Making the Grade (March): Undertaker ink, MAD homages, Ozzy, Bo, WWE newcomers, my new 140-year-old coin & 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 ...

LEGENDARY INK
The Card: Undertaker 2022 Panini Revolution WWE Sunburst Autographs (/99)
The Reason Graded: This cost me less than what two boxes would have when I bought it raw -- and then I submitted it to grade after seeing that some typical problem spots for cards from this brand weren't really issues. (In my view, the back corners and edges can be funky for both years.) Why grab this? Undertaker was not a regular signer for a long time and even when has signed cards in recent years he's been more limited since his signing fees are always high -- seemingly far higher than others -- based on public signing prices. I have his ink on a few items sold direct from WWE in the past, but I hadn't rally bothered with anything for cards and figured this could make for a nice slab -- even with sticker ink -- as the photo is as iconic as it gets for a legendary character in WWE history. This would be a perfect kind of auto card if it had an on-card sig ... and it's still not far off as it is with that photo. It's also a perhaps-overlooked brand in the Panini WWE portfolio.
The Grade: CGC 9

Reality Check: A nine I'm fine with -- so no worries here -- but anything less than that I would have been kind of mad at myself for trying it. Why? Generally, I don't like pricey surprises with grading, so I don't slab as much ink as I should as I own plenty of them raw. I need to do more slabs like this, but a miss on cheaper, oddball cards that are interesting aren't as risky in my book.

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

AFFORDABLE CHASE CARD
The Card: Bo Bichette 2020 Topps Stadium Club Instavision -- rookie-year insert
The Reason Bought: I landed this slab for less than the price of a blaster box for this brand and I liked that as this is a rookie-year insert and a set that's supposed to be found just once per case. Sure, a lot of cases are made and there are only 10 cards in the set, but there are also parallels in play -- and those are probably the better-valued chase here. I'm not chasing 10s or trying to collect 'em all, so this one worked well for me.
The Grade: PSA 9

Reality Check: Landing 10s here looks to be a challenge, while my grade is the typical grade ... so that price makes sense. Why there aren't more slabbed is also an interesting thought as the 2020 volume on slabs for rookies, especially via PSA, is typically pretty high.

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OOPS, I DID IT AGAIN ... ANOTHER MAD SLAB
The Mag: Britney Spears -- MAD magazine, May 2002
The Reason Bought: I've been on a minor MAD slab kick with a few subs and a few pick-ups here and there with nods to pop culture moments getting my attention more than others that are perhaps more general with Alfred E. Neuman showcased. In this case, the mascot is the snake and the showcase is a take on Spears' performance at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards that included a Burmese python. Why? I dunno ... but you can see her thoughts here as part of a book plug. (It sounds like she might not know, either.) Even more odd? Here's a "Where are they now?" piece ... on the snake from years ago. This wasn't that pricey, really, and that's one reason it was an easy grab ... and it was even easier of a pick-up after I checked the pop report.
The Grade: CGC 9.6 (Universal)

Reality Check: Sure, it's not a 9.8 ... but no other stabbed copies exist for this one, so it's kind of a take-it-or-leave-it piece. I took it, though you can find copies of the mag out there in the world on eBay and likely elsewhere. Will they grade that well? That's the challenge and grading mags is a little pricier than, say, cards per unit ... so this was an easy grab.

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ALL ABOUT THE LOOK
The Mag: Ozzy Osbourne -- Hit Parader, July 1983
The Reason Graded: This cover image is a pretty strong one for The Prince of [bleeping] Darkness and I grabbed a copy months (maybe years at this point) ago raw with an eye for grading. I knew that this one wasn't going to be a top-grade copy -- not the point with this one this time -- but it still looks very strong for the number and that's one reason I sent it in. This sub was one part curiosity about mid-grade/lower-grade stuff and a reminder that this genre is one that seems quite fertile for slabbing ... and overlooked, really. These mags are full of posters that often were pulled out (making those copies not all that slab-worthy as they are incomplete) and they were made for readers who did just that (not handled and saved like comics from the start). Atop that, the materials here are very basic and probably not aging all that well, either, with pulpy materials likely to have discolored easily all these decades later.
The Grade: CGC 7.0 (Universal)

Reality Check: I believe I was the first graded copy but the pop reports have a number of issues starting to show slabs for HP and one copy of this issue checked in pretty high after mine. All good ... I want to see more in the magazine realm graded and, heck, I'm probably a buyer if I like them and the price is right. As for the grade standards, I prefer CGC 9 and up for new stuff, stuff in the 8s for other issues at times but on older issues like this one going below that mark is OK for me. It's not a money thing -- it's more about the appeal and feel.

