I'm actually trying to get a "lull" developed so that I will feel OK about updating my "card needs" list ... I put a little "w" next to things when I've won them online and then cross them off when the cards arrive, but only intermittently update the file (at which point I mark off the updated items with a highlighter). I'm currently 3 updates (yellow, orange, and pink highlighters) into marking up the present print-out, and am really itching for a new clean copy. Since the "abbreviated" form of this (I keep two versions, one a two-column list, the other with things set out in tables) is 13 pages long (the long one is 30-some pages!), I don't much like printing it out all the time, preferring to do that when I'm at a "break". Well, at the moment I have a number of shipments I'm waiting on, primarily, as far as the listing is concerned, six with a total of about 51 cards (plus two with a half-case each of the Topps cards for Daughter #2, one with two Game Boy cartridges for Daugther #1, and one with two decks and 8 packs ... that was quite a sweet deal - two auctions at the minimum, $50 retail for $8.00!)., If I can keep myself from buyng any more over the next week or so, I can get those cards in, get them crossed off the list, and then print out a nice clean new version!
As I've noted, the collection itself is for Daughter #1 ... I don't have much use of the cards per se ... however, I get to scratch that obsessive compulsive itch by keeping all these records and slowly whittling down the lists of what we need. I find that most of the adults who are into this (I've had a few amusing e-mail discussions with some of the folks who are selling cards on eBay) have similar neurotic needs ... where it's "all about" crossing stuff off of lists! As such, I guess I'm "doing pretty good" as we have complete sets of the first eight Pokemon sets (out of about 22 current sets). I keep coaching #1 to be actively looking to trade cards with her friends, acquiring the rare Holos that we don't have via exchanges from her "trading binder" ... unfortunately, her school won't let the kids bring their cards, so she has to wait for playdates or vacation breaks for most of that.
I actualy won something today, but I'm not sure if it's a fabulous deal or not. There were "Pokemon planes" done up by the Japanese airline ANA a while back (think of the Shamu planes that somebody did here), and there are these model planes done up in the same pattern. I've seen these go for "big bucks" on eBay, but yesterday I stumbled over an auction for a die-cast metal model of one of these that was going for 99¢ so just had to bid on it. Maybe because it was listed as "used" and not NIB (new in box) it wasn't getting the "collectors" traffic (these usually start at like $35 or so!), but I got it for the minimum. Woot ... go me. #1 thought it sounded "way cool" so at least it's going to be welcomed for its play value.
(sigh) ... I wonder if there was any career which would scratch that same obs/comp itch as collecting does? I guess libraries or museums might have some similar dynamics. If I had zillions of dollars maybe I'd get into Fabrege eggs or something ... I suspect that those sorts of collections have similar neurotic roots!