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 STRATUSFYING TEST?
The Tape: Trish Stratus 100% Stratusfaction Guaranteed (WWE, 2003)
The Reason Graded: There's a lot of talk about "alternative assets" in recent years and to a part of that audience trading cards are included. For those of us who work, live and breathe in the cardboard realm and have for a long time, it's perhaps more common sense and cards aren't necessarily an "alternative" or even an "asset." (It's a hobby for me.) But, grading of other items -- everyday stuff like magazines, video games, movies and toys -- that were used and in some ways shouldn't exist in their original form now might feel more that way. (They do to me.) I write about what I like, but this is a scenario where I dipped into a different realm of grading -- basically just to go through the process and see if I like it and then say that I did it once -- and I chose something that ties back into my collection as a whole. (That's wrestling.) Sealed VHS, video games and the like clearly have their audiences and demand is there for some things. There are some interesting sale prices out there for VHS -- everything from blockbusters from the late-1970s and early 1980s up to the oddball/culty stuff of the early 2000s before DVDs won the battle and stuff that you'd think wasn't even on VHS. Why is it a thing? Well, most stuff got used ... not saved, sealed and left untouched. (Sounds like baseball cards way back in the day, right?) With some steep discounts around the holidays here for grading fees, I grabbed this tape unopened and submitted it. VHS grading isn't cheap so doing them in serious bulk like cards ain't happening, which limits the volume available (for now) and the markets some, but this tape is one I felt comfortable with as a test. Why?The front cover is well-designed with a WWE icon and Hall of Famer front and center and having that visual appeal to start is one of the keys to demand if the grade doesn't work out.
The Grade: Beckett VHS 8.0 (Seal: A)

Reality Check: There's no posted pop report -- so this is a guess* -- and there's also not a posted grading scale yet, either, but I'll say this result bummed me out a bit. There were no substantial damage here other than a couple very minor things on one back edge of the box (where the ink was dark) so I had visions of a higher grade. But, it is what it is. My sub-grades came back 8.0 on corners, 7.5 on edges, 8.5 on flaps and 8.5 on gloss ... so the obvious flaw I knew about hurt the most. But, if we're talking about a 10-point scale, well, this piece, to me, doesn't feel closer to average or lesser. (I've seen some mangled VHS and DVD covers that were thrown around bargain bins where corners demolished surfaces ... those are lesser.) But, like I said, there's no posted scale to know what kinds of defects affect things here or there and no real cautions of what to look for. So, I did this as a test ... no regrets. Will I do it again? Probably not at present costs (I was in and out in a month, though) or without a scale to educate myself ... but, if I were to find a sealed clean and impressive copy of a couple of favorites from the past then maybe. Also, I'd be more inclined to do a different but related direction -- I think sealed DVDs and Blu-ray could actually be more popular as slabbed entities as it's way easier to find them sealed and they can have the same kind of appeal with modern packaging/designs. Plus they are smaller and lighter, too, making them easier to store and display. All in all, I like this piece and came up a bit short of what I thought it would grade at ... but it was still moderately Stratusfying.

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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Have you seen the latest cool or interesting 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.

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JUNIOR IN GINTER
The Item: Ken Griffey Jr. 2019 Topps Allen & Ginter framed mini autograph
The Price: $499.95 Buy-It-Now (or best offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is one of a number of noteworthy autos in this year's Allen & Ginter release and in my mind the safest baseball card buys these days for the long term aren't the new-car priced slabbed Bowman Chrome debut prospect cards but rather the rarer obviously short-printed Hall of Fame caliber names in brands like this one and Topps Heritage. Once these dry up, those prices will inevitably get higher. You can't say that for the guys who haven't gotten their MLB careers going yet. Ginter is one of those releases with a big checklist and a definite volume difference between the standard autos and the rares yet nothing is numbered. That helps add to the mystery over time. Plus, that auto just looks good here.
Similar Pieces: Other 2019 Topps Allen & Ginter autos on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for 2019 Topps Allen & Ginter boxes and cases

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

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