2009 Bowman Chrome
Buzz Buys: Calvin Ridley, Frank Robinson, Project 70, Mickey Mantle, The Goon, MLB icons & chasing a Toni Storm rainbow
Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals is to rip a little less and talk more about cardboard that I -- and you -- might like. One way to do that? Simple show and tell -- present a few pick-ups and say why they captured my attention.
So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ...
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A RARE ROOKIE CARD PARALLEL
The Card: Calvin Ridley 2018 Donruss Jersey Number parallel (/18) -- Rookie Card parallel
The Price: $37.50
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was more of a premium pick-up for me yet still felt like a steal, too, as this is one of those rarer parallel type of cards where if you pass on one copy you might not see another again as it's a super-rare card in a release with a meaty, multi-format print run -- meaning some of the cards might never be found. It's relatively clean and I also had my eye on it for possible grading but there's a minor wrinkle or surface indent that could get a low mark (maybe). I probably won't risk that but it's no big deal as this one is staying in my school ties part of my stash. It doesn't hurt that he could have an even more dominating kind of season with future Hall of Famer Julio Jones on the move, though.
Grab a box right here: 2018 Donruss NFL (a few formats)Keep reading for more interesting items ...
Making the Grade (August): Vladdy, Acuña, Mickie James, bargain buys, vintage adds & even Cactus Jack's crimson mask
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 ... and this time it's still a few more past pick-ups than usual as my pre-COVID grading submissions are delayed and still in graders' hands.
GOOD AS GOLD?
The Card: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 2019 Topps Update Gold #US1 (/2,019) -- Rookie Card parallel
The Reason Graded: This one looked razor-sharp when I pulled it -- and that wasn't always the easiest thing with the corners for cards in this release. While I might want to slab a few key RCs in this one, I wouldn't unless I think that the corners could be decent enough to get a 9.5 or better. Why? Because a lot of people are grading stuff here so you can let them take the chance at stuff coming back surprisingly low. Meanwhile, because of those corner issues (tight wrappers or chippy stock) a high-grade card is seemingly just not easy in this one -- and Gold parallels can be problematic at times, too, though they were cleaner here than other past years.
The Grade: BGS 9.5Grade 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 B10 Total Population 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 8 68 4 1 84 Reality Check: This card checked in where I had hoped but I'm definitely not alone as nearly all of the cards graded checked in as 9.5s. While the grade is a win, the pop report is a bit of a bummer. Long-term that might not matter as the demand will be there if he lives up to the expectations.
Keep reading for more of this time's recent pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.
Million Dollar Arm's Rinku Singh starts WWE career today
You may be seeing Rinku Singh on cardboard once again.
Back in 2009, he was one of two pitchers signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates out of Lucknow, India, and their stories of how that happened ended up becoming a Disney movie. But today he joins professional wrestling hopefuls under contract at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla.
No, seriously.
Could strong spring mean hot cards for Braves rookie Hector Olivera?
He's already joined the Topps Authentics team as one of the top players on the radar of the company's memorabilia division, but a hot start this spring just might have him on the radar of more collectors soon.
He's Hector Olivera, and he's hit .438 (14-for-32) with just a single strikeout in 11 games this spring for the Atlanta Braves, where he's likely to be in left field on Opening Day.
"We've seen him juice some balls, but we don't know if this guy is going to be a nine-home-run guy or a 15-18 home run guy. We might not know that until later this year," said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "He doesn’t take things for granted. There’s nobody that works harder than him. He’s here early, he works, and as coaches, that’s what you want to see and what he gives us."
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