Buzz Buys (Feb.): Plenty of autographs, vintage treasures, toys, my usual suspects, Jimi Hendrix, Shotzi and so much more

Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...

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THE GANG'S ALL HERE ... 
The Item: Andy Pafko United Press Associations 8-by-10 photo (stamped on back) sourced from Pafko's estate. In it, he’s greeted by his Brooklyn Dodgers teammates after his 12th-inning homer against the New York Giants on April 18, 1952.
The Price: $29 shipped
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I found this from a seller of all kinds of stuff from Pafko's estate that hadn't seen the light of day in a long, long time. The former Cubs-Dodgers-Braves standout and four-time All-Star either clearly amassed a lot of stuff over the years -- or he had somebody who would do it for him during and after his career. Why do I say that? The volume of original items like this was truly impressive -- and I've picked off a few pieces to show here in the coming months. This photo stood out not only as a key moment in a big game as you can see above -- an extra-inning homer that was his second of the day against a New York rival -- but also because also seen here are Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson, Hall of Famer Pee Wee Reese, Hall of Famer Duke Snider and Hall of Famer Gil Hodges among others. (That's all of the team's HOFers that year save for Roy Campanella -- and it's a team that went all the way to Game 7 of the World Series where they lost to the Yankees.) It's got some typical but still light wear of old press photos, but it is otherwise bright and crisp for 74 years old. I really think this could command a lot more than $29, too.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but MLB cards are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

GOT IT COVERED
The Card: Jimi Hendrix -- 2025 Rolling Stone Jimi Hendrix Keepsake Premiere Edition Rainbow (/15)
The Price: $26
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This rock icon has more than his fair share of trading cards -- a ton, really -- but rather than dabble with a pack of this recent release I opted to just grab a single. Why? Looking at the inclusions, I felt I'd be likely to land a card where it was just a little too funky for my taste or with a photo I didn't like, so instead I simply went with one I liked for about the same price as a single pack (in the sale bundle linked below) when I was looking. This one is a Rainbow card (the easiest verison to find) but that sure looks like some purple haze to me. This cover card is the final card in the set -- not his only cover but one of only a few while he was alive -- and he has many posthumous covers. I’m not sure if they’ll do a Rolling Stone follow-up, but it would be cool to see all covers carded.
Grab a box right here: Hendrix cards are here.

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CHASING THE RARITIES
The Cards: Shotzi Blackheart 2025 Panini Instant MLW Lightning (/5) base parallels and a Water (/10) autograph parallel
The Prices: Direct cost from Panini (under $100 total)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This trio of cards arrived in my hands last year and rather than dump them all here previously I split the group up (my other autos were here in a past edition). Because online drops vanish within seconds, I have actually skipped even grabbing base cards direct, instead focusing on a couple colors of parallels for my favorite name there as long as the price was right. So far, so good. Ironically, I own signed copies of the base cards thanks to this piece and her popping up as a Whatnot seller where she inks and sells all kinds of cards.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but wrestling cards are here.

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THE NEW LEIA
The Card: Vivien Lyra Blair as Princess Leia Organa 2023 Topps Finest Star Wars Autographs
The Price: $8.50
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This role wasn't her first, but Obi-Wan Kenobi got her on cardboard with a certified auto and, well, since we're talking Princess Leia here I figured "Why not?" Will there be future Star Wars roles? I have no idea. 
Grab a box right here: Star Wars cards are here.

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FROM DUSK TILL DAWN
The Item: Cheech Marin autographed 8-by-10 photo (JSA Witnessed)
The Price: $36
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I landed this comedy icon’s auto from a mystery box deal and it's an image via From Dusk Till Dawn, a 1990s cult classic vampire/action movie from Robert Rodriguez. All in all, this one was a win here as I do try and pick off ink from Quentin Tarantino movies (and he’s done stuff with Rodriguez) and have many of their movies. He’s no Salma Hayek or Machete (they’re both in this one), but pre-vampire Cheech works. (Vampire Cheech still sucks.)
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but non-sports cards are here.

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AN INKED ICON
The Card: Brigitte Bardot autographed 1950s Exhibit postcard (BAS authenticated)
The Price: $75
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I picked up this autographed and slabbed card off of a curiosity search after hearing about her death at age 91 late last year -- admittedly knowing very little about her career (or anything about her numerous controversies) -- but knowing she was a big name ... with readily available autographs. That last part was a bit surprising -- she seemed to have signed a lot -- and I liked the slabbed card here at its price vs. a lot of options costing more. The one drawback is that the photo seems to be from earlier in her career vs. more iconic looks later on. 
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but non-sports cards are here.

