Brian Deegan
Buzz Buys: LeBron long ago, Moonlight Graham, Re-Pete's Rookie Card, Hailie Deegan's dad, Chipper's Braves debut, Krazy George and ... a washing machine gets a baseball card?
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 there are a dozen weird, cheap or interesting cards.
--
BEFORE THE NBA CAREER ...
The Card: LeBron James 2003 Sports Illustrated For Kids #264 (BGS 9)
The Price: $11
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: There was a time when this was a popular card in the hobby -- maybe not Tiger Woods SI For Kids big, but popular. What is it? It's a card pulled from a perforated sheet in an issue of the kids' magazine, something it has done since the 1980s, showcasing countless big-name athletes and many others who don't have much -- or any -- cardboard. Everybody knows how much hype there was for James back then -- and his first cardboard from SAGE was huge -- but this one was one of only a few options until his NBA cardboard arrival on Rookie Cards (and plenty more) on 2003-04 releases. Ultimately all those early cards don't command as much interest as NBA stuff, but I liked the look and price on this one for a slab -- especially when you consider higher-graded cards can push $50-100 and 10s can be quite big at auction even today ... at least for a card found in a magazine.
Grab a box right here: No boxes for this one ... click here for NBA boxesKeep reading for five more interesting items ...
Hailie Deegan driving big card sales in NASCAR at age 17
She just turned 17 last month, but she's out-selling many of the guys when it comes to NASCAR cards.
Her name is Hailie Deegan, and she's a NASCAR newcomer who is the daughter of a racer and motocross rider (one among the most-successful X Games competitors ever) and her card appearances in Panini America's first three racing sets this year are in relatively big demand.
Deegan is in her debut season as part of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series and has a handful of top-five finishes so far this season in 14 races -- generating enough fan interest that the 2018 Donruss Next In Line Cracked Ice insert above, a relatively standard card limited to 999 copies, sold on eBay for $27.95. (Boxes don't cost much more than that.)
But her first autographs are generating even more interest.
2 Item(s)