Making the Grade (Feb.): Super Bowl icons, Sports Illustrated, Football greats, old magazines, even older coins & plenty more

Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading and knows that there are many reasons that collectors choose to slab cards. Sometimes it's to enhance the appeal and protect them when selling. Other times it's to protect an investment for the long-term or to protect for sentimental reasons. Or, it might be just for fun or curiosity about a potential grade.

Here's this month's grading diary here on The Buzz ...

THERE WERE NO GUARANTEES ... BUT I'LL TAKE IT
The Card: Joe Namath 1973 Topps
The Reason Graded: It's almost Super Bowl time and while I don't really collect any of the names who are going to be in this year's big game, I do collect names who helped make the big game in the past ... and this freshly graded card is a big one in my eyes. It's Namath's final card made by Topps during his career and I found it raw on COMC with is razor-sharp everything -- especially compared to other copies out there -- and decided it was not only grab-worthy, it was also slab-worthy with centering and only one corner with lightness and color immensely minor spotting on the front being the only issues. This one looked very strong for a vintage card so I submitted it for immediate grading directly via COMC, too.
The Grade: CGC 7

Reality Check: I had visions of a higher grade, but the card backs here have dark ink and corners on the backs can be spotty ... and I think that's a reason this one graded lower than I had hoped. But, at the same time, it's a pop-six card with only five CGC 8s grading higher -- and nothing above that. That actually puts this card among the elite for graded copies of this one ... and that's not a bad thing with my total cost here under $30. (The slight spot on the bottom left corner of the card bugged me ... until I realized it's some funk on the surface of the plastic slab, not the card or inside the slab. That's something I hadn't run into with CGC's generally crystal clear and clean slabs.)

Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.

END OF AN ERA?
The Mag: Michael Jordan -- Sports Illustrated, March 14, 1994
The Reason Graded: The headlines haven't yet shaken out in full, but as I prep this piece it appears that Sports Illustrated is dead after an ownership/licensing agreement failed and the parent company apparently slashed its staff. This apparently ends a run that began in 1954 as a weekly and one of my favorite issues of all time was this one -- the one where they ragged on Jordan's choice to play minor league baseball. The cover story led to him never doing an interview with the magazine ever again despite being on its cover 50-some times ... which is a record and only Muhammad Ali comes close. Sure, you may dig all those Chicago Bulls covers -- and maybe North Carolina, too -- but this one works best for me. Why? Well, one plus is that the pop report likely isn't as deep here as it is for others and this cover will still stand apart as one of the most-unique of the bunch.
The Grade: CGC 9.0 (Universal)

Reality Check: I didn't pay to have this one pressed as it had some minor spine spots (they looked more like wrinkles than actual bends) so I knew an elite top grade was probably out. But part of me wonders whether it could have checked in higher if I had. A 9.8 hasn't happened here and most check in at a 9.4 though there are a number of copies graded lower than mine. All in all, I'm still good with this one as I like it ... I don't need a top mark to make it matter more. Will there be more new magazines to come? Perhaps, but I'd be fine if the chapter is closed for good ... there are plenty of past issues to collect and a number of their recent cover stories showed more clout-chasing with a number of NIL subjects (not sure there are that many deep stories to tell there) and Deion Sanders as Sportsperson of the Year despite his team's record and late-season struggles last year. It just felt less and less authentic all the time and it wasn't a stretch for me to think that perhaps the covers were somehow less and less what they should be these days and for dubious reasons. "Bag it, Michael!" isn't chasing clout at all and SI paid the price ... but they were right.

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POWERFUL SHINE
The Card: Najee Harris 2021 Donruss Press Proof Premium -- Rookie Card parallel
The Reason Bought: I liked the look of this factory set parallel and at just $6 I bit to add a school ties guy to my stash. Not a lot of deeper thought here on this one, though he did rack up his third consecutive 1,000-yard season and had a career-high eight rushing TDs this year.
The Grade: CSG 9.5

Reality Check: Most of these check in at this mark or a 10, so the sellers who slabbed in bulk are probably moving these when they can, likely covering slab costs with other rookies who have sold better and taking what they can get for lesser names. As a collector, I'll pick off a lot of cheaper slabs if I like the card or it's a situation where a young player is still in the game ... just to have some filler/depth in my slab ranks.

