New Beginnings

So, I've recently tried to get back into collecting baseball cards. Well, not just baseball cards, but primarily baseball. I'll pick up Brett Favre cards and any sport cards of University of Wisconsin alumni in their college jersey -- prefer them autographed.

Briefly about myself: I grew up collecting in the late-80's/early-90's, so yes, my parents' basement is full of worthless cards. My dad got back into it when I was getting into it, so aside from my friends, I had a parent to share the joy of collecting cards with. As with most collectors at the time, I looked a great deal towards assembling sets, chasing some of the key inserts, and collecting all of the cards of a few favorite players -- Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, Kirby Puckett, and Kent Hrbek. (Any guess where I grew up???) I lost interest in collecting as I got into high school and college for a few reasons. Prices were rising, variety was ballooning, and my interest in girls, cars, and booze skyrocketed.

Getting back into the hobby 15 years later, I have a very good job, occasional spare time, and a passion for baseball. Picking up the pieces form my "old" collection, there are several keepers, but most of it is considered "junk" by today's standards. Being older, hopefully wiser, and definitely short on time than I was before, I find my ideals of a "solid" collection to be much tighter than when I was 12 years old.

My initial goals for my collection:
1) Collect cards I wanted but could never afford as a kid (especially those which aren't worth poop now). You know what I mean. the Classic Bo Jackson in the Auburn jersey with the bat pointed at the camera, a Frank Thomas 1990 Leaf rookie card, or even the 1989 Fleer Billy Ripken "F*ck Face" card.
2) Collect a rookie card of every MVP and Cy Young winner from my birth year til "today".
3) Collect a rookie card and/or special card of any major players and Hall of Famers from my youth which I remember seeing.
4) Collect some autographs... and maybe some game used cards. Those are a new twist!
5) Keep the collection tight. I don't need all every variation or every card of certain players. Aside from it seemingly being impractical based on all of the reprints and autographs I am seeing now, there just isn't a point. I like my cards because they remind me of a place, a time, or a player. I don't need 100 versions of that memory.

Wish me luck!