Card of the Day - 2013 Topps Chrome : Clayton Kershaw Base Sepia Refractor Parallel (91/99)

It was time to go across the Pacific once again to acquire a much wanted card as the sellers on the mainland have not been kind to me when it has come to its price. Sellers located in Asia seem to be open to negotiating a price and in some cases just accepting the offer that is sent to them and that happened to be the case for this beautiful Kershaw card.

I love the Sepia cards that Topps produce but this 2013 Topps Chrome one has eluded me for quite some time. They have popped up on eBay from time to time but with book checking in at $25 there is no way no how am I spending that much to acquire it. The problem is/was that most of the U.S sellers had that as their asking price.

This one popped up one day on the auction site with an asking price of $15 which was "maybe" my ceiling price but only on a very good day. Thankfully the seller included a best offer option. I also noticed that he was located in Taiwan and I was not in any hurry to have this card so it did not matter to me that it would take a couple of weeks to get to me. Well I sent over an offer of $6. Low ball? Maybe but I wanted to see what his price would be and go from there. Well I had to wait almost 2 days for an answer but not only did he not reject my offer he accepted it without a counter. Woo Hoo. That is $6 well spent in my eyes. Card will be off to BGS when they are back in town as I think it has a 50/50 shot at some gold banner love.

Ninety-One

of

Ninety-Nine

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.

-Penguin

Card of the Day - 2013 Topps Chrome : Mike Trout Base Purple Refractor Parallel BGS Graded Gem Mint 9.5

While it's not a numbered parallel nor a photo variation I couldn't pass up on this purple refractor of Mike from the 2013 Topps Chrome set when the cost was cheaper than what it would be to send it in myself to get graded.

Raw value is pegged at a high of $15 but I would say fair market value for this purple beauty would be in the $7-$10 range and that is just what I "paid" for this particular copy but since it is already been certified as gem mint it made the deal that much better.

While I prefer my parallels to be numbered I welcome this to my collection and since it is purple and Mike Trout I guess my wife also welcomes it into the collection as she continues to claim all purple and Angel cards.

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.

-Penguin

BGS Submission Result Number NINE - 2013 Topps Chrome : Clayton Kershaw Base Black Refractor Parallel (34/100) Now BGS Graded Mint 9.0

2013 Topps Chrome Clayton Kershaw Black Refractor (34/100)

Now for back to back black chromes of Mr. Clayton Kershaw.

I put these higher up on the list not because they are in better condition than the other chromes but because they are black. No matter how many colored parallels I acquire black to me is still the best and the ones I hunt down the most. Only centering here might be a slight issue but other than that I hope and expect another gem here.

Well I was right about centering as that did indeed come back with a 9.0 which was fine and while there were multiple 9.5 sub grades in the end I still ended up with an overall 9 card of Mr. Kershaw

While I needed 3 subs of 9.5 to offset that 9.0 on centering I only had 2 that earned that grade as surface came in with a surprising 8.5 which dragged the overall grade to a 9.0. While I considered this a borderline card to acquire a gold banner I had the feeling it had more a chance than not for that but I did not expect surface to come in with such a low grade. Still a great looking card with its silver banner.

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.

-Penguin

Card of the Day - 2013 Topps Chrome : Hyun-Jin Ryu Base Autograph

.... Zzzzzz.... Oh what? It's here? Holy crap really?

I have submitted multiple cards through Topps redemption program but none of them took as long as this one did to get to me. I originally picked up the redemption card for this Ryu autograph way back at the end of 2013! Yes almost two years ago I entered the code into Topps website and waited patiently for it. I have heard stories of long wait periods but till now it has never happened to me. Well I can now join that club.

Ryu had been injured all year and wondered why he couldn't just sit down and knock these out for the fans but I guess he had other priorities. I thought of calling Topps to see what I could get in replace of Ryu but I decided to stick it out and my patience paid off.

