Card of the Day - 1999 SP : Adrian Beltre Base Autograph

Well look whose back in the collection?

If you go check my past posts (which I myself did to verify date) I showcased this card back in August of 2013. Over a year and half as passed since then and I can now say I have the card once again but this time I had to pay more for it.

That 2013 copy was supposed to be my one and done for Adrian but Alex of Chavez Ravining ended up with the card when we did a trade last year. It was the one piece of the trade I didn't really want to let go but to make the trade work I had to part with it. At the time I assumed I would be able to pick up another copy within a reasonable amount of time. Yeah, not so much.

Beltre is going to make it to the Hall of Fame and his autograph prices are starting to reflect that. Time and time again I lost out on other copies of this card but after all these months I was able to pick one up at a price I was happy with even though it was twice as much as I spent the 1st time I won this card.

Hopefully I don't do another trade that the other person demands/needs this card in return.
= )

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.

-Penguin

BGS Result Update Number Twelve - 2013 Bowman Chrome : Corey Seager Base Black Refractor Parallel Now Graded Gem Mint 9.5

Original pic and thoughts

2013 Bowman Chrome Black Parallel

Unlike the purple parallel I think this black parallel has a decent chance at a pristine grade. Centering is almost 50/50, surface looks clean, corners are extra sharp and the edges look problem free. I have only had one card come back in pristine condition and this would be a great second one but if not I can not see this getting anything less than a strong 9.5. Either way me going this route for a gem mint grade of this card is better (cheaper) than the one I missed out on earlier on eBay. 

Result and thoughts :

Well I missed out on the only other black Seager to ever earn a gem mint grade but now there is two as this one joins the gem mint club. This was a late (last) addition to the submission batch as I did not receive it in the mail until the week of the event but thankfully I did as I now will have it back in a 9.5 slab.

Going in I really thought that his had a chance at coming back as pristine so we shall see how close it was in a month when it comes back with all the sub grades visible. This obviously is my most valuable non autograph card of Seager now as it is numbered out of only 15. When this kid hits it big this card will probably hit at least $200 on the aftermarket. I have no intention of selling it but I love knowing the potential value of all my cards. 

Final Submission Result and Thoughts :

With the same exact sub grades (3 9.5's and a 10) what makes this parallel better than the green parallel of Seager from a couple days ago? Why it's black and more limited that's what.

While there are 75 copies of the green parallel there are only 15 copies of this black beauty and there is no book value assigned to it while the green comes with a $20 tag. 

There was one other (the only other) graded version of this card on eBay months ago and it sold for $100. So at the very least I value this card at that amount but I think once he gets closer to being called up that price will go up just a tad. If he does really well (which I expect he will) in the bigs this is one fine graded copy to have in my or anyone's collection. Till then I will just enjoy this great black and gold combination. 

Now my best none Seager autograph in my collection

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.

-Penguin

Card of the Day - 2014 Topps High Tek : Fernando Valenzuela Base Autograph

I had been out of the hobby for the first 12 years of this century and during that time they introduced this brand, High Tek, and shelved it soon after so I never knew it existed. I barely even knew anything about it as I only heard bits and pieces in passing from other hobbyists. Well, Topps brought it back for 2014 and it had a few Dodgers in it and they all had on card autographs. Though there is Kershaw, Hanley, etc., there was only one that I zeroed in on, El Toro himself, Fernando

Fernando also happened to be on my to reacquire list as I sold off the one signed ball of his that I had in my collection. Fernando was showcased in a couple other new releases but they were stickers and I knew he was going to be in Five Star (still plan to pursue one of those) but if I could snag one of these on the cheap then I was going to do it. There are various parallels in the set but all I wanted was an autograph of Fernando so whichever one came the cheapest would be the one I would purchase.

At the time of the transaction there wasn't a price guide to go by so I had to go with my gut and my gut told me that this was the one. The other thing that is unique about this set is that the cards are plastic and not the traditional paper. This will probably be my only High Tek card I will acquire unless I can get a Kershaw autograph at a major bargain but I am happy to say that Fernando is back in my collection. Now onto that Five Star autograph.

