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| Yokozuna Chiyonofuji (June 1, 1955 – July 31, 2016) |
This year will bring change again as my family faces an impending move from Alabama to some unknown destination, but likely overseas. As last year, the move will probably kill my blogging chances throughout the summer and hopefully we'll be back up and running sooner than later. But in the meantime, I'll have 5 months of uninterrupted blogging opportunities with a short break as we head to Japan for Spring Break. With that, I wanted to lay out some goals as many have done on the board. In order of priority, here are my goals:
1. Finish the 4th Edition of my Sumo Menko & Card Checklist. I'm about 1/3 the way done with the 4th Edition update.....which is about 25 pages of new sets and updates to existing sets. The 3rd Edition was published in December 2014 so it is time for an update. Looking at my schedule, I think I should be complete with it in the late April, early May timeframe.
2. I'm hoping we end up over in Europe or Australia. If we do, this goal focuses on branching out of the sumo world and collecting cards of the local sports team and hopefully the main sets of the entire league. I could see myself getting into the German Bundesliga or Premier League for soccer or cricket or rugby down in Australia.
3. As far as sumo menko and card collecting, my goal is to "discover" and catalogue at least 5 vintage sets (pre-1960), add at least 3 of the 1973 Calbee cards to my set, and complete the base 2017 BBM set from opening boxes and trading. Finding new sets is becoming harder and harder as most of the material out there I have already documented. Likely, any new set is going to be from the 1930s or earlier. The Calbee cards have always been a fascination to me and buying the entire set at one time is out of my price range. So I am forced to pick up singles from this set and occasionally I think I can nab one for under $50 per card. If I could ever complete this set, it will be a highlight of my modern collection. And the BBM sets I have woefully ignored in order to focus on the vintage stuff, but there is a good group of collectors that focus only on the modern sumo stuff and I need to as well.
4. I've always had a fascination with old Japanese stuff and the old Japanese tobacco cards have been intriguing to me for a while. I'd like to start collecting Murai Tobacco Cards, but I am very ignorant on what sets were produced, prices, and availability. Just adding a few to my collection this year would be fun to see if it would be worth pursuing any further. Lots more research to do in this area.
5. I think most of us are collecting now because we had such fond memories of collecting in our youth. I was a big baseball card collector in the late 1980s and early 1990s (along with all the other kids) and the strike of 1994 along with college killed my baseball card passion. I still pick up a pack now and then, but it's not the same. One set that I think can change all that is the 2017 Topps Heritage set and I plan on trying to complete that set through boxes and trading. Plus the fact that the 2017 set is based on the 1968 design is a bonus, as Nolan Ryan is my favorite player and his 1968 rookie card is a must have.
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| Image from Beckett.com |
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| Image from Beckett.com |
6. The last goal isn't really last on my list, but it is one that I haven't been able to think through all the details so I put it here. But I'm thinking about trying to do an interview post 4-6 times a year where I'm able to interview fellow collectors and blogging the details and transcript. Its goal is not to dig up embarrassing facts, but an opportunity to get to know fellow collectors a little better and focus on collecting, their collections, and blogging life. I've even thrown the idea of maybe trying to organize a round-table discussion with 2-3 other collectors where a relevant topic is discussed. Lots of hurdles to make it fun, readable, and relevant. Again, I haven't thought through this one as much, and I'm not sure blogging is the right venue for it.....but it seems like there could be some potential or opportunities. Anyone have any thoughts on this?
Good luck to everyone else on their goals and I'm looking forward to 2017!
1. Best of luck on your 2017 goals... especially the book!
ReplyDelete2. Japanese tobacco cards? Had no clue these existed.
3. Interviews are always cool. I've seen a few blogs do these and they're always entertaining. It's fun to see different collector's perspectives on our hobby.
Thanks, it should be a productive year besides the move. If the interview thing works out, I might be giving you a call if you are willing.
DeleteThe Japanese tobacco cards are rather rare, pretty much limited to only the Murai Brothers cards. There are other brands like Kimura and Mitsui and I am sure there are others I know nothing about. As far as years I have seen Murai cards dating to 1898, the T438 set, and the T488 set I think is from 1901 or 1902. Depending on the subject and condition I think most of the cards are pretty consistent with American and British tobacco cards around the same age.
ReplyDeleteI meant rather rare in the US
DeleteThanks for the info. I occasionally see them for auction in Japan, but I haven't pursued them. It doesn't appear there are too many sets so hopefully it will help me focus if collecting these does come to fruition.
DeleteHappy 2017 to you too. Good luck with the upcoming move, hope it doesn't disrupt your blogging too much (though I moved in November and it knocked me out of blogging for a couple months, and that was just a local move, not international like yours).
ReplyDeleteIts interesting about the Japanese tobacco cards, I collect English tobacco cards but have never come across ones in Japan. I might have to keep an eye out for them.
The interview/ roundtable discussion sounds like a good idea for a blog post. You might even consider doing it as a semi-regular thing, it makes for interesting reading and gives people something to look forward to (if it is done more than once).
Thanks! I'm heading to Japan in March for a week so I am hoping to be able to pick up a few cards at some shops around the Kanto region.
DeleteI'm still toying with the interview or roundtable discussion idea. I would love to make it semi-regular....just need to figure out details when I have a good chunk of time to devote to it. I definitely want to give it justice if I do it.