Buzz Buys (Nov.): Celebrity ink, retro football, The Dream Team, new toys, my usual suspects & new additions for a new month

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

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BOOK IT, BARRYMORE!
The Card: Drew Barrymore 2024 Leaf History Book Pop Culture Edition Chapter 1 A-List Magazine Purple Autographs (/10)
The Price: A lot less than some others have paid for her booklets
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I'm not a big fan of how her abbreviated autograph looks on a sticker -- but since she has a long name I understand why she signs that way -- but I do casually collect some of her stuff, mostly 1990s-on (like in this photo), when it presents itself. Why? Just for something different ... so that's why we're here. Until Leaf's recent signing sessions with her, she's never had a certified autograph despite a lifetime on film and on cardboard since the early 1980s starting with Topps' E.T. set. Rather than obsess about her ink, I waited out a good price on this booklet and crossed it off the list. It's an unusual design -- not the typical kind of book -- but prices on her signed stuff have been steep with a lot of them being lower-volume cards. Many of her autos -- even solo ones -- can sell for $100 and up and combo booklets can be even steeper. I found this for less than that ... so it was a win for me.
Grab a box right here: Non-sports cards are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

A PIECE OF BEAR
The Card: Knute Rockne & Paul "Bear" Bryant 2010 Panini Century Collection Souvenir Stamps Sports Combos - Two Stamps Dual Materials (/100)
The Price: More than last time I grabbed one
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is my second one of these that I have landed during the Buzz Buys era, so I am at least up to three, maybe more, and I'll always consider adding one of these if I can swing the price ... even if it is steeper than my norm. Why? This is the kind of memorabilia card not likely to ever be made again and this particular version doesn't pop up all that often with both coaching legends on it. It's got a piece of a Rockne jacket (findable as it was big) as well as a piece of a Bryant houndstooth check fedora that probably didn't yield too many pieces. Why might it not be made again? Two Bryant fedoras sold at auction went for about $100,000 total in recent years (one was more than $70,000) ... and that's too much for an item too small to make a lot of cards if you ask me. (That's if one can even be found.)
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but football cards are here.

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NOTE THE NUMBER ...
The Card: Penta el Zero M 2022 Upper Deck AEW All Elite Wrestling Dynamite (/299)
The Price: Under $2
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Why did I grab this lower-priced parallel of the veteran Mexican wrestling star who has made the jump to WWE? That serial number ... 5/299 as in five sides of a pentagon. Yes, that's pure novelty ... but it got me to bite.
Grab a box right here: AEW cards are here.

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Click for closer view.

AN UNFINISHED ANOMALY
The Card: The Dream Team 1991-92 Skybox Mail-In Barcelona '92 insert (missing foil)
The Price: Under $10
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This incomplete card really looked unique with its missing foil and, I think, missing gloss, too, so I grabbed it. Why? It's from the legendary U.S. Olympic team that all basketball collectors should know and have something for unless they are brand new or are only focused on cards of long, long ago. These may or may not be rare -- a seller online had a few and there are a boatload of them on one site right now -- but I don't mind as it's just weird ... and I'm pretty sure I traded away the lone regular copy of the card that I had long, long ago. That one is only truly pricey if in a high grade ... but there is demand.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but NBA cards are here.

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OMG IT'S BLAKE MONROE!
The Item: Mariah May 2025 Jazwares AEW Unrivaled Series 18 -- her action-figure debut 
The Price: $32 (including case)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I don't dabble with much from the toy aisle these days -- part of that being lean stock at the retail chains left atop the death of Toys R Us -- but when I saw this via an online megadealer's new arrivals it was an instant add to a cart. Why? It's her first figure and it reflects her badass, bloody feud with "Timeless" Toni Storm which is among AEW's biggest rivalries ever -- and arguably one of the best in all of wrestling in that time and maybe beyond. (I said it.) One of their matches is seen on the back of the package and it reinforces how the gear choice here is from that moment, too, complete with the championship they were fighting over before May won it all. She's in WWE now, so this and its variant (/5,000) might be her only figure for a while -- but it's a good one. A debut figure of a top name -- or at least from a select few names -- will always get a look from me and be added if I spot it. Early sales of this figure also easily topped this price on eBay, showing I'm not alone buying here. 
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but AEW/WWE cards are here.

