2000 UD Ionix
Collecting Ink (April): Oba Femi, Guns N’ Roses, a mystery sig, fake ink, Tiffy Time’s WrestleMania debut and ... a pizza cutter?

Many people collect autographs -- but not in the same ways -- and not all autographs are made alike. Some are mass-produced, some are in packs. Some are personalized, some are not. Some have all kinds of documentation and many more have none ... here's a look at a few that entered my collection in recent months.
CERTIFIED INK (THIRD-PARTY AUTHENTICATION)
The Items: Oba Femi autographed and inscribed 8-by-10 photos (via High Spots signing with JSA certification)
What It Cost Me: $30 apiece
What's It Worth: Well, business should be heating up with his ‘Mania match
The Buzz: This WWE rookie will be arriving on the biggest stage of them all -- Wrestlemania -- across from Brock Lesnar later this month and given how their first meeting went there could be some shocking things happening in the eyes of those who are just casually tuning in. Poke around in the archives and you’ll find me preaching on Femi for a while now ... and now he’s arriving in one of the biggest possible ways. This pair of autographed photos was a no-brainer to me and a happy accident in a way. I meant to pick off just one of these via a High Spots instant buy but the buying platform glitched and I ended up ordering two. All good with this one this time at that price. He’s going to be a big deal for a while.
Find Ink At: WWE boxes at BlowoutCards.comKeep reading for a few more autos that caught my attention.
Making the Grade (July): Vladdy & Bo rookies, CM Punk's 'Pipe Bomb,' Naomi Osaka, botched cardboard, vintage & a CGC book

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 ...
VG THE MVP (SO FAR)
The Card: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 2019 Topps Stadium Club #301 -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: In my first bulk sub to CSG, which I recently got back -- 80 working days, by the way -- I worked in a few recent-year Rookie Cards just to see how some different kinds of stock are handled by the veteran grading company that has just turned its attention to sports cards starting this year. I sent this in before the season started, of course, but it looks like a smart slab now as Vladdy is demolishing things in MLB and is on pace for a monster season if he keeps at it.
The Grade: CSG 9Grade 5 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 Total Population -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1* -- -- Missing* Reality Check: There's no pop report yet -- they say it's coming* -- but this one comes in at my anticipated mark, though I would have been happy to get a higher one. (You'll see those in the coming months.) This one has some high gloss and somewhat softer stock -- not the easiest grading combo -- but I think it's the backs here that are the key. This one not getting a higher grade made me wonder what might be holding it down -- a deal where I'd want to see subgrades, but not for $10 more. I do think, based on my results, that CSG is grading to a stricter standard (like BGS) vs. others (at least historically until recently) so I'm also OK with cards not checking in at 9.5s or 10s in bulk. My second bulk sub -- hopefully back soon, too -- included more stuff like this.
Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.
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