couldn't tell ya how long. And because everyone and their brother collects the same player(s).
I don't gamble my money away opening products.. When only 1 player I collect is sometimes in those products. Seems like this hobby is more for profit than joyfulness.
It's getting to be frustrating or exhausting.


Sorry you asked?

No need to be sorry! We are asking cuz we heart ya! You are a hobby og and we'd miss seeing a valued member such as yourself not around here even if its once in a while We support you in doing what is best for yourself! Perhaps a slight break for a week or a few months could do some good?

I know of ppl that dont watch games, they just collect cards because they love the sentiment of what retired players brought to them when they did play. I hear ya on cards not being readily available that you need... zomg.

It is annoying how everyone wants mcdavid/matthews/etc.... totally annoying how everyone collects the same. There are a ton of flppers out there that are just in it for $$$. Some use it to fund their pc and just enjoy being around the hobby and the ppl in it.

:beer:

 

[sdpdesign]

From last year:
Had to go back 3 years to see my last post for the resolutions.

Essentially, it was to organize my cards better, recording what I have since I have been terrible at this and sharing. The organization is getting better. I have organized and identified all of the cards in my pre-2014, autos, 14-15, 15-16, 17-18, 18-19, 20-21 “good” boxes and still working on identifying my pre-2014 jerseys, pre-2014 Rcs, and identifying and organizing my 21-22 & 22-23 boxes since the product is still being bought. I have a small collection for the 23-24. Hardly any photos, but the listing is real.

Recording cards that are /100 or less is now close to 1,100 with a handful not recorded and two unaccounted for (missing two 98-99 S2 /100 exclusives for about 15 years now).

I did start buy more quality. This has happened with more income but also better accessibility to better quality of products.

Moving forward, I am unfortunately getting divorced. One of the deals the my soon-to-be ex and I worked out was that we keep our own collections. I got serious about the card collecting in 1990, switching to primarily hockey around ‘95. It was hit and miss for a few years from the time I got married (00-01) until CrosbY/Ovie RC year (05-06) and since, a little light in 2014, but totally in it since McDavid (15-16). Well, the collection, which is scattered, but solid (no pc, set building), will be going on the market after the divorce is final. This will help finance my future. I used to joke with the wife it was a $1M collection…$1.5M collection…well, it may not be that high, but I think it is easily closer to $100K+. Part of the organizing is figuring the value and worth.

Btw, great thread.

2025
Well, divorce is final, making the list of the cards has been mostly complete for the “good” cards from 15-16, 16-17, 17-18, 18-19, 19-20, and because I keep collecting cards from 20-21, 21-22, & 22-23, the lists are mostly completed but about 4 months old, and 23-24 is a work in progress. 24-25 doesn’t have a list yet as I have only gotten 3 UD S1 boxes. My /100 or less list is now about 1170, and this includes 4 new 1/1’s pack pulled this year.

Buying boxes and single-pack boxes have helped local card shops and hurt my wallet but I have gained plenty of good cards. Moving forward, I will need to stop buying as frequent, especially since in recent months with the releases of THE CUP & Premier, also the lcs is dropping some 23-24 prices. (For instance, I can pick up a case of 23-24 SPGU for about $190/box (down from $250/per), but that still puts it at near $3600…a little too rich especially when I am looking at a case of 24-25 in a few months. So tempting as 23-24 has been so good.)

The selling of my collection hasn’t started. I did make one sale to a coworker, Rempe YG Canvas. Gave him a deal since he is a friend and a Rangers fan…so, one down, about 6,000 more cards to go.

The plan moving forward is to start selling more. Try to stop buying as much, sticking to my own favorites for my own collection.

Again, great thread! :clap:

 

[Krakenfan]

I am in the same boat. This next year marks my 40th year in the hobby, and I'm in the same lull your in. I used to never have an issue with finding cards until this year with the Bedard hype. It brought in a whole ton of people into the hockey side of the hobby that are all about the money, drove up prices, and could give a rip about collecting hockey. I have always believed that people have looked at hockey collecting/collectors as the kid in the corner with lice. I would like it to go back to the way it was before the Bedard hype. I think hockey collectors are passionate about collecting and not about the all mighty dollar. I look forward to what comes ahead.

2024:

1) Keep on collecting with Roger. Attend both expos with him. Make sure he continues to see the hobby for the fun it is and is suppose to be.

