Dodger Bobbleheads For Sale

As stated in my previous post of the day I am now fully out of collecting bobbleheads and will move on from them. I still do have some left with most of them being signed and authenticated. If interested in any please look at the auctions below and maybe we can work out a deal. Any reasonable offer will be considered.

Matt Kemp PSA Fingers to the Sky HERE

Matt Kemp PSA Over the Wall Catch GOLD GLOVE VARIANT HERE

Don Newcombe PSA HERE

Andre Ethier IP HERE

Ron Cey IP HERE

Steve Garvey, Duke Snider, Matt Kemp Unsigned HERE

Think Cure Autographed Game Used Jersey Hyun-Jin Ryu From August 9, 2013

Balls, check
Bats, check
Cards, check
Bobbleheads, check but debating
Jerseys..... Nope

That basically is my collection. I have stuck to my basics for years with cards only coming back into my collection this year. I have been debating the bobblehead part of my collection for awhile and guess I was just waiting for a good reason to quit collecting them. I had already decided to not add more to my collection as I sell them prior to the game they are given out at. I still had signed ones in my collection though.

Well Saturday's game was Hideo Nomo bobblehead giveaway day and I already sold them. Hideo is Asian. During the whole series with Tampa Bay it was the think cure weekend which is dedicated to helping fight cancer. My little brother Michael, God rest his soul, died from cancer 12 years ago in 2001. Right after 9.11. One very shitty month for out country and my family. One of the things that the Dodgers do is auction off jerseys off the players back via silent auction on the club level. They did this on Saturday and Sunday so when I arrived at the stadium I headed up to the level to see what was up for auction. The jerseys that were up for auction were from the previous game when the Dodgers came back in miracous fashion as they were losing 6-0 heading into the 7th inning and ended up winning the game in the bottom of the ninth with 4 runs. One of the best games of the year. So the jerseys were from a winning game and to boot an exciting one. There was a sign that stated that Kershaw, Puig, Gonzalez, etc were going to be up for bid on Sunday so I assumed that most of the auction would be that day and Saturday's jerseys would have less traffic. They had Crim (coach), Capuano, Ellis, etc. The biggest names were Matt Kemp and Hyun-Jin Ryu. Well I as I have plenty of Matt Kemp autographs so I wasn't looking for more and if I wanted a jersey of him I would just do it sometime in the future the IP way. A few of the other jerseys were dirty and didn't really care for them even though some people would prefer them that way as they know it was used during the game. Well I made it to almost the end of the table and I saw one that I wanted. Mr. Hyun-Jin Ryu.

Ryu didn't play in Friday's game as his pitched the day prior. That meant his jersey was clean and free of dirt and was white. Ryu is Korean which is means he also is Asian. So I made that connection between Nomo and Ryu. So two of my favorite Asian Dodgers ( the other being Kuo ) were represented in different ways on the same day. Now I just had to see if I could win it. If I could I knew it would go for a great cause and any little thing I could do to help beat cancer is a plus and getting something Dodger related in return is just icing on the cake.

The jerseys are won via silent auction and me being an eBay whore this was just up my alley. This also gave me the reason to fully quit my bobblehead collection. I rationalized that I can and will sell my bobbleheads for the same amount that I would pay for this jersey if I was lucky enough to win it. Now it was time to win the jersey. 

I put in my first bid and was told good luck and that the auction would end at 2:45. Headed back to my seats and waited until it was roughly 2:40. Ran back to the club level to see the auction to its end. Saw that someone else bidded on the jersey and with at least 10 people milling around I didn't know if that person was around. The gentleman running the auction stated "one minute" to get all your bids in. The catch was that you had to have your name, phone number and bid price finished prior to the end of the auction. If you were still writing it wouldn't count. Well I picked up a pen a few feet away and counted backwards in my head so I knew how much time I had left and made sure I wasn't standing right in front of the jersey to show where my interest was. Once I got down to 30 seconds I went to the paper and started writing my new bid in while counting still in my head and when I hit 10 seconds I was done. No way could someone come up and write all the information needed in 10 seconds to beat me. And nobody did. I had just won my first jersey.





Rookie sensation Ryu certified game used jersey from a great game with his autograph in a nice silver finish. It's great to have this as a collector but more so that I helped cancer research. My bobbleheads up now up for sale ( eBay ID : SKORPNIX if you want to look ) and I can more than say that it is an even swap and more fulfilling knowing where the money went.

Card of the Day - 2013 Topps Museum : Hyun-Jin Ryu Blue Bordered Variant ( 63 / 99 )

I went half way across the world to acquire a much needed card and couldn't believe the price I paid for it.

I've been trying to finish up my blue bordered variant set and was down to just Ryu and Jackie with Ryu being the hardest to acquire due to what I suspect is that he has Asia and USA appeal and that it is a rookie card to boot. I have lost out on at lest 10 different auctions with the prices ranging from $13 to $30. I wanted the card but was not going to overpay. Book value is $25 so anything over $20 for me was a non starter. At the same time I know that there are only 99 copies of these so I had to patient but still be somewhat aggressive.

