One Million Cubs Project Frequently Asked Questions
We are approaching the one year anniversary of launching the One Million Cubs Project. The idea was born December 20, 2017.
Since then, many questions have been asked about the One Million Cubs Project and I have answered some of these on social media, others in interviews, and some topics have been discussed in past blog entries. Here's a one-stop shop for the top questions I am asked regarding the project.
Why do you want one million Cubs cards?
The idea was born when I realized I had too many cards in my collection that I don't want, and wouldn't be able to sell. I have team collected the Cubs a few times in the past and made quite a few bulk team trades (500 of someone's favorite team for 500 Cubs, etc.). I had around one million total cards in my collection, so I thought it would make for some fun to swap one million unwanted cards for one million Cubs cards and blog about it along the way.
What Will You Do When You Reach One Million Cubs Cards?
This is the second most asked question behind the previous. Initially, I had no idea. One year into the project I know the end game is there is no end game. No, I won't be attempting to collect two million Cubs cards. What I will do is focus my Cubs collecting to fill holes in my collection and continue acquiring new releases.
Do You Collect Anything Else?
Unfortunately, yes...but not as much as Cubs baseball cards. I have a collection of nearly 300 autographed baseballs signed by current and former Cubs. My Bobblehead collection is near 25 Cubs, and I always look to pick up rare and oddball items like a game used second base (Javy Baez) from the 2017 NLCS.
When Did You Start Collecting Cubs Cards?
The One Million Cubs Project began last December, but my Cubs collecting started nearly 30 years ago. I still remember acquiring my first Cubs team set (1989 Topps) from a mail-in. My mom was a hardcore couponer in the 1980's and she redeemed some box tops or UPC codes for a 1989 Cubs set from Topps. That's when I first started collecting Cubs. I carried my collection of about 100 Cubs cards in a plastic McDonald's happy meal lunch box.
What's Your Favorite Card?
Many people ask what my most valuable card in my collection is, and I deflect the answer to my favorite. It also happens to be the oldest card in my collection: 1887 Old Judge Duke Farrell. Technically, it's not even a Cubs card, rather a White Stockings card since the Cubs name had not yet been adopted. There are several other favorites that I'll likely blog about at a later time.
What's Your Biggest Trade?
I've made many large flat rate box trades which Number between 4,000 and 5,000 cards. That number pales in comparison to an in-person trade that took place a few weeks ago at the Chicago Sports Spectacular. That trade involved 30,000 cards being swapped! I have picked up bigger lots of cards, but that was the biggest trade involving only Cubs cards.
What Do You Personally Define as a Cubs Card?
This question was posed on Twitter in preparing for this article. Great question that I hadn't thought of addressing. There's no concrete answer, it's up to my discretion. Take for example 2015 Panini Stars & Stripes. None of the cards are Major League cards, rather Team USA. I include Addison Russell, Kyle Schwarber, Albert Almora, and Kris Bryant. That seems fair as those four players have only played MLB for the Cubs. But past players is a gray area. I included Derrek Lee, but not Joe Carter. Lee didn't play for the Cubs until several years after he was drafted and played for both the Padres and Marlins. Carter was drafted by the Cubs and debuted with Chicago, but his success came with other teams. So, it's a tough question to answer because it just depends on how I feel. I do include non-uniformed Cubs such as Team USA and Leaf Perfect Game. I also include cards where a player is pictured in a Cubs uniform, but has been traded and a different team logo is featured. On the flip side, I also include cards where a player is featured in another uniform, but there's a note on the card that says, "now with Cubs."
How Does Your Wife Feel About the Project?
My wife is very understanding! More than she should be, and I'm very lucky. But she does roll her eyes at me often!
