Card of the Day - 2012/13 Panini : Rob Blake Autograph

I knew when I started my hunt for autographs of former Kings that I would come across players that either I haven't heard of in a long time or possibly ones that just were too pricey to acquire so I didn't pick them up at the time. Rob though simply just slipped through the cracks for the past couple of years. No excuse.

While most older players are fringe guys Rob was and is still a big name in the Kings organization and I don't know why it has taken me this long to have his autograph in my collection. I grew up watching him and he was always one of my favorites at the time. Well thankfully when I did one of my generic searches Rob popped up and I quickly scooped up this bargain card. Less than $3 is always a nice price when it comes to picking up on card autograph especially one of a player that I think is worth more than that.

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.

-Penguin

Card of the Day - 2012/13 Panini : Bernie Nicholls Autograph

I was fortunate enough to have met former King Bernie in person at an in store appearance almost 2 years ago (man how time flies). While I picked up a few items at that time I still wanted to have an on card autograph of his. Of course so many other things took precedence since then that only now was I able to lock one down for my collection.

I have noticed that the best bang for my buck for Kings autographs have been from the Panini brand as I believe this is my 3rd such card from that brand. When searching for past Kings players that are not the big names i.e. Luc, Gagne, et al my cap is at most $5 but thankfully most if not all could be had in that ballpark and Bernie here was no exception. 1 bid is all it took for me to win this card for the grand total of $2.98. Not ... too ... shabby.

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.

-Penguin

Card of the Day - 2012-13 Panini Anthology : Jonathan Quick Elite Inscriptions Autograph

Went back to our neighbor up north and finally picked up the heart and soul of the 2011-12 Stanley Cup Champions, one Jonathan Quick.

No matter what country the cards have been originating from I have had the worst luck on acquiring an autograph card of our goaltender. I literally have been outbid on at least 20 auctions as even though I knew he would be the priciest I was determined not to go over a certain threshold I had set for myself. There were a few lower priced cards but they were adorned mostly in gold which I did not like the look of.

Saw yet another one of these Panini cards and it was revealed that there was a print of at least 26 but no more than 99. Though not numbered individually that still made them hard to find and acquire. The seller had this card with a starting bid of $10 and I hoped that it wouldn't go into the 30 dollar range like others have. Decent amount of action on the auction as it ended with 15 bids. My ceiling for the card was in the mid 20's and I put my bid in with less than a minute left and hoped for the best as I couldn't watch it at that moment. The auction ended and later in the evening even though there was a bid at the last minute my high bid held and I won the card for a tad under $23 delivered. Finally obtained the hard to get Quick and it is a great looking card. Couldn't be happier and cant wait for the team to return to the finals in 2014. Go Kings Go!!!

Less than 99 in the world.

Card of the Day - 2012-13 Panini : Jack Johnson Autograph

Another hit on my Autographed Kings quest and this time it's for someone that wasn't even on the team during the playoffs. One, Jack Johnson.

Jack was traded prior to the trade deadline but he was part of the team during the season so he was still a must get on my list. Not too many Jack cards to chose from online but patience is a virtue in this hobby and this particular card held my eye as the auction came to a close. No bids on the card and with shipping at $2 I didn't want to overbid on the actual card. Right at the deadline one person put a bid in and then I put mine in as well and I ended up winning the card at just a $1.40. So with shipping that came out to only a little over $3. Not a bad pick up. Not a fan of gold bordered cards with blue autographs but when the choices are slim the buyer cant be picky.

Card of the Day - 2012-13 Panini Limited : Drew Doughty Autograph ( 91 / 99 )

Since I have started my quest to acquire the Kings autographs I have noticed a lot of these cards are ending up coming out of Canada.

Doughty was up next to hit my doorstop. Due to him having national popularity and not just a local following his cards are a bit pricier but the good thing is there is more of a pool to buy from. Kept missing out on auctions and that is with me not really caring if it has fabric/game used material on the card. I am just seeking the autograph. This time though the auto came with some jersey. I waited in the shadow on this card and watched the bidding go back in forth between two bidders til the end when I decided to jump into the fray. I don't do it often but I waited to exactly one second left in the auction until I put my bid in. Most times unless I severely overbid I do not win that way but this time I did. Won this beauty of a card for a mere $18. Seems like a good deal to me considering most auctions seem to end in that or a higher price range. Another one checked off the list. Go Kings Go !

Card of the Day - 2012-13 Panini : Dustin Brown Fabric of the Game Autograph ( 15 / 50 )

Man, I don't know what I was thinking. While concentrating on my Dodger habit and acquiring all cards Dodger I totally forgot about my other main team. The Los Angeles Kings. The 2011-2012 Stanley Cup Champions. Hell, my first entry into this blog was about me and meeting Stanley.

Well I had to fix that problem but unlike the Dodger part of my collection I won't be collecting all King cards that are available. I will be only on the look out for any player that played on the team during their championship run. If they wore the King sweater then I want their autograph on card. Doesn't matter what year it comes from or if they are no longer on the team but it does have to show them in King colors. That will be the problem. I know not all of them have on card autographs so I will have to be patient on finishing the "set" but no time like now to start. Went on eBay to see what is out there and my first hit happened to be the captain, Dustin Brown.

I didn't have access to a price guide during my initial search for King cards so I just had to go with my gut and see what was out there and what people were asking for. Came across this card with a nice crisp blue autograph and some sweater fabric to boot. Most of Dustin's autographed fabric cards it seemed went for at least $14-15 so that was my benchmark. Auction was ending and it sat at just $7 so I thought I had a chance and put my bid in and won the card at nice even number of $11. I still don't know what book is for this card but for me that amount is fair enough and that is all that matters. So I have now added my first Los Angeles King's autograph card and have multiple more to go but we all have to start somewhere. Go Kings Go !!!

The Captain. 15 / 50