I don't normally buy items on eBay from other countries but this card showed up by a seller in Japan. That is a long way from home for me but he had a starting bid of .99 cents and I kept my eye on it. Auction was nearing its end with the price still at just $5. Thought there was no way it would stay that low. I put my bid in with just seconds left and couldn't believe I just won the card for a little over $9 delivered from Japan to my doorstep here in the USA. That is a steal in my book. Paying single digits for a $25 card of a variant rookie is a good day any day. With this card I am just one step from completing the set and the only one left is the man that broke baseball's color barrier, Jackie Robinson.

From Korea via Japan 63 / 99

Card(s) of the Day - 2013 Bowman Platinum : Kemp, Kershaw, Paco, Joc, Ryu, Clayton and Seager Bounty

And with this second day of Platinum I show off the group of cards that only cost me a measly $18 or $1.50 a card bought and delivered.

When the book value comes out on these I am sure that some might not even book that much but for an average of just $1.50 and for what is included I couldn't pass up on these once I was able to secure the first two auctions. If I won a auction or two it wouldn't have been a good value but with me winning a total of 10 auctions and a couple with more than one card in them it became a good deal.

To start off there were 3 different Paco auctions and once I won those 3 I went all in on the others as shipping was no longer a factor. Picked up two base Paco rookie cards and then the gold and blue variants of the same card. With all the media attention on Puig and Ryu, Paco has flown under the radar nationally but here in Los Angeles he is well regarded.

I'll take a gold and blue please with my two base. Thank you.

Speaking of Ryu, he comes to work everyday and just keeps putting up above average numbers. For a "rookie" he is doing quite well adjusting to American baseball after spending years in Korea. Well the auction that had his card happen to have a twin so I won two cards of Mr. Ryu. His auction was the highest at $2.75. No way those cards don't book for under $5 each once prices come out. One is available for trade if anyone wants/needs it. As Ryu is our number 3, Clayton is our number 1 and I was able to pick up the die cut card of the cutting edge insert set for a couple of dollars. To top that off we have the red base variant of Matt Kemp which slides in nicely with the blue one I picked up.

Dual Ryu with a cutting Kershaw mixed in with a Red Bison.

To finish off the bounty purchase I looked to the potential future of the team in the form of Joc Pederson and Corey Seager. While Joc might never play for the Dodgers as at the present moment there is a log jam in the outfield on the big league club, Corey seems destined to appear within a few years in the infield. In the mean time I was able to pick up a few Joc cards in the form of the base chrome and a numbered green variant of the chrome card in addition to a copy from the top prospects insert set. All of that topped off with a Corey Bowman Chrome base card.

So in the end all of these cards came with the damage of just $18. A great haul. Although I was not able to pick up the Puig cards from this particular seller I have at least started off well in the pursuit of completing this set. 



Attended Game Recap : August 10th vs. Rays - DODGERS 5 Rays ZERO

Back to the stadium as it has been a long couple of weeks since the last time I stepped foot within the grand building.

The Rays are in town and this is their first time ever to visit Dodger Stadium so I wanted to attend at least one game. With Sunday and Friday not being a possibility I focused on Saturday even though it was a day game which we normally don't attend due to potential heat. Good thing though as I found tickets on the Loge level along the first base side in the shade. Also it was Hideo Nomo bobblehead giveaway day and since I have decided not to collect bobbleheads anymore I pre-sold the two to one buyer at $45 and after shipping it was a total of $37 in my pocket. The two tickets cost me a total of $38 so in the end without the parking added to the total it was a measly $1 to watch a game with my lovely wife and witness yet another Dodger win. Even though I am no longer collecting bobbles it is still enjoyable to me to open them up and see what they look like as the quality of them are top notch.

 

Nomo in a box.

 

Great looking bobble even if it looks like Nomo is starring in an Exorcist movie with his head turned almost 180 degrees.

 

Got to the stadium around 12:30 and headed down to the 3rd base dugout area to see if I could score Nomo's autograph. A lot of fellow autograph hounds and bloggers that have become familiar over the years were also there. We all got blanked as after Nomo threw out the ceremonial first pitch he was escorted off the field through the dugout. No Nomo for me on this day.

 

Game started off with a boom with Adrian Gonzalez's two run shot into the right field pavilions. With that the Dodgers never looked back as they cruised to another win over their AL opponent and won another series before the last game is even played. Hopefully they will support Kershaw with a little more run support this time.

 

Normally I would put up any other autographs or other items I acquired while attending the game here and I did "purchase" one item at the stadium but I believe it deserves its own post which I will posting tomorrow. It is a prized piece in my collection now and it all went for a great cause.

 



Card(s) of the Day - 2013 Bowman Platinum : Matt Kemp Blue Variant, Adrian Gonzalez Ruby Variant and Matt Magill Autograph Green Variant ( 26 / 399 )

The fun of buying cards for just the thrill with no book value released yet as a guide so you must use your head to figure out if it is a good deal or not is back for the next two days in the form of the recently released Bowman Platinum set.

