Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...

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BOOK IT, BARRYMORE!
The Card: Drew Barrymore 2024 Leaf History Book Pop Culture Edition Chapter 1 A-List Magazine Purple Autographs (/10)
The Price: A lot less than some others have paid for her booklets
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I'm not a big fan of how her abbreviated autograph looks on a sticker -- but since she has a long name I understand why she signs that way -- but I do casually collect some of her stuff, mostly 1990s-on (like in this photo), when it presents itself. Why? Just for something different ... so that's why we're here. Until Leaf's recent signing sessions with her, she's never had a certified autograph despite a lifetime on film and on cardboard since the early 1980s starting with Topps' E.T. set. Rather than obsess about her ink, I waited out a good price on this booklet and crossed it off the list. It's an unusual design -- not the typical kind of book -- but prices on her signed stuff have been steep with a lot of them being lower-volume cards. Many of her autos -- even solo ones -- can sell for $100 and up and combo booklets can be even steeper. I found this for less than that ... so it was a win for me.
Grab a box right here: Non-sports cards are here.

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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 9

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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The biggest weekend in pro wrestling is here with WrestleMania 37 set for Saturday and Sunday from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. We'll make today a big day for wrestling collectors right here on The Buzz with #BuzzMania4, a series of WWE wax box/pack breaks.

This is Hour 11 ... some older cheap retail repacks that have potential to surprise with older packs if you have some luck.

The boxes: A trio of WWE repacks on the site right now at the link below
Where to buy: Click here

What's inside this one? Keep reading ...

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Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals just might be to rip fewer blasters this year 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. Would they capture yours? I'd be interested to know -- sometimes they might, sometimes they won't and that's fine. It's a buyer's market out there with plenty of options and bargains as well as high-end gems to chase.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... and this time around it's a baker's dozen (that doesn't include Mayfield ... this time).

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A MARIS WITH A TWIST?
The Card: Roger Maris 2018 Panini National Treasures Game Gear Duals (/49)
The Price: $30
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I sprung for this card at a slightly higher price than I might normally do for a Maris memorabilia card because of the small sliver of a red patch that caught my eye but remained a mystery. The New York Yankees weren't known for a lot of patches on their uniforms, let alone any red ones, but perhaps this one came from a sleeve? After buying and then doing some homework, I think the pinstripes led me astray. After receiving the card, I remembered an errant comment I heard years ago -- a rumor about Panini looking at a Cleveland Indians jersey at auction -- and I simply Googled "Roger Maris game-used jersey auction" and found a visual that perhaps answered my pinstripe mystery. Then a couple of cross-searches led me here.The Indians wore pinstripes for a time and it was a time when Maris was there. The colors match and the fabric consistency looks to be right, too. Could this be a sliver of a sleeve patch? We don't get a good view there, but it could be. It could also be something from the Kansas City A's though I couldn't find any info on them wearing pinstripes while Maris was there. It's not definitive -- and it still could be a sleeve patch from a Yankees jersey -- but I think I'm comfortable with my newest Maris patch (barely) card.
Grab a box right here: National Treasures boxes (all sports)

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