Fred Cox

Making the Grade (May): One-of-a-kind cards, CSG & SGC, vintage appeal, NFL busts, HOF jerseys and ... a sample slab?
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 ... a mix of buys/submissions over the last few months.
MY RAINBOW IS COMPLETE ... I THINK
The Card: Nick Swisher 2015 Panini Prizm USA Baseball Black Finite Prizms #6 (1/1)
The Reason Bought: So, Buzz hasn't gotten his hands on as much wax as normal out there in the retail wild these days -- I'm just not camping out at 5 a.m. -- so that's actually been a good thing for when rarer cards present themselves. One example is this 1/1 card that popped up slabbed recently and I grabbed it because I think it completes my rainbow (I'm not organized enough yet to know for sure but I'm 99-percent sure) and, more importantly, it's one of a few instances where I own game-used memorabilia seen on a card. That jersey? It's in my stash ... though he didn't play a lot that summer. (The No. 11 jersey was sold via Hunt Auctions in a bulk lot of USA stuff from several years in several groups long ago and I found it a few years after that.) Oddly enough, there's a decent chance that this card cost me around the same amount as the jersey ... actually, the jersey might have been cheaper.
The Grade: BGS 9.5

Grade 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 B10 Total
Population 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
Reality Check: It's the only card that's in existence so the pop report shows that and won't ever change. What I'm not sure of is whether any of the autographed cards for him on the checklist from this release were ever actually made -- or are they might all be out there in a box or two mis-packed. Not one has ever surfaced. (You never know.)
Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.
Continue reading →

This entry was posted in Baseball, Football, Making the Grade, Vintage and tagged 1975 Topps Mini, 2015 Panini Prizm, BGS, College football, Fleer, MLB, NFL, Nick Swisher, Panini America, PSA, Topps, USA Baseball, 1995 Superior Pix, Austin Riley, Juan Marichal, Kurt Warner, NFL Draft, Oscar Gamble, Ozzie Albies, Ryan Leaf, SGC, Vintage, 2018 Topps Chrome, Tua Tagovailoa, 1998 Bowman Chrome, Sherman Williams, 2019 Topps Holiday, 2020 Panini Chronicles, 1971 Topps proof, CSG, 2002 Fleer Fall Classics, Superior Pix, 1999 Leaf Rookies & Stars, Earl McCullouch, Fred Cox on May 1, 2021 by BlowoutBuzz.

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WHAT'S BUZZING ...

What's new? See all of our First Buzz previews by clicking above.

Making The Grade: What Buzz slabbed or grabbed each month is here.

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Buzz Buys: Buzz shows off new pick-ups and tells us why he likes them.

Book it, Buzz: Collect autographs on a budget? Check out this monthly series about autographed books.

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Ticket Stud or Ticket Dud? Collecting tickets on the cheap in this regular series.

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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