Wasn't planning to purchase any of these cards as of yet as I wanted to focus on other sets but when I saw two deals come down the pipeline I couldn't pass on it. This is the first to hit my doorstep.

With autographs being my focus I saw this Magill card up for sale and it is one of many variants of the same card with this one being the green version. Just like the Dee Gordon and Jerry Sands "rainbow" set I am trying to complete from the 2011 Finest, the cards in this year's Platinum set just beg to be given the same project attention with blue, green, red etc for each card. The green card has sold for over $5 alone prior to this auction but I wanted more bang for my buck so I looked at the seller's other cards and found a red Adrian and blue Kemp. The seller had the shipping at $2.25 a card but combined there would be no up charge which is music to my ears. I secured the two non autos for $2 which gave me a little extra wiggle room on the green auto which I also won. In total I got the 3 cards delivered for just a quarter over $6. Not a bad deal as I see that as either $2 a card which is a steal for an autographed card or $6 for an autographed card with 2 variants thrown in. Either way a great start to this year's Platinum set.

Blue Kemp with some Red Adrian and a Dash of Green Autographed Magill 

Card(s) of the Day - 2013 Bowman Inception : Yasiel Puig Silver Signing Autograph ( # / 25 ) In Redemption Form Plus A Little Bonus

I finally got my hands around an on "card" autograph of Dodger Yasiel Puig and it only cost me $20. That is if you follow the money trail to acquiring this soon to be fine looking autograph of Mr. Puig.

I originally bought this great looking die cut card for just $10 out of pocket seen HERE and once it arrived it's condition looked great and as I was planning to get it graded thankfully it came through the mail unscathed. That was step one and now it was on to step two. Believing that the card would grade out to a high number I took it down the local BGS submission store and paid $10 to get it graded. Card came back just the way I hoped and then some and can be seen HERE . At the same time I received another great grade on my other Puig card which I thought looks better than the die cut so I would still have a gem mint Puig card in my collection. Time to sell the die cut and get an on autograph card at close to nothing out of pocket if possible. With that I went on the look out for one on eBay and with the new Inception set just being released I zeroed in on that set. I am not a fan of the base autographs as they have that "cloudy" effect and that is even with a blue version included as an option. But they did have a redemption card for a silver signings card with a different background and I decided that is the one I wanted. Also the card will be numbered out of only 25 in the world and that is such a great little number I couldn't resist.

A lot of these cards had been selling at over $600 and a couple closing at over $800. The book came out on it and had it valued at $800. Now, I knew my graded die cut would never fetch that much so I had to be patient but with only 25 in the world I knew their was a finite number I could chase after. Well there were two auctions left on a particular day with one being a buy it now with a best offer option. That was plan B. I lost on the other auction so I had to go back to plan B and hope that I could acquire that one. The seller had it set at $500 and I didn't want to pay for it and wanted to try to make it an even sale with my die cut. There was another person submitted offers so it was down between me and him/her and in the end I "won" the card for a tad over $400. Hot damn, got my hands on a Puig autographed card...technically. Have to wait for it in the mail which can take forever. Also as a bonus in the auction was that if you "won" he would include a Puig card from the Topps Pro Debut set. Wasn't looking to ever buy that card but as a freebie I'll take it any day of the week. Since that day there has not been another silver signings card up for sale on eBay so I lucked out with the acquirement of the card and the sale of the die cut.

So with that I acquired my first Puig on card autograph and it only cost me one crispy Jackson. Now if I can turn that into a gem mint 9.5 that would be just icing on the cake.

Puig in his minor league days and soon to be big league autograph card.

Kemp Super Fan Has Died

We all on the internet at times like to complain or compare about our hardships and what we have missed out on in life but this young man made the most of the crap hand that was given to him. He died last night but not before he got to meet his idol Matt Kemp a couple months ago in San Francisco and then once again when Kemp flew him down for a game.

Everyone needs to a deep breath and realize that this is more to life than what we don't have and that we need to be thankful we get to wake up every morning and get out of bed easily and enjoy what we DO have. Even though I wish and would love to have more I have personally have tried to understand I need to be thankful for what I have and not what I might never have and just focus on the positives in life. Godspeed Joshua.

Take a moment to read up on the story HERE
Source : Yahoo

Card of the Day - 2011-12 Panini : Dwight King Autograph

The King of Kings has come home. Or to be more specific Dwight King has joined my collection.

Dwight was a rookie during the King's Stanley Cup run and he contributed right away. Dwight for some reason hasn't had many good looking autograph cards. So for the time being I had to settle for just having his autograph in the collection just not one that I think looks good. Hopefully some company will come out with another one I can get my hands on but until then this will have to do. At just $5 I can't overly complain as it is what it is. Either way it is nice to punch a hole in the ole King notch belt.