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A CLEAN THROWBACK
The Card: Bo Bichette 2020 Topps Throwback Thursday (1966 Topps) -- RC-year card (announced /1,363)
The Reason Bought: This is a card that I really liked and had my eye on for a while ... and I finally bit on a copy with this one. The simple framing, the appropriate colors and it being a rookie-year card for a guy I collect all worked for me and I'm sure over the longer-term it's probably not worth what I paid ... I just liked it.
The Grade: BGS 9.5

Reality Check: It's the only copy graded by BGS, so that's another reason I'm good with this one.

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ICONIC COVER
The Mag: Paul "Bear" Bryant -- TIME, Sept. 29, 1980
The Reason Graded: This iconic news magazine cover with a Neil Leifer photo -- the same photographer who took this image, which is one of the candidates for the best sports photo ever -- is a classic I always wanted but never bothered to chase. Why? Copies of this mag are often found just absolutely mangled -- go check eBay -- with high prices. The paper quality here is low and all that red ink wears off easily with hands on them as the paper isn't glossed -- plus it just showcases flaws. I recently found this one and it was way, way cleaner than my first copy and I opted to slab it just because despite some issues that I knew would knock it down. It presents so much better than other copies on eBay ... again, go look at that link ... and this one cost me way less. (That's in a past Buzz Buys in the archives.)
The Grade: CGC 6.5 (Universal)

Reality Check: Four minor tears on the right edge were the obvious problem spots here, but I managed to lay them all down into their original places without pieces coming off before I bagged this to send it off to CGC. Beyond that issue, this one had some small problems but I figured it had a shot in the 7-8 range even with the tears being nowhere near anything important on the cover ... but I guess not. It still looks amazing overall until you see that grade number. It's the first/only graded so far.

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BATTLED THE POLYBAG
The Card: Deadpool X-Force issue No. 1 promo card
The Reason Bought: The debut issue of X-Force was a big deal in my early/only days of dabbling with comic books as a kid in a small town and I remember running around to all of the places like the local bookstore, a grocery store and a gas station and clearing the shelves for every polybagged copy of this one as they came with one of five cards for the team and its foes. I probably stockpiled about 30 copies of the book -- they're all still in a box somewhere here -- but only one issue I opened to look at and it was a Deadpool. That card is still in a different box somewhere and it shows its age bouncing around a box for all these years, too, but when I spotted this card as a slabbed option? Well it was on my shopping list for a while. Why? This one pre-dates in-pack Deadpool Marvel cards from Impel that came the following year -- and I was all about the first couple Marvel Universe sets, too. (Bought and ripped boatloads of it back then.) This card is heavily graded from a few companies and there's a lot to choose from, too, but the design isn't all that friendly when it comes to grading and top marks can be pricey, too. Why? I think my copy offers a clue ...
The Grade: CGC 8.5

Reality Check: The design of this one isn't exactly centered all that well, so if something is off-centered just a bit it can all look a lot worse than it is if you ask me. Then, there's all that black ink. Nuff Said. But mine? It's fine on all those fronts and even the corners all look good ... but an 8.5? It took some close looking and I was still a smidge baffled ... but then I tilted it toward the light above me to see that there was a polybag seam indent on the card surface. If it was the comic, that could be pressed out (think ironing) before grading. On a card? Nope. While I don't like that damage (I wouldn't have subbed it with that issue had it been mine), I think it's probably correct for a card presenting no other issues. Will I chase another slab without that problem? Only if the price is right ... after all, I have a half-dozen of these sitting in a box somewhere that have never been touched.