I logged onto the website to see what the status was for my Kershaw and Urias redemptions (still pending) and was surprised to see this card was recently shipped to me. Woo hoo. A few days later it arrived in what I believe to be gem mint condition. I am happy to finally have this card in hand and to add to my Ryu autograph collection and can't wait for 2016 and hope he has a rebound year.

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.

-Penguin

Card of the Day - 2013 Topps Chrome : Clayton Kershaw Base Camo Refractor Parallel (9/15) BGS Graded Gem Mint 9.5

And now the final post about my recent off eBay trade. It has been all Koufax and Kershaw cards so far and that doesn't change here as I got my hands on the only gem mint copy of this highly limited card. 

I am not the biggest fan of camo colored parallels (blue and black are my cup of tea) and with them being numbered to only 15 the prices were always too high for me to put any interest into them. Even with it being Kershaw I would rather use my Paypal funds on other cards that I would be happier with. Well when the eBay seller asked for the cards he wanted I knew he better have something decent to return to me as he didn't have an autograph card of anyone I wanted. He presented me with this. Well, well, well. 

I quickly looked this up on Beckett and saw that it is the only one in the world that has been graded and gem mint at that. There is no book value due to its scarcity but a raw copy is currently on eBay with an asking price of $85. Though it has yet to sell I am going to say with my educated guess that this card would probably fetch anywhere from that $85 to maybe $100. Of course I am saying that as of today but AS Kershaw continues on his Hall of Fame pace this card could and probably will rise in value. 

The cards I parted with probably have hit their peak and I did sell them at one of their lowest points but the cards I did receive in return were great for me. This card alone is worth one card that I gave him and if that Bazooka card grades out (more on that soon) then the trade really puts a smile on my face. 

edit : This was written up prior to receiving the results from BGS and since then the Bazooka has come back as PRISTINE. This trade just got better for me. 

Gem mint across the board

Nine

of

Fifteen

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.

-Penguin

Card(s) of the Day - 2013 Topps Chrome : Finally Redeemed Paco Rodriguez Base Autographs Blue Refractor Parallels (3 and 15/199)

If you were color blind you would swear that I am posting the same thing as I did yesterday as here we are again with twin Paco redeemed autographs from the 2013 Topps Chrome release. The only difference is the color.

As with yesterday's pair, these twins also were purchased together as it was cheaper than going the single route. All cards look better in blue and these are no exception. Dodger blue, blue border and blue ink make for a very pretty card.

Just like yesterday's post I do not need two of these in my collection so one is available for trade if anyone would like it. If not then it might be pared with one of the none refractors from yesterday and will be included in the #walletcard contest.  Good luck to those already in the contest and for those who are not why aren't you?

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.
-Penguin

Card(s) of the Day - 2013 Topps Chrome : Finally Redeemed Paco Rodriguez Base Autographs

It's been a  long time coming for these twins as I finally received them after what seems like forever. I think it was close to a year if I am correct but I'm too lazy to verify that statement.

I understand certain players have a lot on their plate but damn Paco, what held you up on fulfilling all these orders? It's all good as I wasn't all that in a hurry to get them back but it is nice to finally have them in hand. Bought them as a two pack as it was cheaper that way than just acquiring one.

Hopefully Paco can reclaim his 2013 form and apply it to 2015. Our bullpen was depressing last year but the revamped one with him it looks to be much improved.

I don't need two of these so unless someone claims it on a future trade in the next day or two it will be  may or may not be going into my #kershawwalletcardcontest that I am running.

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day
-Penguin

Card(s) of the Day - 2013 Topps Chrome : Paco Rodriguez 2 Base Autographs and Base Blue Parallel Autograph

But wait, there's more.

Awhile back I showed off my black parallel Paco acquisition, but the auction contained more than just that card which made the purchase even better. Along with the limited black card came 3 autograph (though in redemption form) cards. I won't need all three as I have a few other Paco's coming in from Topps (knock on wood) but I couldn't pass on a lot that included some cards I could use to trade out to acquire other cards that I really want. When all was said and done I won all 4 cards for a little over $12. Not a bad per card average considering that one of them is a limited parallel and the others are autograph cards. 

