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 ...

THEY'RE BACK ... SOMETIME SOON
The Item: Stranger Things Season 1 Target-exclusive Blu-ray set (2016)
The Reason Bought: How many Netflix series these days get a physical DVD release of any kind? How many get chain store-exclusive variant versions? Not that much of anything TV gets a physical release, really, not at least anywhere near the volumes of the past and that thought, along with the fact that the final season of this franchise is finally dropping sometime this year, got me looking here. I really liked the feel of this DVD set that's made to look like an old 1980s VHS sleeve that's had plenty of wear and tear and I also liked the idea of a graded item with that feel -- one where its actual flaws can blend in well and not stand out as glaring reasons why an item didn't grade higher.
The Grade: CGC 9.4 (A+ seal)

Reality Check: There are definitely other* copies of this one graded, but a pop report doesn't yet appear to be live for CGC Home Video (or it was down when I prepped this) and my number didn't come up on the verification search, either. That's OK for me as slabbed movies and games aren't as high on my radar in slabs as cards and magazines in terms of a "commodity" ... these are more the kind of shelf item with maybe some longer-term potential substance to them. To me they're more of a name-your-price novelty -- and, as an aside, I do like CGC's cases a lot more than others in this realm. This was a relatively cheap addition as well -- less than a lot of retail card boxes -- and over time affordable items can build a collection. One scary part? This is not far away from being 10 years old ... time flies.

Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.

Continue reading →

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 ... 

--

WELCOME TO THE COLLECTION 
The Item: Slash autographed Four (2022) CD cover (PSA/DNA authenticated)
The Price: Less than a jumbo box of flagship cards ...
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is one of my recent additions in the rock autograph realm as, well, that genre can be quite pricey -- too pricey, really -- but the cost was decent here for an autograph of the iconic Guns N' Roses guitarist who's stayed busy with many a project since that band disbanded and then reloaded in recent years. While I'd prefer a signed item showing him -- I have to flip this one over to see an image -- this PSA-slabbed CD cover that was likely among those sold via Newbury Comics back in the day worked for me. It was probably $100 less than it could be at times for a similar slabbed/third-party authenticated item. Meanwhile, it was probably about $50 more than the same thing but without third-party authentication and encapsulation. A signed and authenticated photo can end up around $500 if it looks good (sometimes more, sometimes less) while signed items can soar even higher. Why? Access -- Slash isn't exactly doing signings or conventions -- so the few times he's signed for his own album releases like this in more volume they get gobbled up and become ultimately the entry point (or only addition) for many. Count me right there. I wanted to add Slash to my stash ... but not break the bank.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... hit non-sports on BlowoutCards.com

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

Continue reading →

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 ...

--

THIS SET IS A CLASSIC
The Card: Tua Tagovailoa 2023 Panini Luminance Gold (/250)
The Price: About $5.50
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This set was among many recent NFL releases on the high-end spectrum when it comes to box price, so, well, I'm not ripping it ... but when this one popped up in an online search I did some scrolling and I quickly realized that this set just might be one of the best photo-editing jobs done in all of modern football card history (view a lot of them here). I scouted listings and opted for this clean parallel of a top guy in the NFL this season and this one arrived so clean that there's a very good shot this will end up slabbed and in a future Making The Grade ... that's how much I like this card. The base set is full of strong images. Strong, strong images.
Grab a box right here: Grab a box by clicking here

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

Continue reading →

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 ... 

--

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 here

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

Continue reading →

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 ...

--

MORE LIKE TOPANGA NOW
The Cards: Danielle Fishel 2023 Topps Now 10-pack (/4,993)
The Price: Bundle price from Topps
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is among the newer pick-ups for me from Topps this year -- there have not been that many, really -- but the novelty of this one got me to bite on some Topps Now hoping for maybe landing a parallel and something that might draw an elite grade. I got nothing on the parallel front and, well, maybe one of this 10 might be slab-worthy at some point ... but this one was not cleanly made (at least in my batch) with some corner issues and surface spots (lower left side most often). That made this not as fun as I had hoped but I did it anyway as I missed on the auto packs that were reasonably priced -- I would have bought one had I not missed the drop -- and those who have landed unsigned parallels are asking prices that are even higher than what ink cost ... so this one's novelty appeal is strong -- for now. Hopefully, more unusual cards will show up among Topps Now offerings in the coming weeks and months. Novelty Now will get my attention as stuff that's different and unique will have more appeal in the long-term than some might think. I still think a single auto (or maybe a low-volume auto parallel) mixed into regular Topps Now orders could draw more buys, too.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one but MLB boxes are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

Continue reading →

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 ... 