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SIMPLLE MEMORABILIA
The Card: Bryce Young 2024 Donruss Donruss Threads
The Price: Under $3
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is a simple card -- so simple I might have picked this one off a second time -- but it's perfectly balanced to showcase both the player and a piece of a jersey. Enough said. 
Grab a box right here: NFL cards are here.

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THE NATURAL
The Cards: Roy Hobbs (aka Robert Redford) 1940 Play Ball-style TCMA baseball card from production of The Natural
The Price: About $33 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This card is a blank-backed creation made by TCMA for a scene in The Natural movie from back in 1984 and unlike many on eBay (where those have a completed card back) these are real copies tied to the movie. They aren't immensely rare -- one long-time dealer has had them available for years, if not decades, at this point -- but with Redford's death earlier this year at age 89 I decided I finally needed to grab one. When I saw that PSA grades these -- CGC, are you game? -- I opted for two just in case I get that bug. (It would already be in CGC hands if I knew they would grade them.) The real ones have a crisp and clean blue-ink frame, while the photo is still grainy to a degree. The fake ones have a card back and everything looks muddier -- and those are among many homemade creations out there for a film that many baseball fans really like. 
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but baseball cards are here.

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LOTS OF SHOTZI
The Card: Shotzi Blackheart 2025 Topps Chrome WWE Orange Autographs (/25)
The Price: About $65
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This final WWE card for Blackheart (for now) is one where I ponied up a little more than I might normally just to cross off having something from her for this high-priced release and call it good until prices perhaps settle. Her stuff may not ever drop as much as it might normally for this one, though, as the card was a redemption ... so there might be some that never hit the open market. This color works well in contrast to the white gear in the photo ... and this won't be the last time you see this image here. 
Grab a box right here: WWE cards are here.

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A DURHAM DUO
The Cards: Susan Sarandon (as Bull Durham's Annie Savoy) 2024 Leaf Pop Century Metal Now Showing Autographs Pre-Production Gold Mojo Proof (1/1) and 2024 Leaf Metal Women of Sport Gold Vinyl Pre-Production Proof (1/1)
The Price: About $15 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: These proofs were easy grabs as the photos come from the baseball film beloved by many and its batting-cage scene. Atop that, the prices were nice. The ticket-style card is one I own in a few colors/textures already trotted out here on The Buzz in the past (hit the archives) while the Gold Vinyl (aka Superfractor texture) was too nice to pass up at a lower price of the two. The proofs have a number of colors and textures for each product but only one of each type gets released vs. the volumes made for the real cards. There's a lot that can be collected in the Leaf proofs realm without breaking the bank. 
Grab a box right here: Non-sports cards are here.

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LOTS OF SHOTZI II
The Card: Shotzi Blackheart autographed 8-by-10 photo (JSA witnessed/certified via High Spots signing)
The Price: About $50 (shipped)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Told you. When I saw Blackheart was doing a streamed signing with wrestling superstore High Spots earlier this year, I picked out a number of images from throughout her career -- wrestling and before -- for 8-by-10 prints to potentially send in. But I opted to just have a pair of photos signed once I figured out the cost for mail-in items. (It wasn't bad, I just couldn't do them all at the time -- short notice between my seeing the announcement and the deadline.) I opted for this one as it's the same image from the Chrome card you just saw (I didn't own the card at the time) and then one other to add even more ink to my stash of my favorite star these days. I went for the green ink for visibility on the dark image -- and we all know that's her color. If they have her back to do another signing, I'll send in a few more things -- I'm going for a wide variety of items in my collection. 
Grab a box right here: WWE cards are here.

