18 Cards Submitted To Beckett Grading Submissions (BGS) At South Bay Sportscards On October 4, 2014

Baseball season is quickly coming to an end this month and it seemed to me the perfect time to submit my last group of cards for grading. I basically went through all my cards that I found worthy of grading (i.e. Kershaw, valuable, limited or colored parallels) and this is the lot I cam up with. I say this is my last one for awhile as I have exhausted my present collection of cards that fit into my definition of gradable. The other reason there won't be another submission till next year as there is only one more set (Topps Five Star) coming out from now till next April that would in my opinion "deserve" to be graded. Of course this does not account for any singles I might pick up. All my Kershaw autographs will now be graded and other limited autographs as well.

With that said I submitted a whopping 18 cards this time. Beats my last submission by 5. I think that out of that bunch at least 8 have a really good chance at gem mint with another 2 that could go either way. Of the remaining 8 I know 3 for sure will grade out as "just" mint with the remaining 5 up for debate which I will get into.

My last submission yielded me my first pristine graded card ever. I don't think any of these will get that grade as I can almost say there is no chance at that looking back at the full 18. If I was to get 10 gem mints back with 8 mints and no other hiccups I would be happy with it all.

As always I go from the least likely to grade high to my "guarantee" that it will come out gem mint. Any well wishes is always appreciated. Obviously there are plenty of Dodgers so lets start off with number 18 :

2013 Topps Five Star 

No way no how does Puig here replicate pristine status as he is guaranteed not to even achieve gem mint status. My hope is that he still holds on for plain old mint and doesn't get dropped to near mint category. Everything is fine for the most part on the card but one of the back corners is frayed. At best that will sub grade to a 9 (would be nice if coupled with 3 9.5's but I doubt it) but a good chance it will come back a 8.5 but what I expect to be at least 3 9's in the other sub grades I think it will still come out an overall mint 9. I debated on selling this card but due to its limited nature (75) I decided to keep it a little bit longer and see how Puig's career pans out.

2014 Bowman Black Collection

Next up and sad to say is this great autograph of Urias. I love these silver on black autographs but anytime you have these thick cards they are highly vulnerable to chipping, fraying etc. and Urias here could not escape that. While no bending of corners is present there is some slight fraying but everything else looks to be up to par. Still think it grades out to a mint 9 but I'm a tad weary but not as much as the 5 Star Puig. Another issue that might arise is you might notice that his signature slightly streaks which BGS sometimes has an issue with. Crossing my fingers.

2012 Topps Museum

Kershaw makes his first appearance in the group and even though this one is possibly in the best condition the others might be grade higher. More on that later. As stated in this POST this was part of a small 2 card project. I picked up it's twin on a great discount on eBay which was already graded a mint 9 and found this one also on discount at COMC. While I would and always would love gem mint grades I look at this card and it seems that everything looks good but the corners are somewhat rounded which makes me think it will grade out to a mint 9 which considering it's twin already is a mint 9 I would be OK with that. Won't turn down a gem mint though. = )

2010 Allen and Ginter

Lower expectations with better results is better than high expectations and lower results. Kershaw and/or Allen Ginters will forever fall into this category for me for now one hence the low placing of this autograph of Kershaw. I've thought some A&G's would grade to gem mint and didn't, others where I think they would be less but ended up being more and also if you note that in the beginning of Kershaw's signature you see it tale off a little on the bottom. Does this count as "outside" the margins and to the edge which BGS hates? I hope not. Otherwise I think this is a great looking card which at minimum should grade out to a mint 9 but in another world I can see it as a gem mint. 

2009 Allen and Ginter

2009 here is a basically a 2010 just in a different color. Same "issue" with the signature as the other is present here but everything else looks to be peachy. So once again. I expect no less than a mint 9 but I could see gem mint 9.5 as well. Low expectations, low

2012 Bowman Sterling

I came across another copy of this card as I already have one in my collection but it never hurts to have two for trade bait. The last copy came back a gem mint 9.5 and while I think this one has an outside chance of earning the same grade one of the corners worries me so a mint 9 would not be a surprise here. 

2014 Allen and Ginter

Only 7 cards in and we are at the last Kershaw already. My tempered expectations might be rewarded when the grades come back but I don't want to get my hopes up. Though I just want mint 9's on all my Kershaw autographs these Allen and Ginter's look like they can earn gem mint grades but each one the autographs scare me. This one tails off to the right and only under a loop can you see it barely misses the edge but with past history I just don't know what BGS will think. Everything else looks to be in fine condition with no issues that I can see. Wait and hope is what I shall do on this and the other Kershaw's. Be nice BGS, be nice.

