Dodgers are Good as Gold!

The Dodgers are absolutely on fire right now, and it's always extra fun to collect when your favorite team is doing so well.  This is always a fun time of year, because Topps releases a lot of new products back to back.  With the new Museum coming out, and my ebay bucks coming in, I knew exactly what I wanted:  2017 Museum Kershaw gold framed auto.  At this point, I have all of the gold framed autos, except for the virtually unattainable 2011 Marquee gold frame.

I was lucky enough to find a 2017 gold framed auto on ebay a few days ago, and I immediately jumped at the price, because my ebay bucks covered most of it, and it already had 10 watchers and was literally just listed.  Thanks to my ebay bucks I now have exactly what I wanted:

Rare Kershaw Topps Now Auto

I am always on the look out for rare Kershaw autos, so when the limited release Topps Now auto /25 was released I figured I would try and get one. To date there have been no auctions for this card, and the BINs were all priced over $1,000 (totally insane). This card was extremely limited and only sent to Topps Platinum Members, so I was pleasantly surprised to see a BIN/OBO with a decent listing price. I quickly made a very low offer which I expected to be rejected outright, but to my surprise there was no counter offer, and he actually accepted. I checked this morning and saw one listed at $350, so it seems like the prices are coming back down to earth, but either way, I got this for a great price, and I absolutely love the card:

Give Verdugo a Shot!

The Dodgers top outfield prospect Alex Verdugo, is ready for his chance at the Big Show!  The only problem?  There's no room for him at the moment.  I'm a huge Joc Pederson fan, and I hate to say it, but I really think he needs to be sent down to AAA to work on his swing. It's more than a slump at this point.  He looks completely lost at the plate, and his swing looks horrible.  Why not call up Verdugo in the mean time, and test him with some MLB pitching?  Verdugo has a canon for an arm (he was a big time pitching prospect), and he hits for average.  He's not hitting for power yet, but he still has plenty of time to develop that aspect of his game.  Anyway, here are a few of the Verdugo's I have.  I'm working on the rainbow for this years Bowman Chrome release, but I'll show those another time:

Better Late than Never...

My chance to pick up one of these for 10 bucks is loooong gone, but hey, at least I have one now. The key to this Kershaw rookie is to wait for an auction to pop up on ebay, and there are usually quite a few. The BIN's are way overpriced, so after a few months of trying to win this card, I finally won it at my price. The card looked like it was in pristine condition, but I quickly spotted two tiny imperfections on the surface. I'm thinking a 9.5 is not totally out of the question, but I also don't feel too confident in it. I'm not sure why I didn't pick up one of these sooner, because the card is really nice. I guess my autograph quest kind of blinded me. Oh well, now I finally have one!

2017 Topps Heritage

I have mixed feelings on the 2017 Heritage product.  In general the burlap design pales in comparison to the last few years.  One thing that made Topps stand out in the 50's and early 60's was the beautiful card designs that they would come out with year after year, but for some reason the burlap design was always ugly to me.  It seems like Topps continues to get lazier and lazier with the products they put out  For example, the action shot card of Kershaw is the exact same pic that was used in a previous years release.  Couldn't Topps at least use a different "action" shot?   With that said, I still wanted to pick up another auto of Corey Seager, and I figured it would be my only 2017 Heritage pickup.  These cards don't photograph well, but they actually look good in person.  This wasn't cheap, but I'm happy I was able to add it to the collection:

The Most Annoying Fans in the World!

Trying to watch last nights game against the Rockies was absolutely mind numbing.  Somehow two drunk apes were able to secure tickets right behind home plate (and right next to the mic), and they decided to heckle the Dodgers, especially Corey and Cody the entire freaking game.  I will admit, much of my anger was because the Dodgers were losing, but seriously, hearing these idiots say stupid things the entire game really started to piss me off.  At one point they stood up to reveal their lame Blue Jays uniforms, which is funny, because the Blue Jays suck!  Go back to Canada you idiots!

What a Game by the Kid!

