Ernie Ladd

Making the Grade (Sept.): Some football, plenty of oddball, even more Shotzi, old comic books, perfect slabs & plenty more
Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading ... so here's this month's grading diary.
TOP-GRADE VARIATION
The Card: C.J. Stroud 2021-22 Bowman University Chrome Prospects -- image variation
The Reason Graded: If you poke around in the archives for the Buzz Breaks of this release, you'll likely find a break where I missed this one and just simply called it a Refractor despite it being an image variation (all are Refractors on these). It should have been obvious based on the practice photo vs. game action, but I only spotted it well after the fact -- months, if not years, later -- when going through my old boxes. When I stopped to look, this card looked absolutely flawless and since it's somewhat rarer than the others it's also still a bit pricier for a standard card. (It's no monster but it's definitely better than a few types of Refractors.) Since it was so clean and the NFL season is upon us, I put this one into a bulk submission.
The Grade: CGC 10 (Pristine)

Grade 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 P10 Total
Population 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 4
Reality Check: This card checked in at exactly where I thought it would. Fun find and a win -- and it wasn't even tucked away in a box penny sleeved. The divide between mine and the other copies graded is also an interesting one -- perhaps there's a common flaw on copies due to position on the sheet or from machinery? No idea ...
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, Comics, Football, Movies, Non-sports, Pro Wrestling, Making the Grade, TV, Vintage and tagged Babe Ruth, BenchWarmer, College football, Disney, Marvel Comics, Mickey Mantle, Mike Piazza, MLB, NFL, Panini America, Rocky Bleier, Target, Topps, Walmart, WWE, 1961 Topps, 1964 Topps, 2010 Topps Heritage, 2016 Bowman Draft, Amazing Spider-Man, Bo Bichette, Evangeline Lilly, Jim Lee, Lost, Marilyn Ghigliotti, Roger Maris, X-men, 2011 TRISTAR Obak, U.S. Army, 1992 BenchWarmer, Inkworks, Jeff Anderson, Lisa Spoonauer, Brian O'Halloran, Caitlin Bree, Meijer, Vietnam War, AEW, 2020 Topps, Spencer Torkelson, Shotzi Blackheart, Michael Ynoa, Alicia Rickter, 2021 Bowman's Best, C.J. Stroud, Anna Jay, 2021-22 Bowman University, Tiffany Stratton, 2022 Panini Select WWE, Michael Harris II, Saraya, 2023 Topps Stadium Club, 2022 AEW Metal Universe, Blowout Buzz, 2023 Wrestling Card Collector Series Series 2, 2023 Panini Chronicles WWE, Dante Hicks, The Little Mermaid, 2025 Topps Now WWE, Randal Graves, 2017 Skybox Clerks, 2008 Bowman Draft, Ernie Ladd, Disney's The Little Mermaid Limited Series, Kate Austen, 2005 Inkworks Lost Preview Set, 2022 Upper Deck AEW New Arrivals, 1992 BenchWarmer Series 1, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 2021 Topps Garbage Pail Kids '21 Was The Worst, Veronica Loughran on September 1, 2025 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

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