I WILL CALL THIS A SUCCESS, WE ONLY HIT THE SPRING SHOW AS HIS HOCKEY SCHEDULE DIDNT ALLOW US TO MAKE THE FALL ONE, BUT HE IS STILL VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT COLLECTING, HAS TRANSITIONED MORE TOWARDS BASKETBALL THAN HOCKEY AND ALREADY KNOWS MORE THAN ME ABOUT THE SPORT

2) Add 3 more Bobby Ryan Cards to the PC. very rare that I even see ones I need but here's hoping.

I HAVE GIVEN UP THE UNREALISTIC GOAL OF OBTAINING ALL NON 1/1'S......I SOLD OFF SOME HIGHER END AT WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A GOOD PRICE AND NOW AM JUST FOCUSING ON CERTAIN CARDS OF HIS, WHICH MAKES ME HAPPY AS I WAS CHASING MOSTLY LOW LOW PRINT RUNS AND WAS NOT GETTING ANY ENJOYMENT OUT OF THE PC

3) Finish the 78 OPC baseball set as well as the 76-77 OPC hockey set (currently 301/396)

I AM NOW AT 379/396 ON THE HOCKEY SET SO I WHILE I DID NOT FINISH THE SET I WILL CALL THAT A SUCCESS AND MANAGED TO FINISH OFF THE 78 BASEBALL SET

4) Keep plugging away at the various 80's Non Sports sets I am working on.

I KNOW I FINSIHED SOME STICKER SETS AND WRESTLING SETS....I NEED ONE MORE CARD FOR MY RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK SET AND MADE LITTLE TO NO PROGRESS ON MY STAR WARS SETS.

2025

Quite simply try and recover my lost love of collecting.....IMO UD has ruined the tim hortons release and made a set that is no longer affordable for my son and I to collect together. We have collected all 12 master sets up until this year, but this years set make up was just pure trash.....6 cards at 1 in 200 packs. There are no kids in my area collecting this set, there used to me tons and trading was so fun. I HATE this set!!!!!

Furthermore, I am a player collector. UD is turning into leaf and flooding the market with umpteen unnecessary parallels of every card. My son and I are Owen Sound attack fans and love to collect cards of players from our team. While our team is pure garbage this year, we have one of the better goalies in the league in Carter George. he has 95!!!!!! cards in the recently released team canada jrs....WTF. Admittedly, it is silly to try and collect all of one players cards but 95 cards for an 18 year old kid who has yet to play in the NHL!!!!!!

I have been collecting for 46 years now, and honestly I question if I should continue to do so. I know this is a me problem, but this is where i am at and dont know what direction to go moving forward
__________________

 

[sdpdesign]

I am in the same boat. This next year marks my 40th year in the hobby, and I'm in the same lull your in. I used to never have an issue with finding cards until this year with the Bedard hype. It brought in a whole ton of people into the hockey side of the hobby that are all about the money, drove up prices, and could give a rip about collecting hockey. I have always believed that people have looked at hockey collecting/collectors as the kid in the corner with lice. I would like it to go back to the way it was before the Bedard hype. I think hockey collectors are passionate about collecting and not about the all mighty dollar. I look forward to what comes ahead.

So this is why my head is itchy?:crazy:

 

[k_northrup]

Other than today I haven't really posted anything in awhile. One goal of mine last year was to downsize and re-focus, and if I really still wanted to collect or not. I did downsize in 2024, it took a lot of thought but it went to a good person. As for the re-focus I decided to focus on a couple small sets per year and slowly chip away as the cards come out. I have no hobby goals this year, just to enjoy what I have and try to keep the thrill of the chase going.

 

[30ranfordfan]

Here's a mix of what I said I wanted to do, and did this past year.... plus what I'd like to do in 2025:

Let's see what I had to say last year:

My goals have been the same for the last few years: Grow the Ranford PC, grow the All-Time Oilers PC. I'm adding "grow my Slapshot PC" to this list though!

This ^^^^ Nothing has changed. Same general goals.

That's what I had to say last year, and the year before. My general goals are exactly the same this year, but I'd also like to downsize, and start to move on from some other stuff that's just taking up space, and I'm not really all that interested in anymore.

My biggest Oilers PC wants for the last few years have been to close in on getting an autograph from every WHA-era Oiler (which I started working on back in 2017). There's 125 of them (that never played for the Oilers in the NHL). That early 2021 post shows me as having 85/125.... which was up from 68/125 in early 2020 (or possibly late 2019).

Now? I have 103/125 - but that was over the last (nearly) two years. I would be thrilled to get a few more. Is hitting 110 this year doable? Maybe, maybe not.
I got to 105 (plus a couple of upgrade). There's still 20 of these guys to go. I'll cross my fingers for hitting 110 next year!

You can see the progress on my WHA Oilers autographs. 68/125 in 2020. 85/125 in 2021. 103/125 in 2022. Got it up to 105 in 2023.

