Why I Started With the Checklist
Got my first 2025 Topps Baseball Series 1 pack last Tuesday. Ripped it open like a kid on Christmas morning. Cards everywhere on my kitchen table. Thought I’d remember what I had, but three packs later? Total chaos. Duplicates piling up, no clue which ones I was missing. Felt like digging through a junk drawer.
Where the Checklist Saved My Butt
Decided to stop being stubborn and print the checklist. Grabbed my laptop, found a PDF version online (took forever with all those dang pop-ups), and hit print. Five pages slid out – every single card listed with numbers and player names. Taped ’em together on the wall like a treasure map.
How I Tackled the Collection
Dumped all my cards into shoeboxes first. Took me two nights after work sitting on the carpet. Started grouping them:
- Sorted by number: Put #1-10 in one pile, #11-20 in another. Back hurt like hell from leaning over.
- Checked ’em off: Used a red marker to cross out each card I had on the paper list. Dropped ink on my favorite Judge card – still pissed about that smudge.
- Found duplicates fast: Spotted five copies of Rodriguez rookie card immediately. Set ’em aside for trading later.
The Game-Changer Moment
After marking everything, holes in the collection jumped out at me. Like card #83 – that Soto variation? Nowhere in my stacks. Would’ve never noticed without the printed list. Next card show I went to, I zoned straight on that gap instead of mindlessly buying packs. Saved me probably forty bucks right there.
Why Bothering With This Matters
Thought checklists were for nerds until I tried it. Now? My complete set’s sitting in a binder, no duplicates or missing pieces. Took me three weekends start to finish instead of months. Still use that coffee-stained checklist paper when new packs arrive – just add fresh X’s. Feels like using cheat codes in real life.