Dave Dravecky's tale is perhaps a somber one in MLB history, but this story isn't that ... this is one from the very beginning.

And, short of a contract signing bonus -- if there even was one -- this is about something at the absolute start of it all.

The newest piece in my collection wasn't some discovery curated and placed on the block with an auction house marketing team pumping it up to be something more, something beyond what it is. In fact, this was a random find over on eBay of all places where it had been sitting for at least months -- if not longer -- as part of a dealer run. It was simply one of many similar items bought in bulk years ago and I actually even passed over it a few times before some curiosity got me to stop and do some research. That's when I realized what I had found. Is it a monster? Probably not unless you like monster-sized trivia while digging on the cheap ... to be honest that's kinda my thing. Sure, it's not finding Earl Weaver's 1977 gamer at a thrift store or a razor-sharp Walter Payton Rookie Card for a buck at an estate sale ... but what I found seemed interesting to me and I think it might be to you, too.

Dravecky's story, to a degree, is captured on his 1990 Score baseball card above, but that's not where it all ended -- or where it began -- and that's something that got me to stop and look when it seemed unfamiliar on eBay. I first knew Dravecky as a San Francisco Giant and, of course, how his career ended, but his time in baseball didn't start around the arrival of his 1983 Fleer and 1983 Topps Rookie Cards as a San Diego Padre, either. No, no ... that's not the life of a 21st-round draft pick. It was a bit more complicated than that.

Continue reading →

Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today's your day then as we launch 8 in 8 -- a series of a eight breaks of wax boxes and wax packs in as many hours today. We'll post one every hour ... this is Hour 3.

The box: 1993 UD All-Time Heroes of Baseball
The cost: Will vary ... click here for newer MLB boxes

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

Continue reading →

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 ... it's all MLB and WWE this time with a new baseball season under way and it being WrestleMania week.

The Card: 2018 Topps WWE Then Now Forever 25 Years of Raw #RAW28 Mr. McMahon's Limousine Explodes
The Reason Graded: You don't see why? This is one of the greatest cards I've ever seen in any set, and it simply had to lead off here, too. The heat you see on the card is only rivaled by the heat that is this card. (Something like that.) So, what's the story with this? In a June 2007 episode of Raw, WWE Chairman and ultimate on-screen villain Vince McMahon had an unusual evening on the air. At the end of the show he walked through a star-laden backstage area to go to his limo at the end of his "Appreciation Night." He stepped inside, closed the door and at that exact moment it exploded on live TV. (See it happen here and read all about the fallout.) The company was bombarded with phone calls from some members of the public and it even issued a press release that McMahon was, indeed, dead. The company's stock even took a hit (seriously) as part of the story line. Somehow, it took all of these years for this epic moment to make it onto a card.
The Grade: BGS 9.5

Reality Check: I was all over this one the second I saw the checklist and knew I'd own it in a slab. The super-skinny stock and dark edges make it tough to land without a tweaked edge or corner, but mine is the first and it's nearly perfect. (The spot on the right is part of the photo, not a nicked edge.) The only thing better than a near-perfect copy of a card like this would be one signed by VKM himself ... after all, he somehow survived. This card makes me laugh and I laugh even harder with a high-grade copy.

Keep reading for the rest of this month's new grades and additions.

Continue reading →

Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today's your day then as we launch 12 in 12 -- a series of a dozen breaks of wax boxes and wax packs in a dozen hours. We'll post one every hour all day long ... this is Hour 10.

The box: 1990 Score baseball cards
The cost: $9.99 (you can find it for less)

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

Continue reading →