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DECEPTIVELY TOUGH?
The Card: Barry Sanders 1991 Score (Dream Team subset)
The Reason Bought: Another flashback to 1991 is this base card of a star who was as big as it gets in the NFL at that time with his dazzling moves in those Honolulu Blue and silver unis. Atop that he was appearing on more and more football cards that were in collectors' hands more than ever before -- 1989 ushered in his RCs as well as some new companies making football cards  -- and tons more were on the way, too. This set is pretty forgettable and actually quite barren by today's standards -- and it wasn't as good as Pro Set back then -- but this subset was a classic. I spotted this slab for about $7 -- which was high for the mark for my taste, actually -- but I still grabbed it. Why?
The Grade: CSG 8

Reality Check: Because, due to the soft stock style and the packaging here (plastic baggies) this one isn't going to be the easiest thing for high grades and this pop, while small, shows it. Only two 8.5s top this one and mine looks really nice for an eight ... in fact I don't really see why it got that based on the front ... but for the price I still bit. I flipped it over to see the back and it's got a ton of black ink there, too, with one corner being a likely culprit for getting this mark. The fact that this small pop goes all the way down as low as it does with nothing up high? It's not going to be an easy 10 ... and it's one of Sanders' best cheaper earlier cards if you ask me.

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PLAYED THE WAITING GAME ...
The Card: Bo Bichette 2020 Topps Heritage Action variation -- Rookie Card parallel
The Reason Bought: I had eyed a slab of this one for some time now with prices just not budging in the one place I look, especially for other grading companies' cards. I was all set to finally spring on one with more of my preferred slab over PSA but then I decided to check elsewhere and this one, thanks to some pop report volume that's much higher, was available at a far lower price than I was going to pay. Easy click and grab here.
The Grade: PSA 9

Reality Check: The depth in the PSA pop reports means more competition for sellers and that means lower prices if the demand if a player isn't at peak hype ... at least that's what I think. Others might disagree. In this case, most copies check in here, too, so since they're not 10s they sometimes get priced to move ... this one did. (To me.) All that black ink, the centering and the rough backs can all make for tougher grading than others here, but until the volume of cards available dries up some, the prices won't show a premium.

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HER WWE DEBUT
The Mag: Trish Stratus -- WWF RAW Magazine, May 2000 -- First WWE magazine cover
The Reason Graded: I'll say right away that this isn't Stratus' best magazine cover from her years in the ring and appearances on more than 100 different publications -- heck, I made her 100th one -- but this was her first appearance on the cover of a publication made by the WWE. If I had unlimited funds for pressing and grading, a ton of these mags from the late 1990s and early 2000s would be slabbed as their art direction and design/photography could be right up there with any other publication and in any genre and now, for the most part, none of it exists now. WWE shelved its last mag long ago and now Pro Wrestling Illustrated is ultimately the only game in that town ... and they just don't often do single-subject, full-bleed photo/design like WWE did.
The Grade: CGC 9.0 (Universal)

Reality Check: I was a little bummed with the mark here -- I ponied up and paid well for this copy knowing its importance -- but I also knew it was realistic as these use thin, fibery paper, staples and gloss everything that all can showcase damage or be easily damaged when it comes to strict grading standards. I didn't press this one, either, as I didn't want more cost/delay to do so ... but ultimately that doesn't matter for now as it's the only slab there is for this debut, which arrived the year before her in-pack Rookie Cards. It's a top mark and it might not be topped that easily as a lot of these mags had posters and other stuff that could be ripped out and I don't think the genre was widely recognized as much as a potential collectible back then, either.

