Charlie Dempsey
Buzz Buys (March): Going high-end with Ichiro, Bear Bryant, Barrymore & chasing down oddballs with fun slab potential
Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...
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LEGENDARY INK
The Card: Ichiro Suzuki autographed 2001 Topps Rookie Card (BAS 10 auto)
The Price: Not as much as you might think ... but also not that cheap.
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Clean copies of this iconic Topps flagship Rookie Card are not easy finds in general with the boxes and sets likely bricked now if they remain unopened -- that means the gloss will be snowy if you're lucky to peel the cards apart at all -- and then the dark green border and high-gloss on soft stock here is always going to be problematic. When I spotted this card among many where Suzuki has signed for literally years (Mill Creek Sports) without a premium price, I bit on this just before his Hall of Fame results hit. (We all knew he was going in ... but I didn't know if his prices were going to rise.) This copy is super clean vs. many cards out there with some very light roughness on maybe one edge and a light touch on the bottom-left corner ... but some of what's seen in my photo is just how the light is reflecting. I generally don't do a ton of bigger buys for my collection, but this one's cost wasn't that much more than some of the hot and plentiful new release hobby boxes. I went with a safe and iconic bet for my (for me) premium spend and went with the sure thing on an iconic card for a living legend. I pulled his ink once from an unlicensed release -- and it was in one of my earliest Making The Grade posts here -- but a signed RC means I'll likely never need to sweat his stuff again. (Might window shop, though, or bite if price is right for a nice certified.) One more fun part of my card? If that label had a simple added line of Beckett/Fanatics witnessed instead of signed for Mill Creek and then slabbed, the price likely would be double what I paid. I wouldn't pay that -- and this one is a win in my book.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but MLB cards are here.Keep reading for more interesting items ...
Buzz Break: 2024 Panini Select WWE wrestling cards (blaster)
From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and post the results here. Like this and want to see more? Or maybe there's a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.
The box: 2024 Panini Select WWE wrestling cards (blaster)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.comKeep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.
Buzz Break: 2022 Panini WWE NXT cards (blaster case)
From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and break down the results here. Like this and want to see more -- or maybe there's a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.
The case: 2022 Panini WWE NXT wrestling cards (20 blaster boxes)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
Keep reading to see a full breakdown and gallery for this one.
Buzz Break: 2022 Panini WWE NXT wrestling cards (hobby box)
From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and break down the results here. Like this and want to see more -- or maybe there's a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.
The box: 2022 Panini WWE NXT wrestling cards (hobby box)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for blaster boxes & cases)
Keep reading to see a full breakdown and gallery for this one.
BuzzMania 7: Opening With ... NXT Sealed Case Chaos! (Hour 1)
The biggest weekend in pro wrestling is here with WrestleMania 40 set for this Saturday and Sunday from Philadelphia. We'll make today a big one for wrestling collectors right here on The Buzz with #BuzzMania7, a marathon of WWE wax box/pack breaks all day long.
This one is a sometimes erratic one when it comes to blasters, but I wouldn't have it any other way when the price is this right. What makes it erratic? The hits don't seem as regular in this format -- cases can run hot or cold -- but it's a release so packed with young stars on real RCs that cheap stockpiling of this one is fun. And this case? It brought some weird to it, too ... so weird that this one opens the show this year.
The Brand: 2022 Panini NXT (20-box blaster case)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
What's inside this one? Keep reading ...
Buzz Break: 2022 Panini WWE NXT cards (four blasters)
From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and break down the results here. Like this and want to see more -- or maybe there's a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.
The box: 2022 Panini WWE NXT wrestling cards (four blasters)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby or blaster cases)
Keep reading to see a full breakdown and gallery for this one.
Buzz Buys: My usual suspects ... Shotzi, Bo Bichette, X-Men & more with some other surprises (Bjergen Kjergen, anyone?)
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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THE PERFECT EARLIER SIG
The Card: Shotzi Blackheart 2020 Topps WWE NXT Roster Blue Autographs (/50)
The Price: Less than a box these days
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: If you're a regular reader, then you know this set and this auto -- in all colors -- is high on my radar and that's why I grabbed this super-clean copy with an eye on grading. It's not totally perfect but I'm fine with that as the core reason I bit here was how clean this sig is with her original WWE ink, not the shortened one that has come about on her cards since this earlier signing. (It's not quite her pre-WWE auto, which is more of a puffy almost "tagging" writing style with big curves and loops on all letters.) A quicker auto happens for many signers as they ink more and more stuff and some styles just won't come back -- so that's another reason this one is a favorite ... plus, not that many of her WWE cards have this auto.
Grab a box right here: None for this one ... but WWE boxes are hereKeep reading for more interesting items ...
Buzz Break: 2023 Panini Select WWE wrestling cards (blaster)
From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and post the results here. Like this and want to see more? Or maybe there's a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.
The box: 2023 Panini Select WWE wrestling cards (blaster)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.
BuzzMania 6: Showcasing The NXT Newcomer (Hour 2)
The biggest weekend in pro wrestling is here with WrestleMania 39 set for this Saturday and Sunday from Los Angeles. We'll make today a big one for wrestling collectors right here on The Buzz with #BuzzMania6, a marathon of WWE wax box/pack breaks all day long.
This second break of the day is one that many might have overlooked this year but the kids of NXT are strong in this one and elsewhere in 2022.
The Brand: 2022 Panini NXT (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (hobby boxes & cases)
What's inside this one? Keep reading ...
9 Item(s)