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Mike Guerra

Mike Guerra

Making the Grade (June): Slabbing my Patrick Mahomes RCs, higher-grade vintage, Rhea Ripley, The Cobra & much more
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 ...
PLAYING KETCHUP ... ERR, CATCH-UP
The Card: Patrick Mahomes 2017 Panini #104 -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: I've had all of my rookie-year Mahomes cards sitting in a "perhaps-grade" stack for some time and this is the first of them from my stash to head down to Florida for a slab from the new company on the block for sports cards. I think most of my bigger Mahomes RCs were slabbed long ago (see one here), but I'm playing catch-up on the other ones now. This is a relatively clean card from a lower-end retail-only brand that is definitely worth the slab -- raw cards are around a couple-hundred but Gem Mint cards can push or even top the $1,000 mark on eBay. I'll take the equivalent from what is looking like a strict grader.
The Grade: CSG 9.5

Grade 5 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 Total
Population -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 2 3 18 1 24
Reality Check: The pop report is still to come* from CSG -- they say it's in the works -- but I knew this one looked good enough to slab now and I was right. The paper stock here from this basic brand is definitely chippy (more on the backs) and those corners could easily get a lift or nick in packaging but this one checked out as a 9.5 ... not bad for what was probably from a bargain-bin blaster. CSG grades pretty tough from what I have seen so far, so a 9.5 felt good.
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, Basketball, Pro Wrestling, Making the Grade, Vintage and tagged BGS, Chipper Jones, Dave Winfield, Fleer, Pete Rose, PSA, 1980-81 Topps, Austin Riley, BVG, Dave Parker, Reggie Jackson, Sports Illustrated, Tyler Chatwood, 2011 Bowman Sterling, 1950 Bowman, 1974 Topps, 1975 Topps, Walker Buehler, Antonio McDyess, 2018 Topps Chrome Update, John Johnson, 2019 Topps Update, 2020 Topps Finest WWE, 1997 Fleer Sports Illustrated, Rhea Ripley, David Greenwood, CSG, 2001 Fleer Platinum, 1995-96 Topps Finest, Mike Guerra, Wayne Cooper on June 1, 2021 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
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Oct. TBD - 2024 Wild Card 5 Card SD
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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
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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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