It's quite a challenge to keep your sets in the number 1 spot.

I don't "journal" that much, like some people can, I just only talk when I feel that I have something interesting to add to the collector world.

Well, Hey!, here is my first entry to the next year!

Keeping a set at the top is, what I feel, like playing chess. You know where you are going to try and be, but you can't give your opponents a "heads up" to your intentions. My game started patiently, at the beginning of the year. First of all, In this paticular instance. My Canada 5c. pl set. 1953-76. I announced to the world that I would be working on my pl-1c set this year. Yes, I added a few through the year to keep any one concerned, off balance a little. Really though I was upgrading my Canada PL-10c and 25c sets, and building the PL-5c set. a couple of days before December 10, I listed my set into the number 1 spot. The whole year came down to that one moment. Did the other top set have some hidden upgrades to knock me back down? Or did I keep them off guard? Well, this time I got the spot. now I have to try and hold it. I lost one award/ number 1 spot this year and boy did that smart for a few days. I guess that is the way the dice role. When you are not looking, some one pulls the plug on your set, just as I did to someone else. It's a fun game, requiring a lot of patience. Even as I was upset for losing a spot, I could not give up my hand that I was about to do the same. Now for trying to maintain that spot. This is where it can get costly. Most of the time I have to purchase the "solo" finest or number 1 and 2 coins. Very seldom am I able to send one in for grading and it comes back that high. It does happen on occasion though. I even got 3-4 this year alone. Not for all one set though!

So here I am getting ready for this next year's competition. I haven't decided what to work on for this next year, but I do know that I'll be doing some "maintaining" work as well. Hopefully, I'll be able to Keep all of my number 1 spots this next year.

I'll write a journal in the early new year to set out my plans, or what I'll be trying to lay out for my competition. It is a great game, hopefully, I'll have as much fun this next year, as I did this year. Talk at-cha later, and have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!