And that was the year that I lost interest in collecting the Club Strikes. I had been buying every year after I joined the club and was working on adding the earlier ones to my collection so I could have a full set. Like several of the other people mentioned in the long thread that Paul attached to this thread, I missed seeing the notice that they were taking orders until after it was too late. The thing that completely soured me on it though was that the decision was made to order FIFTY less than they had ever sold before and then, when a number of people stated they would buy one if more were ordered (and some [including myself] even offered to pay up front), we were ignored. So, an instant rarity was created for the lucky 100 people (or less) who had been able to buy one (or more). Those of us with more modest means now have no chance of ever owning a complete set. So, I no longer buy, vote on, or care about the club strikes. I do still collect strikes (although it hasn't been as much fun since my brother died; it was an activity we enjoyed doing together), I'm still a member, and enjoy the newsletters and this message board (sometimes more than others).