Card of the Day - 2012 Topps Five Star : Matt Kemp Base Autograph (25/97)

The prices of almost all autographs of Matt Kemp continue to spiral downward so for the foreseeable future it continues to be a great time to get autographs of the Bison on the cheap. Fine by me as I'll enjoy it while I can.

I have seen this card for months on end but every time I thought I would win it I got out bid at the last moment. This is a relic and though I would prefer a blue swatch rather than a white one I wasn't that picky if I could pick it up on a bargain.

Well this copy came up for sale on the bay and once again I added it to my watch list and tracked the bidding. 10 plus bids prior to the last day but they were are small so the price was still reasonable. Final moments were upon me and I put my bid in with 5 seconds left and sat and waited to get out bid like all the other times. This time though it was meant to be as I remained the high bid and finally won this elusive card.

Card arrived a short time later and for a thick Five Star card it is in great condition. No corner issues whatsoever. I am glad to add yet another Kemp autograph to the collection whether he is a Dodger or not.

Card of the Day - 2012 Topps Five Star : Matt Kemp Silver Ink Autograph ( 23 / 99 )

I was finally able to lock down a card that I have been searching for well over 6 months. It helps when you have friends out there that help you out and direct you in the right area as well. Greg who runs a great blog as seen HERE already had this card so he wasn't in on it but knew I wanted my own copy and for some reason I hadn't seen it myself on the bay. So thanks are in order once again to Greg.

Kemp continues to be my favorite everyday player and that is due more to his off field and in person good will rather than on field performance as that has been lacking. I already acquired the Kershaw version of this card back in June of 2013 as seen HERE and wanted to bookend it with Kemp. Even with the lower demand of Kemp cards this one in particular has been a real bear to get my paws on. Thankfully this one came in much lower than expected and I was able to scoop it up for my collection. It is a great card and the silver ink is beautiful.

The Bison in Silver Ink Form

Card of the Day - 2012 Topps Five Star : Andre Ethier Autograph ( 9 / 25 )

An autograph card that I was not looking for nor needed but it looks so damn pretty on its thick cardboard self I just had to get it if I could.

This card only has a print run of 25 so with that low of a number there is no official book value assigned to the card. With that said I just had to go with what I was willing to pay for and the seller had this with a starting asking price of $15. Other Ethier cards from this set with a print run of 50 are priced at $25. So if I could have this card for $15 then I would try to acquire it but if it went for a penny more I was not going to get into a bidding war for it. No action on the auction with a minute left and thought I might actually win this limited edition card and with 10 seconds left I put my bid in for exactly $15 and won it for that amount. Again, no book value for this card but I think that the beauty and scarcity of this card is worth the $15 I dished out for it. Another autographed card of Captain Clutch has been added to my collection.

9 of only 25 in the world.

Card of the Day - 2012 Topps Five Star : Clayton Kershaw Silver Ink Autograph ( 84 / 99 )

Like a lot of collectors I am always on the look out for Kershaw autographs and it's hard to pass one up if it is available whether it is a deal or not. I won't buy autographs that are in black as the color fades and will only buy in them in blue, unless, the rare silver cards come up. Silver is not as common as blue so when they become available I keep an eye on it. Considering I don't own a silver one since my return to the hobby it's become an itch that needed to be scratched and finally it has been with this addition.

Looking to add number 3 to my autograph collection of Kershaw and saw this gem on eBay and knew if I could get it at a reasonable price I would. Average action as there were 5 bids on it prior to the final day which had the card at $20. Book has the card at $30 which I think is low but what do I know? Wanted the card but decided I was for sure not going to pay over book for it. Auction was rapidly coming to a close and I put the bid in and won it at $28. So basically I paid book for a card but my mentality is that its silver and its Kershaw. A fine combination.

Card came in the mail and this is the thickest card I have ever owned. This is a big boy. Glad to finally add my first silver on card autograph and to top it off it is of Kershaw which I now own 3 autographs of. Sometimes paying book isn't that bad.

Silver, Kershaw, 84 out of 99. What else can I ask for?