Making the Grade (Sept.): Junior, vintage finds, Bray Wyatt, Bo, Babe, Nick Saban, NFL icons & newbies, old mags + 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 ...

FROM THE BARGAIN BIN TO ...
The Card: Ken Griffey Jr. 1989 Topps Traded -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: I picked up this at the last minute -- literally at closing time -- at a past National Sports Collectors Convention after some digging through a bargain bin where cards were literally bouncing around inside cases in a plastic tub. For just $5 this card (as a raw copy) was mine after one thing jumped out at me -- its back with all that black ink was perfectly cut and its front was super-close to centered. It's not that I needed this card, really, as I picked up about three or four sets from the 1989 JCPenney Christmas catalog -- just $12.99 apiece -- back in the day, but I found the rough back edges to be an issue when revisiting all my copies with the the stars that survived past purges. This one made it into one of my bulk grading subs earlier this year as it was past time to grade one. Yes, it's got a very slight rough spot on the front left -- some extra fuzz as it's some light cardboard -- but everything else here (especially the back) was too clean to not send it in.
The Grade: CSG 10

Reality Check: That's definitely the kind of grade I was going for here, though a lot of them seem to check in at that mark -- about 17 percent of the current population -- which seems high for the era, but, at the same time, these were released as boxed sets and not in packs so they perhaps didn't get handled as much during packaging. Plus, inner cards in the boxes got protected pretty well. I'll take it. This one has always been one of my favorite RCs for this icon ... because I could afford this one and not the other big one that many love. I have them all now, of course (I think), but I'm pretty sure few or even none of my copies from back then would grade like this one did. Not bad for a $5 find and then $10 more to grade it.

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

PULLED THIS PIN LONG AGO ...
The Card: Barry Sanders 1999 Skybox Metal Universe Linchpins
The Reason Graded: Remember the days when lower-end full hobby boxes would occasionally pop up at places like Walmart a few years later? This is from one of those times and it's a rarer find where all those little pins aren't printed in black ... they're actually laser-cut holes in the card. (Why? They were just trying things ... and other companies had done it, too.) This is from a small insert set of just 10 cards but with Sanders being one of the biggest names and there being a lot of demand for stuff from this era that's rarer -- I saw a raw Charlie Batch card had a $50-plus asking price when I did one check -- and I decided this Lion was worth the slab. (A rougher raw copy of this card sold for more than $100 on eBay, too.)
The Grade: CSG 8.5

Reality Check: I knew its bottom left corner would be iffy but I suspect based on this view -- the front is still very clean -- there's a spot on the back that dropped it down. I still dig it as this came from a box that was probably under $50, though, and slabbed stars here are money cards.

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DEFYING THE ODDS
The Card: Thunder Rosa 2022 UD AEW Match Dated Moments
The Reason Graded: This unique AEW star billed from "The Graveyards of Tijuana, Mexico" is one who wasn't made/created by a promotion but instead she's worked her way through independent promotions around the world -- even running her own -- for a few years before breaking into spots with more international prominence. Her AEW time hasn't been the best due to injuries, but she has been the women's champ and that's the timeframe captured on this card. She doesn't have a ton of in-pack cards -- she was not in the original wave of AEW sets arriving in packs -- but did make it into more recent releases and online sets like this one. For some names without a lot of cards, I have dabbled in some of their pocket-change classics looking for copies that could be high-grade examples. Why? Most people wouldn't bother grading so when those good copies do pop up they might surprise when it comes to values.
The Grade: CSG 10

Reality Check: This one was super-clean compared to many cards in my Buzz Buys that I have bought in bulk for this kind of a scenario ... but this one lived up to that as a 10 and it's all alone. Solid card ... and a solid photo, too.

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NO 10 TAX HERE ...
The Card: Bo Bichette 2020 Topps Finest -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: This photo isn't my favorite of his RCs -- it might have been with a looser crop to show more of his swing -- but the design actually does translate well to MLB I think. Or, at least it's stronger in its feel compared to the WWE set (more on that later). I picked off a lot of Bichette slabs when they got more affordable -- and ironically I also have a CSG 9 of this one somewhere in my stash -- and they both cost me $15. (This one more recently as a 10 would typically go for more than that in the past.)
The Grade: PSA 10

Reality Check: I'm glad I waited and got this 10 cheaper as, well, look at that 10 volume ... it should be cheap when more than three-fourths of the slabs check in at the highest grade.