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ICONIC MOMENT
The Card: Chicago White Sox & New York Yankees players at Field of Dreams Game 2021 Topps Now (/14,434)
The Reason Bought: I think I picked up a copy of this iconic moment via Now when it arrived -- I likely used some discount codes -- but left it in a to-grade stack at some point or dismissed it as a lower-priority card as, well, it's been a few years and I know slabbing never happened. Why? Well, one reason is the high-volume production here -- I figured somebody would be slabbing cards from the first Iowa game at the memorable film's site -- and it's kind of a general card rather than a star-specific one, so it just didn't grab me for the $10 more to slab. Ironically, it cost me just less than that to grab this one ... and that's why it's here.
The Grade: CSG 9.5 (now 10)

Reality Check: The volume here is pretty high -- likely not as high as, say, PSA, though -- and most copies checked in at the top mark ... so that's perhaps why some bulk sellers are clearing these out to slab and sell other newer cards. The price has diminished but the cool factor is still there, though the Field of Dreams Game was not played last year and won't be in Iowa this year, either. Maybe next year?

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AMONG HER ROOKIE CARDS
The Card: Torrie Wilson (with Stacy Keibler cameo) 2002 Fleer WWE Royal Rumble -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: This set is one that's known for its RCs on the guys' side -- John Cena, Randy Orton, Batista and Brock Lesnar for in-demand starters -- but there are other RCs to be found in this one, too, if you adhere to the in-pack definition of standard cardboard and not oddball releases in magazines or gaming issues. Wilson is among a few in here on the women's side and a Hall of Famer just like her opponent on the card. This set isn't the easiest of sledding when it comes to grading -- I think anything at a 9 or above is a big win -- so that's why I just grabbed this one outright for about the price of a Prizm blaster last year. Why? I pick off slabs for notable newcomers who I think have a spot in my collection on this front as long as the price is right.
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: The pop numbers seem about right and there's always a very realistic chance that one could check in lower than this with the colors used, the spot gloss and the stock that can be chippy or flakey.

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AFFORDABLE RCs
The Card: Jordan Lawlar 2021 Bowman's Best -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: I'm a broken record on this one as my picking off of non-logo Rookie Cards from this release in cheap slabs continues with this pick-up. It's a RC by definition as a checklist flub that mixed the prospects in with the veterans here and in one other release make these RCs -- though there's no logo to tell you that. (The logos are applied when the cards fit that definition, though, so there's that.) This was affordable, though his 2023 numbers aren't that great -- 14 games with the Diamondbacks, hitting .129 with a stealing four hits -- but the price was right.
The Grade: CSG 9.5 (now 10)

Reality Check: Almost everything checks in at this mark, so those who are/were sitting on them likely wanted out in this case. At less than $5, this was an easy filler slab for me here. If he plays well, even better.

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A SOL WITH PLENTY OF FLASH
The Card: Sol Ruca 2023 Panini Prizm WWE Silver Prizms -- Rookie Card parallel
The Reason Bought: This WWE newcomer was among the 2022 NXT signees and emerged as a capable performer with no previous wrestling experience and had a strong first year in WWE's starter ranks. So much so, she was the Rookie of The Year in all of wrestling that first year, according to readers of Pro Wrestling Illustrated, despite being out injured for a good part of 2023. This was her first card of any type and she's back in the ring now (but not yet back on TV) as I prepped this one. Her name was on my watch-list since this one arrived, though, with her RCs only found in Prizm, a short-printed tier in Select and then the new elite but each has plenty of parallels and she's also got ink to chase. There will be more to come and interest could be there as her acrobatic gymnastics-fueled moves and an athletic surfer-girl gimmick -- complete with a wave as part of her autograph -- could be easy money once the injuries are out of the picture.
The Grade: CGC 9.5

Reality Check: The volume graded here might be a little higher than the typical 2023 Prizm finds, but the RC crop is a lot smaller in this one and she's one of the better names ... and Silver is a popular version to chase that won't break the bank. The stats are a little top-heavy but the spread shows that this one may not be the easiest card to grade.

