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 ... another super-sized edition with some new inclusions like comic books and magazines.

FRESH OFF THE TRUCK
The Book: Captain Britain No. 1 (1976 Marvel UK magazine, with mask) -- first appearance of the character
The Reason Graded: This one arrived back in my hands from CGC on Sunday, so I'll have it lead off here as it's as fresh as it gets in my stash of slabs -- and it actually presents a question for people familiar with pressing. (Help a newb out!) First, the back story ... I picked this up probably 30 years ago via Mile High Comics for more than I would have normally spent back then -- probably around $20 -- for a NM-MT copy. For all these years, it was in its magazine bag with one of their old round condition stickers still attached before I recently decided to dig it out for slabbing. Why? It's obscure -- it's a newsprint-style, magazine-size book released only in the UK -- and it's pricey when it's in elite grade. (We'll get to that.) This debuting character is one that had evolved a lot by the time I had gotten into comics (around 1990) and he was the leader of the British X-Men group, Excalibur, which launched as a standalone title in 1988. As part of collecting key issues and artist favorites back then, I tracked down this debut that was mentioned on the back of his 1990 Impel Marvel Universe card. (That set is what drew me into comics.) I knew this copy wasn't perfect, but it was close and I figured it was best to get it slabbed despite some paper-texture funk (the vertical black lines in white areas around the nameplate and corner box). I assumed some of that might lighten up as part of CGC's pressing/cleaning process. If it helped at all, I had figured it might get it closer to one of those top grades.
The Grade: CGC 9.4 (Universal)

Click for a closer look

Reality Check: This one checked in lower than I had hoped for as I had thought a 9.6 might be realistic -- but the only dramatic difference here vs. higher marks is the dollar signs and probably some of that funk. (My back cover wasn't as clean as I remembered so my gut feeling may be moot.) A 9.8 copy of this has topped $5,000 on eBay while ones in my condition have been around $1,500 ... so it's still a good slab. (I'm sitting on it like everything else in my stash.) ... Here's where I can use some help from the pressers/slabbers out there, though. It seems like pressing may have actually added to the funk or emphasized it in spots. Some of the white areas definitely have more of that showing now, not less, particularly around the right side of the No. 1 box and the "free inside" mask circle where there's plenty of white paper. It's absolutely the same book (minor pulp spots are there as they were when I sent it) but I was surprised by the paper texture seemingly being emphasized (or not as clean) after pressing. (Click on the image above right -- ignore the color difference as that is likely due to my photography skills.) You can see more dark spots/texture of the paper visible -- perhaps it's from ink on the inside page showing through? I assume I'm not the first to press one of these -- or that they wouldn't press these if it would make its condition worse. I didn't have this on my mental list of outcomes, and naturally, I wondered whether this dropped me a grade and it will always bug me now. Perhaps this happened because the cover is newsprint and not white paper? The time it takes for pressing has had me not doing that on nearly all other submissions but this one -- my first sub I had pressed -- left me wondering if it helped at all. (If I could do this one all over again ... I would not have.) By the way, the color you see peeking out the right side? That's a perfect mask tucked inside the issue just like the cover promises from almost 50 years ago. All in all, I'm glad I graded this one and I think it's the priciest comic book in my stash ... but it definitely prompted some questions.

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

Continue reading →

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 ...

PLAYING KETCHUP ... ERR, CATCH-UP
The Card: Patrick Mahomes 2017 Panini #104 -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: I've had all of my rookie-year Mahomes cards sitting in a "perhaps-grade" stack for some time and this is the first of them from my stash to head down to Florida for a slab from the new company on the block for sports cards. I think most of my bigger Mahomes RCs were slabbed long ago (see one here), but I'm playing catch-up on the other ones now. This is a relatively clean card from a lower-end retail-only brand that is definitely worth the slab -- raw cards are around a couple-hundred but Gem Mint cards can push or even top the $1,000 mark on eBay. I'll take the equivalent from what is looking like a strict grader.
The Grade: CSG 9.5

Reality Check: The pop report is still to come* from CSG -- they say it's in the works -- but I knew this one looked good enough to slab now and I was right. The paper stock here from this basic brand is definitely chippy (more on the backs) and those corners could easily get a lift or nick in packaging but this one checked out as a 9.5 ... not bad for what was probably from a bargain-bin blaster. CSG grades pretty tough from what I have seen so far, so a 9.5 felt good.

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

Continue reading →

The author of one of the most-dominating seasons in Dodgers history will be doing a little more writing soon.

He's former Brooklyn Dodgers ace Don Newcombe and he's got a public autograph signing set for March 4 at Cardboard Legends in Van Nuys, Calif.

In 1956, he went 27-7 with a 3.06 ERA en route to MVP and Cy Young award honors -- and that was the year after he helped Brooklyn to a World Series title, downing the New York Yankees in seven games. He made his big-league debut back in 1949 at age 23, going 17-8 with a 3.17 ERA before he was named the NL Rookie of the Year. He retired after the 1960 season with a 149-90 record and a 3.56 ERA.

Continue reading →

A Pro Football Hall of Famer known for plenty of production during a legendary career, never winning the big one and being the subject of an iconic piece of American sports photography has died.

He's NFL and LSU legend Y.A. Tittle. He was 90 years old.

When he retired at age 38 in 1962 after a 17-year career with the Colts, 49ers and Giants, he was the NFL's career leader in passing touchdowns and yards. The two-time MVP racked up more than 33,000 yards and 242 touchdowns -- marks that still rank 35th and 25th in league history despite massive changes in the game since then. His 36 touchdown passes in 1963 were a league record until it was topped by Dan Marino in 1984.

Continue reading →