See through back

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.

-Penguin

Upcoming Player Appearance / Signing : Isaiah "J.R." Rider @ Dr. Alex Liu's Optometry Practice Later This Month

For you baseketball fans out there, former Laker Isaiah "J.R." Rider will be making an in store appearance at Dr. Liu's Optometry later this month.

For details on how you can attend this event in person you must contact the office via email. The address is xcorbinod@gmail.com . As with all the doctor's past events this will be run smoothly with no problems whatsoever. Always a fun time with fellow fans are had at these events. Come join in on the fun..

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.

-Penguin

BGS Result Update Number Eleven - 2013 Bowman Draft : Corey Seager Base Chrome Green Refractor Parallel Now Graded Gem Mint 9.5

2013 Bowman Chrome Corey Seager Green Parallel

Yeah, so now we come to the "uh, duh" cards of the batch which are also the last of said batch. These were acquired pre-graded as gem mint and so that is what I expect back (the uh, duh comment once again) and the pursuit of mint/gem mint rookie cards of Seager continues.

Final Submission Result and Thoughts :

This is the 1st of two cards that were pre graded via the raw grade review when I acquired them and the only question was how close to a mint 9 or a pristine 10 did they get. The results are in and this particular one is a firm 9.5 gem mint. 3 9.5's and a 10 making this card a solid return. 

Acquired at such a low sum of funds makes it that much sweeter. This card reminds me of Notre Dame now with it being a green parallel within a gold banner case. The rainbow project continues and even though this is one of the less limited parallels it is still nice to have it in house and filed away. 

No green envy here just some gem mint goodness

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.

-Penguin

Card of the Day - 2015 Topps Museum : Joc Pederson Archival Autograph (87/299)

I am still trying to catch up to others when it comes to having more than one Joc autograph in their collection and with this one now in the fold I am starting to gain some steam in that project.

While not as limited as the Kershaw (299 vs 99) this Joc autograph has been getting some decent attention on eBay as prices have been anywhere from $27 to $40 ish but just like the Kershaw their was no book value released at the time of "purchase" so once again I had to pursue it with my gut.

This particular card was on a BIN auction and had been on my watch list for a few days as I monitored other copies that were on traditional auctions and as I saw those continue to sell for higher than this one I finally pulled the trigger and hit the button. Once in hand I am kind of disappointed as I know for sure it wont grade out to gem mint as I would have liked to but it still has a chance at mint if I chose to submit it to BGS. Either way I am happy to add another Joc autograph to the collection.

87 / 299

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.

-Penguin

BGS Result Update Number Ten - 2011 Gypsy Queen : Clayton Kershaw Mini Frame Autograph Now Graded Gem Mint 9.5

Original pic and thoughts :

2011 Gypsy Queen

Now we get the 6 cards that could go either way. I expect each of them to have at least 2 9.5 sub grades if not 3 but there is one thing or another that might drop that last sub grade to an 8.5. First up is this sweet pick up I showed off earlier in the week. At 1st glance when you look at this card there is hardly a flaw you can see with the naked eye but if you slant it a certain way you can see some surface blemishes on the plastic coating. The question isn't if that sub grade doesn't earn a 9.5 but whether it can hold and earn a 9 so the other 3 can get 9.5's so the overall grade is a 9.5.  

Result and thoughts :

There were 6 cards that were in my opinion borderline from being a mint 9 or a gem mint 9.5. This was the one of the 6 I really wanted to earn that 9.5. Even though I would like them all to have a 9.5 banner this one being limited to only 25 and with it being inserted into packs as a redemption card means probably not all have or will be redeemed. This is the only copy to surface on eBay in the past year and I am the 3rd owner of the card. This would become my new crown jewel of Kershaw autographs that is not his rookie card if it could squeeze out a 9.5.