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PARODYING POP CULTURE
The Mag: X-Men 2 parody -- MAD, June 2003
The Reason Bought: I picked up this one already slabbed as it was pretty cheap (though not the greatest mark thanks to a light spine crunch) with Alfred E. Neuman taking on the roles of Wolverine, Mystique, Professor X, Cyclops, Nightcrawler and Storm all at once on this classic cover as it spoofed the second X-Men movie. I totally remembered seeing this back when it arrived -- and there was a good chance I bought it back then, too, though MAD wasn't a regular buy of mine and it didn't survive if I had. I used to buy and stockpile a lot of mags but had a water leak issue once that killed a big chunk of them long ago and those all got pitched before I devised a better way to store stuff. (Mag bags were not easily or cheaply found for me back then, either ... not like comics supplies are now.)
The Grade: CGC 9.0 (Universal)

Reality Check: Why this one? I'm a sucker for stuff with nods to other realms of pop culture -- like comics with celeb cameos or stuff like this spoofing movies or athletes who we see elsewhere often. I also like the MAD covers of more recent decades that are more computer-aided or photo-realistic airbrush-style art over obviously pen-and-ink, hand-drawn creations. This was a pop-one and that also surprised me a bit as I think this title is fertile ground for collecting both the title itself as well as for cameos. You'll see more of MAD here in the future ...

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GOING OLDSCHOOL INTERNATIONALLY
The Coin: 1855 Great Britain one Shilling
The Reason Bought: I'm a sucker for old stuff and as part of some light dabbling in the graded coin realm this one got me ... at a price that was well below what a typical blaster box of cards. It goes without saying that the world was waaayyy different in 1855 -- it's almost dumb to throw out the trivia this time -- but here's what the U.S. map looked like with its 31 states and territories. (Heck, "Canada" wasn't even a thing until 12 years later.) But this coin? It shows a young Queen Victoria who reigned from 1837 to 1876, and, yes, a shilling isn't a big unit or really all that rare ... I just went for something old and cheap.
The Grade: NGC F 12

Reality Check: Behold! My $18 coin is the worst copy among the 21 graded and doesn't even make the condensed table above along with several others. (Not a lot more to say here ... I'm just a card guy who's a sucker for old stuff.)

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HER TIME IS NOW
The Card: Tiffany Stratton 2022 Panini Prizm WWE Red (/299) -- Rookie Card parallel
The Reason Bought: Yeah, I dipped down for this one in terms of that grade but I'm a believer in Tiffy Time and the price was OK here at about what a discounted blaster box costs. Still worth it ... as a simple filler RC parallel in my stash. (I'll save my typical Stratton spiel here ... check past Buzz Buys or Making The Grade items in the archives. I'm a believer.)
The Grade: PSA 8

Reality Check: Surprisingly, this isn't even the worst-graded copy of this one. Really, it looks fine here other than the vertical centering and maybe some super-minor corner spots. That's why I bought it. Unfortunately, after a grading sub gone wrong, it's not my lowest Stratton slab ... but I'll survive that, too. You'll see that one at some point here in the coming months.

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SOME NEWER VINTAGE
The Coin: 1961 American Penny
The Reason Bought: Here's a newer and cheaper throwback item from the coin realm that I added to my stash late last year. Why? I liked the look of the "red" luster here (that's the attribute that gets it the "RD" note ... here's the scale and those extra details broken down) and I guess the Roger Maris collector in me has that year as a key one.
The Grade: NGC MS 65 RD

Reality Check: This coin was on the cheaper side of things -- less than it would cost to submit and slab one -- and there are a number of lower-graded examples, too, though not as many as grade better here. (In short, I'm just a dabbling coin newb and I liked it, OK?)

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GRABBED A FEW
The Card: Jasson Dominguez 2021 Bowman's Best -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: I had my 10 here last month ... so here are the same thoughts: His arrival in York was sorta Ruthian and his exit was a touch Strasmas -- if you're a veteran collector of the last 15-20 years you'll get that -- so that was why I picked off a few copies of this RC before his debut. He's only 20, so he should be back to add upon those four homers in his first eight games ... and if you're a fan/believer this would be the time to dabble, though I think a lot of the high-price holders probably won't be dumping their stuff at super-cheap prices.
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: This is just one of a couple of RCs for him thanks to a checklist snafu -- RC logo cards are arriving this year -- and this one is modestly graded with most checking in at the higher mark. There are a few parallels that probably get more attention but this one is simple and clean ... and the price was right. Am I going all-in? Nah, just grabbed a couple early cards.