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SUPER SIMPLE ...
The Card: Babe Ruth 2020 Topps Turkey Red
The Reason Bought: I simply liked the look of this one for its price -- about the price of a hanger box these days after you tack on some tax -- and only since this was Ruth and a 10 did I bite. These cards were retail-only finds that year if I remember correctly so they aren't rare but there are a decent number of cards in the sets (and in all three flagship series) along with Chromes.
The Grade: CSG 10

Reality Check: The pop here is low and this is one of the best ones ... and with its soft stock I doubt there will be many perfect copies to top it -- for any player.

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A CUT ABOVE
The Card: Nick Saban 2018 Elite Draft Picks Status Purple Die-cut (/99)
The Reason Graded: I've said it for years that I'm not a big fan of foilboard sets -- and getting die-cuts into penny sleeves is easily among the worst of cardboard torture in my mind -- but something about this slightly-rarer find got me to bite and slab. I think it's the hat, really, bringing a mello vibe atop the head of a clearly all-business moment where somebody is hearing something they probably don't like based on that scowl. Also, the purple here doesn't clash that badly with the Crimson -- too any parallels have colors that just don't work with school colors.
The Grade: CSG 9.5

Reality Check: I knew I'd be the only one to slab here but that's fine -- straight into my school ties part of my stash.

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A-MAYS-ING PRICE ...
The Mag: Willie Mays -- Sports Illustrated May 22, 1972 (subscription edition)
The Reason Bought: It was 50 years ago this month -- Sept. 9, 1973 -- when Mays played his final regular-season MLB game (0-f0r-2 against the Montreal Expos with two walks and a strikeout) but that's really not why this one came into my hands. His appearing in a Mets uniform is never natural, but that was reality in 1972 and 1973 -- I wasn't admittedly around back then as I'm old but not that old -- and that's why I gave this one an eyeball before I ended up getting it for about $26 ... shipped. (Shipping on these bigger slabs isn't cheap ... so the book ultimately was.) The cool part? Coming up ...
The Grade: CGC 7.0 (Universal)

Reality Check: This is the highest-graded copy of this edition since it's the only graded copy -- and to be honest a vintage mag looks pretty good in a CGC 7 or higher. (New stuff in a 7.0 would be disappointing.) Meanwhile, the newsstand version only has eight graded copies with the highest a single copy at 9.4 and low at 5.5. Does that mailing label bug me that much? Not really. It would be better not touching the logo but it is what it is ... and I have seen worse positions for labels covering blurbs and key parts of photos many times with mags from the past.

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GOLLLLLL-LLLLLLY!
The Card: Gomer Pyle (Jim Nabors) "Shazam!" 1965 Fleer Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C.
The Reason Bought: On some deep digging I happened upon this relatively clean -- and cheap -- copy of a card showing the title character for this show that ran five seasons in the 1960s. While I'm also not old enough to know that one in its original run -- or even in timely re-runs -- I do know the character's schtick and the actor, Jim Nabors. He was an actor, singer and comedian as well as a big auto-racing fan -- read more about him and that twist here -- and this one goes straight into my school ties part of my collection as he was an Alabama Crimson Tide guy, too.
The Grade: PSA 8

Reality Check: This cost about the same as it would to grade it ... and I still didn't think that was a bad price for an PSA 8 from deeper in the vintage years. The pop here is high as this is clearly one of those sets with the mix of past availability without breaking the bank (vs. say baseball) in pack form and then registry fans.

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THREE OF A KIND
The Cards: Bo Bichette 2020 Topps -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: I'll pick off any of his RC slabs if they're cheap enough and the pair of PSAs here were $6 apiece (recently), while the CSG was $15 ... but months ago. Why the price difference? It's not just evolving markets -- it's realities of the pop report numbers to come below
The Grades: PSA 9 & CSG 9

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Reality Check: Says a lot doesn't it? It's one reason why I don't grade a lot of basic RCs in general -- others will -- and it's a reason why I have stuck with using CGC ... variables beyond cost and subs time. I'm not slabbing to flip I'm going for long-term hold and in a lot of ways I'm not worried about prices, either, as I'm not buying stuff at top prices. Supply and demand ... supply has its say every time.