When I picked up my order there were a lot of gold tops staring at me and I searched for this one and then I saw it. GEM MINT. Woo Hoo. I was worried that those surface scratches might hinder the end grade but thankfully it did not. The sub grade held to at least a 9 and I now own the only and possibly the only one that will ever grade this high. I might even put it up on eBay with one hell of a reserve just to see how high it would go but of course with no intention of selling. 

Yet ANOTHER gem mint autograph of Kershaw for the collection. Keep them coming.

Final Submission Result and Thoughts :

9.5

9.5

9.5

9.5

Nothing but gem mint numbers here baby. 

I would normally place a card like this higher up on the list with it being such a limited card with a strong overall 9.5 grade and not one that just squeezed by but there are bigger surprises with the remaining 6 9.5's. 

I expected the surface grade to be the one weak link of the four sub grades but that was not meant to be as it earned a 9.5 like the other 3. This is the 1st 2011 gypsy queen of Kershaw to grace the Beckett offices and I am happy to report it left in a spiffy gold case. My new non rookie crown jewel of Kershaw autographs is now firmly in my hands with no intention of ever letting it go. 

25 in existence and only one to be graded gem mint.

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.

-Penguin

Card of the Day - 2014 Allen and Ginter : Yasiel Puig Mini Metal Parallel

Another unique and hard to acquire card is now my possession. Even though I knew of these metal minis when they were released last year I had forgotten to look for one for my collection as they were and can still be very high priced. Well thanks to a previous trade and a different purchase with an eBay seller I kept an eye out on any new cards he put up on the bay and found this one to my liking.

I passed on this card for our trade as I wanted the gem mint Kershaw more but I knew he was going to put this up for sale on eBay within a few days on a traditional auction. He had it up various times on BIN auctions but he never received a bite on it so he went this way and with it I knew I would be watching it closely with the hope it could be had at a reasonable price.

Since these are not numbered no one really knows (other than Topps) how many copies there are. Some people put it in the 5-10 range while others say it's a little more. Either way, there are not many and I already saw one sell on eBay so I didn't know how many chances I would have to pick this card up. Once again I was armed with comic sale funds and I had a higher than usual ceiling on what I was willing to spend. With seconds left I put my bid in and even though 2 more people bid on it after me, my bid ended up winning the card.

Met up with the seller in person and talked shop and when he handed over the card I knew just like the others on I received from him on early transactions that this was being earmarked for BGS grading. He keeps his cards in tip top shape and would love to see this come back in 9.5 form but if it came back a 9 I would not be surprised or disappointed as these metal cards at times have edge issues.

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.

-Penguin

BGS Result Update Number Nine - 2014 Topps : Pee Wee Reese Strata Autograph Now Graded Gem Mint 9.5

Original pic and thoughts :

2014 Topps Strata

Same story as the Griffey Strata with the added bonus of seeing how BGS treats Pee Wee's autograph. Do they dock it since you can see a little of the "Reese" part of it or do they realize that is how the card was supposed to be made? Hoping I get a reasonable grader for this transaction that will realize that.

Result and thoughts :

A 1 of 1 just got even better. Yes it will always be the only one in existence but now it is the only gem mint 1 of 1 in existence. 

We have reached the point in the submissions where I expected to see some issues pop up but thankfully none have. This card being so thick made it susceptible to conditioning issues but it came back with an overall gem mint grade. I always worry about corners but even if it did score a 9 that means all the rest scored at least a 9.5. Woo Hoo.

The main potential issue I had with this card was if the grader would dock it for Pee Wee's last name not being on the card but thankfully, and rightfully if I so say myself, he graded on what was on the card and not what wasn't. Autograph scored that much needed and appreciated 10.

Unless I am hard up (knock on wood) this is one the few cards in my collection that I have no intention of letting go and that was even before it earned gem mint status. A true 1 of 1 and it being an autograph card of a Dodger great that is no longer with us who had ties to the team in Brooklyn and Jackie Robinson. Yeah, this is not available for trade in any discussion. = )

Final Submission Result and Thoughts :

Well I guess I hit it right on the dot.

