The title from this post is from an early 1990s film called Mixed Nuts that's why your looking at Adam Sandler in the picture on top it was one of his earliest roles it starred Steve Martin & Rita Wilson in this great comedy film from 1994. Adam sings with the accompanying him on his ukulele an original song "So Many Things to Wonder" I feel the same way however I say So Many Things to Wonder to Get to complete my needs. Just yesterday I went through my 13 3200ct basketball boxes again to make sure that I located all the singles I have from the `07/`08 Upper Deck set as well the `08/`09 Upper Deck set removed & placed within the pile of the starter lot of the set build I am doing. Currently I have for the `07/`08 set 104/242 cards which is a 43% completion which is a semi-great start. As for the `08/`09 set that is at 100/266 card which is a 38% completion rate which way lower than I would like it to be but, that is what happens usually with me when I start late on sets that have been released & I didn't start when they first were released.
I have many reasons why I start the sets so later than usual. One of the reasons is does it appeal to me to make. Example the `07/`08 design is like this.
Upper Deck pretty designs are much like the other sports I have sets of however I didn't do the 2008 Upper Deck Football set nor at this moment do I feel like doing that set. The reasoning is cause I have way too much to work on at the moment & with my job schedules its hard to find the time to do it.
Another reason I look at is can I find a starter lot of the set that I am thinking of putting together I prefer to have at least 70% a completion rate or higher before I work on it plus can my LCS or trading partners/readers help me out in finding singles I need usually when I get someone to help me that usually about 3-10 cards now don't get me wrong its find every little bit helps but considering I usually send good portion of cards to trade to other set builders if the set has more that 200 cards.
I am sure the only set builder that does research on the sets as well thanks to the TCDB.com site to help with my decisions. There I can see how many cards are within the set I am considering in making & looking at the images of the cards if available helps as well. Another feature I like is if I decide to do a master set with variations in it I know what to look for a specific example when I made my 1982 Donruss Sets (Yes I made 2 Master sets of them). As you can see in the pictures below are of Alan Trammell Diamond King card the one on the left is the error cause there's only 1 "L" in his last name while the right one is the correct spelling with 2 "L's" & sometimes I recheck the TCDB if there's anything new to locate like the Christy Matthewson's 1987 Hygrade All-Time Greats set pictured below I thought I had the set complete when this popped up in the Errors/Varations list lucky for me I was able to find the Outfielder card at my LCS for $.10 cause I already had the correct position of pitcher already.
Like Dime-Box Nick I always like a good deal on things.
Another thing as when I consider doing when I am on the fence on doing a set is reach out to fellow collectors to see what their take is on the set. Like can they help me in completing the set. Can they point me in the right direction should I need assistance & they aren't able to help me complete it. Do they want to hear my ramblings about why I am making that specific set. Are they willing to take any of my extras if they are building it as well.
Since I dabble in all 4 sports on my set building I also wonder how many more sets for that certain sport am I willing to make. Yes I am clearly hearing my friend Greg from The Collective Mind Blog saying "I thought once ya started this football set you weren't going to make anymore football sets that as you know turned out to be false information." Currently I have 240 listings on my baseball wants that's prior to adding when it does get released the 2024 Topps Heritage High Numbers Inserts well as the minis. Only 61 listings for basketball. Only 63 listings in football & finally only 130 for hockey.
So usually I have people constantly asking me to make them their sets for them since they are either too lazy to do it or they think I have enough cards in my 3200ct boxes to help them complete their sets. Don't get me wrong I enjoy making them its those that ask me to make the set only to back out of it just after I have done some digging or pulled the cards that they need from my boxes or go to my LCS or check with my connections for assistance. Case in point 2 months ago I had someone slam a 3200ct box asking me to make them a `93/`94 Fleer basketball set. A 400 card complete set with the only insert to them since they had a non-redeemed 1993 NBA Draft Lottery card that well...past expiration date so couldn't get it redeemed if they tried. I told him I would do it for $30 Non-refundable cause I had singles plus I have access to about 8/11 of the Lottery cards you got back in exchanged the only missing ones were Chris Webber #1 Penny Hardaway #3 & finally even though he was a Detroit Pistons pick #11 Allan Houston. I went to work on it 2 days later I get call from the guy he changed his mind after I pulled 376/400 cards from the set with 12 boxes to search through good thing I got my $$$$$$ up front.
I consider this set the `93/`94 Fleer Glow Worms set cause how they look. You tell me am I right or not.
Yet as I try to convert all my 3200ct boxes of basketball & football by sets so its easier for me to find the stuff with my busy schedule from my 2 jobs & when I have the rare day off from any of my jobs I just want to go to a shop & see what I can find for myself or others & I slack in doing my own inventory when I should do it or hire someone to sort through them as a project with someone with OCD only if that was possible to locate someone like that. Well I like to hear what you think do I have so many things to wonder or not. As I am reminded by Rogers Hornsby saying about signing autographs for kids "Any Ballplayer who doesn't sign autographs for little kids ain't an American, He's a Communist."
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