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HUH-HUH ... HUH-HUH ...
The Card: Beavis & Butt-Head ("Buff 'N' Stuff") 1994 Fleer Ultra Beavis & Butt-Head
The Reason Bought: These high-glossed cards sticking together could be an issue if you happen to find packs -- I'm not sure as I have not opened here but I did kill a lot of packs of Ultra in the past -- but there's demand here for the boxes as well as singles of this dynamic and iconic duo of the 1990s and beyond. I happened upon a few slabs and did some low-rent shopping to find one and present it here. My simple want? A card showing both of them ... I didn't want to pony up more for one where they're on the couch as pop culture critics or at their McJob, but those are likely my next targets if I spot them and the price is right.
The Grade: PSA 8

Reality Check: The grade here is lower than I typically like, but I was fine with this as a starter -- it also looks really, really clean for an 8, so I suspect the gloss here was one of its issues that dropped it down. At a glance, it's nice.

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CARDBOARD CAMEOS
The Card: Triple H 2023 Panini Select WWE (Mezzanine tier) Silver Prizms
The Reason Bought: This Silver parallel of a rarer-tier card showcases the new WWE boss' days as The King of Kings -- it comes from his elaborate WrestleMania 30 entrance in 2014. Why is it a card with some extra oomph? The king's helpers here. There are cameos from Sasha Banks (left back), Alexa Bliss (left front) and Charlotte Flair (right) -- who are all well-established stars now but were all in the NXT ranks back then (click to see). This isn't the first card to show this moment -- see that one here -- but they are the only two save for parallels or potentially some imports if they exist.
The Grade: PSA 9

Reality Check: I bought this slab outright vs. chasing one and slabbing it as the Mezzanine tier has some narrow borders that can make centering be off easily. Plus, the stock/production on this one isn't the safest to not have surprises if buying raw copies without an advance look. The basic versions of these cards aren't the easiest pulls, let alone the parallels.

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RARER BUT AFFORDABLE
The Card: Hot Mess Marilyn (Marilyn Monroe) 2023 Topps Garbage Pail Kids Not-scars (/2,066)
The Reason Bought: Yep, the centering is rough here, but like the card from this set that I mentioned last month it was a cheap grab from a set that has its limits as an online release and not one released in pack form. This nod to Blonde where Ana de Armas played Marilyn Monroe has a lot going on as well as an obvious nod to Gentlemen Prefer Blondes with that dress choice.
The Grade: PSA 8

Reality Check: At less than $5, this was an easy addition, though that centering is not what I'd normally look for. Not that many slabs exist here, but all check in higher. It happens ... the price was right and I've been on a non-sports slab kick to a degree so far this year. Don't be surprised if you see more in 2024.

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TURN BACK THE CLOCK ...
The Coin: 1884 Japanese Sen
The Reason Bought: I won't have a ton to say here as I'm just a card guy dabbing in this realm, but I'll note that I landed this 140-year-old coin for less than the price of some retail card packs these days and that works for me with the combo of age for this one as well as the fact that it was one of a couple cheaper and really old finds to add some variety to this series. (At the same time I'm awaiting my 2024 subs that are in graders' hands now -- not for coins but for a lot of other stuff.) You can't see a lot of details on this coin but you can get a closer look at a higher-grade copy via NGC at right (click it to view).
The Grade: NGC VF 30 BN

Reality Check: My grade is low and eight copies exist in this mark, making it the most-common grade with only one checking in lower. That's still actually quite strong for the age with its "BN" notation here being for its brown patina stating the obvious -- that's a reason you can't see as much detail without having it in-hand.