Upcoming Appearance / Signing : Tim Leary @ Harry's Dugout

 

Harry's Dugout will be holding another signing from a former star and this time it is World Champion Tim Leary. Please not that the signing is going to be on a Sunday and not on a traditional Saturday. Drop on by and have some fun interaction with fellow Dodger fans and get Tim's autograph

 

 

• Baseball Cards : $15
• Baseballs and Flats up to 11 x 14 : 20
• Larger Flats, Mini Helmets, Caps, Figures and Equipment : $25
• Bats, Jerseys, Full Size Helmets and Artwork : $35
• Inscriptions : $8
• Limited to only 120 Autographs

 

 

Card of the Day - 2011-12 Panini : Kyle Clifford Autograph

Switching sports today as I acquired yet another King autograph card. This time Kyle Clifford has joined my collection.

Kyle has been somewhat elusive in my pursuit of getting an autograph card as I don't want to spend a lot but still want a copy in my collection. Finally found an auction that had a low starting bid and didn't have a reserve. The shipping was high at $3 for a single card so yet again I was cautious in what my bid would be but thankfully there was only one other bid and my bid raised the end price to a nice round total of $1.50. So for $4.50 I was able to add Kyle to my King collection which is now getting harder to complete as the popular players have all been acquired mostly and now I have to find those fringe and semi star players. A long project that will be fulfilling when done.

Card of the Day - 2013 Bowman : Yasiel Puig Mini Refractor Insert Blue Wave Variant NOW Graded 9.5

As with yesterday's Puig post this card as well graded out to a great gem mint 9.5. Unlike the Top 100 Insert this one was a better purchase for me even though it cost me $10 more out of pocket. While the Top 100 card was only $10 out of pocket the value was minimized due to it being "bought" at $150 while it booked for a little more at that time. This one though I bought for $20 out of pocket seen HERE but it books for $300 raw. A better "return" if I decided to sell it.

Unlike the Top 100 Insert card that I have up on eBay for sale to acquire an on card autograph of Yasiel I am keeping this one even though it is not as rare as the other one. My opinion, which is also shared with fellow bloggers, is that this is the nicer looking card. It's blue and the picture is better. Of course you  might defer on that opinion. Anyways, I sent this card on the same day as the Top 100 one and it also came back graded gem mint 9.5. As with the other one there is no sub grade under a 9.5 and also includes a 10 grade. The only difference is that on this card the 10 is on surface while the other one had its 10 on edges. Either way they both score a solid 9.5 and I'm ecstatic that I can still eye a card on eBay to what condition it probably is.

Damn pretty Dodger blue card of Yasiel.

9.5 with a 10. Nice !

Movie Review : 2 Guns

 

 

Another buddy flick has landed and this one stars Denzel Washington as Bobby and Mark Walberg as Michael. Both are working undercover for different agencies while trying to capture a drug kingpin in Mexico but are unaware of each others credentials as they both think the other is a common criminal.

 

There is a little back story to begin the film that shows how they arrive to a bank where they are supposed to rob it of 3 million dollars but instead they find over 43 million store there. They both suspect the other of being a snitch or not who they say they are until it comes to blows and they find out that there are both on the "good" side. Even though they know the truth between themselves they split up and try to figure out on their own to exactly what is going on and why the job was not what it was they thought it would be. They figure out that not only their agencies but others are all in on this and they happen to be the two stuck in the middle of this and being set up as the fall guy(s). They reluctantly decide to help each other to find out the full truth on why they were set up and how to make things right. The journey takes them from the U.S. to Mexico and back to the U.S. to break into a military base all the while every good agency and various gang members and drug lords are tailing them and trying to take them out. They both don't know who to trust but themselves.

 

For the climax of the film they are able to get all the chess pieces on the board at the same place at the same time for a showdown and to show everyone their true colors. Just like in past classic gun battles everyone has a gun pointing at them while they are pointing theirs at someone else. When the smoke clears we find out if their 2 guns is enough to conquer the hundreds directed at them.

 

VERDICT : I always enjoy Mark and Denzel on the big screen and combining them seemed like a great idea. The action is constant and good for its genre. The supporting cast does well with Bill Paxton and Edward James Olmos being the best as leaders of two rival groups. Even a love interest is thrown in in the form of Paula Patton who is not just screen candy even though she is an attractive lady. With all that being said while I did enjoy the movie and thought it was a fun flick I could have waited to watch it at home. Being on the big screen did not enhance the experience and there seemed to be a little something missing to make it a very good movie. I just can't put my finger on it. Either way though a slight THUMBS UP to watch but not necessarily at the theater charge.

Card of the Day - 2013 Bowman : Yasiel Puig Top 100 Insert Die Cut Variant NOW Graded BGS 9.5

My eyes are still good even at my age. I purchased 2 Puig cards from this year's Bowman set awhile ago on eBay with the intention to have them graded and hopefully acquire a gem mint grade of 9.5. To do this I had to be diligent and look over the card on just a computer screen. I sent in both and received them back this past Saturday. I couldn't be happier with the results.

The first one is the more limited one number-wise Top 100 Insert Die Cut Variant which there are only 99 in existence and that I acquired HERE from a seller on eBay. It cost me only $10 out of pocket and the card currently books for $350 in Beckett. Even if it didn't grade a 9.5 that would have been a great deal nonetheless. But damn if I still have the touch at times. Sent the card in and it came back a gem mint 9.5 with no grade being less than 9.5 and even including a 10 on edges.

