Mission Accomplished: Sets Completed in 2019

Over the past couple of years, I've been keeping track of sets that I complete throughout the year and which card is the last to enter my collection. Last year, I was able to complete 12 sets, which is the highest total I've accomplished since I began keeping track in 2017. Some of these sets I completed quickly, starting and finishing them this year. Some, I've been working on for years. As the new year dawns, let's take a look at the sets I was able to kill this year.

2013 Panini Prizm Brilliance

25 Cards; Last Card: #11 DeMarcus Ware*

A few years ago, I bought a couple of retail boxes of 2013 Prizm. From that start I've completed the base set, a few sets of the HRX Rookies, and now, my favorite insert set of the release.

2008 Topps Chrome Honor Roll

9 cards; Last Card: #HR-RS Roger Staubach

I bought a lot from a Sportlots auction that included 8 of the 9 cards of this set. It was a simple task to pick up this last card from COMC to polish it off. This is a really great concept for a set, as it honors players who both excelled on the field and served the country in the armed services. Plus, it's a rare 9-card, perfect-for-a-page set!

1991 Domino's The Quarterbacks

50 cards; Last Card: #50 Joe Theismann

When these cards were released, I had no clue about them. I'm pretty sure I didn't see the first Domino's in my area until a number of years later. But when I came across them, I thought it would be a fun set to build. After a few years of working, I got it done.

2017 Donruss Optic (Veteran Base)

100 cards, Last Card: #12 Isaiah Crowell

Last year, I held a group break on my blog. Among the boxes I broke were two boxes of 2017 Donruss Optic. The interest was low, so I ended up keeping most of them for myself. As a result, I was able to build the veteran base set pretty easily.

1991 Upper Deck Gamebreakers

9 cards; Last Card #GB2 Thurman Thomas

I've had a couple of these cards since they were originally released. A couple of years ago, I decided it would be a cool page if I could fill it with a bunch of holograms. Thurman Thomas marked the end of the 1991 set, which is all running backs. I'm still going on the 1992 set, which is made up of receivers.

2019 Topps Opening Day

200 cards

Since I bought a box that contained the entire set, I don't know which card was the last needed. So I went for some Cubs representation.

1989 Topps

396 Cards; Last Card: #392 Nate Newton

One of my goals is to complete one set each year for all the years I've been collecting. This was my choice for 1989. It's a design that has grown on me through the years. It's very simple, but really clean.

2019 Topps Big League Wall Climbers

10 cards; Last Card: #WC-10 Mike Trout

From my two boxes of Big League, I failed to complete the base set. This was the one insert set that I liked enough to build. My boxes brought me 9 of the 10 cards. #10 came in my COMC Black Friday order.

2018 Topps Opening Day Team Traditions and Celebrations

15 cards; Last Card: #TTC-OTD Old Timers Day (Yankees)

Each year I buy one box of Opening Day and build the base set and one insert set. This was my selection from 2018.

2017 Topps Opening Day Opening Day

15 cards; Last Card: #ODB-3 Kansas City Royals

And my choice for 2017. I like the Opening Day inserts that commemorate some kind of tradition surrounding Opening Day.

2016 Panini Legends of the Shield

20 cards; Last Card: #16 Joe Montana

I completed two insert sets (this and Decorated) before I have completed the base set. I'm inching closer to that, too. I hope to finish the base this year.

1994 Coca-Cola Monsters of the Gridiron

31 cards; Last Card: #8 Emmitt Smith

This is quite the nostalgic set for me. Two years after deciding to complete it, I finally did. The biggest name in the set was the last to get.

So there we have my 12 completed sets for the year. How many will I get in 2020? We'll see. I do know that I'm starting the year just a few cards shy in a few sets, so I have high hopes.

*All card images from TCDB.