When the autograph grade came back a 10 that eliminated my fear of the dreaded 9 because of the signature being "cut off". The only other worry I had were the corners as these thick cards notoriously have issues with them. My hope and thoughts were that if they graded out to a 9 that everything else would hold up and I would get my much wanted gem mint grade. That is exactly what happened.

10, 9.5, 9.5 and then there was a 9. Guess where? Corners of course. No matter as it worked out and I now officially own a 1/1 that has been fully slabbed in a gem mint grade. A prized piece in my collection that is still not available for trade or purchase. So pretty.

A golden era player in a gold banner.

Great combo

The all important 10 auto grade

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day,

-Penguin

Trade with Fellow Blogger : Frankie of My Life in the Sports Card Hobby

It's been awhile but I was finally able to complete a trade as Frankie of My Life in the Sports Card Hobby finished up our second transaction. As with the 1st one this one went smooth with no issues. The trade would have been completed sooner but I was dealing with my grandfather's passing (R.I.P.) so my concentration was a tad lacking. Thank you again to Frankie for being patient and understanding in this matter.

He will probably put up his own post about this trade but what I ended up sending him were these 4 cards :

• Tony Gwynn Five Star autograph BGS 9
• Craig Biggio Five Star autograph BGS 9
• Nolan Ryan Mini Frame autograph BGS 9
• Bo Jackson Five Star autograph BGS 9

The top 3 cards were part of a group of throw ins that Frankie was kind enough to include in the package. I already have the Brigham so that will go into the trade pile or I will pay it forward in another trade with someone else but the Urias and Seager are new additions to the collection so thank you for those.

Corey Seager Bowman Chrome refractor

Another Seager throw in but like with the Brigham I already have this BUT since I am doing the rainbow collection for Seager I am going to put this under the microscope to see if it might grade out to gem mint. Either way, I can't get enough Seager cards.

Brandon Trinkwon Bowman Chrome autograph

The trade for me was centered around 2 autographs with 1 being the more important one but Frankie was nice enough to throw in a couple more. 1st up is this base Bowman Chrome of Trinkwon. I already have this one as well but it's always a good day when you get to add an autograph to the collection.

Jose Bautista Five Star autograph

203 of 333

Now this card is the best of the throw ins. I have had Jose Bautista's autograph on my to acquire list for quite sometime and even had a different copy of this Five Star on my eBay watch list but I never pulled the trigger on it as my resources went to more pressing "needs". Well, Frankie did me a solid and sent me this beauty. This was a great and unexpected bonus.

Now onto the main event of the trade . . .

Strata autograph of Padre great Tony Gwynn

15 of 25

This card while very nice was not what I was after when this whole process started. Frankie ended up wanting my BGS 9 of Gwynn but if that was to happen then I would want this one to replace Gwynn. Since Tony has passed on there obviously will be no more on card autographs coming from him. Even when alive there were not that many to chose from as the Five Star the Frankie received was the 1st one that I found acceptable. While they are both on card autographs this one is at least twice the value of my BGS 9 one that I sent so there was the back and forth between us in trying to make sure we both received equal value and were happy with the trade. With that said that is why is was a 4 for 2 swap.

And now for, literally, the big card of the trade . . .

Over sized Bowman purple ice Julio Urias autograph

6 of 25

You probably can't tell from the photo but this is one massive card of the Dodger's phenom Julio Urias. With only 25 copies in existence I never expected to acquire this card. Other than this copy I have only seen 2 others out there. One from a fellow blogger and another that sold on eBay, I never approached Frankie about this card as I never expected he would let it go since he mentioned he really liked it in one of his posts but it just goes to show you that you never know unless you ask. On top of my rainbow project of Urias I am trying to pick up as many autographs as I can before the prices really get out of control which they border on already. 