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AFFORDABLE PROSPECTS
The Card: Brady House 2021 Bowman Draft
The Reason Bought: The 11th pick in the 2021 MLB Draft has a lot of cardboard to choose from if you're looking and his stats in 2023 were respectable as he was split between three levels -- .312 average with 12 homers and 47 RBI in 88 games. I merely grabbed it as it was a cheap slab -- too cheap, really, at just $3. How does that happen? Firesales with so many people slabbing so many relatively available cards, though the prices should stiffen up over time with on-field success as long as people are patient. (Of course Chrome, for example, tops this coming from the same product.)
The Grade: CSG 10

Reality Check: That pop report volume is huge and many of them check in here, though there are two perfect copies out there to top this.

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ALWAYS LOVED THE HOMAGE ...
The Mag: All-Star Flops (1988 Topps homage) -- MAD magazine, October 1988
The Reason Graded: I remembered seeing this one when it arrived way back in the day, but I don't think I grabbed it -- or, maybe I did and it just didn't survive. Its ode to 1988 Topps on the cover is a reason I liked it and then the "what if" appeal of the back cover cards of some notables -- Oprah Winfrey, Jimmy Swaggart and Cher among them -- on the back add to that. I figured it would look better in a slab with both sides visible.
The Grade: CGC 9.4 (Universal)

Reality Check: This one had a small bend in the middle of the front that I knew about when I sent it in, but I let it fly without pressing as I still figured it could grade well without more cost or wait. (I like it but not enough to pay more.)

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SCHOOL TIES ... SLABBED
The Mag: Chris Boucher -- Sports Illustrated, Nov. 7, 2016
The Reason Graded: This Toronto star has a pair of NBA championships on his resume -- one riding the pine with the Golden State Warriors in 2018 (he literally played one minute) and another ring with the Raptors in 2019 -- but before all that he was on the cover of Sports Illustrated showcasing his unlikely career path that got even crazier after this cover. I'll attempt a really brief recap ... before he was on the Oregon Ducks for two seasons and got hurt, he started out at the junior college level and was on his second school at that level when he was named the NJCAA Player of the Year. He led that team to near-unprecedented success (second to only when they had an NBA first-rounder in the 1960s) in 2014-15 and that got him to Oregon. After his injury, though, Boucher went un-drafted so then he had to go to the NBA G League. There he was its season MVP and defensive player of the year and that got him to Toronto as part of a two-way contract and he's been there since. His long and winding path to the NBA didn't include any cardboard until after he had won his second ring -- poke around here on The Buzz for more about that -- but I graded this one as he's got school ties for me. I grabbed a couple copies long ago thinking these would be my only things to collect for him ... but now he's got plenty of cardboard -- so much co I can't even try to keep up.
The Grade: CGC 9.4 (Universal)

Reality Check: My original copies here had issues -- I bought all I found -- but I more recently added a small stack of these to cherry pick one for a slab. It took a while to make it into a sub as other stuff was higher priority, but this is the only copy graded ... so that works for me. The back covers here have a white ad and some ink from the dark fronts lightly rubbed off on my copy, otherwise it probably would have graded better.

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YOU KNOW THERE'S ALWAYS BO ...
The Card: Bo Bichette 2020 Bowman -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: This is one of my favorites among Bichette's RCs -- it's just the simple batting-stance photo -- so this was a no-brainer addition when I found it for just $10 for what is now a 10 grade. The volume of everything in slabs in 2020 is high, so prices are soft for many ... and even this modest number, though mostly 10s, means there's a lot to be found if you're looking.
The Grade: CSG 9.5 (now 10)

Reality Check: Most of them check in at this spot, so there's no reason for there to be a big premium ... but I still think I got a decent price. Meanwhile, over on the PSA pop report, there are more than 4,600 copies of this card graded with more than 3,000 of those being 10s.