What am I at this year? Currently, it sits at 106. I knocked one off my want list in the last 12 months. Considering I've tracked down 3 in the last 2 years - I'm hoping I'll get at least one new one in 2025, but hope for more.

For the NHL era: I've currently got 606/618. The missing 12 are mostly (very) current players, and a couple of emergency backups from the 80s. For most of those, I'm just waiting for cards to come out... when the 2021 releases are finally done, I'll be looking to add a bunch. I'd love to knock off one (or both) of those EBUGs from the 80s, but I've been looking for a long time, and no luck.

I'm sure another player or two will make their Oilers debut this year (and early 2023), so I'd like to be in the 618/624 range by the end of 2023. I think that's doable.
My actual numbers ended being 620 / 631. That's pretty good. Like I said last year - it's all either very recent additions to the team, or emergency backups I'm missing.

There will likely be a few more names added to the list as the season goes on. I'll aim for 630/635.

My goal was 630/635. That was me guessing what the total number would be up to.

In fact I currently sit at 629/636. I did pretty good at guessing. Again, I'm still waiting on a few cards to actually be produced (including 2024-25 stuff) so I'm not in a rush to see this completed.

12 months from now? Let's make a guess, and say that I'll be at 638/646

For Ranford: I'm less focused on "get one of everything" than I used to be. There's been a ton of multi-player GU cards in the last few years that didn't interest me nearly as much as they once would have. I typically go one any copy of any variation of those - and leave it at that. Certainly do still try and build rainbows from sets like Artifacts & SPGU.

It would be a successful year for my Ranford collection if I were to add another 10 cards (based on my current wantlist). It would be really successful if I were able to add a card I need pre-2015 (of which there are 9, they're all limited to 25 or less... 6 of them are /5 or less).
I added exactly zero pre-2015 cards in the last year.... and that's my goal this year. Get at least one (hopefully that '98 MVP Super Script). I'll keep adding new products, if I like them.

As usual, no pre-2015 cards.

No specific want beyond that. I may start to shrink the post-2015 collection some... see if there's a market for some of the stuff that doesn't interest me as much anymore. Still want to add some nice pieces too. (Cup, President's Choice, in particular)

My Slapshot PC: I wish I had started this years ago. It's been a ton of fun for me to build. I'm chasing signatures from as many people that were in the movie as I can get. Most of them are coming via TTM autos, on custom cards I'm making from screen shots of the movie. My current total is at 56 (some of these are pack-pulled autos too). I'd like to hit 65 next year..... but it's getting tougher and tougher to find new ones.
This one didn't grow at all. I just didn't work on it. Maybe 2024 will be the year?

I've actually grown this one. 58 in hand, and 3 more (confirmed) on the way... so not 65, but getting closer.

I do want to work on this one more in 2025. 65 (which would be 4 more) is my goal - but I'd like to think I can beat it.

 

[jdg573]

I'm going to go back to working on some of the 90's insert sets I never finished, started, never finished, started......

Plus try and finish some newer sets I will likely never complete. For example the 2019 team canada juniors high gloss set. Each card is #/25 and there are 140 cards in the set. I need 24 cards.

And I would like to add one 2008-09 ultimate debut patch numbered 50/50 and at least one 2010-11 ultimate debut patch numbered 35/35. Haven't added any in a couple years so I suspect these projects are done

 

[hockeyguy2006]

Have fun, keep plodding along.

 

[Mr. Canada]

Haven't done one of these in a while So this will be fun since I was just updating all my lists and refocusing my collection on what to collect and what to move from.

1. I have always collected the main Upper Deck set and was always my go to every year. I have every set complete up to 2012-13. Since then the only set I have complete is 15/16 (thank god) and parts of other sets. My goal would be to finish 2-3 sets because its been over 10+ years since I finished a set.

2.I have also refocused my collection where I want to go after Master Sets of my completed Upper Deck Sets and Collect all the Inserts to go with them (Not Autographs or Memorabilia or gimmicky cards. Just straight up non numbered inserts cards, and would be nice to finish 1 Master Set

2. I have also started to collect OPC and have cracked many random boxes of the past few years and would like to finish 21/22 and 22/23.

3. Continue to work on my Nylander Platinum rainbow.

4. Get a job at Upper Deck, Fantatics, or even Beckett. To get in on the ground floor at one of these companies and share my experience and technical skill see this hobby go to the new generation would be a dream of mine.

5. Find a solution for a more permanent way to store and preserve my collection with some kind of shelving/ apothecary system.