So that concludes my 2nd ever trade with Frankie. Some of you might say I overpaid for the two cards I received but that is the beauty of trades, it is what you think is equal and not what others might think. I was able to replace my Gwynn with another, I already have picked up another Biggio autograph so that BGS one was okay to let go and the Bo Jackson and Nolan Ryan while a lot to let go was about equal to the Urias card and value difference between the 2 Gwynn cards. I am happy and I hope Frankie is also happy with our trade. I do feel that he gave me a little more than I sent over in extras so I am already trying to find some other cards to compensate a little. 

In addition both the Gwynn and Urias look to be in great condition and are ear marked for BGS grading. I expect the Urias to come back a gem mint and the Gwynn also has a chance at that grade but a 9 on a thick card like that is fine as well. 

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.

-Penguin

Card of the Day - 2015 Topps Museum : Hyun-Jin Ryu Base Blue Parallel (77/99)

I was determined to make a dent and/or finish off my own personal checklist from this year's Museum release as I knew other releases were on the horizon and I wanted to be done with this as soon as possible. Of course since I am only looking for the blue parallels and they are numbered to 99 this might be easier said than done. Thankfully this one was on the easier side.

While I have bigger names to hunt after (Kershaw, Trout, etc.) Ryu while popular amongst Dodger fans his cardboard value is not that high and for that I am thankfully as I was able to land this blue parallel for some pocket change.

Two bids is all it took to acquire it and for the grand total of $1.25 it was mine. Nothing like a blue parallel as the backdrop of a Dodger player dressed in blue. One down, many more to go.

77

of

99

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.

-Penguin

BGS Result Update Number Eight - 2015 Topps : Clayton Kershaw Silver Framed Parallel Now Graded Gem Mint 9.5

Original thoughts :

2015 Topps Silver Frame Kershaw

It is hard to see how any metal framed cards get anything less than a gem mint grade but I have seen them. I (knock on wood this one won't be the case) have not had that issue and hope it does not start here even though I don't think it will. The card is clean and edges and corners are "sharp" so a nice limited Kershaw gem mint card would be nice here.

Full Submission Result and Thoughts :

I almost jinxed myself...almost.

As stated in the above paragraph I don't see how any of these metal framed cards earn anything less than a gem mint grade. Corners and edges shouldn't be an issue nor should centering as the photo is "framed" but boy when I hit the button to see the sub grades and I saw a 9 sub grade I quickly looked over and thankfully saw an overall grade of gem mint 9.5. 

This was one of the 4 cards I submitted by not going the raw card review route and instead went the full submission route "knowing and expecting" it would grade out to gem mint. Close to not being what I expected but in the end I now own the only (at this moment) gem mint version of this card. There could possibly be 20 but I am for sure one of them and think this gold banner raises the value of this limited beauty just a tad. 

Encasing a framed, gem MVP

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.

-Penguin

Card of the Day - 2014 Topps Chrome : Mike Trout Base Black Refractor Parallel (4/100)

This card has been a long time coming. I have searched high and low to acquire this fine looking card and each and every time I was outbid at the last moment or I just wasn't comfortable with the high price that were on BIN auctions. Well I can move on as I have finally been able to get my hands on a copy for my collection.

Surprisingly the book value for this card is "only" $25 but I haven't seen it go that low in any auction I came across. Some of the ones I lost out on went as high as $50. While limited (100) I wasn't overly worried about winning me a copy but the months kept going by and I still wasn't able to win me one. Copies started to dry up on the bay and thought my window was closing and this was the last big card to check off my list of 2014 Topps Chrome. Tick tick tick...

Guess I picked the right time to be on eBay when I saw this one pop up. A seller had this on a BIN auction but also had a best offer option. Buy or barter? I risked someone else swooping in by negotiating with the seller but thankfully he was online at the time and after 30 minutes of back and forth we agreed on a price and within a few days I received my final black gem of the 2014 set. In person this card is even better looking than the pictures and is now ear marked for BGS.

4 of 100

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.

-Penguin

BGS Result Update Number Seven - 2014 Bowman Draft : Julio Urias Base Chrome Blue Refractor Parallel Now Graded Gem Mint 9.5

Original pic and thoughts :

2014 Bowman Chrome Draft Blue Parallel

Same card, different color. The reason I have more confidence in this blue one than the black one is that this one does not look off centered to me. I still believe both will gem mint but this one I am more sure of. 

