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Matt_McCallum

Virtual Hockey Autograph Collection - Your Invitation to a Sneak Preview!

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Back in late 2012, when I told my wife Lynn that my next web project was to create a virtual collection for my autographed hockey cards, her reaction was (to my surprise, I will admit) one of great joy and tremendous support. "Finally! You'll be getting rid of all those binders and boxes filled with cards that have been cluttering up my house!" Rarely had I seen her so pleased that it just seemed unnecessarily cruel to let my real plans intrude on what to her was the arrival of a long hoped for moment. We are sufficiently removed from that conversation that I can now say "Unfortunately, my love, that isn't exactly my plan."

Rather, I intended the site as the solution to a vexing problem. When part of the fun of collecting is sharing your treasures with fellow collectors, how do you accomplish that when you live hundreds of miles away from the nearest people whom might care? The obvious answer (the internet, of course!) brings forth a host of new puzzles and challenges in terms of site construction, formatting, and layout. And hence, after a number of weeks of planning and developing, I have the humble beginnings of a multi-month project to place my 5,796 card (and still growing!) certified autographed hockey card collection out on display.

The initial phase will see the scanning of my complete collection and the creation of galleries organized by card set. Later phases will see the development of individual player and team galleries. Various other themed exhibits may emerge from time to time. Given the size and scope of this effort, as well as the fact my collection continues to grow and evolve, I don't have any hard timelines for completion. Instead the site will likely be a continual work-in-progress, and it is my hope with every visit there will be something new.

I've got about 460 cards up thus far. Not bad for a month's work over evenings and weekends. I'm not quite ready to link it this effort to my main page for the world to see -- I still want to tweak the home page a bit, and get 20 to 25 percent of my collection posted before opening the doors -- but I'm willing to let my friends here at the SportsCardForum take a sneak peak at the work in progress. After all, many of you have contributed to helping build this collection.

So with that, don't let me delay your tour any longer, which you can start by clicking the link below. It is my hope you'll enjoy viewing this small portion of my collection as much as I enjoy sharing it with you.

http://matthewmccallumonline.com/autographs/index.html

PS - I welcome any and all comments suggesting improvements that can make the site better.

Comments

  1. Pheebs888's Avatar
    Very nice work indeed and an excellent way to share your collection...I might just put your blog entry in the SCF online magazine as well :)
  2. 87sluggo's Avatar
    Beautiful set-up, so much better looking than my PhotoBucket. If I could ever learn ANYTHING about web-design that would stick, I'd make a page exactly like that!

    We share the Fleer GOTG auto collection and the ITG Enforcers, so I guess we'll be seeing each other in hell after all is said and done hahahahaaa!!!

    We USED to share the comic-book thing as well, until someone cleaned out my storage locker one night. Quit cold-turkey after that and turned to hockey cards, which are a lot smaller and I can keep em at home..........

    Tell Lynn she can call my Amy anytime and they can complain for hours about their "kids" :D
  3. mooneyes's Avatar
    Very nice! Who knew Jimmy Mann had such a slick auto! too bad he didn't play as well, oy!
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