Normally I would just call it a day and be ecstatic with the grade and file it away but since I got the other card that I submitted in great shape as well ( see tomorrow's post ) I looked into acquiring an on card autograph of Yasiel in this year's Bowman Inception set. Those normally sell for a little north of $400 and I thought I could just do an even swap on eBay of this graded card for the Inception card. Well, the graded one is up and running on the bay and the other one is on its way home.

Oh... Pretty

Centering, Corners and Surface with 9.5's and Edges with a 10. Damn Nice.

Signed Ball of the Day - Player Appearance Recap : Jack Morris @ Harry's Dugout

Back to Whittier and back to Harry's Dugout for another of their in house appearances of a former star. This time it was Jack Morris. He hardly makes any appearances and I made sure not to miss this opportunity to add this World Series Champion to my collection.

Arrived at Harry's and was surprised not to see that many people in line. Was expecting a bigger turnout. Saw some fellow autograph hunters and we conversed while we waited for Jack to start signing. Once in the store it went smoothly as always. Saw Edward the store owner and paid my fee and stepped in front of Jack. I had noticed that the people in front of had not been taking pictures with Jack and felt that he wasn't in the mood or didn't do that type of thing so I didn't ask. Handed Jack a ball and he quickly signed it and handed it back to him. Told him thank you for the signature and thank you for coming out to sign. He said thank you but he wasn't that personable or at least to me he wasn't. He wasn't at all mean just not talkative like past quests at this store ala Mike Marshall, Paul Lo Duca and others. No biggie. Received my autograph and headed on home. Will be back in two weeks for Dennis Martinez which is just one of three autographs to get that day. A lot of driving around for me that day.

Multiple World Series Champion Jack Morris

Card of the Day - 2013 Topps Museum : Matt Kemp Blue Bordered Variant ( 65 / 99 )

One step closer to finishing my blue bordered variant set from this year's Topps Museum collection. I finally got my hands on the man himself, Matt Kemp. This card has been difficult to acquire since the set came out but with Kemp being injured his cards have come down in price so this one became a tad cheaper.

Found the card on eBay and the seller had it at a starting bid of .99 cents with $2 shipping. This card was a lot pricey a month or so ago and hitting over $10 on some auctions so I assumed while it wouldn't be at that price I expected to pay more than .99 cents. Well I was right, I had to pay $1.04. About a minute left in the auction someone put a bid in and with a few seconds left I put my high bid in and it only raised the winning price .5 cents. $3 and a handful of change got me this great looking blue card of the Bison. Only Ryu and Jackie are left for me to track down. Here's hoping the season ends better than it began for Matt.

Blue 65 of 99

Upcoming Appearance / Signing : Dennis Martinez @ Harry's Dugout on August 17

Bringing back a name from the past, El Presidente Dennis Martinez is doing an appearance at Harry's Dugout in two short weeks. He does not do many of these public appearances so get his autograph while you can as they are limited to just 125. Prices are above and highly reasonable. See you there.

Card of the Day - 2012 Bowman Chrome : Joc Pederson Refractor BGS Graded 9.5 w/10 Autograph ( 495 / 500 )

Joc, Puig, Puig, Joc...

That was the debate back in May and June as who to bring up with Kemp going down and the Dodgers needing another outfielder. While Joc was passed up for Puig he still waits in the wings for that possibly call up if something else goes wrong on the team. I was able to get Puig's cards before they skyrocketed as shown here but for Joc I waited until all the hub bub died down a little.

I am and always will be partial to bowman chrome refractor autographed rookie cards so there was no doubt where I was going to set my sights on. I originally was looking at the blue bordered variant but that got too pricey in my eyes for a MLB untested player so I set my goal on just the regular refractor. I didn't want to try my luck on one and hope it graded out to a 9.5 so I made it my goal to get one already graded a 9.5 and that is when this beauty appeared on eBay. Wasn't sure what I was going to pay as this is almost like an investment piece as he hasn't played a day in the majors and we don't know how he will respond. Just like Puig. So I was finishing up some paperbacks and ended up selling them prior to this card's auction close. I ended up in a slight bidding war and I don't know how he will pan our or even if he will play for the Dodgers but for today I won the battle and acquired the card for a tad over $60. With the book value at $25 and with the grading cost and the 9.5 I think I basically broke even on the transaction. If he bombs then I overpaid but if he excels I think this is a great buy. Either way I am happy to add this card and hope it pays off in the future.

Refractor 495 of 500

Mmm... Gem Mint

Upcoming Appearance / Signing : Jose Dominguez @ Westside Sportscards and Memorabilia

 

 

Jose Dominguez will be doing an appearance at the end of the month in Santa Monica. I believe this is his first public appearance as he has only been in the majors a couple of weeks. Only $25 for any item or 2 for $45. Got my ticket. See you there.

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.