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TIMELESS TREASURES
The Item: “Timeless” Toni Storm AEW Jazwares Black & White action figure (Ringside Collectibles exclusive)
The Price: $29.99
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I don’t really do a lot of action figures (toys) these days -- it’s mostly about space and I can’t let them breathe, either, as that would mean buying two -- but I finally bit on one of these late last year as The Timeless One is one of the best things going in wrestling today ... and that’s been the case for the last few years now. Poke around in the archives and I’ve talked a lot more about the character and have bought a lot more stuff than just this. 
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but AEW cards are here.

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THE CHAMP IS HERE
The Item: Shotzi Blackheart autographed and inscribed 8-by-10 photo from her Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards issue photo shoot
The Price: $38 straight from her on Whatnot
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This streaming signing photo is one of many I’ve picked off direct from the Indy God in recent months -- and you'll still see a lot more Shotzi this month if you keep reading -- but this is one of my newest as she was, just this month, the winner of the PWI Indy Wrestler Of The Year award. She was the first woman to win that honor via the fans’ vote and, as you know if you’re a regular here, I collect it all and this was a must-have. Once the magazine arrives in my hands, I’ll be grading ... probably more than one. Because I’m a collector.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but wrestling cards are here.

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NEW LID
The Item: Oakland A’s alternate kelly green on-field fitted cap via New Era
The Price: $45
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Think card box prices have gotten unruly like I have on more than one occasion lately? Well, don’t look at MLB caps or related items where boutique approaches and limited runs of some styles are juicing every penny out of fans at prices far higher than this. I used to wait for sale times and do a combo buy for my caps -- always fitted but varying styles depending on size options available via Hatland -- but the prices seem to be nutty as of late on even standard stuff. This is an alternate color scheme and I finally had grunged up enough of my hats that I needed a fresh one. This price was a sale price as the regular price here is north of $50 ... for a standard cap. 
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but MLB cards are here.

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INTERNATIONAL MLB
The Card: Nick Swisher 2013 Topps Sega Card-Gen (Japanese MLB card game)
The Price: $6.45
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is one of a couple late-career Japanese card game set appearances for my player, and I waited this one out. I finally grabbed this one for a high-for-me price but not as bad as a $51-plus sale for one of these out there on one site I regularly use. These are well-crafted -- so much so this has been off and on my grading radar -- as it’s an oddball card and not one I’ve seen pop up often.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but MLB cards are here.

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I THINK I'M UP TO A SIX-PACK ...
The Cards: Shotzi Blackheart 2024 Panini Three Count WWE Memorabilia Autographs Blue (/99) & Silver (/149) 
The Price: About $25 apiece
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This set is one of the best out there from Panini’s WWE run -- but not necessarily in box value as they have seemed to have dried up some and weren’t ever really that cheap. Why? There are a lot of affordable autos on deep WWE checklists where a break could be a true smackdown and even established names might not cover an elevated box price. That’s why I went singles for a few names. These are my two stragglers for Shotzi -- I picked off a few early on and held these back in my reserves here for a later time. That time is now. 
Grab a box right here: WWE cards are here.

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INK OUTTA MY REALM
The Item: Doug Erholtz autographed/inscribed Meguro Masaki 8-by-10 photo from Kengan Ashura (JSA witnessed)
The Price: $21
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This also was a mystery box pick-up where it’s a first for me. I’m sure I own some ink for somebody who has done voice work -- actually, Star Wars auto sets are loaded with them so I bet I have something there -- but this is probably my first anime ink. Just not on my radar ... but that’s the chance you take with mystery boxes. 
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but non-sports cards are here.

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AN EXHIBITS HOMAGE
The Card: Bo Derek 2013 Panini Golden Age Exhibit box-toppers
The Price: Dirt cheap
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This baseball set -- Panini’s version of Allen & Ginter -- is a solid one with a wide array of names and notables from history and pop culture, and I picked off this card since it was part of a pair of these toppers for less than $6.. That made this one a couple bucks when it can routinely sell for more than that. She’s one of a a few newer subjects with cool cards here, so it was an easy addition. I popped it into this lineup to show a newer version of the Exhibit cards seen for the Bardot.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but baseball cards are here.

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BOTCHED ... BUT NOT BLACKLESS
The Card: Steve Swisher 1982 Topps wrongback (printing error)
The Price: Under $2
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This card -- the dad of my PC player -- was clean enough and odd enough that I added it when I own more than a few copies of the standard card and even its blackless version that has ink missing. (It’s in the archives.) Not much more to say than that. 
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but MLB cards are here.