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TIME TO SHOW UP?
The Card: Oba Femi 2024 Panini Prizm WWE Ruby Wave Prizm -- Rookie Card parallel 
The Price: $6.25
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This guy should be arriving on the main roster of WWE any time now as he finally dropped his title in NXT and is the total package. (Poke around in the archives ... I've waxed poetic here too many times.) He's a 6-foot-4, 310-pound Nigerian destroyer who can talk -- that's not a given -- and he should be a force in the ring in every way. (Here's just one short hightlight reel from a recent match.) I went for this Ruby parallel as he's got school ties for me as a former Alabama Crimson Tide track and field standout, winning three SEC shot-put championships. That color seems right here -- and championship gold will be, too, not long after he arrives. 
Grab a box right here: WWE cards are here.

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APPEALING PLATE
The Card: Nick Swisher 2011 Topps Allen & Ginter Cyan Printing Plate (1/1)
The Price: $35
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: There was a time where Allen & Ginter was easily my No. 1 go-to baseball brand to rip and one reason for that was the Relics, minis and printing plates for my player who appeared on many a Ginter card for several years. Some stuff rarely surfaces but this one presented itself at a price where I had to grab it, especially with it being from his Yankees years, which were pricier back then and likely are locked away in collections more now vs. a lot of his other cards. 
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but MLB cards are here.

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ROLL TIDE ROOKIE
The Card: Jalen Milroe 2025 Score -- Rookie Card 
The Price: About $1
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This design for Score -- the one for rookies that's without that peculiar pylon -- works comfortably for me as it's simple and is a showcase of the photography with a traditional frame. This former Alabama QB has all kinds of cardboard like many other newcomers who had NIL deals, so that lessens my initial demand for stuff -- I'll wait for prices to drop on anything more premium. 
Grab a box right here: NFL cards are here.

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A NEW NAME ON TOP
The Cards: Kris Statlander 2021 UD AEW Pyro & 2021 UD AEW Spectrum -- RC parallel and RCs
The Price: About $6 for all
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This AEW veteran finally ascended to the women's championship with a recent win over "Timeless" Toni Storm, but I'd had these RCs and parallels stashed for a long, long time before that. How long? Some of them were late-2023 pick-ups and others were grabbed more than a year ago. (I just never had any big reason to work them into a lineup here.) Spectrum might be my favorite of the earlier AEW releases, while I rolled the dice on the parallels just in case they were clean enough to grade and I'd perhaps go there at some point. Spectrum probably gets graded first -- the thicker stock is friendlier -- and now's the time for me to ponder it just to have something in the slab stash for a top name.
Grab a box right here: AEW cards are here.

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FLASHY INK
The Card: Randall Cunningham 2022 Panini Spectra Icons Autographs (/75)
The Price: $31.75
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Cunningham was the first NFL player I actively collected back in the day, but when it came to autographs I landed a signed mini-helmet and called it good for a long time. How many signed cards do I have of him now? Probably fewer than 10 -- and perhaps fewer than five. Why? I only want Eagles ink is a big part of it -- plus my collecting tastes have meandered since back then. He's in more card sets more recently, so I have dabbled a few and this thick-stock brand is a flashy favorite of mine. This also is a prime candidate to go into a grading submission, too, as it's crisply made. 
Grab a box right here: NFL cards are here.

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AN EARNHARDT NFL CARD
The Card: Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2022 Donruss Fans of the Game
The Price: Pocket change 
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The photo is a smidge confusing here as he's holding up a Robert Griffin III jersey like he was just drafted by the Commanders, though neither one of them was a Commander. Why does this exist? Junior has been a Washington fan for a long time -- here's one clip to prove it ... and here's one more. Fans of the Game cards have been made since 2004 in a few sports, showcasing names you might not expect to find on cards as well as athletes in sports where you'll not normally find them. 
Grab a box right here: NFL & NASCAR cards are here.