*** UPDATED *** Upcoming Appearance : Jack Morris @ Harry's Dugout - Saturday August 3rd

 

 

Just a reminder that Jack Morris will be making an appearance this Saturday at Harry's Dugout in Whittier. Prices are up above and as always they are very reasonable. Should be a great event like always at this great store. 

Card of the Day - 2011-12 Panini : Jordan Nolan Rookie Treasures Game Used Memorabilia Autograph ( 331 / 499 )

Another autograph card from the Stanley Cup Champion Kings arrived at my door today and this one is of Jordan Nolan and I was able to get real thick card for a real small price.

I have been missing out on Jordan's cards left and right and that was with me bidding at a reasonable but still restrained amount. Just had to get lucky I guess when the right auction came along and this one happened to be it. I put my bid in at my customary amount and shockingly only one other person put a bid in and that brought the final amount to high price of only $1.04. With shipping it was a little over $3. Now that is a steal and a bargain any day. Glad to finally get the elusive Jordan into my collection. Nice clean and crisp autograph.

Blue, check, King, check, jersey, check, numbered, check 331 / 499

Card of the Day - 2012 Bowman Platinum : Andre Ethier Game Used Memorabilia Autograph

Just like fellow outfielder Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier for the most part has struggled for the year and just seems to be destined to be traded with the addition of Puig to the team. Though since they have gone on their recent tear he has contributed a lot to the cause. The multitude of injuries to everyone else will probably keep Andre on the team until at least next year.

As Kemp's cards have been easier to obtain at a lower price Andre's seem to even be going lower and faster than Kemp. Time is right for the picking for some Andre autograph cards and I am sure this is the first of many I will get. Saw this refracting beauty and thought it could be had for a decent amount of cash and that was the case. Auction ended and I was the high bidder at nice low amount of $6.50. I'll take that any day of the week. Card came in and looks great and sparkly. Though I like him as a Dodger I think his time has come to move on for the better of both parties. I think he needs a change of scenery and the Dodgers obviously have younger, better and cheaper player to put in his place. No matter what happens, good luck to you Dre.



Movie Review : The Wolverine

 

 

The next entry into the X universe for Marvel has arrived. Hugh Jackman is back as Wolverine and he has some new dancing partners to entertain him this time.

 

Film starts with a flashback where we see Wolverine ne Logan as a prisoner in Japan right before the U.S. drops the atomic bomb in 1945. He saves one of his captors named Yashida from the blast of the bomb. We flash forward to present day and see that Logan has left the X-Men and is living in the forest with the animals and having dreams/nightmares of his true love Jean Grey. The dreams  consistently haunt him every night. Some local hunters harm one of his animal friends and when he confronts them he is introduced to a young lady named Yukio who was hired to track down Logan and bring him back to Japan to say good bye to Yashida who is dying.

 

They head back to Japan and Logan is confronted by Yashida as wanting to become mortal and live a normal human life and Yashida can do that for him and take his healing power from Logan and transfer it to Yashida himself so he may live. Logan turns down his offer and soon Yashida dies. Prior to leaving Logan meets Yashida's granddaughter Mariko and you can tell there is something between them. As everyone attends Yashida's funeral there is an attempted kidnapping of Mariko by one of Yashida's enemies but Logan intervenes and him and Mariko are soon on the run. Yukio who has become like a sister to Mariko worries for her safety as she knows where they end up. All the while Logan is also suffering some type of reaction as his healing factor is not working properly which in time he figures out it was tampered with by Yashida's doctor, Viper.

 

Logan and Mariko become closer while on the run which makes the dreams with Jean Grey all the more interesting. Soon kidnappers show up again and finally do their job and get Mariko but not before Logan figures out where she is being taken too. Yukio comes to take Logan to where he needs to go and to help out as she says she will be his "bodyguard". To get to the building that Mariko is imprisoned in he must battle numerous ninjas, more healing factor issues and a very big individual going by the name of Silver Samurai. While Logan is dealing with the Silver Samurai, Yukio helps out by taking on Viper. After the battle we see while Logan must attend to issues back in the U.S. there are now roots planted in Japan with Mariko and that he will be back soon enough. Yukio decides to join Logan in his journey. A major change happens to him during the battle that obviously will play out in future movies and is seen when the after credits scene appears.

 

VERDICT : The source material is from the critically acclaimed work from the 1980's from writer Frank Miller when Logan first visits Japan. With that being said this is a very good Wolverine film but not a very good Marvel "action" flick that we have been grown to love over the past few years in Avengers, Iron Man, Thor et al. The action is sporadic at best with the two biggest being the climax and very entertaining train scene. It is more drama and character building than most Marvel films have been and me being a big Wolverine fan I am fine with that. Hugh does a great job as always though some of the lines are very cheesy. The supporting actors do a good job with Yukio and Mariko being the best of the group. Even with Jean Grey "dead" she plays a major part in this film and probably more so in the next X-Men film. If you are a Wolverine/X-Men or Marvel fan in general you will probably love this film like I did. If you are an action film lover don't expect as much and you won't leave disappointed as some people I have talk to have due to less than wanted and/or excpected action. With that said a THUMBS UP to this movie. Not the best Marvel has put out but much better than the first Wolverine train wreck of a film.