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IMPORT APPEAL
The Card: Trish Stratus 2004 Topps Apocalypse WWE Divas (Italian Edition)
The Reason Graded: I opened a few packs of these cards in recent years -- it's a basic set made for the UK/European audience -- but it was also released with Italian card backs, too. (In case you don't know this card, that's its back story.) While annual WWE Divas swimsuit shoots and corresponding magazines (think the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue but for WWE) were a big deal back then but except for a set or two (or insert sets within) from Fleer, there wasn't much of that presence on trading cards. This set touched on that in some cases and it's a set that beyond being an import has stock was so skinny using dark ink on the backs ... so just pulling on the wrapper too hard to open it could cause damage.
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: I was aiming for a 10 here, of course, but when I got it back and was surprised by a nine I flipped it over and realized that, yep, a couple corners here had spots on them ... I admittedly don't check card backs as intensely with a loupe as I should. I'm generally only sweating front corners for the most part. Either way, no matter the grade, this one is what it is ... the only one in a CSG slab.

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COLORFUL CHOICE
The Cards: Shotzi Blackheart 2020 Topps Finest WWE base & Orange Refractor (/50) -- Rookie Card & RC parallel
The Reason Bought/Graded: I'm a big fan of WWE's green-haired ball of frenetic fury who comes to the ring driving a miniature tank and wears a horned military helmet. Why? It's just her deal -- and it literally started with a tweet. Her Rookie Card photos don't really do it all justice at all -- I'm conflicted among which might be my favorites -- but this one does a good job at showcasing the helmet for sure. One reason I don't like this one as much? The blank shirt here is odd but I'm 99.99-percent sure it's blank because Vincent Price was shown and can't be on a card when it comes to steering clear of potential licensing issues. I have a number of raw copies here but none seemed like safe subs to get a top mark (the set can be a little rough at times) so I sent in an Orange parallel that I paid up to land during peak prices and then later grabbed the base slab with the Shotzi-green label more recently on the cheap. I may (will) do more but even this Finest release isn't as clean as most Chrome stuff usually is.
The Grades: CSG 9

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Reality Check: The total cost for me here on the cards and/or the slabbing isn't that good and nine on the Orange may or may not pay for it all ... but that happens. If you're a collector ultimately that doesn't matter, anyway.

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A STRAIGHT FROM THE POLYBAG BUMMER
The Card: Danielle Fishel -- Maxim, April 2013
The Reason Graded: "Topanga" and Boy Meets World entered the pop culture sphere long ago when I was more in my early work/college years but as I mentioned here last year the name stuck as a somewhat iconic one from the 1990s -- albeit perhaps for those younger than me. As I mentioned then, I found a pair of these still in their original bags from a decade ago and sent one for slabbing ... and it was among a batch that took over a year to come back ... meaning I got to wait a long time for this bummer.
The Grade: CGC 8.5 (Universal)

Reality Check: It's the only one graded -- so I can claim that -- but looking at it I do see a handful of smaller issues that I could see bringing it down (bottom left corner, a spine tweak etc.). That's fine -- that batch I sent was partly to try and learn the scale and it also was a batch where I had nothing pressed as that also added a lot of time to the turnaround. Now, CGC is, in theory, closer to a normal timeframe so I will be sending off a batch or two to end the year and load up for MTGs this year and next. Most magazine slabbers stick to long-running staples like Sports Illustrated and Playboy or newer pop culture icons like Nintendo Power. My taste for slabs is around realms but more -- newer and older.

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THE START FOR AN ORIGINAL
The Card: Husky Harris (Bray Wyatt) 2010 Topps Platinum WWE -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: He's best-known as Bray Wyatt -- and he should be -- but Windham Rotunda's cardboard debut in packs came with this card and with some more obscure oddball and gaming releases as this character before the darker, more-mysterious persona took over. When he returned and let the enigma run wild, I opted to grade one of these (I only had a few as I didn't like the brand's basic stock) and then a couple of early "Wyatt" cards. Note: This file was initially prepped in August before his death last week at age 36 -- a big-time bummer to make this kind of an update but I'll let my thoughts here stand.
The Grade: CSG 9.5

Reality Check: First, I needed to clean the dust off this slab better for my photos ... and, second, this one didn't show up on the pop report search* so I don't know if it's alone ... but I do know the dark backs are a showcase for rough edges and chipping. And the foilboard may or may not be aging all that well in all instances almost 15 years later. (I have some cards that are starting to look funky though this one is fine.)