Now like all my other redemptions that are in the system, I sit and wait for the "real" card to arrive. Why can't Paco and Seager be more like Puig and Ryu? I have one Paco and one Seager card that I have been waiting over 3 months for yet Puig can get me his autograph within a few weeks in between?

= )

BGS Submission Update Fourteen - 2013 Topps Chrome : Matt Kemp Base SP Photo Variation Now Graded and Slabbed a Gem Mint 9.5

Original Submission Post
Beckett Book Value : $50

One of if not the best card purchase money wise just got a little bit better.

As stated before I picked this card up in the middle of the 2014 baseball season for a mere 99 cents. The seller had mislabeled his auction (have I told you how much I love these types of auctions?) and had it as a BIN. Had to rub my eyes but I did and the card in the picture happens to be a $50 card of the Bison himself. This is a great looking card by itself as it shows Kemp in jersey number 42 for Jackie Robinson day and is perched right next to the Robinson banner at Dodger Stadium. He even has his socks up high which is always a great look. Great card indeed.

When my Kershaw photo variation card came back as gem mint in the last batch that made up my mind to also get this one graded and hopefully pair it up since they are both from the same year. Didn't see any issues on the card and BGS agreed with me as all four sub grades came back at least with a 9.5 with edges scoring a 10.

A very nice return on 99 cents.

One of my favorite non autograph cards of Kemp

Strong 9.5

Card of the Day - 2013 Topps Chrome : Paco Rodriguez Base Black Refractor Parallel ( 21 / 100 )

The endless pursuit of black and blue parallels never ceases. Even though we are in the tail end of 2014 I am still trying to complete this parallel set of the Dodgers. I am not kidding myself and know I will probably never have the Puig one due to the price putting it out of reach but everyone else is fair game.

Only 100 of each exist and I hardly see Paco up for sale but one day a seller has this one on a BIN auction for the very small amount of just $1.50. Considering it books for $10 that is a hell of a discount. Another black card checked off this list. Love the black and blue contrast. Hopefully Paco is not overused again next year. I'm talking to you Mattingly.

Blackjack of 100

Card of the Day - 2013 Topps Chrome : Paco Rodriguez Base Black Refractor Parallel ( 34 / 100 )

The only thing I like better than blue parallel of cards are black parallel of cards. The only problem with that is the black versions are usually more limited which means the price is usually out of my range. With that said I know I will probably never acquire Puig or Ryu in black form in either Bowman Chrome or Topps Chrome due to the high price. I can though concentrate on the other Dodgers and I have been able to put together a nifty little set so far. I finally was able to pick up Paco at a reasonable price.

With the black versions being numbered to 100 I have not seen many of the Dodgers up for sale and Paco only here and there. Another search brought this beauty to my attention. A traditional 7 day auction was in store and at the end of the week I happily added this to my collection. Now I am down to just Crawford and Magill in the affordable category.

34 of only 100

Card of the Day - 2013 Topps Chrome : Zack Greinke Base Blue Refractor Parallel ( 23 / 199 )

Back to Topps Chrome to work on my blue parallel refractor set of the Dodgers. Still need a few and with Puig being priced to high for my taste right now I focused on the supposedly easier to obtain cards.

I love everything blue but Topps in my opinion is a step below its Bowman Chrome sibling. BC is a true blue while Topps is more of a light, pale version of blue. Nonetheless I need all the Dodgers and Greinke was up on the bay for a measly $2. Rather pay a little less than that but as I haven't seen many copies I thought I should snatch it up now rather than hunt for it later at a possibly higher price.

My blueish Greinke card arrived and has found a home in my collection.

23 of 199

BGS Submission Update Six - 2013 Topps Chrome : Clayton Kershaw Short Print Photo Variation Now Graded and Slabbed a Gem Mint 9.5

And once again we have reached the end of the week which means the final entry of my most recent BGS submission batch.

As per the norm the last entry is always a Dodger and always gem mint. I've had Ryu and Koufax spotlighted before as a last entry and once again we have a pitcher as Kershaw is the topic of today's post.