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GRADING A 1990S ICON
The Mag: Alanis Morissette -- Entertainment Weekly, Nov. 6, 1998 -- first EW cover (I think) (subscription edition)
The Reason Graded: I think I showed this one off un-slabbed in a past Buzz Buys, but if not I'll cover the basics again. This is a subscriber copy that got mailed but sent with a heavier paper reminder wrapped around it noting that it was a time to re-subscribe and that's how this one doesn't have an address printed in the white box. I spotted this on the cheap and it looked clean -- and I carefully removed the outer paper to send this one in. Why? I'm slowly but surely amassing slabs of iconic names from the 1990s (music, movies, TV and beyond) who don't have tons of card appearances and might make for interesting slabs. This is, I'd argue, one of those times.
The Grade: CGC 9.6 (Universal)

Reality Check: I'm not totally sure if this is a debut cover for the mag -- I'm pretty sure it is -- and it's the only one graded as I'm on a kick that others aren't exploring just yet ... but in a situation like this if somebody were to want this I'm in a name-my-price situation. Sometimes, that could lead to surprises. (This time? Who knows ... I'm not a seller.) I didn't have this pressed, so I'm betting it could have landed a top mark if minor spots might have pressed out but there are no guarantees there. This was quite clean and that's a minor miracle considering it was mailed.

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THAT PHOTO, BROTHER ...
The Sticker: Hulk Hogan 1992 Merlin WWF Stickers
The Reason Bought: This was a dirt-cheap slab addition, brother, and the reason why I decided to dabble in slabbed European stickers besides them being cheap, brother, was that I liked this photo and it's from seemingly one of those rarer instances in WWE where he wasn't with a title during an entrance. That just didn't happen that much, brother.
The Grade: CSG 8.5

Reality Check: The mark seems low until you see they've all checked in at this mark ... and it might be the ceiling as quality control on these paper stickers can be all over the place in a few ways.

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CRUISE CONTROL ON THE QUALITY CONTROL?
The Sticker: Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick ("Topsy Turvy Tom") 2023 Topps Garbage Pail Kids Not-scars (/2,066)
The Reason Bought: Yes, this mark is lower than I'd typically go but this set is from one of the online-only GPK offerings, meaning there are only so many copies of these sticker/cards to go around -- slabbed or not -- and a spoof of Top Gun works for me.
The Grade: PSA 8

Reality Check: The stock on these can be a bit hit and miss on these at times from what I have seen and obviously the centering on this one isn't ideal but even the lowest-graded copy is fine at a super-slashed price that this one had. I'm not sure somebody can land a pack of anything out in the retail wild for the price I paid here.

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ANOTHER STICKER SLAB? YEP ...
The Sticker: Rhea Ripley 2021 Topps WWE Road To WrestleMania Stickers (foil)
The Reason Bought: Ripley has had a lot of looks with her hair on her WWE cards (and stickers) since her debut, so the blonde look here kind of stands out like a sore thumb ... but some of that might be since this sticker isn't from an American release -- it's just one I hadn't seen before when it presented itself slabbed. That and a cheaper price got me as it was less than $10, which is less than it would cost to grade it now. (This was probably in an earlier bulk submission for CSG given the slab color.)
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: I'm not sure I checked the pop report here but if I had that would have made me buy this one, too. Yes, it's a sticker, but it's also the only one graded. Not sure many submitters would bother on newer oddballs like this ... especially if landing a higher mark seems like it could be a challenge. Stuff like this could be tougher to find down the line vs. cards ... so if you're a collector with a focus grabbing some of the oddball stuff (slabbed or not) should be considered.