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A FLASHY CLASSIC
The Card: Bray Wyatt 2014 Topps Chrome WWE Atomic Refractors
The Reason Graded: Since I updated the previous item to reflect the sad news, I figured I'd add my other Wyatt card that I recently opted to grade and hadn't shown yet. Why grade? The standard Chromes in this release weren't always the cleanest for the stock -- and especially for the cutting -- but this one did look to be quite sharp so I sent it in back when he returned with in-arena Fun House characters and had the whole world in his hands as he brought a new odd twist to the WWE world beyond his earlier days. Thus one is not a pure Rookie Card but it does have a RC logo since it was his first wave of cards as Wyatt and on the main roster of WWE vs. Harris and a member of NXT. (The previous card was in the base set, though, so that one is a RC.)
The Grade: CSG 9.5

Reality Check: I didn't mind the grade here as these can be hit and miss, but I know this one wasn't going to grade out poorly -- just a matter of how well. All three copies of this one have checked in here. I suspect a lot of fans will be revisiting their cards to see what memories of this star they revive. I went through mine and found one rarity I liked that I pulled from a pack ... I'll probably grade it, too, at some point.

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AN ALL-TIME FAVORITE ...
The Card: Joe Namath 2005 Topps All-American Retired Edition
The Reason Graded: This retro brand is easily among my all-time favorites for football releases not made by Pro Set in its original run and that's because it's a modern take on the landmark 1955 Topps All-American set but with newer printing technology and stock and with legends of more recent times showcased in their school colors. Some of the touches -- like that helmet logo -- are still straight out of 1955 while the other inclusions in this one -- Chrome and autographs -- make this a tough box to find in any form. I killed a lot of blasters back then ... meanwhile the only eBay presence for this one is a 24-pack display box for $775. It's not that good and fresh pulls won't grade perfect as the stock and packaging of this era always means something wrong if you ask me. (Chrome parallels do make some people do crazy things and there are eBay prices to show for that.)
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: The photo here is an iconic one from his Crimson Tide days but it's been colorized and that reddish-pink border is just so perfect to me. I don't recall if I ever landed any of the Chromes -- I'm sure I have one or two but not all -- but if they're anywhere close to clean I probably need to slab them to just go with this one. It's that high on my list of favorites ... and it's not that expensive. The challenge is just finding them ... and the soft stock isn't always that friendly.

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APPEAL OF SIMPLICITY
The Card: Tua Tagovailoa 2020 Panini Chronicles NFL Luminance -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: This was part of a small lot of similar slabs for this former Alabama star and the price was too low to pass up. I always have liked the general photo-centric feel of Luminance, too, though the standalone set was too pricey for me to rip into boxes. In Chronicles, though, it's a fun inclusion among many potential finds.
The Grade: CSG 9.5 (now 10)

Reality Check: This card was slabbed heavily by pandemic-era flippers -- you can see it in that volume for sure -- and almost all of them checked in at this grade ... one reason why it wasn't all that pricey. Works for me as a collector. Same for the next one.

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DONE DIRT CHEAP
The Card: Jonathan Taylor 2020 Panini Chronicles Gridiron Kings -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: Nines are fine by me as a buyer -- and this one was less than $6 and that works even better considering his NFL career so far. What will happen this year? That remains unclear -- it's looking pretty rocky -- but that's business and there have been other Colts players to do well and have controversial moments or injuries to cloud things before getting back on track. At my price, I'm not sweating all that.
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: I was a little surprised to see the volume lower here but then again he's not a QB ... and this stock seems softer when it comes to the corners or other issues as the surface texture is, I believe, achieved by a roller over the surface before it's glossed. My gut says that's one reason the corners and cuts can be issues sometimes. This one is pretty clean for a nine.

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FEELING THE BLUE
The Card: Ruby Riott 2018 Topps WWE Then Now Forever (Series 2) Blue Autographs (/50)
The Reason Graded: I don't typically grade a ton of autograph cards -- I don't like disappointing grades when it comes to hits -- but I sent in a handful of them in bulk subs and this one made the cut, though as the green label indicates it wasn't recently. As she was moving to AEW, I bought into the increasing discussions around this veteran -- I've alway picked up some of her stuff here and there -- and this one made the cut with others. Why? It's from a set and color I specifically like and have graded few times. so that comes into play as to why she made the sub, too.
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: The stock on these is super-skinny, so those corners and edges can be problems and since those autos are (I believe) applied by hand sometimes surface issues can arise, too, from that extra step of handling before they're packed out. This one wasn't going to be perfect but it looked tight ... and I still think it looks better than a nine. I'll survive.

