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Captain James T. Kirk

Captain James T. Kirk

Making the Grade (January): Dan Marino, Big Mac, Bo Bichette, Alice Eve, botched cardboard, vintage and ... El Generico?
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 ...
WORKS FOR ME
The Card: Dan Marino 1984 Topps #123 -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: I never really aspired to own a Dan Marino RC -- or a number of other notables from the past -- but this one presented itself on the cheaper side of things for this card (about $135) and considering how this one looks I grabbed it. Why? Go window-shopping for these cards raw -- it can be depressing to see how sloppy the printing and cutting can be for this set. (Want more proof of extreme possibilites? Click here.)
The Grade: BGS 9

Grade 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 B10 Total
Population 238 415 649 1,156 1,518 1,883 1,617 628 347 68 0 8,864
Reality Check: I knew this was a strong grade for this card but I didn't look at the pop report for this heavily graded and iconic Hall of Famer RC. Just 415 check in at a higher mark out of nearly 9,000 graded -- less than 5 percent of the total grade higher -- and this one accounts for just seven percent of the total population for this card. My card isn't perfect -- there's a minor couple of spots in the black border line above "Dan" and some very, very minor specs here and there on the edges but at a glance there are not massive differences here vs. higher grades ... other than the fact that a BGS 10 copy of this card has sold on eBay for more than $4,500. I'll take mine all day long -- and getting a nine here is tough as it is.
Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.
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This entry was posted in Baseball, Football, Movies, Non-sports, Pro Wrestling, Errors & Variations, Making the Grade, Vintage and tagged 2015 Bowman Chrome, Atlanta Braves, BGS, Boston Red Sox, Ken Griffey Jr., Mark McGwire, MiLB, MLB, NFL, PSA, Star Trek, Topps, Toronto Blue Jays, WWE, Alice Eve, Bo Bichette, Cincinnati Reds, Errors & Variations, Impel, Miami Dolphins, NWA, Oakland A's, Ozzie Albies, Philadelphia Eagles, Sami Zayn, SGC, Sting, WCW, 1971 Topps, Carol Marcus, 1991 Impel WCW, 2014 Star Trek Movies trading cards, 2018 Topps Heritage Minor League, 1977 Topps, 1989 Topps Auction, New Hampshire Fisher Cats, 1989 Topps Auction blank-back proof, 1984 Topps Dan Marino, 1987 Fleer Update, El Generico, 2010-13 Missouri Wrestling Revival, Gary Pettigrew, 2000 Upper Deck Ovation, Butch Hobson, Captain James T. Kirk on January 1, 2021 by BlowoutBuzz.

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NEW RELEASES

Baseball (all dates subject to change)
Oct. 1 - 2025 Panini Three & Two
Oct. 1 - 2025 TRISTAR H.T. Gr. Slam
Oct. 8 - 2025 Bowman Chrome Mega
Oct. 22 - 2025 Topps Diamond Icons
Oct. 22 - 2025 Topps Holiday
Oct. 23 - 2025 Pulse Series 2 Retail
Oct. 24 - 2025 Leaf Lumber
Oct. 30 - 2025 Onyx Vintage Extended
Oct. 31 - 2025 Leaf A Bronx Legacy
Oct. TBD - 2025 Leaf Vivid
Oct. TBD - 2025 Pulse All Star
Oct. TBD - 2025 Pulse DSE
Oct. TBD - 2025 Pulse Foundry
Oct. TBD - 2024 Pulse Lumin HSE
Oct. TBD - 2025 Pulse Stratos HHS
Oct. TBD - 2024 Wild Card 5 Card SD
Oct. TBD - 2024 Wild Card Splat

Basketball
Oct. 16 - 2025 Donruss WNBA
Oct. TBD - 2024-25 Prizm Black

Football
Oct. 1 - 2025 Leaf Vivid
Oct. 8 - 2025 Panini Black
Oct. 9 - 2024 Panini Flawless
Oct. 10 - 2025 Panini Certified
Oct. 10 - 2025 Donruss Hobby Tin
Oct. 10 - 2025 TRISTAR H.T. Minis PSE
Oct. 15 - 2025 Panini Impeccable
Oct. 16 - 2024 Panini Eminence
Oct. 17 - 2025 TRISTAR H.T. Jerseys 2
Oct. 22 - 2025 Panini Absolute
Oct. 23 - 2025 Pulse Retail 2
Oct. 24 - 2025 Panini Mosaic
Oct. 29 - 2025 Panini Phoenix
Oct. 31 - 2025 Panini Prizm Draft
Oct. TBD - 2025 Pulse Foundry HSE
Oct. TBD - 2025 Pulse Meridian HSE
Oct. TBD - 2025 Pulse Stratos HSE
Oct. TBD - 2024 TruMystery Chips
Oct. TBD - 2025 Wild Card Comix R&L
Oct. TBD - 2025 Wild Card Metallix PD

Hockey
Oct. 8 - 2024-25 Ultimate Collection
Oct. 15 - 2025-26 UD Series 1
Oct. 29 - 2024-25 UD Premier
Oct. TBD - 2024-25 Engrained Icons

Other/Multi-sports
Oct. 1 - 2025 Topps Triumphant Tennis
Oct. 3 - 2025 Leaf Metal Halloween
Oct. 3 - 2025 Panini Absolute K League
Oct. 3 - 2025 Panini Turn Four Racing
Oct. 3 - 2025 Wild Card Haunted Hits
Oct. 6 - 2025 Futera World Unique 21
Oct. 10 - 2025 Leaf History Book SE 2
Oct. 15 - 2025 S.B. Supercharged 2
Oct. 17 - 2024-25 Panini Noir Soccer
Oct. 17 - 2025 Topps UFC Knockout
Oct. 22 - 2025 Panini Impeccable LIV
Oct. 24 - 2025 Panini Prizm NASCAR
Oct. 29 - 2025 Panini Combat Anth.
Oct. TBD - 2025 AEW SP Game Used

Non-sports
Oct. 1 - Topps Chrome Spongebob
Oct. 9 - Keepsake Invincible S1P
Oct. 10 - Topps Chrome Dune
Oct. 15 - Historic Autos 15th
Oct. 15 - Historic Autos WWII
Oct. 15 - Topps Disney Wonder
Oct. 17 - Pieces of Past Royalty
Oct. 30 - Decision Color Cut SE
Oct. TBD - Keepsake Bob Marley
Oct. TBD - Pieces of Past Asia

Gaming
Oct. 10 - Pokemon ME Build & Battle
Oct. 10 - Pokemon Mega Latias EX
Oct. 10 - Pokemon S&R EX PC
Oct. 10 - Yugioh CD: Fallen & Virtuous
Oct. 24 - Pokemon Trainer's Tool Kit
Oct. 24 - Pokemon Gengar/Diancie
Oct. TBD - Pokemon S&V Pri. Ev. PFC

Click here for future dates.

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