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HAD TO HAVE IT
The Item: Shotzi Blackheart Big Rubber Guys action figure
The Price: $50
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was a pre-order early last year and it finally arrived late in the year after delays that originally had it not set to arrive until this month. (That would have been a brutal wait.) This is, by my count, my favorite’s third action figure and there’s at least one more newer one that still I need to grab. Unlike this one, I’ll wait and not pre-order that next one and hopefully just grab one from her online with some ink at some point. Some of these 1980s LJN figure homages made of rubber -- the anti-action action figure -- can be quite pricey as the print runs are not as crazy as the fully articulated stuff. Why do I say that? Look at that start price from the company.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but wrestling cards are here.

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BARK AT THE MOON
The Items: Shotzi Blackheart signed & inscribed The Wolfman Universal Monsters Reaction figure & signed Major Wrestling Figure Podcast trading card 
The Price: $13 total ... that’s $13 for Wolfman and free for the card as a Whatnot giveaway win
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This wrestling star was howling at the moon long before her WWE run and she’s still howling now as the top indy name on the planet. (That’s not me saying it or Becky Lynch saying it ... it’s PWI saying it.) As part of some of her signing streams, I grabbed this figure on the cheap and on a whim, really, as the character is one part of her character’s package -- don’t take my word for it ... just watch this video. Not only am I aiming to cover her entire career on the autographed photo front, I’ve picked up some unusual or fun inked items, too. Why? My Shotzi collection is vast ... and I want to keep adding to it with the traditional stuff as well as surprises. Plus, when she goes back to WWE -- as all Indy Gods seem to do -- there won’t be any moire Whatnot streams. (WWE wants those revenue streams for their stars coming via their channels.) 
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but wrestling cards are here.

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SAME NAME, NEW TEAM
The Cards: Assorted Bo Bichette Rookie Cards, inserts and other parallels from Panini America and Topps releases
The Price: Pockey change to a few bucks
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This guy will be in a new uniform this coming season -- still not totally sure how I feel about that -- but I know that I’ll probably still pick off his older stuff that I like and then be selective with any new team cards. Why? It’s all casual, cheap dabbling for me -- his pricey stuff is too pricey for my blood. These were picked off over the last few months -- if not the last few years -- and have just piled up on me to the point where I don’t even know what I’d say on any one of them. I know some of these were from a whim where I wondered if I could try to land all of his Chronicles RCs ... but even that didn’t last long once I started seeing prices on some of them. I figured I could wait -- and probably still can as Mets fans will probably be more attached to his new stuff in the “right” uniform.
Grab a box right here: MLB cards are here.

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THE DUCHESS OF DUDLEYVILLE! (PLUS ONE ... AND MISSING ONE)
The Item: Stacy Keibler & D-Von Dudley (missing Bubba Ray Dudley) autographed 8-by-10 photo (JSA Witnessed)
The Price: More than my norm ... but a lot less than a Chrome mega box
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was a photo I picked up outright (no mystery box here) about a year ago from a show promotor who had Keibler at their convention and had a number of options up for grabs. While I didn’t want the Dudley ink -- I have them both -- the price on his one was a bit better than other options and I wanted to pick off Keibler ink as part of this storyline. They are all WWE Hall of Famers and they can all be slightly pricier at times depending on the item and its appeal.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but WWE cards are here.

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FLASH FROM THE PAST
The Card: Kenny Lofton 1996 SP Special FX 
The Price: $2
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: In a past collecting life, I had a massive -- massive -- stash of cards for a few upstart Cleveland stars in the 1990s ... Kenny Lofton, Carlos Baerga, Albert Belle and others. So much so they all had their own four-inch album. That was, for the most part, right before the premium years and the hits era of cardboard really launched prices into the stratosphere. This card, which is a hybrid of a hologram card also with etched foil, was not among the brands I ever got to rip into back then -- these boxes didn’t show or didn’t last long at the only small-town shop I had -- but this one got my attention last year. Why? I needed to throw something in to get a discount and/or free shipping to kick in. I didn’t hate it, so I did it. 
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but MLB cards are here.