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SOMETHING DIFFERENT IN VINTAGE
The Card: Nat Dye 1963 Topps CFL -- CFL "Rookie Card"
The Reason Bought: I did a recent deep dive into some international vintage slabs just because stuff was sooo cheap and it's simply stuff you don't see everyday -- at least if you're not in Canada. I looked and looked and then I bit with this name that popped up as slightly familiar -- he's the brother of former college football coach Pat Dye and he played for the Georgia Bulldogs, too. His CFL career lasted from 1959-64 with Edmonton and then a couple seasons with Saskatchewan. He's got a number of cards/items in oddball sets but this is his first traditional in-pack card. It's a Rookie Card per se as he doesn't have anything else at a higher level to trump that.
The Grade: PSA 7

Reality Check: Yes, this is a lower-grade card, but it's not the lowest and it's also quite clean ... but I liked it as an example and a reminder that there's a lot of CFL stuff out there that won't break the bank. This one was less than $8. How can one collect here years later? Check players' colleges ... a lot can find a home in college collections.

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REMEMBER ME?
The Card: Keston Hiura 2019 Topps Heritage High Number Action variation -- Rookie Card parallel
The Reason Bought: He doesn't have an MLB team for this season (he's got a spring training invite with the Tigers) but this college star and former first-round pick is still in his 20s, so there's still likely time and a spot to play somewhere as long as he wants to. I grabbed this as it's an action version of his Heritage RC -- I'll always like Heritage RCs for their throwback appeal -- and it was a simple $5 grab.
The Grade: PSA 10

Reality Check: A top mark for that price was an easy addition -- even if he's done -- and there are plenty of 10s out there vs. other marks where this price might not be alone.

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REMEMBER LAST MONTH?
The Card: David Robinson 1989-90 NBA Hoops -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: Remember this card last month? Well, I grabbed two ... so ... here's some déjà vu if you're a regular reader. 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 funny part about this card? Just last month that total was at 10,957 at prep time ... so it remains one that's in demand. ... As noted last time, 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 that 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 the packing equipment, they'll likely check in with a lower mark like this one did. Looking at the stats, this happens often.

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A FAV OF MINE ...
The Card: Captain Britain 1990 Impel Marvel Universe Series 1
The Reason Bought: I'm not sure if I have more than one copy of this one -- there's a chance it's in a past MTG here -- but this card is a favorite of mine as Little Buzz was a heavy ripper of this first mass-produced Marvel set with a little more production quality than others that came before it -- plus there was a lot of info on these backs that also informed comic book newbs (like me) about what's what with a character. Some oddball trivia here got me to latch onto the cards and then the character, team and one artist who handled him a lot in those year when I did comics more regularly.
The Grade: PSA 9

Reality Check: The PSA pop report for this set has more than 100,000 cards on it for everything in this release with cards more at this level being on the lower side. I'm not sure that is helping values, though, beyond maybe the 10s for lesser characters but for big names in top marks there's a lot of interest. The vertical centering is off a smidge here but the rest looked good to me.

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TOUGH SLABBING ... BUT I DID IT, ANYWAY
The Card: Cora Jade 2022 Panini NXT Blue (/149)  -- Rookie Card parallel
The Reason Graded: I picked this one up raw and opted to grade despite some constant challenges on this particular card's front -- in any color -- because I think she's among the better true rookies here and this set is super-cheap. All cards can have come challenges here with grading as this is a traditional-stock release, too.
The Grade: CSG 8.5

Reality Check: I was the first so this one is the worst grade and the best grade all at the same time. I missed a slightly lifted edge on a back border here that likely dropped it from a nine to this ... everything else looks remarkably sharp and clean with all that bright blue ink. I'd buy a lot of 8.5s from a ton of sets if they all looked like this.

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TOUGH SLABBING PART II
The Card: Cora Jade 2022 Panini NXT Silver  -- Rookie Card parallel
The Reason Bought: All that I said above? It applies here other than I bought this one instead of subbing it. Slowly but surely I had been working on a parallel rainbow of sorts here but her recent return didn't last long as the 23-year-old tore her ACL in January not long after an extended amount of time off for other injuries/medical. Now I can slowly keep looking and adding cards with a little less time pressure ... she'll likely be out the rest of this year.
The Grade: PSA 9

Reality Check: The PSA pop report has a pair of surprising 10s -- I didn't think that could happen with one flaw always seen on this card -- and then a pair of nines. I'll keep scouting and hunting ...

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