Three Years In The Book...

Last weekend quietly marked the third year anniversary of my first "real" post here on The Phillies Collector.  Two days later on August 3, 2011 I posted my first listing of "Upcoming Phillies Signings" which included two legendary appearances: Hunter Pence (Carl's Cards) and Vance Worley (AB Sports).  Since that time, in some form or fashion there have been daily updates to the site.

I tend to settle into a mode of self-reflection this time each year.  It is inspiring to think back to those first days in the Summer of 2011 and realize just how far this little project has come.  I fondly remember the milestones, and corresponding mini, internal celebrations I held along the way.  When I had 10 unique visitors a month reading my updates, I never imagined a time when we would regularly host 4,000+ visitors each month (as the site does today).

If you've been reading for a while you've seen The Phillies Collector morph from a blog-only format to the more robust information center it is today - featuring comprehensive upcoming signings, hobby news features and a large collection of athlete mailing addresses.  And, if it seems like a lot of work - well, it is!  But for me, The Phillies Collector is, and has always been about information/knowledge sharing for the good of the Philly sports collecting community.  So, with that - "Thank You" to all supporters both here at home and on the web!  I promise more of the same (and a few new wrinkles, too) for the future...

Alright, enough sentimentality... let's go get some Phillies autographs!