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CURIOSITY GOT ME ... AND I'M FINE WITH THAT
The Card: David Robinson 1989-90 NBA Hoops -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: This cheap grab was one where, ultimately, I was just curious and it was $5 to get me an answer about what the deal was here. This card -- a debut for the Hall of Famer -- was a monster in this debut edition of Hoops and it got Little Buzz ripping NBA like so many others looking for one in Series 1. The photo was updated for an action shot and different number in Series 2 with this one no longer included in those packs, making this big card a short-print of sorts since it wasn't in both box types.  That only goosed interest more as Little Buzz eventually could only land the other one ... and life went on and other releases got ripped and stockpiled since packs were dirt cheap and findable. I picked up a slab of this one in more recent years and called it good but this one ... well, it made me wonder.
The Grade: PSA 6

Reality Check: The horizontal centering here is good -- it looks bad when it's not and that is the case on many cards -- but the vertical is bad (admittedly) but not bad enough to drop this one down that low if you ask me. I suspected one other chronic problem with this set as well as 1989 Pro Set and it was confirmed once I got this slab in hand. If you have any cards from those sets where there's some slight curling or bends (not creases) on the top edges from packing equipment, they'll likely check in with a lower mark like this one did.

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A FINALE FROM JETERVILLE?
The Card: Grayson Waller 2022 Panini Prizm WWE -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: This Aussie star has had a strong presence in NXT and in his more-recent time on the main roster of WWE as a general stirrer of stuff and he's a strong talker, too. Those things got me to bite on a simple $3 slab over in the Jeter grading realm and I think this was the last of my grabs and it as perhaps the only one that made me wonder about their stuff. The inner sleeve of this one had some serious puckering/wrinkling on the back of the card while the front is slightly foggy like cards sometimes get if sticking together ... that's more of a Prizm/Optic thing than a slab thing but it is a thing here. (Either way for the $3 not that big of a deal as it's going to happen with some cards and maybe some slabs over time -- no matter who made them -- with aging plastics.) None of my other cards I picked up had the sleeve puckering, so maybe it was just a one-time thing.
The Grade: Arena 9.5

Reality Check: I was a little surprised to see seven of these in slabs but that's not a bad thing. Only one tops mine. Waller does appear to have some other slabbed Arena cards and that's, generally speaking, a good sign that he's popular and Arena has its users -- they're a grader as well as a selling platform and there are also some other features that make them a little different.

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A REAL ROOKIE CARD? (NO, BUT ... )
The Card: Bo Bichette (MLB debut) 2019 Topps Now -- pre-RC (announced /1,892)
The Reason Bought: I've apparently picked off this card at least twice ... one raw for about $2 and then this one for about $16. Why? It's my player, first off, but more importantly this is from before his RCs but after his MLB debut, which is what this card is all about. Should these tweener carry a premium? They probably already do, really, but depending on volumes made they're not all that consistent so demand can be hit and miss. For me, raw or graded, I don't mind them as long as they look good and are priced reasonably.
The Grade: PSA 9

Reality Check: I might have overpaid some looking at the pop numbers here -- there really shouldn't be a premium price on a 10 when almost all check in there in my view -- but I'm still fine with this buy as it's my guy.

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CROSSOVER APPEAL?
The Card: Walt Hriniak, Bob Didier & Gary Neibauer (Braves Rookie Stars) 1969 Topps -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: Fun fact: The first grading company I ever submitted cards to was this short-lived one that was a creation of Krause Publications, the publisher of Sports Collectors Digest. (Hence the name SCD Authentic.) The key for them at first? You could grade seven cards back in seven days for $7 a card ... and their grading standards and slabs were firm. (Avoid the similar-looking slabs with a tweaked name and blue circle as those are from after SCDA was shelved and stuff was sold off.) I picked this one off for less than $8 as I liked the look of the card and it's a pretty strong mark for vintage -- and these do tend to cross over to other companies relatively well, according to a lot of collectors over the years. (No guarantees but if it looks good it looks good.)
The Grade: SCD Authentic 8

Reality Check: The pop reports here appear to be gone* so there's not much to say here on that front but Hriniak is a key name from the past when it came to be a hitting coach for more than 20 years in the majors with the Expos, Red Sox and White Sox. His approaches were different and unique and he worked with everybody from Frank Thomas to Michael Jordan as well as others who know a thing or two about hitting ... like this guy.

