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 ...

REMEMBER ME?
The Card: Aaron Judge & Tyler Austin 2017 Topps Heritage #214A -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: I liked the price on this slab (under $13) so I bit on it about this time last year. Why? Well, he was a pretty big deal back when this one arrived and I've always had a thing for multi-player RCs from the vintage years of Topps baseball (vintage flagship or Heritage). I own more than a few copies of this one raw, but I figured grabbing it for less than it would cost to slab one was a bargain ... plus they were going for more than that at the time I grabbed it. The richer (or more dedicated) slab grabbers out there will find his solo variation or the autographed card of his from this release, but for the price I'm good with this version.
The Grade: BGS 9

Reality Check: I didn't check the pop report to see the huge divide between the 9-9.5 difference but the price divide was just as dramatic ... and I'm still fine having a BGS 9. Centering here is off on mine but the rest looks fine with no obvious issues. Why is this one batting lead-off? Well, with prices increasing out there to slab -- if you can slab at all -- I think simpler RCs like this won't be as easy/cheap to find (well, at least newly graded ones) and this is the time of year to grab some guys. I think Judge is a easy stash if you find him on the cheaper side and he's healthy.

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

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Have you seen the latest cool cards from a new release? With so many options for collectors of all kinds arriving every week it's possible you haven't. That's where Buzz comes in -- well at least on one brand you'll see here from time to time in what we're calling Buzz's Pick Six. Simply put, here are six cards from a new arrival that seemed interesting to this collector and we think they might interest you, too.

This week's release: 2019 Topps Archives baseball cards
First Buzz preview & checklist/gallery: Click here

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CAREER-SAVER FOR MANY
The Card: Dr. James Andrews 2019 Topps Archives Fan Favorites Autographs
The Price: Moderate demand -- these might surprise you at first (first eBay listing here)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: It's been five years since this famed orthopedic surgeon appeared on his first baseball cards in Allen & Ginter but this brand is a natural spot for the oddities directly tied to baseball, too. The list of athletes he's worked on is meaty -- it's a big part of his Wikipedia bio and that's far from all of them -- and he's a team doctor for a number of organizations, too. Among the notables? Bo Jackson, Troy Aikman, Drew Brees, Terrell Owens, Roger Clemens, John Smoltz, Jim Thome, Bryce Harper, Yu Darvish, Charles Barkley, Allen Iverson, Jack Nicklaus, Triple H, John Cena and Shawn Michaels among others. (They all might want his autograph, you know.)

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

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