Julio Urias was super impressive last night, carrying a no-no into the 7th.  At 20 years old, he is mature and carries himself like a veteran, and his calm yet competitive drive is exactly what the Dodgers rotation has been missing (other than Kersh of course).  With all that said, Urias has a pitch that has long alluded Kershaw, and that's his change up.  He has been fine tuning it the last few years, and last night it was on full display.  His command leaves a bit to be desired, but nobody is perfect, especially a 20 year old MLB pitcher.  The game itself was a bunch of highs and lows.  I went from being happy to pissed off at Kike and the bullpen, and back to happy again when Bellinger tied it up.  In the bottom of the 10th they showed my least favorite Dodger (Hatcher) warming up in the bullpen, and I knew that if Hatcher came in they were in trouble.  Austin came up with a perfectly placed double to win it, with Stripling rounding the bases like Forrest Gump.  WOW, what a win, and what an exciting game!  It's a great time to be a Dodgers fan.  Here are my most recent Urias pick ups:
  

A Posey Auto? What?!

I noticed a few 2017 Tier One "Duel Auto" redemptions on ebay, and one in particular caught my eye. A Kershaw/Posey auto, which was not a card I thought I would be into based on the fact that I vowed to never own a Giants card...I'm not even joking, I never thought I would own a card with a Giants player on it. I guess I was wrong, because I ended up with this beautiful autographed card of two future HOF players. I waited it out a few months, because I don't trust Topps and their track record of not producing redemption cards (I currently have seven pending Kershaw redemptions that I doubt will ever get made). However, once I saw that the card was live, I instantly new I wanted one for myself.  The card looks slick, and the autos are perfect.  I am now the proud owner of a card featuring the greatest pitcher of our generation, and Mr. Dodger Killer himself, Buster Posey:  

New Rarity Added to the Kershaw PC...

Every once in a while a rare Kershaw card pops up on ebay, but 95% of the time they are listed at inflated prices and BIN only.  This particular card was a live redemption, so when the redemption popped up as an auction, I knew there was no way I would let anybody outbid me for it.  Sure enough I won the auction at a very good price, immediately redeemed the redemption, and about a month later I had it in hand.  I absolutely love A&G mini framed auto cards, and I have a Kershaw from every year, so of course I was totally excited to get this 10th Anniversary buyback auto.  Hope you all enjoy looking, and of course, LET'S GO DODGERS! : 

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Another Framed Kershaw? Yes Please...

This was a redemption that kept alluding me, but I finally found one on e-bay last month and quickly made my offer.  After some back and forth countering, I got the deal done.  It took about a month to get this from Topps, and after inspecting the card, I quickly realized the mistake I had made.  In my haste to get one of these, I didn't realize that the gold framed isn't numbered out of /25.  I assumed that because the black frame was /10, the gold frame was numbered too.  Unfortunately I totally overpaid for this unnumbered card.  I definitely prefer the gold frame over a black frame, but I'm mad at myself for not taking the time to see that the gold frames were the standard release for this product.  Even with the overpay, I love this card, and I'm glad I was able to add it to my collection:

It's Kkkkkkershaw Time

I am super excited for the season to start, but unlike the "experts," I think the Dodgers are going to have their hands full with the West this year.  D-Backs and Rockies will definitely be better this year, and those pesky Giants always seem to make life difficult for the Dodgers.  I still predict the playoffs this year, but I'm just not so sure the Dodgers will be as dominant as people are saying.  One guy I KNOW will be his usual dominant self, is Mr. Kershaw.  I haven't posted much lately, but I wanted to show off a few of my most recent e-bay purchases as well as some redemptions.  I hope you enjoy, and GO DODGERS!

A New Year and a Living Legend

I took a little vacation from posting on my blog, and I couldn't think of a better card to kick start 2017.  I decided to majorly slow down on the amount of $ I spend on cards, but I just couldn't resist adding an auto of a living legend.  I won an auction for this redemption a few months ago, and knowing that the card was live, I was hoping the wait wouldn't be too long.  I can't wait for baseball season, as I feel that the Dodgers will once again have a shot at winning it all.  But there will be a giant void left by the absence of the man in the booth.  Here he is:

Another Day, Another Seager...

Hoping for yet another homer in game 3 today, although this time maybe it can be a 3 run shot?! I was so bummed with the way game 2 turned out yesterday. Bases loaded three times and they couldn't muster any runs. Now they're facing a lefty today, so I'm hoping they can turn it around. We really need the bats to come up big today, especially with Maeda on the mound. Fingers crossed that they get it done! If they lose today, I don't think they stand a chance in the series.

On a side note, I'm heavily rooting for the Cubbies! I hope they destroy Bum and the rest of those pesky Giants. I am so over hearing about this even year BS. If the Dodgers don't advance, I at least want to see the Cubs go all the way. It really seems like it's their destiny.