Card of the Day - 2006 SPx : Takashi Saito Autograph ( 610 / 999 )

Man, do we need a stable closer and hopefully Kenley Jansen can be that man for an extended amount of time. Brandon League should never sniff the ninth again unless it is for mop duty even though he has been doing better of late. But not just a few years ago we had this man, Mr. Saito, take over for Eric Gagne and others to become a very dependable closer. I always thought he was underrated when he was on our team. He always seemed to enjoy his time in Los Angeles.

So obviously I needed to add an autograph card to my collection of him but there are not many cards to chose from and those that are out there seem to always go higher than I wanted to pay. Found this nice RC and hoped I could finally win a card depicting his Hancock and with my lucky bid of $7 at the end of the auction I won this beauty. Proud to finally own a Saito card. Arrived in great condition and sits nicely within the box.

610 / 999 of Mr. Saito

Attended Game Recap : July 27th vs Reds - DODGERS 4 Reds 1 . . . Also Ball(s) of the Day : Ricky Nolasco ( ROMLB Sweet Spot ) and Yasiel Puig ( ROMLB Side Panel )

It has been a long 6 weeks since I was last at Blue Heaven on Earth better known as Dodger Stadium. Wanted to attend a weekend game and wanted to go autograph hunting so I picked this game to go to and was able to arrange seats in the Prime Ticket Club section down the 3rd base sideline. Better opportunity to acquire some autographs. Prior to entering the stadium I ran into Dave who is the author of his own blog seen HERE , hopefully he picked up some autographs.

Headed into the stadium and there wasn't much action on the autograph front. I did hear that Brandon League signed prior to me getting in but that is no big loss and I already had him. Kemp came out to test his ankle and a few fans and I hoped he might swing over and sign but in the end he did not. I still need this years bobblehead signed. Next time.

Kemp putting on a brace and testing out the ankle. Come back soon.

Thought I was going to miss out on any autographs until I noticed that Ricky Nolasco was signing near the foul pole. Raced over there and hoped I didn't miss out but thankfully he was running the line and I got in there and he was kind enough to ask where I wanted the signature and obviously I said sweet spot which he accommodated. Welcome once again to your boyhood team. Keep up the good work so far and thank you for signing for me.

Ricky on a sweet spot. Sweet.

Batting practice was over and I headed back to my seat and thought maybe Andre Ethier would sign but he never came out but Yasiel Puig and Hanley Ramirez did come out and did their stretches near me. I heard a Spanish speaking gentleman communicating to Yasiel and he said to the group that he would come over and sign for us. Ooohhh. Hanley finished up and started to head for the dugout and I thought I missed on him but he decided to sign for a group and thankfully my wife came over to hold my spot for Yasiel but I was too late for Hanley. He left right when I got there. Headed back to the wife and right about then Yasiel ran into the dugout. Well that sucked and thought oh well at least I have him on a gold ball but I want to add him on regular white ball. Went back to my seat and right prior to the national anthem him came back and no one was standing around he started to sign for a kid in front of him. Grabbed a ball and pen and jumped over and hoped to get a signature but I noticed he started running the line with a sharpie. I pulled back and waited and he finally picked up another blue pen and I stuck my hand out again and I was lucky enough to get a signature. Unfortunately he side paneled me. Ugh. I am a stickler for sweet spot balls unless they are team signed ball. I have decided to throw it up on eBay and will sell it and picked up some more balls for inventory. Nonetheless thank you for signing Yasiel.

Yasiel signing in sharpie for someone.

Yasiel about to side panel me.

My side panel signed baseball.

Game started and after the top of the 2nd Skip who was playing left field today finished his tosses and I yelled out to him and got him to toss me the ball. It was a good omen as he soon became the player of the game with a double and more importantly a two run bomb to center. Thank you again Skip for the ball.

Tossed Skip ball.

Ryu pitched a great game and over 7 evenings just gave up two hits and one earned run as he collected another win. With the Diamondbacks losing the Dodgers gained another game on them and now lead by 1.5. This team is so fun to watch now and I can't wait to get a healthy Kemp back into the lineup. Let's go boys.



Also pop sensation Psy was in attendance.

Psy, guy on right with white shirt.

Card of the Day - 2004 Upper Deck : Steve Yeager Autograph

Another day another autographed card by an old timer that I have acquired.

Unlike Burt yesterday I remember who and saw Steve Yeager play. Even if I didn't, I see him constantly in AZ for spring training and at Dodger Stadium as he is a coach. I remember him being part of a catching tandem with Mike Scioscia back in the 1980's and he was good in his role. He also was part of the 1981 World Series Champions. Ah, the good old days.

Didn't have any signed cards by the backstop so went to my favorite place, eBay, to get one. Wasn't going to spend a lot and surprisingly there wasn't a single buy it now when I went shopping. Means I was stuck in auction mode. Found this black and white gem and at the end of the day I won the card for just $5 and some pennies. Not a bad purchase.

Blue auto really pops against the black and white picture.