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SCOUTING SOME AEW NAMES
The Cards: Assorted AEW Rookie Cards, inserts, parallels and other cards for Ruby Soho, Anna Jay, Swerve Strickland, Red Velvet, Tay Conti, Kamille, Juice Robinson, Jay White, Hook, Julia Hart & Penelope Ford
The Price: Pocket change to a few bucks 
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This crop of cards is mostly for newer names mostly found just on AEW cardboard but there are some WWE veterans in there, too. Most of these were super-cheap pick-ups over the last year (maybe two admittedly) where they piled up without a reason to pop them into here. Some have been out of action, some have rebranded and others have been steady on-screen stars. Mostly I just like to dabble on AEW singles on the cheap -- some are cards from sets I like a little more than others. 
Grab a box right here: AEW cards are here.

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THREE OF A KIND
The Cards: Maryse 2010 Topps WWE Blue (/2,010), 2019 Topps WWE Undisputed Orange Autographs (/99) & 2014 Leaf Originals Alternate Art
The Price: About $22 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: My photos are a bit amateur hour with glare in sleeves and or cases here, so I went all crop-a-mania and well, I'll just own it. (These were bought months if not years apart and taken at different times -- all more than a year ago if not more -- and I have no idea what boxes they might live in now to find and re-shoot them.) The Blue parallel is one of my favorite cards for this former Playboy model-turned-champ as it captures part of her entrance routine like few cards did, while the Leaf autos filled a gap when she was away from WWE and had little ink. The Undisputed is a throwback to an era of Topps WWE where you could buy a pack for $20 and have an on-card autograph or a Relic every single time. (Back then, it didn’t matter if a checklist was deep ... your next pack might cover any misses at that price.) I doubt she’ll ever be back in the WWE fold on any regular basis but if the price is right when I do a random search there’s a chance I might pick them off. 
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but WWE cards are here.

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REMEMBER THIS DUD?
The Set: 1999 Skybox Wild Wild West base set (81 cards) featuring Will Smith, Salma Hayek, Frederique van der Wal, Kevin Kline & others 
The Price: $5
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This movie was a dud but the card set actually has a few firsts in it -- at least I’m pretty sure it does -- and I’ve graded at least one card found here. It’s not easy sledding with the cards being glossed and soft stock -- stuff that might be in bad, bricked shape now if still in sealed packs -- but if that doesn’t get you the corners will. The notable name in my mind? Hayek ... since Smith has previous cardboard. 
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but non-sports cards are here.

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SOME I WANTED ... SOME I DIDN'T. (IT HAPPENS.)
The Items: Autographed wrestling photos (all 8-by-10 save for two 11-by-14s) from Zayda Steel, Marcus Mathers, Tegan Nox, Damian Priest, Carlito, Father James Mitchell, Brinley Reece, Joaquin Wilde, Crazzy Steve, Brutus Beefcake, Kaleb with a K, Hollyhood Haley J, Charlie Haas, Dana Brooke, Diamond Virago, Charly Arnolt, Vampiro, Melissa Santos, Mandy Rose, Damien Sandow, Damien Mizdow, Trevor Lee, Super Crazy, Cappuccino Jones, Kiera Hogan, May Valentine and Lance Storm
The Price: As low as $1 up to about $31 via mystery lots/picks (mostly cheaper ones) and also a few direct buys via online streamed signing regulars and autograph show promoters/dealers 
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This who's who of wrestling past and present includes a number of notables and then some newcomers, too, who are in the indy ranks, other companies or have WWE ID deals which have led them to do signing sessions. I've been regularly picking off signed photos when they strike me or when live auctions are cheap thanks to WWE boxes all going high-end in price without a safe floor of inclusions ... so I'd rather go this route with some choice and a lot of variety vs. two card autos from a $200 (or more) box that just takes all the fun out of things if that box includes a pair of $5 autos ... who I probably already have. Many of these names? Definitely not ones I had (some I do, of course) and all come from dealers who regularly do online signings or work shows where they do bulk private signings. Some are third-party authenticated, most are not -- though it's clear they are the same sigs from the same sessions as many out there who did get the extra-cash stickered blessing. (JSA, for example regularly witnesses show and stream signings and their stickers/info will note that.) In the wrestling realm, there are tons of ways to get many names -- even ones found in WWE packs -- on the cheap and these are just some of the older/younger names who I have amassed and figured I'd just group them all here. (The only potential risks or bummers are when some images are not proper resolution or ink might have minor issues, really, given a variety of pens used -- standard Sharpies aren't the default quite often like they should be.) This cost for the 30 photos here is still probably less than a third of the cost of a single 2025 Chrome hobby box. So, sure, I miss the upside of some Superfractor potential at long odds -- I can't count on winning -- but I'm a fan of just collecting. My better names from recent buys I'll pop into this series on the regular as well as an autograph-specific item each month that you’ve already seen if you’re a regular reader.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but wrestling cards are here.

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