Now on to the card of the day. I picked this up to go along with the red auto:

 

Seager Red Ginter 1/1

Ok, so it's not really a 1 of 1, but it is most definitely the only live red auto at the moment (obviously that will change at some point). I was lucky enough to win an auction for this redemption months ago on ebay. I was equally shocked at the quick turnaround on this one, because with a bunch of pending Kershaw redemptions, I'm used to waiting a few years to get stuff from Topps. Even though Ginter autos aren't as beloved as Heritage for example, I have to say these mini framed autos are my favorite. I love everything about this card. Happy Saturday to everyone, and GOD BLESS VIN SCULLY!

Finally got a Topps Redemption in the Mail!

With so many pending redemptions, it got to the point where I just stopped checking the Topps page, because it seemed like none of my redemption cards were getting made/signed. Well, after about 6 months of no good news, fellow blogger, DodgerPenguin mentioned that a few Kershaw cards finally got signed! Sure enough, it turned out that I had a card on the way. I was on vacation for a week and a half, and when I got back, there it was:

Seager Smooth- 2016 Topps Chrome

I was trying to resist spending more money on cards, but this was a deal I just couldn't pass up.  While I'm not a big fan of the 2016 Topps design, I really wanted a chrome Seager rookie auto.  The blue chrome would have been ideal, but they are selling for more than I want to spend, so the chrome base auto was just fine with me.  The scratches on the surface are from the case it came in, and this is likely an ideal gold banner candidate, so I may just have to raw grade it when BGS is in town.  Enjoy!:   

Story of the Unfortunate Ginter RIP Card

After receiving my pristine double-sided rip card, I was looking forward to the one-sided Kershaw rip card, but it arrived completely damaged.  I planned on returning it, but the seller offered me a 50% refund.  I was torn on what to do, but I eventually decided to get the partial refund and immediately ripped open that sucker.  I never seem to have much luck with hobby boxes, which is why I always buy singles, but I was hoping this rip card would be my lucky day...Well, it most definitely wasn't.  I ended up with a Jake Arrieta ssp mini, and I must admit, I'm not a fan of his.  If there are any Cubs fans out there, feel free to comment with an offer.   Thanks for reading, and have a great day.
   

2016 Allen & Ginter Double Rip Kershaw/Maeda

The rip cards have always been interesting to me.  On one hand, I would love to rip them and see what's inside, but on the other hand, I think it's even better to just leave the card as-is.  The mystery element is what makes them so appealing to me.  I have held out on previous years due to the high prices, but this year I was finally able to find one for a price I was comfortable with.  apparently the rip cards are not as desirable this year in comparison to years past.  Either way, I definitely won't be ripping this card, that's for sure.  Who knows what's inside?  I love the design on these, and ripping it would be a shame, and most likely a huge letdown.  Here it is:   

Allen & Ginter 2016 "K" Booklet

I had been patiently awaiting the arrival of 2016 Allen & Ginter, and I've been lucky enough to pick up some very nice autographed cards of my favorite Dodgers. This one definitely takes the cake though. It was very expensive, but nowhere near the ebay asking price thanks to a little web site called Blowout. As soon as this card got listed the watch count was up to 11, so I knew I would need to act quickly. The seller just so happened to be a name I recognized, so I quickly shot the seller a message and asked if he would take down the listing. Unfortunately he wanted to see what type of offers he would get, but he said he was going to give me first shot at the card regardless. Another Kershaw collector that I know from Blowout has almost all the 1/1 Kershaw cards, and he has an endless supply of money, so I just knew he would try and get this card. Turns out that I was right, but because I was the first one to contact the seller, they told me what they planned on countering his offer with. I immediately suggested PP direct to save us both some money, and a few days later this card showed up at my doorstep:

Corey Seager PC Addition and Some Rambling:

After the Dodgers awesome come back win last night, I was motivated to post a new blog entry! With the red ink Seager Heritage auto currently out of my price range, I decided to look for the next best thing. A graded 9.5 was a must for me, because Heritage is notorious for having soft corners. Everyone knows the Bowman Chrome first year autos are always the most valuable cards for any given player, but IMO the Heritage autos are right behind them as far as long term value. Although I do have to admit, that's not why I like Heritage. My sole reason for collecting Heritage is the design. I'm old school when it comes to baseball cards. I'm really not a fan of the new designs, and the 1956 Topps is my all time favorite, so that should tell you all you need to know. In addition to my new Seager Heritage auto (1967 design), I thought I would share a card I purchased a year ago with the '56 design. It's not an official Topps release, but this artist has produced some nice looking cards. Have a great weekend everyone!