Card of the Day - 2005 Upper Deck : Burt Hooton Past Time Pennants Autograph

Scouring eBay and went back in time for an old time Dodger. Burt Hooton played 10 years with the Dodgers and won the 1981 World Series with them. I lived through that whole time and I can not remember even seeing him on tv. He must have flown under the radar for me when I didn't even know what that term meant yet. Never have met the man as I have missed out on the few public appearances he has had locally so I still needed some type of autograph in my collection of him.

Didn't expect much pickings for Burt but I did find a few that caught my eye. Saw this card with a nice clean autograph. It is not numbered so I didn't think people would be after this one but someone actually did bid on it with a minute left in the auction. Still wouldn't mind winning it but not at a high price. Put my bid in at the end and won it for a cool $2.25. Not too shabby. My first Hooton. Even if I don't remember you, thank you for your contributions to the team.

Card of the Day - 2011-12 Crown Royale : Dustin Penner Game Used Material Autograph ( 47 / 100 ) . . . AKA eBay Bucks Purchase Number 3

And to finish out this quarter's eBay bucks purchases is a hockey card that I wanted but did not want to spend what the seller wanted so it sat on my watch list until the day I could get it at my price.

Still trying to complete my Stanley Cup Kings autograph set and things are getting difficult in trying to find cards of the players left for me to acquire. Dustin Penner has had multiple cards but not a single one has him in a King's jersey except this one. It had been on eBay for awhile as I expect that 1) the demand for Penner cards is smaller than other King players and it was off season now and 2) the seller wanted $15 for the card. I never was going to spend that even though this is the only card that I have been able to find of Dustin that was acceptable. So I waited and waited for a good two months until I pulled the trigger on getting this card. I had a little over $7 left of eBay bucks so with that and a little under $8 out of pocket I bought the card. I'm happy that it lasted that long with no one else buying it but again at the $15 I think that scared people away.

So with this card that completes the three items I got for a grand total of a little under $8 out of pocket. A rookiegraph sweet spot signed ball of budding superstar Manny Machado, another great Kemp autographed card and a much needed piece to my King's set that is getting harder and harder to complete. Can't wait until October when my next eBay bucks certificate is available.

47 / 100

Card of the Day - 2009 Topps Triple Threads : Matt " Bison " Kemp Relic Autograph ( 13 / 75 ) . . . AKA eBay Bucks Purchase Number 2

On to the next "free" purchase on eBay with my earned bucks from the past quarter. Again, if you are a buyer on eBay there is no reason to not be in this program as it is free to join but you must opt in to earn credits to be used for future purchases.

As my two favorite players are Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw I have been on the look out to acquire autographed cards of the two superstars with their nicknames on the card as well. I lucked into the Kershaw " Kid K " one awhile go seen here and have kept an eye out for the Bison one of Kemp. Couple weeks left until the quarter was up ( June 30th ) and a seller had put this card and another one up on a buy it now option but I didn't want to use money out of pocket/paypal to purchase it as I wanted to acquire it for "free" with the bucks so I gambled that this would still be available when I was able to purchase it. The other card was fine but it was the green background one and I am not fond of green so I really only had eyes for this one. Day came that I could buy the card and it was still up for grabs so I purchased and received this great looking card at no cost to me. If only all transactions could be like that. So yet another Kemp autograph has joined my collection and I couldn't be happier.

Bison number 13 of 75

Ball of the Day - Manny Machado ( ROMLB Sweet Spot ) . . . AKA eBay Bucks Purchase Number 1

It's that time of the year which actually comes to eBay buyers 4x a year. It's like Christmas every 3 months for me when it comes to eBay. As I have stated before I am in an eBay program called " eBay Bucks " in which you earn money on each purchase every 3 months to use in future purchases. So come Jan., Apr., July and Oct. there are eBay bucks for me to use to acquire some "free" stuff and this is the first of three that I was able to acquire. A Manny Machado Rookie Graph was my main goal to acquire and it was the first to make it to my doorstep.

I don't get many signed balls by non Dodgers anymore but Machado has been tearing up the league this year and this is after his impressive start in the big leagues from last year when he was only up for a couple of months. His is only 21 years old and looks to have a very long career ahead of him. This year alone he is on course to break the all time record for doubles by any player in a year and he is doing this while keeping up his batting average over .300. He will never be confused as a power hitter but he does have some pop in his bat. His defense is improving on a daily basis and he is making highlight plays every week. Those that read these blog entries know that I love having all the budding stars signed balls accompanied by the Rookie Graph indication on them. It can only be obtained in the first year of the player's career. Not going to pay for Machado's signed rookie card as that is too pricey but having the equivalent of it on a ball is a good second choice for me.

So with a good size amount of bucks I didn't really have to worry about price so I just bypassed the auctions and gave a seller an offer that I thought was reasonable based on past Machado sold auctions. A day later he accepted and one short week later this gem showed up and has now been added to my ever growing collection. With more eBay bucks left over I went to go purchase two other items I have been keeping my eye. More on that tomorrow...

Odd looking signature of a budding superstar in Baltimore.