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BAD REPUTATION
The Card: Joan Jett 2019 Swedish Gum Rock Shot Serie Q
The Price: Just under $10
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The retro photo got me to bite here -- it seems a lot older than it is -- but it's a simple portrait for a badass of the past when it comes to rock. She doesn't have a boatload of card options -- a 2017 Topps MLB First Pitch insert might be the closest of more-traditional options -- but I went with this one with an eye for a slab at some point. I do like the First Pitch cards and have slabbed my fair share of them for other names and grading, but the image on her card and the stock in general on those are funky. (I'd be fine if I found one already graded with a high mark or one where I was sure it's a 10 contender ... but I think oddball like this might work better.)
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but non-sports cards are here.

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A PIECE OF PAUL
The Card: Paul Heyman 2013 Topps WWE Shirt Relics (his swatch is a suit)
The Price: Just under $10
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This one has always stood out to me as unique from the simpler days of Topps WWE when this card would be found in a $75 hobby box that included a hit every time. Most Relics here -- as the set name notes -- are shirts, but this Hall of Famer provided a piece of one of his suits to make its way into cards. He's had cards all the way back to 1991 -- a lot of them -- but only nine different memorabilia cards. This was the first and all of the others are ring-mat Relics or a gem card ... so this is the only one actually worn by him.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but WWE cards are here.

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OLDER INK
The Item: Bayley autographed 2016 NXT iPlay America promo photo 
The Price: Under $20
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This throwback auto was one signed at an appearance at the iPlay America indoor amusement park/entertainment boardwalk in New Jersey -- and it was likely on Feb. 20, 2016, based on this announcement. This style of photo was used for a number of years for WWE appearances but this one is branded to that specific location, which hosted a number of stars. I picked this off because the price was right and the image is from earlier in the career of a star who is a lock for the Hall of Fame. Other copies online also have far steeper asking prices vs. what I paid, too.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but WWE cards are here.

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FROM HER TIME IN JAPAN
The Items: Toni Storm (with Mayu Iwatani) on 2017 Stardom 5Star Grand Prix Tournament photo book & Toni Storm 2016/17 Stardom signed promo photo 
The Price: Around $30 apiece
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This duo comes from Storm's successful run in Japan with the World Wonder Ring Stardom (aka Stardom) women's promotion which has had a boatload of international stars in its ranks before they showed up in WWE, AEW and elsewhere. Storm was the longest-reigning SWA champ -- almost two years -- at this time and she won this tournament, which also included a number of familiar names -- Io Shirai, Kay Lee Ray, Viper, Hana Kimura and Xia Brookside for starters. The photo book is essentially a program/recap for the event. There's a lot of different stuff like this out there and it's available but not as many from sellers in this country -- so that can mean higher prices and tougher hunting if you pass on an item and hope to find it later. I bit on these almost a year ago since they were from the same seller and not way pricey. (I'm clearly still doing some really late spring cleaning getting stuff on here.)
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but AEW cards are here.

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MINI ROOKIE FOR A GOOD YEAR
The Card: Jacob Lopez 2024 Topps Heritage Mini -- Rookie Card parallel 
The Price: Pocket change 
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This Sac Vegas A's pitcher had some really strong outings this past season so that got me looking at cardboard and a Heritage Mini RC parallel can catch my attention easily ... so here we are. He had a 7-7 record but 113 strikeouts in 92.2 innings and had four nine-K games, three eight-K games and a career-high 10 on Aug. 7. For pocket change, I went there. 
Grab a box right here: MLB cards are here.

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BIG-SWATCH SWISH
The Card: Nick Swisher 2016 Panini Immaculate Collection Jumbo Red (/20)
The Price: About $7
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This jumbo swatch of my player was too cheap and too rare to pass up. Simple as that.  
Grab a box right here: MLB cards are here.

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FEELING THE FABRIC
The Cards: Nick Swisher 2010 Topps Silk Collection (/50) and 2012 Topps Silk Collection (/50) inserts
The Price: About $25 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This pairing is an insert (not a parallel as all cards in the set did not get Silks) that I'll admit isn't my favorite as they are often tougher pulls with higher prices than they really should have ... but since they come from flagship they don't surface easily. They are smaller versions of the cards printed on fabric and then framed up like a Ginter mini. I think I have most of them for my player -- I'd have to get organized and cross-check some lists to know -- but one was too cheap not to grab while the other was a card that I didn't think I owned.
Grab a box right here: MLB cards are here.