--

I'M A BELIEVER ... IN BARGAINS
The Item: Tua Tagovailoa autographed and framed 10-by-18 photo (Fanatics Authentic)
The Price: Under $150 (on sale and with a rewards discount)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I started to scour autographed cards for this QB who I think might have a strong year and, well, I was a little surprised at how his stuff can still be pretty pricey despite plenty of available options and despite the negative chatter that oddly still comes with him having a record-breaking receiver last year and then an elite speed guy added into the mix for this year. Sure, it's still the Dolphins, but since I'm an Alabama guy I'm good here either way ... though I would have preferred a quality photo like this in Crimson. But ... the price was right for an oversized and already-framed piece and the photo and crop here was unusual and a little dramatic, too, vs. a lot of other options. I wanted something different that wouldn't break the bank to start a new season and this one hit the spot. (Regular price is around $180 plus shipping, tax, etc. on top of that.)
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... but 2020 NFL boxes are here

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

Continue reading →

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 ... and this time around it's a little heavier on football as that season is here.

--

AEW ORIGINALS ... AS IN ORIGINAL ARTWORK 
The Cards: Gummy Arts original T206-style drawings (1/1s) for Thunder Rosa, Orange Cassidy, MJF, Powerhouse Hobbs & Sting
The Price: Less than an AEW hobby box
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: If you don't know the work of artist Mike Noren -- aka Gummy Arts -- he's been drawing athletes or memorable pop culture characters in penciled cartoon-style reproductions of past cards or on new creations for years now. You can find constantly updating feeds of his work in timely posts over on Instagram or Twitter and then sometimes those get reproduced and sold as cards in packs. In other instances, he's let the original artwork go, too. Those vanish fast and can be pricey -- actually, his packs can vanish fast, too -- and for years now I've eyed the section of his site for original art (typically $50-80 depending on subject) that made it into cards. I had never found one that was must-have for me -- or at least found a must-have one in stock -- but one day after seeing a tweet of his I did my regular ritual and checked the site to find this set of five T206/Honus Wagner homages in one slightly pricier lot but had to grab them. I had remembered seeing the Rosa online but didn't remember any of these being made into actual cards. It turns out they weren't, so the only thing that exists f0r now (at least when I recently grabbed them) are these originals. Four are top AEW stars while one is an all-time great who has worked for every company ... really a no-brainer for me and I might have paid the typical full price for one or two of these. The Rosa card in a Tijuana jersey and others in their own Wagner-style threads made me laugh, while that Cassidy is not far from spot-on even in Noren's style. Poke around here on The Buzz and you'll see more of these ... just not in 1/1 original art form.
Grab a box right here: AEW cards are here

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

Continue reading →

Have you seen the latest crazy items on eBay? If not, you just might see some of those here every week as we're launching a weekly version of our eBay Buzz pieces that pop up from time to time. We’ll spotlight some items that have a story or just wow us with how much interest it might have — and we’re not just talking baseball cards, either.

--

... BUT WHAT IF IT WAS DEREK JETER?
The Item: 1993 Upper Deck SP Michael Tucker-Marc Newfield "Mona Lisa" error card
The Price: You have to see it to (not) believe it.
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: One man's worthless printer's scrap is another's "Inverted Jenny" and that's a reference to a legitimately valuable error version of a postage stamp. In this case? Well, unless there's a huge Michael Tucker fan out there this is somebody wanting to (tongue in cheek) "test the market" or get some potential viral attention with a weird auction listing. (Mission accomplished.) Now, if it was a Derek Jeter card? Somebody would be buying ... no doubt about it.
Similar Pieces: Check out Derek Jeter 1993 SP cards here
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for MLB cards

Keep reading for four more interesting items in this week's roundup ...

Continue reading →

Metallica is ready to rock the toy aisle.

Funko revealed plans for its latest Pop! Rock toys on Thursday and they'll feature the metal band that has sold more than 150 million albums.

Continue reading →

If you're a certain age, you may remember Little Golden Books, which are beginning readers' first licks at the literary world.

They've been around since the 1940s -- and are still around today -- but one illustrator has created a new take on these stories with a series of prints and a book that collects his past works all in one.

His name is Joey Spiotto and the Los Angeles-based artist is big on Storytime.

Continue reading →

Pop? Funko might need to rename the line.

Guns N' Roses is coming to the Funko Pop! line of vinyl toys in December, according the Lynnwood, Wash.-based company that revealed its toys on Wednesday.

Continue reading →

The Garbage Pail Kids are taking on the rockers.

For seven days only, Topps is offering the 20-card 2016 Garbage Pail Kids Best of the Fest set that mocks some icons of the music world.

Continue reading →