6. Enjoy the Hobby again. The other weekend I was out Christmas shopping and I took the chance to go to my local card shop. Earlier in the day, I made a quick list of young guns from the past few years, hoping they had since I live in the south and hockey is not as abundant down here. I walked in, found a box of hockey singles, pulled it out and went over to a table and started to flip through cards. I have not been able to do that in such a long time. I missed it. I missed the hunt of looking for cheap, no name young guns for $1 or $2 that I'm missing for my sets. It was so therapeutic that I lost track of time until my wife messaged me to see where I was. She was happy to hear that I was enjoying myself and got to do this for myself since I do alot of the running around for my family. After the shop, I got home, pulled out my monster boxes and placed the cards that I picked up in fresh top loaders and placed them in the correct order in the correct set slot, while updating my lists. During that whole time, all of life's stresses that I had just went away. I need to make more time for myself like this where I can go for the hunt instead of just surfing the web to find what I need there.

 

[creasecollector]

6. Enjoy the Hobby again. The other weekend I was out Christmas shopping and I took the chance to go to my local card shop. Earlier in the day, I made a quick list of young guns from the past few years, hoping they had since I live in the south and hockey is not as abundant down here. I walked in, found a box of hockey singles, pulled it out and went over to a table and started to flip through cards. I have not been able to do that in such a long time. I missed it. I missed the hunt of looking for cheap, no name young guns for $1 or $2 that I'm missing for my sets. It was so therapeutic that I lost track of time until my wife messaged me to see where I was. She was happy to hear that I was enjoying myself and got to do this for myself since I do alot of the running around for my family. After the shop, I got home, pulled out my monster boxes and placed the cards that I picked up in fresh top loaders and placed them in the correct order in the correct set slot, while updating my lists. During that whole time, all of life's stresses that I had just went away. I need to make more time for myself like this where I can go for the hunt instead of just surfing the web to find what I need there.

Nice goals, especially the last one here. I hope you can do more of this in 2025!

 

[will-411]

I don't usually do these because for the past number of years since my divorce, I've been a go with the flow kind of hobbyist, enjoying the connections and people, with the cards the common factor. The hobby is an enabler, not the core.

That said, I do need to get a number of things decluttered around the house... so I'll put out a goal this year (to have some accountability) to get rid of all extraneous cards in the house... this is the 20 or so 3200 count boxes of mostly commons that haven't been looked at in decades.

Not a lofty collecting goal, but it'll make me feel better to have it done!

And aside from that - continue enjoying the human element of the hobby.

Cory

Well... I already hit my 2025 goal and sold around 50,000 base cards cleaning out my extraneous... does this mean I need to make a new goal?

New goal is to decide if I want to keep setting up at shows, and if I do, what direction to take that in... and sell all of my extraneous show stuff.

2025 is the year to dispose of extraneousness... lol

Cory

 

[hockeykid87]

My PC player Owen Pickering made his NHL debut, so he's going to have NHL cards in 2025. I don't know if he'll have too many, I think he missed the cutoff for sets like SP Authentic and OPC Platinum unfortunately, but he should have a Young Guns in Extended at least. Can't wait to pick up whatever comes out.

 

[TurcoCollector3]

Goals for this year are:

Find 2-3 Turco cards from my wantlist and 2 1/1's

Complete at least one subset in the Team Canada Master Collection patch sets

Find 15 new Team Canada goalie cards for the collection (juniors, womens or veterans)

Pickup 2 of each Crosby, Lemieux and Gretzky team Canada hard signed cards

Complete the Flyers Artifacts Arena Relics set from this years Artifacts

Pickup another 100+ game worn goalie jerseys for the year putting me between 1200-1250 unique game worn goalie jerseys.

 

[Ohka]

Earlier in the day, I made a quick list of young guns from the past few years, hoping they had since I live in the south and hockey is not as abundant down here. I walked in, found a box of hockey singles, pulled it out and went over to a table and started to flip through cards. I have not been able to do that in such a long time. I missed it. I missed the hunt of looking for cheap, no name young guns for $1 or $2 that I'm missing for my sets. It was so therapeutic that I lost track of time until my wife messaged me to see where I was. She was happy to hear that I was enjoying myself and got to do this for myself since I do alot of the running around for my family. After the shop, I got home, pulled out my monster boxes and placed the cards that I picked up in fresh top loaders and placed them in the correct order in the correct set slot, while updating my lists. During that whole time, all of life's stresses that I had just went away. I need to make more time for myself like this where I can go for the hunt instead of just surfing the web to find what I need there.

That was beautiful to read . In the long run , this will give you more than finding 1 or 2 new cards .