Result and thoughts :

This is the 6th submission result post out of 15 and is that a gold banner I see on this here card? Why yes it is. Only 5 of the cards earned a silver (mint) banner which means the rest are golds as I always go through the silvers before reaching the golds. Woo Hoo.

So by what order do I go through the remaining cards? Why by the expectancy of earning gold status for each card and this Urias comes in 1st as in my mind it was "guaranteed" to be gem mint. It is always nice to get the grade you expect and once again I was not disappointed in the result.

As with Seager I am trying/doing the Bowman Chrome "rainbow" for Urias as well. I actually haven't counted how many there are considering there are two sets of regular size cards to hunt down and minis as well. Well I can check another one of the list of certified mint/gem mint for the collection as Urias as expected came back in fine gold 9.5 form.

Full Submission Result and Thoughts :

Six down and twelve posts to go and we have reached the gem mint portion of the results. Woo Hoo. 1st up is the Dodgers 18 year old pitching phenom, Julio Urias.

I expected this blue beauty to come back gem mint but I didn't think it would be that close to not being one. While there was a 10 sub grade there was also a 9 but thankfully they were matched up with two 9.5's to earn on overall 9.5. If one of those 9.5 would have come back a 9 then I would have had a plain old mint Urias. While nice, that would have not been what I expected to see. Instead I get to add yet another gem mint card to my ever growing Urias collection.

Mmm . . . gemy

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.

-Penguin

Movie Review : Avengers 2: The Age Of Ultron

I'm backkkkkkk......

It has been a long time since I have done a movie review as I have been concentrating an all things baseball and baseball cards but I decided to get back into these once the summer movie season was upon us but in a little different format this time around. Flipping the calendar page from April to May brings us to the 1st and the biggest (money wise) movie of the year (my prediction) Avengers The Age of Ultron. Time to geek out!

Instead of me "reviewing" movies in a "traditional" sense per se I will be going over highlights and low lights among other thoughts and opinions. I seemed to be lacking in the traditional way so I thought I would try a new direction. We shall see how it goes.

Highlights :

• Is anyone worthy to pick up Thor's hammer? Probably my co-favorite scene of the whole movie. 
• The Hulk and the "Hulkbuster" Iron Man fight scene would be the other. The Marvel movies keep raising the bar on fight scenes and this one does not disappoint as we get to witness a classic and brutal fight on the big screen
• The budding Black Widow and Hulk relationship.
• The growing dissension between the big 3 aka Iron Man, Captain America and Thor. Foreshadowing of things to come in the upcoming Captain America movie appropriately titled "Civil War".
• Finally seeing Hawkeye showcased. The forgotten one finally gets his moment to shine.
• Another name drop/Easter egg (Wakanda)   
• Great final battle set piece.
• Avengers going their own way post fight in a more interesting way compared to the ending of 1st Avengers movie.
• Final scene with Captain America feels like Avengers issue #16 from the 60's.
• Post credit scene with big baddie that ties in the 1st Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy movie and sets up Avengers 3 (and other movies).

Low Lights :

• Scarlet Witch's and Quicksilver's accents. Source material calls for them to have European accents but in the case of Scarlet's it is hard to accept. 
• While the humor was appreciated and enjoyed Ultron's less than "robotic" nature was disappointing. I believe he was too humanized for the movie when compared to the comics. 
• Nick Fury's back for little more than window dressing...
• ... which probably is because there are too many characters to give equal screen time to.
• Death of an Avenger even though you "knew" one had to bite the bullet.
• Avengers 1 - fight lots of aliens, Avengers 2 - fight lots of robots. Could have used a little more variety.
• Lack of a post credit new character reveal. 

