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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MORE LIKE TOPANGA NOW
The Cards: Danielle Fishel 2023 Topps Now 10-pack (/4,993)
The Price: Bundle price from Topps
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is among the newer pick-ups for me from Topps this year -- there have not been that many, really -- but the novelty of this one got me to bite on some Topps Now hoping for maybe landing a parallel and something that might draw an elite grade. I got nothing on the parallel front and, well, maybe one of this 10 might be slab-worthy at some point ... but this one was not cleanly made (at least in my batch) with some corner issues and surface spots (lower left side most often). That made this not as fun as I had hoped but I did it anyway as I missed on the auto packs that were reasonably priced -- I would have bought one had I not missed the drop -- and those who have landed unsigned parallels are asking prices that are even higher than what ink cost ... so this one's novelty appeal is strong -- for now. Hopefully, more unusual cards will show up among Topps Now offerings in the coming weeks and months. Novelty Now will get my attention as stuff that's different and unique will have more appeal in the long-term than some might think. I still think a single auto (or maybe a low-volume auto parallel) mixed into regular Topps Now orders could draw more buys, too.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one but MLB boxes 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 ...

A STRATUSFYING TEST?
The Tape: Trish Stratus 100% Stratusfaction Guaranteed (WWE, 2003)
The Reason Graded: There's a lot of talk about "alternative assets" in recent years and to a part of that audience trading cards are included. For those of us who work, live and breathe in the cardboard realm and have for a long time, it's perhaps more common sense and cards aren't necessarily an "alternative" or even an "asset." (It's a hobby for me.) But, grading of other items -- everyday stuff like magazines, video games, movies and toys -- that were used and in some ways shouldn't exist in their original form now might feel more that way. (They do to me.) I write about what I like, but this is a scenario where I dipped into a different realm of grading -- basically just to go through the process and see if I like it and then say that I did it once -- and I chose something that ties back into my collection as a whole. (That's wrestling.) Sealed VHS, video games and the like clearly have their audiences and demand is there for some things. There are some interesting sale prices out there for VHS -- everything from blockbusters from the late-1970s and early 1980s up to the oddball/culty stuff of the early 2000s before DVDs won the battle and stuff that you'd think wasn't even on VHS. Why is it a thing? Well, most stuff got used ... not saved, sealed and left untouched. (Sounds like baseball cards way back in the day, right?) With some steep discounts around the holidays here for grading fees, I grabbed this tape unopened and submitted it. VHS grading isn't cheap so doing them in serious bulk like cards ain't happening, which limits the volume available (for now) and the markets some, but this tape is one I felt comfortable with as a test. Why?The front cover is well-designed with a WWE icon and Hall of Famer front and center and having that visual appeal to start is one of the keys to demand if the grade doesn't work out.
The Grade: Beckett VHS 8.0 (Seal: A)

Reality Check: There's no posted pop report -- so this is a guess* -- and there's also not a posted grading scale yet, either, but I'll say this result bummed me out a bit. There were no substantial damage here other than a couple very minor things on one back edge of the box (where the ink was dark) so I had visions of a higher grade. But, it is what it is. My sub-grades came back 8.0 on corners, 7.5 on edges, 8.5 on flaps and 8.5 on gloss ... so the obvious flaw I knew about hurt the most. But, if we're talking about a 10-point scale, well, this piece, to me, doesn't feel closer to average or lesser. (I've seen some mangled VHS and DVD covers that were thrown around bargain bins where corners demolished surfaces ... those are lesser.) But, like I said, there's no posted scale to know what kinds of defects affect things here or there and no real cautions of what to look for. So, I did this as a test ... no regrets. Will I do it again? Probably not at present costs (I was in and out in a month, though) or without a scale to educate myself ... but, if I were to find a sealed clean and impressive copy of a couple of favorites from the past then maybe. Also, I'd be more inclined to do a different but related direction -- I think sealed DVDs and Blu-ray could actually be more popular as slabbed entities as it's way easier to find them sealed and they can have the same kind of appeal with modern packaging/designs. Plus they are smaller and lighter, too, making them easier to store and display. All in all, I like this piece and came up a bit short of what I thought it would grade at ... but it was still moderately Stratusfying.

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

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