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A THROWBACK SET
The Cards: 1994 Cardz The Mask set (100 cards)
The Price: $5
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This set is a bit simple but Cardz was a smaller company, so there aren't massive amounts of unopened boxes for this one floating around all these years later. The sets can be found, though, and if you're a regular reader you've already seen a couple cards here in Making The Grade (in the archives now) where I opted to grade. The Cameron Diaz cards in this set are all first cards while Jim Carrey, Amy Yasbeck and other cast members can make many an appearance here, too, so she's probably not alone on the early cardboard front. (Though Carrey has 1992 Topps In Living Color cards.)  The cards in this set are scene highlights -- there are no main character or actor cards here -- so ultimately it's just a matter of taste as to which ones are better than others in terms of a key card. I picked a dozen to show here (after I took pics of even more than these) and the first two are the ones I slabbed. I should grade a couple more but the stock used here is a bit hard/fibery with no gloss ... so the results aren't a gimme if you want elite marks.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but non-sports cards are here.

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TIFFY TIMES TWO
The Cards: Tiffany Stratton 2023 Panini Chronicles WWE Luminance Pink parallel (/349) and 2023 Panini Chronicles WWE Spectra Blue Prizm (/99) 
The Price: About $7 apiece 
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This WWE star has a lot to chase in Chronicles and that Pink parallel was on my radar for a slab ... but the corners on those cards, especially the parallels, seemingly always have an issue. I picked off a couple raw and a lower-grade copy already slabbed, but still want to find a Pink with a top mark already slabbed or one with top-mark potential. The Spectra was more of a bargain buy when the price dipped. In a no worries world for cashflow, I'd be slabbing a lot more of her stuff ... but with her long (300-plus days) run with the WWE women's championship her stuff isn't as affordable as it used to be. These were late-2024 and early 2025 pick-ups -- before she won the title. (I have picked off so much I've had to spread it all out.)
Grab a box right here: WWE cards are here.

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REVISITING THE PAST
The Cards: Captain Britain 2024 Upper Deck Marvel Masterpieces '92 Platinum Canvas, Variant Cover and Variant Cover Rainbow parallels
The Price: About $2.25 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This trio of cards recently caught my attention for a favorite character of the past and that was because I was around for the first version of this one -- that's the '92 part in the name. Back in the day, Masterpieces was a popular brand as it showcased Joe Jusko paintings of Marvel stars unlike pretty much any card set made to that point. The set has been emulated and topped since, but this one revisits those same past paintings in new ways -- one a clean, gloss-free stock and the other two on chromium stock and with a comic book nameplate added in. Do they work? Yes and no ... all have interesting touches that work and also some that don't. But, for the price, I decided to dabble. 
Grab a box right here: Non-sports cards are here.

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ROLL TIDE SIX-PACK
The Cards: A.J. McCarron, Jameson Williams, John Metchie III, Jeremy Nunley, Shaun Hamilton and Dylan Moses cards (inserts RCs and ink) from various 1990s and up brands (Score, Playbook, Wild Card, Superior Rookies, Leaf U.S. Army All-American Bowl, Leaf Flash)
The Price: Pocket change up to a few bucks ... even with almost everything here inked and numbered
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This Alabama six-pack was just from some poking around on COMC where you can find decades of obscure cards and grab them with a click. Some I already had, but a pocket-change price worked to add another. Meanwhile, others here were ways for me to cross off a name where I could say I have an autograph for them and call it a day with my school ties collection. Sometimes just nuggets of trivia get me to bite -- for example, I grabbed the early Hamilton card when he was named the Detroit Lions' linebackers coach earlier this year. 
Grab a box right here: Football cards are here.

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