Final Thoughts and Verdict :

As with most "geeks" going in I had high expectations and for the most part they were met and in some cases exceeded them. Knowing this is just one piece of a much bigger puzzle helps that this movie (and most Marvel films for that matter) doesn't have a "true" ending. What happens here will spill into the Captain America, Thor, Guardians of the Galaxy et al with all of those being connected to the 2 part Avengers 3 movie. Not to mention the Netflix shows which may or may not be involved in the movie universe. For the casual fan good luck catching up.

Tensions are rising among the ranks and budding love relationships are only complicating matters. Seeing battles on the big screen that we thought we could only see on the printed comic page is a big thrill and this movie is not short on them. The humor between foe and friend alike is presented in a perfect way and only once did I see it as over the top. Knowing what is coming up in the next 4 years worth of movies makes seeing the seeds of it being planted in this and other Marvel movies that more enjoyable and fulfilling.

Even with almost 2 and half hours of mayhem there doesn't seem to be enough screen time to give equal time to other characters other than the core group and it's only going to get worse as more and more characters have and will be introduced. For this genre the plot isn't all that bad but some of the dialogue could have been tweeked in some parts. If you are a Marvel fan you will be seeing this movie no matter what reviews are out there. If not you will probably feel a tad lost but if you just want to see big action scenes with lots of banter between characters you will enjoy this film even if you don't get all the inside jokes and references.

Final Grade : A-/B+

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.

-Penguin

Card of the Day - 2015 Topps Heritage : Matt Kemp Base Chrome Black Refractor Parallel (4/66)

The acquisitions of new Kemp cards is quickly reaching its end and this is probably one of the last as of right now there are only two others I am currently looking for. Though I still enjoy watching him play I can not make myself care enough to pursue his cards with him in a Padres uniform. With baseball season in full swing those cards will be coming more and more commonplace and these with him in Dodger blue will become less frequent.  Sad but a fact of life in the hobby.

With only 66 copies of each black chrome there are/were only so many chances to get my hands on one and the few that I lost out on had the final total reaching $15 and in a couple cases near or over $20. Too rich for my blood so I had to just cross my fingers and hope that one would come down to my price and thankfully this one did. The card to me seems to be in perfect condition and would be a candidate for grading if that value was higher. Maybe someday down the road but till then it's just a great card of a former Dodger in my collection.

Four

of

Sixty Six

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.

-Penguin

BGS Result Update Number Six - 2013 Bowman Chrome : Corey Seager Base Purple Refractor Parallel Now Graded Mint 9.0

Original pic and thoughts :

2013 Bowman Chrome Purple Parallel

I am 1000% sure this will not earn a gem mint grade. You can tell just from the picture it is not centered but that seems to be the only flaw I notice. I am trying to acquire the rainbow set for Corey and all I want/need is for them to be mint 9's. 9.5 is a plus but at present the lower grade is fine so using raw grade review is better here than the full submission just in case this comes in at a 8.5. 

Result and thoughts :

Last submission post of the week and even though it earned a silver banner just like the Puig I am more than happy with that result.

I am doing the "rainbow" parallel set of Seager from 2013 Bowman Chrome and want/need for them all to be in at least mint grade. I acquired this card on a trade with Luis a little while back (thank you once again my friend) with the hope that it could hold an overall 9 grade and now I thankfully can say it did. You can tell with the naked eye that it is off centered so I assumed it would garner an 8.5 sub grade and when it comes back from BGS I believe that statement will hold true. 

Everything else looked fine and BGS agreed as well. Another mint graded parallel Seager for the collection. Many more needed but checking one of the list is a step in the right direction.

Full Submission Result and Thoughts :

Oh so very close...

10, 9.5, 9.5 and . . . . 8.5

I knew the centering was the issue going in and was happy to just get a mint 9 but damn I didn't know how close I was to adding another gem mint to the Corey rainbow collection.

If centering would have earned another .5 I would have had another gem mint card but instead it earned the expected 8.5. When I submitted it I was crossing my fingers it didn't come back with an 8 on centering but now I see how close I was to another glorious gold banner but I will have to settle for the silver. That was fine when I first acquired the card and it is still fine today.

. . . almost a gem

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day.

-Penguin