I have always loved this card as Kershaw is a dominant pitcher and 99% of his cards show him at his best doing his craft. This one though shows him after doing something on the offensive side of the ball. The card comes from the 2013 Topps Chrome series and is the short print photo variation. I just had to have this card and when I saw it online. I thought it would grade out nicely if I ever decided to go that route.

The card wasn't a priority as a few batches came and went and I didn't include this card in any of them. Well then the no-hitter happened and it was the perfect time to finally get it graded. My belief never wavered as I still thought it would grade out to a gem mint 9.5 and that's exactly what happened with only the corners being nicked to a 9.0. The other sub grades were 9.5 which meant the overall is 9.5.

This is my favorite non autograph card of Kershaw and with this now graded I am the proud owner of the only one that has been graded this high. Like most cards in this batch this one is not really an investment piece but just a great card that is nicely encased with a great grade.

Well that ends yet another week of BGS cards. I thought I was done with my submissions but I just received two cards that I may drop off. I might also wait a little to see if some of my Topps redemptions make it to my house prior to another batch. We shall see. Till then it was a great group of gem mints with the exception of the couple of disappointments on autographs.

Cashing In With Alex Of Chavez Ravining

Don't remember when Alex did a post (I'm too lazy to go through his archives) on his excess inventory of autograph cards and that they could be had via trade or if you had any Chavez Points aka his blog's version of currency. Well, well, well...

I didn't have anything of note for trade and normally I wouldn't have gone after the cards BUT I had a massive amount of Chavez points from a trade we had done earlier. I was on top of the leader board with a total way over 1000 points. Well I never knew what I was going to do with them but when he did the post stating that people could use Chavez points to acquire these autographs I thought to myself why not.

Most of the players are fringe players and none fill any of my set needs but I love autograph cards and my thinking is I can use them for trade or even pay it forward on some contest I do. Be kind of funny if Alex wins his card(s) back.

I sent Alex a note I would take any and all that were still left as one other blogger had put a bid in for a few. After that was done I took the rest which was a total of 15. Here are the cards :

Topps Chrome of Adam Eaton and Kyle Gibson. Great condition on the cards and would be candidates for grading if they were Dodgers or big stars. I turned one of Alex's Puig cards into a nice BGS gem mint in the past so I know the good karma would be there.

A foursome of Bowman Sterling.
Roman Quinn, Austin Wilson and Cord Sandberg with some nice on card autographs. But why is Brad Miller a sticker variety? On a "premium" brand I would expect more from Bowman.

Jesse Winker, Andrew Mitchell and Erich Weiss in America's colors the good old red, white and blue. Nice simple Topps cards with on card autographs.

Jaye Chapman and Tony Campana.
Two players I know nothing about and two cards I would never go after under normal circumstances.
Non licensed and sticker autographs.

Another sticker and non licensed card in the form of Derrick Robinson and 2009 Upper Deck card of Alberto Gonzalez.

And to finish the batch up we have a Bowman Inception on card autograph of Daniel Corcino and a Bowman Chrome of Shawon Dunston Jr.

15 autographs
Many Chavez Points
No cash.
How can I not love this transaction?

Thank you again to Alex for first having a point system that I was able to use and also for putting these cards up for trade. If anyone is interested in these cards for trade feel free to contact me. I am still looking for 2014 Topps of Dodgers and I think that would be fair a for an autograph or 2.

Card(s) of the Day - 2013 Topps Chrome : Matt Kemp Base and Base Black Refractor Parallel ( 31 / 100 )

Every time I see a brand new seller on eBay with something I want/need for my set needs I take the auction with a grain of salt. I rarely take one for the team but with a starting asking price of just 99 cents I kept my eye on this auction.

