Card of the Day - 2016 Topps Now : Clayton Kershaw 1st Ever MLB Save Base Autograph (145/199) BGS Graded Gem Mint 9.5

I couldn't possibly only own the relic version of this card and not pare it up with the non one right? Nope I couldn't and finally one of these popped up that was already certified gem mint 9.5 by Beckett and I was determined to land it.

There has been shortage of raw versions of this card but I am really just trying to hold out for the graded cards that I want going forward and I don't remember seeing one of this before this one showed up. Knowing past sales of this card I knew what my ceiling would be and I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't go for all that much more than a few raw ones had sold a couple days prior to this one.

I now have the relic and this one. If I was going go crazy I could go after all the parallels but I won't be unless they can be had for a major steal. Another gem for my road to 100 project of Clayton.

One Hundred and Forty-Five

of

One Hundred and Ninety-Nine

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.

-Penguin

March 2017 BGS Submission Result Number THIRTY-SIX of FORTY-TWO - 2016 Topps Now Clayton Kershaw Relic Autograph (14/99) Now BGS Graded Gem Mint 9.5

Another card that went in for the full slab treatment that I knew the grade going in. With this being a thick card I really wanted to know what it would grade out to be before heading to Dallas and during the raw grade event I was lucky to find out it would receive a gold banner. Now its in this great looking case.

This comes from one of the more dramatic playoff games in recent Dodger history as Clayton came in from the bullpen to close out the game and series just 2 days after he won game 4 as a starter. Starter, closer this man does everything. I had to have a card depicting this great achievement and now I have it with this quad 9.5 gem mint card.

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.

-Penguin

Raw Card Review Recap Number Five From Submission Batch Done On Saturday March 6th, 2017 (2016 Topps Now Clayton Kershaw Relic (35/99) Autograph)

The 5th result of the batch and the final Kershaw and autograph overall and one that I wasn't sure how it would grade out even though I was confident of a Gold banner.

I went from not caring/wanting this card when it was first announced the day after Clayton recorded his 1st MLB save to needing it to be in a BGS 9.5 case and now that journey is done.

This is a thick card and they do have a tendency to have condition issues but when I received this back in January I didn't see any major issues with it and I crossed my fingers that it would earn at least a 9.5 and that it did. I am curious what the subs are but I wouldn't be surprised if this was a strong 9.5. This has become one of my favorite Kershaw autograph cards in my collection due to the significance that it depicts.

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.

-Penguin

Card of the Day - 2016 Topps Now : Clayton Kershaw Base Relic (From 10.13.16) Autograph (35/99) and Quarterly eBay eBucks Purchase Number 1

Oh happy days are here again as it is that big time of the year also known as the final quarter of the calendar year which happens to be Christmas time and that means the biggest eBucks quarter as they are coupled with Christmas gift cards. With that said this card is not "techinically" part of the purchases BUT I am including it because of how it was acquired and what it helped get down the road which was all eBucks related.

I love Kershaw autographs and while I am not the biggest fan of relics this is the 2nd one in the past 6 months I specifically went after even though originally I had no interest in it. Clayton Kershaw is an out of this world starting pitcher but on 10-13-16 he became the closer for the ages when he closed out the Division Series against the Nationals. It was his first ever MLB save in his career for a game that has become an instant classic in Dodger lore. Anyone that knows me knows that I called it almost to a "T". I said that we would see Clayton at sometime during the game and probably late even though he just threw 110 pitches 2 days prior. I didn't expect him to come in to close though. When Topps announced they would do a card commemorating the feat I didn't really think too much about it. One because of its price and two it was a relic. Meh. But then I saw the actual card and I fell in love with it and the moment again. On top of that I noticed the autograph is flawless while a lot of other copies seemed to have streaking issues. If I was to acquire one this would be that one.

While I did not acquire this by using eBucks I did earn the money to pick it because eBay was running an eBucks promotion. I had a load of cards and books that were scheduled to end on the last day of the promotion which I believed helped make the sales happen. With all of them finished I turned to this beauty and negotiated the price down and locked in the deal. By doing that I also earned even more eBucks for my own use which went to pay off the final card which I will show off in 3 days. Yes, I was able to acquire 4 cards this quarter because of the eBucks program. Woo freaking hoo.

Thirty-Five

of

Ninety-Nine

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.

-Penguin

Card of the Day - 2016 Topps Now : Corey Seager June 3, 2016 (#/1900)

After picking up only Kershaw cards in Topps new line, Topps Now, I finally acquire someone other than the Dodger's pitching great, one Corey Seager.

It was only a matter of time till Corey had a good "enough" day to warrant his 1st Topps Now card and that finally happened on June 3rd and I was sure to get my own copy once it was announced he would have a card commemorating him. I expected that the print run would be higher than the Kershaw ones and I was right as this one checked in at 1900. One of the bigger demanded Topps Now cards to be printed as of this date and it's no surprise as Corey looks to have a great career ahead of him and people wanted his first card in this new brand.

This was an easy transaction as I went to the my eBay seller that he and I agreed on what the cost would be for any Topps Now card I purchased from him and a few days after he received this from Topps I had it in my hand a couple days after that. I will probably submit this to Topps for the novelty of this being his "rookie" card in the this new line.

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.

-Penguin

Card of the Day - 2016 Topps Now : Clayton Kershaw May 23, 2016 (#/511)

The 3rd and final card of Kershaw from the month of May this year has finally arrived as it celebrates his 3rd shutout of the month. He had more shutouts than walks in the month. Let that sink in a bit and realize that we are watching a Hall of Fame resume add stats each time he takes the mound. What he is doing is just heads and shoulders above anyone else in the game today and as a Dodger fan I am blessed to "watch" it in my own backyard.

As with the other 2 Clayton Topps Now cards I went to my trusted eBay seller to snag this one at our pre-arranged price and had it in my hands a few weeks later. I am still on the fence if I am going to submit these to Beckett for grading but if I do it will be all 3 and not just the one that looks to be in the best condition.

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.

-Penguin

Card of the Day - 2016 Topps Now : Clayton Kershaw May 12, 2016 (#/694)

My 2nd Topps Now card of Clayton Kershaw has finally arrived from my new trusted eBay seller and like the 1st one it made it to me in great shape.

This is the 1st Kershaw card to be produced in Topps new brand and has a higher print run of 694 compared to the 2nd card's 421. Clayton had one hell of a May this year and Topps made sure to produce cards marking his dominance. Mr. Kershaw was mowing down the opposition and this card was produced the day after yet another shutout for the best pitcher in baseball.

A no hassle BIN w/best offer option auction (seller and I have an agreed amount for any card I pick up from him) was used once again for this card's purchase. Love these types of auctions.

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.

-Penguin

Card of the Day - 2016 Topps Now : Clayton Kershaw May 17, 2016 (#/421)

... and so I start another set to collect but one that I don't know how many will be in it or how long it will run. Topps has introduced a new online exclusive card brand called "Topps Now". They produce card(s) each day showcasing a big highlight from the day prior in baseball. That means in theory you could have a card made everyday of your favorite player if he is lighting it up on the field.

There is no stated print run the day of the card's release as Topps will produce as many that are ordered within their 24 hour time limit. At present there is a Colon card that has a print run of 8826 and a Gattis with 212. As you can see there is a wide range. Surprisingly this Kershaw is on the low end of the spectrum with a stated run of only 421. They are not numbered but knowing there is a small number is still kind of cool.

With only 3 current players I collect I think I can end up getting all of these as I have found a trusted eBay seller that buys them everyday and resells them on the bay and he and I have agreed on a fair price for each one no matter the player or print run.

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.

-Penguin