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ANOTHER ROOKIE CARD PARALLEL
The Card: Henry Davis 2021 Bowman's Best Refractor -- Rookie Card parallel
The Reason Bought: This set is packed with guys who will only have a RC or two by definition after the mistake on the checklist build, and Davis is one of them though this is a parallel. I picked it off on the cheap since he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft so he'll always have some kind of added trivia attached to his name no matter how the ol' career goes. Things started off pretty well last season with seven homers in 62 games for the Pirates -- two of those in the same game off Shohei Ohtani. His final numbers? Not that great, actually, but I think there's still some potential here for cheap dabbling. Plus, he's a catcher, so he's valuable in other ways, too.
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: The split here between nines and 10s isn't that surprising to me -- this release seems to have its moments when it comes to cards with minor specs that seem a little sloppy at times. I know since I have picked off a number of cards from this one vs. other chrome-stock sets of recent years. All good to me if they are cheap ... this one was just $5.

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AT THE START ...
The Card: Mandy Rose 2016 Topps WWE -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: As I'm sure I have mentioned a number of times here before since I have collected and graded her stuff pretty much since these arrived, Rose was a competitor on the WWE Tough Enough reality show in 2015 but didn't win it to get a contract ... she finished second but clearly should have won. She later got hired, anyway, and apparently since she was known from the show and then Total Divas (another WWE-tied reality show) and not from NXT, her cardboard debut ended up on traditional Rookie Cards in 2016 Topps sets. (Had she been an NXTer, she would have been in insert sets.) Rose was a regular in WWE at all levels until her surprise dismissal in December 2022 and that's around the time where I had this and a couple other cards in a bulk sub at CGC.
The Grade: CSG 9.5

Reality Check: This one didn't check in with a top mark -- the stock is skinny and the corners can take hits as well as edges -- but it's a simple favorite. Why? There's no deluxe gear with a crafted look here -- just basic Tough Enough trainee gear. It just feels like an early card and not the finished superstar. RCs that have that kind of vibe really jump out to me.

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TO THE VICTORS GO THE CARDBOARD
The Card: Team Candice (Indi Hartwell along with Dakota Kai, Candice LeRae, Raquel Gonzalez & Toni Storm) 2020 Topps Now NXT (announced /95)
The Reason Graded: Topps Now WWE had some of the rarest cards ever made by a major manufacturer and some (not all) can be nice pick-ups here and there with early appearances from some notable names. I didn't buy many -- if any -- direct from Topps (that I remember) since I was picky about photos for key names, but looking back as others have emerged as more-notable names with more time there are some cards that are now worth a look in my book ... if you can find them. This grab one back when I was chasing Toni Storm stuff early on, while others here also didn't have a boatload of cardboard, either. If you look closely behind them, there's a cameo from Shotzi, too, who I collect. There are better Now cards to chase down on the star power/rarity front than this one ... I just like it.
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: I probably missed some basic spot on this card that dropped it down -- typically Now cards grade very well -- but that's fine. I've won more than I have lost with Now ... and I'm fine with nines.

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THERE WENT THE APPEAL ...
The Card: Vaughn Grissom 2021 Topps Heritage Minor League
The Reason Bought: I liked the feel of the 1972 re-do that was 2021 Heritage MiLB and this card was one of a few for decent names that I picked up on the cheap (just $7) last year. Why? I liked the look of the uni here -- it's not MiLB -- and that helps this card with a bit better feel than a lot of them. That appeal kind of went out the window on Dec. 30, though, when the Braves traded him to the Red Sox -- I'm pretty sure this one was on the way to me in the mail at that same time.
The Grade: PSA 9

Reality Check: I didn't pay more for a 10 and figured I could wait it out if I really wanted one and a nine was fine ... but with the team change I'm not sure either appeal to me as much now. It happens and he's got respectable numbers after 64 big-league games at his age ... so there's still plenty of potential.

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