I am still trying to collect the black parallel Dodger set from the 2013 Topps Chrome issue and have lost out on Kemp a few times but this new seller had a copy up coupled with a base version (which I already had) and I hoped that with no feedback whatsoever or any transaction that people might steer away from it. My wish came true as in the final seconds there was still no action on the auction and I put my bid in for 99 cents and won it for that amount. A great deal. Now I had to worry if I would ever see the cards. If I didn't I could live with 99 cents loss. Surprisingly within a week they showed up in great condition. A great return for a minimal investment. Welcome to eBay new seller and hope you continue the good business. Till then I have this great looking parallel Kemp card and another one for the trade pile.

Black parallel. Always nice. A base card for the trading or contesting out

31 of only 100

Card(s) of the Day - 2013 Topps Chrome : Clayton Kershaw Base Blue Parallel plus Bonus Cards

I remember coming across this buy it now auction after I lost out on yet another blue Kershaw.

I had been trying to get my hands on a copy for a couple of months now and after yet another loss I went looking again and found this card accompanied by 2 other blue parallels from the same set. I had no need or any real interest in the other two cards but then I looked into what else he was selling and saw that he also had a blue parallel from the Bowman Chrome set I am still building.

He had the Kershaw and friends lot in one auction and the BC card in another as buy it now's but also with the best offer option. Might as well see how low I could get them. Sent in my offer on both auctions and he accepted without countering. The combined total ended up being a dollar plus less than the single Kershaw card I just lost out on the day before. Sometimes it pays to lose. Two set needs filled and two cards placed into the trade bait pile.

Whole lot of blue going on.

Card of the Day - 2013 Topps Chrome : Clayton Kershaw Photo Variation

With the two 2014 Topps variations of Kershaw now in hand I looked back to the 2013 Topps Chrome set to see if I could finally acquire the photo variation in that set.

Book value has this set at $40 which is the reason why I never picked it up earlier as I had my limit and each auction, while not many, always exceeded that limit.

Well another copy came up for sale and as always I put it on my watch list and hoped this would be the time I could win it. God smiled and said sure, you can have it now. A lot lower than I thought I would have to fork over and in a week I had this great looking card. Since Clayton is a pitcher most of his cards are depicting him doing just that so when a hitting card comes up it is unique and breaks up the same old routine of pitching pictures. To top it off this one is a short print so I couldn't be happier.

Card of the Day - 2013 Topps Chrome : Matt Kemp Base Blue Refractor Parallel ( 8 / 199 )

Another deal struck with a seller on eBay has gotten me this spiffy blue refractor from the 2013 Topps Chrome set. With Kemp's Dodger career still in question his cards can still be had for a bargain. I am still in the group that believes he will come back in 2014 with a monster year ( ho hum so far ) and that the last 2 frustrating years will be a bleep on the screen when his career does end.

I love my chrome, I love my blue parallel and Kemp is still my favorite everyday player on the Dodgers. This was an easy transaction to complete and now the card resides in my collection.

Better days ahead for the Bison

Blue 8 of 199

Card of the Day - 2013 Topps Chrome : Adrian Gonzalez Base Blue Refractor Parallel ( 25 / 199 )

The off season purchases continue and the bargain hunting for blue parallels of Dodgers players is still the main objective from all the higher end releases.

I've been trying to get my hands on all of these before the 2014 season starts so I have put more effort in it now to acquire them. The first one to make it to my house is Adrian AKA our Mickey Mouse first baseman. Book value for the card is sitting at $6 and I was able to negotiate with the eBay seller for a little less than half of book. A good buy indeed. One blue down many more to go.

25 of only 199

Card of the Day - 2013 Topps Chrome : Clayton Kershaw Dynamic Die Cut Insert

What better way to spend a dollar and some change than to use it on a great looking die cut card of Dodger ace and legend in the making Clayton Kershaw.

I picked up the Ryu and Kemp die cuts previously but was still on the hunt for the Clayton's and finally found a seller that had one up with no shipping charge. Starting bid was set at 99 cents so I put it on my watch list and on the last day there was a total of one bid. Threw my hat into the mix with seconds left and I won the card for a grand total of one dollar and four cents. You can't beat that. Another Kershaw card added to the collection.