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ODDBALL BUY
The Card: Carmen Electra 2005-06 Topps Bazooka NBA -- basketball "Rookie Card" at best
The Reason Bought: This was a cheap slab (about $10) and when I saw it was the highest-graded of only two that actually was another reason I bit -- the skinny retro stock here is not all that friendly and finding boxes from these years for NBA ain't happening ... so I think topping this might not be that easy. So, what's the deal here? Well, for a couple years Topps dabbled with adding a celebrity presence with a few actors, models and musicians popping up in its NBA sets as base cards, inserts, autographs and Relics. Why? (Why not?) I'm sure it was just partly a reaction to Donruss Fans Of The Game autos around this time and a precursor to stuff like Americana and Allen & Ginter that showed people often like ink and cards from all over the place ... if they can find it somewhere familiar.
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: The centering on these is always going to look off -- the bottom border is bigger than the top for some Bazooka-ish reason -- but this one is a smidge off the other way, too, and might have some minor corner or back edge issues. I grabbed it despite all that since it still looks really clean for a nine and, like I said, I don't see a lot more to compete with it. Now, for that RC statement? Not so fast ... she's got 1990s cards from the non-sports realm.

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THE RIGHT COLOR ... BACK THEN
The Card: Corey Seager 2016 Topps Chrome Blue Refractors (/150) -- Rookie Card parallel
The Reason Graded: I pulled this one from a box eons ago -- and graded it awhile back, too, based on that green slab -- but it's held up as a decent little card despite cashing out his Dodger blues for some Texas green (and blue). It's a solid card raw -- and better slabbed -- but since he has autos in the same release with rainbows this version will always have a ceiling. Despite that, I decided to slab it after giving it a once-over and seeing no issues.
The Grade: CSG 9.5 (now 10)

Reality Check: It checked in and it checked in well ... what's surprising is that it's the only one. He's arguably on pace for one of the better seasons of his career and is a batting title candidate, too, but trading Los Angeles for Texas ain't all that when it comes to cardboard I guess.

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ROOKIE CARD FILLER
The Card: Yoelqui Cespedes 2021 Bowman's Best -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: I picked up this RC for just $4 ... kind of a pocket change kind of slab as he's still in the minors and, well, the numbers aren't really there to go higher. But ... just in case something odd were to happen ... I figured I'd grab one. (At worst, cheap filler ... and here we are in a deep filler spot.) He's the younger half-brother of Yoenis Cespedes who had his moments in MLB until he was done. What does baseball have in store for both of them? Potentially not that much ... but that's why this one is batting this low in the lineup this time.
The Grade: CSG 9.5 (now 10)

Reality Check: Almost all copies here check in at the top grade ... odd but not that odd since it's Chrome.

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FILLING OUT THE LINEUP
The Card: Fernando Tatis Jr. 2019 Bowman's Best Refractors -- Rookie Card parallel
The Reason Graded: I pulled this and liked how this looked nice enough to send in for grading long ago ... then all that other stuff and then that other stuff and some other stuff happened. Now, a card like this may not matter as much. So ... more late filler since baseball season is winding down.
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: The nine was a bummer here as I thought it looked good ... but I bet others had that same reaction after seeing these stats. I bet there's one thing here that is consistently caught and lowers the grade. Maybe there's some kind of surface mark from equipment that tweaks a lot of these cards? It wouldn't surprise me that much.

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END OF THE LINE?
The Card: Wander Franco 2022 Topps Gypsy Queen
The Reason Bought: I'm not sure I bought more than a single blaster of this brand last year -- that was fine by me without minis -- but the quirks of the design here are interesting and something that I wish had arisen years ago when I was more into the brand. At present market prices, it's just not that good ... but I am sure there are things in it that resonate with many others. In this case, I picked up this card back in June as it was priced for about as much as a hanger pack -- and that worked for the grade for sure. Now? We'll see ... probably not good.
The Grade: CSG 10

Reality Check: It's not a RC thanks to the checklist errors in 2021 Bowman's Best and Bowman Heritage but all that debate, controversy and so on may be moot. This is one of only a handful of his cards -- oddball and quirky cheap stuff -- I might have chased so I'm not worried about whether his MB career may be over ... unlike a lot of big speculating flipper types.

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