2013 Bowman Chrome

We now come to the 3 cards that I feel are "guaranteed" mint status but could easily earn gem mint status. I am stocking up on Seager cards and hopefully more gem mint Seager cards. On the front this card looks flawless as I would describe it as gem mint but it's that back that gives me a little concern. I can tell its off centered but it doesn't look to be more than 70/30 which would drive the sub grade down below a 9. Hoping it doesn't hold this card back from gem mint but mint should be assumed here.

2013 Topps Five Star

The 2nd of the three cards that are on the mint/gem mint fence. Unlike the Puig 5 Star card this one is void of corner issues and other than a slight centering issues on the lower banner I don't see an issue but with Five Star and thick cards in general you just never know. Fully expect nothing less than mint status but would not be surprised if it earned gem mint. A great bargain of a purchase would be even better with a gem mint grade.

2013 Topps Five Star

And now the last of the 3 "destined" for mint status. This one is above Gibson's as I see no banner centering issue here and even the corners are crispier than Gibson's. I will go out on a limb and be disappointed if it doesn't at least garner 2 sub grades of 9.5. Hopefully that will be en route to an overall grade of gem mint,

2014 Topps Chrome

10 down with 8 left and I believe all 8 should earn a gem mint grade. 

I wasn't planning to submit this one but considering it is a limited rookie autograph card in a gorgeous black border I decided to throw into the pile for submission. Don't know if Guerrero will ever amount to much in American baseball but if he does this will be a great card to have in gem mint. The only issue I see with this card is that it is not perfectly centered on the back. 

2003 Topps Tribute

I knew I wanted this in a BGS case once I received it. Signature is in great condition, picture shows a classic moment not just in Dodger history but in baseball history. It shows the last great year in Dodger baseball up till today. On top of all that there is a bat relic from Gibson as well. Overall great card. Everything checks out to be gem mint with the only issue that might arise is the surface which may or may not grade out to mint 9 but I think everything else will be just fine.

2012 Bowman Sterling

This is the second Bowman Sterling of Seager in the batch but this one is the limited refractor parallel version. Everything including corners and autograph looks great and the only thing that gives me pause is surface as there seems to be a small flaw. Hopefully it won't knock the overall grade down but I believe it will still earn a gem mint grade on this card.

2013 Bowman Chrome Mini

The only reason I submitted this card was for the fact that since the submission pile was getting so big what harm is it to add one more to it? It has the lowest book value of the lot ($10) but I love these blue bordered minis and since it showcased our favorite Korean son why not? Also even thought I think it's gem mint it might have an outside chance at pristine but considering it is tricky to assume that I will go with gem mint for now. 

2014 Bowman Chrome

Remember this picture as you will see it again later on. Normally I wouldn't submit a blue parallel if I already have a black version of it. With the black one coming back to me in gem mint status as seen HERE I wasn't planning to do the blue one but considering it looks to be in the same condition as the black one I thought why not have a blue twin. I see no problem arising for this card and hope to add another great Urias card to the collection.

2013 Topps Chrome

The best purchase money wise that is not an autograph is finally going to get graded. I purchased this card for a mere 99 cents. As shown HERE the seller obviously made a mistake in the eBay listing but I still received the card in great condition and couldn't believe I received this $50 card for that amount. I sent in my Kershaw variation from the same set for grading as seen HERE and it came back as a gem mint beauty and what better way to show that one off again than to have this Kemp coupled with in it gem mint glory as well. As with that one I see no issues with this one and hope to add yet another 9.5 of Kemp to my collection.

2014 Topps Chrome

Only reason this is not the top card is because it is not a Dodger and I reserve that spot for Dodgers only unless another card is far and away superior to it. I always hoped that when I won this card it would make it to me from Topps in great condition and once it did I knew I was going to submit it to BGS for what I hope and believe is a gem mint grade. The only thing I can possible seem wrong is that there is a small dimple on the surface. Not sure how BGS will see that. 

2014 Bowman Chrome

And now for the final card. If and WHEN this grades out to gem mint status it will become my crown jewel of the Urias collection. I had hoped that the Black Collection autograph would be that card but I can not see it getting a gem mint status and I can just hope it holds a mint grade. I hope to acquire the blue and black parallels of this same card but I will wait till the off season when prices are lower but having this one now will hold me over till then. I can not see a problem with this card and it will look great next to my other gem mint Urias's.

So that's it. 18 cards in total and the last submission for awhile. In a perfect world I would get at least 10 gem mints back with the others coming back as mint but like I said I will keep my expectations low and hopefully be pleasantly surprised at the end of this month.

As always, thank you for reading and have yourself a great day.