Thunder Rosa
Collecting Ink (Feb.): Pre-draft football, one big sig, fake autos, a mystery signer, vintage gems, one from the toy aisle & more

Many people collect autographs -- but not in the same ways -- and not all autographs are made alike. Some are mass-produced, some are in packs. Some are personalized, some are not. Some have all kinds of documentation and many more have none ... here's a look at a few that entered my collection in recent months.
CERTIFIED INK (AUTOS FROM PACKS)
The Item: Germie Bernard 2024 Bowman University Best of 2024 Autographs Gold Refractor (/50)
What It Cost Me: $30
What's It Worth: We’ll see ...
The Buzz: Bernard was a go-to receiver for the Alabama Crimson Tide last year with 64 receptions for 862 yards and seven TDs along with 19 carries for 101 yards and a pair of scores on the ground. Are they dominating numbers? Not really -- they’re more of a reminder that the Nick Saban era is definitely over -- but he did lead the team in receiving yards. The next stop for Bernard should be somewhere in the NFL in some kind of role and now’s the time to be picking off any promising names you like -- their season hype has fallen off by and draft talk has perhaps not picked up that heavily just yet ... but it’s coming. I picked off this just to cross him off my list -- I try to have something for most names who make it to the next level for my team and call it good. Since a lot of players have NIL deals, you can find a lot more than you might think leading up to the NFL Draft in late April.
Find Ink At: BlowoutCards.comKeep reading for a look at more autographs of different types.
Stacking Paper: Concert posters, sports programs, ballots, photos, magazines & more to start a new collecting series

There are a lot of things one can collect that aren't cards -- sometimes they can even come in packs or repackaged memorabilia boxes and sometimes they don't. Buzz has been exploring the world a little bit in different directions but with many of them still being paper items -- stacking paper but not in that ol' green (money) kind of way. Here's a look at a few items that entered my collection in recent months that can all fall under this department, which will be found here roughly once a month.
TODAY'S THE GREATEST
The Item: The Smashing Pumpkins concert poster -- Melbourne, Australia, April 22 & 27, 2023 (announced /175)
What It Cost Me: $35
What's It Worth: Original cost $35 ... recent eBay sold $45 ... recent eBay asking $115
The Buzz: If you know and like the song and video for "Today," then this 18-by-24 piece from illustrator Pat Fox might appeal to you like this did for me. It's a nod to the 1993 video that arguably launched this band into the mainstream and this retro take for a more-recent show just seemed different and cool from the genre in my eyes. I've recently started dabbling around in this realm -- but only on the relative cheap -- after finding a seller/collector with a vast stock with nearly everything so fresh that the prints have never even been rolled ... so damage is almost non-existent. I've picked off a few dozen prints in recent months and you'll see concert posters like this pop up here regularly and perhaps elsewhere from time to time as unique buys come my way. Why? I'm hooked, amazing stuff can be found cheaply and I'm just collecting something a little different while they are also, in essence, bigger cards but made in far-lower volumes. The only drawback? Storage -- top-loaders for stuff like this doesn't come cheap -- but I'll adapt.
Find Cards At: Non-sports boxes at BlowoutCards.comCheck out even more items after the jump.
Making the Grade (Feb.): Taylor Swift, Stilts, Rhea Ripley ink, botched cardboard, Shohei Ohtani, rarer Spider-Man & more

Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading ... so here's this month's grading diary.
TOOK ME LONG ENOUGH ...
The Mag: Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce -- Mad No 36 (April 2024)
The Reason Graded: With the Grammys set for tonight (Feb. 1), I figured now would be the time to drop one here for the Swifties -- a magazine that I picked off long, long ago with absolute intent to grade but never got around to it until late last year. This duo sold a lot of magazines in the last couple of years but this one was one of few to present itself in a way that would fit in my collection of slabs -- it's one part sports (he's in uniform) and one part comics/satire, a category where I have a few slabs. These were popular -- so much so there was at least a second printing with a green logo -- but actually finding the long-running but off-and-on-title would be a challenge at arrival. Book stores/newsstands? Probably not. Comics shops? Maybe ... but probably not a big priority for many of them. The original Mad ran from 1952 to 2018 before DC Comics took over after a couple months off that year and it's largely been new covers wrapping mostly favorite reprinted stories from the past with occasional new content.
The Grade: CGC 9.6 (Universal)Grade 7.0 7.5 8.0 8.5 9.0 9.2 9.4 9.6 9.8 9.9 10.0 Total Population 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 4 21 0 0 28 Reality Check: These mags are super thin and the cover paper is, too. How skinny? The spines of new copies have texture all the way down from the folding -- I suspect they will be the huge problem spots if you find these un-graded with an eye for slabbing. Mine has that -- as do some 9.8s I looked at before slabbing -- so mine probably had one other small issue to kick it down a notch. That was a bummer -- and my latest mags submission didn't have a single 9.8 in it, which was odd -- but I was grading this no matter what as a time capsule kind of slab from the last few years.
Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.
Making the Grade (Jan.): Iconic moments, early autographs, legendary stars, vintage greats and more for a new year

Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading ... so here's this month's grading diary.
MJ's MOMENT
The Card: Michael Jordan 2008 Goudey Hit Parade of Champions
The Reason Graded: This moment turns 35 this year and this insert card is one that ... came out of a box of baseball cards. It's a throwback to a 1951 set with stars from a little bit of everywhere in this Goudey version. These cards are smaller -- allowing for them to bounce around inside the wrappers -- but the only even close to deterring issue for grading with this copy was an irregular spot in the card stock itself ... but you can't even see it in this image. This finally made it into a grading submission of mine last year because it's an iconic moment for one of biggest names in sports history. The moment? This was Jordan's first championship.
The Grade: CGC 9Grade 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 P10 Total Population 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 4 Reality Check: Behold! The worst of the four graded. Doesn't matter to me ... I just like the card and nines are fine.
Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.
Making the Grade (Dec.): Big Dumper, PCA, Kobe, Shotzi, vintage stars, Rhea Ripley and more of my usual suspects

Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading ... so here's this month's grading diary.
MY EARLY INK FOR A BREAK-OUT STAR
The Card: Pete Crow-Armstrong 2018 Panini Elite Extra Edition 18U National Team Signatures Red (from 2019 USA Baseball Stars & Stripes rack sets)(/100)
The Reason Graded: I landed this ink for the Chicago Cubs star in a rack set -- that's a set and then some bonus cards in pack form direct from USA Baseball back in the day -- and he was one of a number of good names I found there for a low price. They all sat with my stuff for a few years before his breakout 2024 season got this one put into a grading order. Why? So I could get some ink in a slab and cross him off my list of key names needed. Crow-Armstrong joined the 30-30 Club this season, won his first Gold Glove and was an All-Star, too. The cool part? I added his ink from a two-auto set for just $9.99. (Other colors of this card are in standard EEE boxes ... the Reds are only in the sets I bought.)
The Grade: CGC 9.5 (10 auto)Grade 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 P10 Total Population 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 Reality Check: The stock on these is the standard Donruss cardboard that can't decide if its chippy or soft -- it's generally pretty clean but a bottom corner could be soft here on the card backs where there's some color to make fuzz really obvious. This one was cleaner than other grading-worthy names but I'll likely slab others I found over time as more than a few here are in MLB now. He was the highest-profile name who needed to be graded now.
Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.
Making the Grade (Nov.): Yamamoto, The Mick, Judge, Bichette, Big Dumper, Tiffy Time, vintage NFL, Shotzi & plenty more

Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading ... so here's this month's grading diary.
MY LONE AUTO ...
The Card: Aaron Judge 2015 Bowman Inception Prospect Autographs Gold (/50)
The Reason Graded: Back when I could open a lot of boxes, I'd actually also do some group breaks as well -- as long as they were sure things where an affordable spot would guarantee a hit or had a volume of actual hits inside (auto or mem cards) the case that was high enough to make the odds close to that. This is my lone Aaron Judge auto left from back in those days. I landed it in a spot somewhere around just $60 -- and I actually got two other Yankees autos in the break to make my cost for this particular card even lower. I only ever pulled one other Judge auto and I think I let it go in a trade long, long ago so this last one standing for me was always a candidate for grading -- and it finally made the cut with his monster year.
The Grade: CGC 8.5 (10 auto)Grade 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 P10 Total Population 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 Reality Check: The thick stock here made this one feel like a safe pick and it is -- the front is perfect -- but the back corners also count and some light fuzzing there is likely what dropped this one down. Otherwise, it definitely presents as a crisp card and a perfect card on the front. I was aiming for a nine, so this mark was a slight bummer -- but it's still a big card. Mine is the only Gold graded by CGC and among the 12 graded in all colors nothing checks in higher than a nine.
Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.
Buzz Goes Gaming: AEW - Vs. System Two-Player Card Game

This new department will be an occasional series that will take a quick look at a game or gaming release with card elements -- essentially a breakdown of what's in a box, but not the typical kind of a Buzz Break. (Buzz isn't a gamer so this will just be what's in a box vs. gameplay analysis.) Maybe there's a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.
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The Game: AEW - Vs. System Two-Player Card Game (starter set)
Where to buy: Will take some looking ... BlowoutCards.com for other gaming -- or for traditional wrestling cardsKeep reading for a full breakdown and gallery from this one.
Buzz Buys (July): Several MLB newcomers and legends, WWE autographs, past TV icons, unusual cardboard and plenty more

Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...
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RETRO RECORD-HOLDER
The Card: Roger Maris 2014 Panini Classics Home Run Heroes Jerseys (/25)
The Price: $30
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I ponied up a little bit for this one vs. my typical range for Maris mem cards since it's a rarer card, has a material (jersey/pants) swatch vs. a bat and is from a brand that packed a lot of potential for big names back in the day. Yet, at the same time, that price was a bargain. Yes, its centering is just slightly off, but otherwise it's clean -- that errant spot on the right side is part of the printed design on all cards here. It was an easy addition for a player I collect and pick off stuff for a few times a year. Those top corners are really clean on this one, which might not always be the case with those bold colors.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but MLB cards are here.Keep reading for more interesting items ...
Buzz Buys (June): Some surprise cards, a few affordable hits, WWE autos, movie throwbacks & more of my usual suspects
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Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...
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TIFFY TIMES TWO
The Cards: Tiffany Stratton 2024 Panini Three Count WWE Prime Memorabilia Autographs Purple parallel (/25) & standard version (/99)
The Price: About half of a Three Count box these days
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This card was immediately on my radar back when it first was revealed among the mock-ups for this high-end WWE brand and, I've said it before, if this set hadn't used sticker autos it would be perfect. The end of the Panini WWE run combined with a logjam of releases and then the collector (and definitely flipper) focus perhaps shining more on Chrome actually made secondary market prices on a lot of stuff here a bit softer than I had expected, allowing me to pony up on two of these at prices I could handle. (I had initially figured I wouldn't land one of these, let alone one and a parallel.) I was picky with these and wanted to make sure I landed one with a clean auto -- full name, not the abbreviated and half-empty-sticker "Tiff" that shows up sometimes. Both of these hit the spot on both auto quality and price ... and if they ever dip more, I'll do more. Why? It's a Tiffy Time world and we're just collecting in it.
Grab a box right here: WWE cards are here.Keep reading for more interesting items ...
Making the Grade (May): Clerks, Moana, old Marvel comics, Judge, Ohtani, Star Wars, wrestling stars, Roger Maris & more

Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading ... so here's this month's grading diary.
SCENE FROM A CLASSIC
The Card: Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson & Lisa Spoonauer (aka Dante Hicks, Randal Graves and Caitlin Bree) 2017 Skybox Clerks Triple Scene Autographs
The Reason Graded: Back when this one arrived, I picked off a lot of the autos over time -- at least while they were affordable -- with my sights set on some of the obscure names here and not the pricey Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith) ink that any serious collector of the View Askew realm likely already had on something before this card set arrived. The character that I wanted to find was Caitlin Bree as that character's moments were hilariously twisted and this card's scene was the culminating moment in her story. Getting this on cardboard was hilarious to me. What's unfortunate here is real life -- Spoonauer died of a medication overdose at age 44 while fighting cancer just 10 days after this product arrived. Read director Kevin Smith's tribute to her here. Over time, I picked off all but one of her autographs -- one that had been pricey that's even moreso now still eludes me as it also includes Smith -- but I recently decided to slab a couple of the best ones form my stash when I revisited them and saw how clean they looked.
The Grade: CGC 10 (Pristine)Grade 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 P10 Total Population 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 Reality Check: Perfect grade works for me. Her auto just barely touches the border of the card but that's about its only potential issue and it's really not incomplete, so it still got a top mark. (Though auto grades are pretty meaningless to me.) This is a strong start and I should really slab more -- and find that last one I need.
Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.
Making the Grade (April): Shohei Ohtani, Will Ferrell, Dogpool, Hank Aaron, Halle Berry, WWE stars ... and a Superfractor?

Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading ... so here's this month's grading diary.
STARTING ON A SERIOUS NOTE ...
The Card: Will Ferrell 2015 Topps Archives Will Ferrell Inserts
The Reason Graded: Back in 2015 this comedy legend took to the field for 10 MLB teams and played 10 positions in a single day of real spring training action -- you can see his stats here -- as part of a project with a charity component called Ferrell Takes The Field. Collectors ended up chasing his autographs on 10 different cards in Archives that year -- roughly one per hobby case if I remember correctly -- but, alas, I went 0-for-1 there before those boxes got too pricy and/or vanished ... but I did hit the blasters. There, the regular Ferrell inserts were found one per box -- at least until all of those boxes disappeared, too. It's been a decade since this publicity stunt took place (March 12, 2015), so I figured we could start this new MLB season here on a serious note. These aren't his only cards -- he popped up a few times that year -- but this was the first set and this was the first card -- and one for my team.
The Grade: CGC 10Grade 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 P10 Total Population 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 3 0 7 Reality Check: There's a small volume of stuff slabbed for this card -- roughly all cards here have no more than 10 slabbed copies across the entire set -- and this is among the top marks. This card has full-bleed back edges in bright blue just like in 1965 Topps and when I saw how clean this card was, well, it was a no-brainer. I previously slabbed one elsewhere years ago and this copy will go well with that and a slab of the same photo used on a magazine cover that ended up on a show promo card. A lot of those who likely weren't collecting back then seem to be interested here as asking prices can be steep -- raw or graded -- for Ferrell stuff.
Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.
Buzz Break: 2022 AEW Allure wrestling cards (two blasters)

From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and break down the results here. Like this and want to see more -- or maybe there's a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.
The boxes: 2022 AEW Allure wrestling cards
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (when available)
Keep reading to see a full breakdown and gallery from this one.
Buzz Buys (March): Going high-end with Ichiro, Bear Bryant, Barrymore & chasing down oddballs with fun slab potential

Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...
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LEGENDARY INK
The Card: Ichiro Suzuki autographed 2001 Topps Rookie Card (BAS 10 auto)
The Price: Not as much as you might think ... but also not that cheap.
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Clean copies of this iconic Topps flagship Rookie Card are not easy finds in general with the boxes and sets likely bricked now if they remain unopened -- that means the gloss will be snowy if you're lucky to peel the cards apart at all -- and then the dark green border and high-gloss on soft stock here is always going to be problematic. When I spotted this card among many where Suzuki has signed for literally years (Mill Creek Sports) without a premium price, I bit on this just before his Hall of Fame results hit. (We all knew he was going in ... but I didn't know if his prices were going to rise.) This copy is super clean vs. many cards out there with some very light roughness on maybe one edge and a light touch on the bottom-left corner ... but some of what's seen in my photo is just how the light is reflecting. I generally don't do a ton of bigger buys for my collection, but this one's cost wasn't that much more than some of the hot and plentiful new release hobby boxes. I went with a safe and iconic bet for my (for me) premium spend and went with the sure thing on an iconic card for a living legend. I pulled his ink once from an unlicensed release -- and it was in one of my earliest Making The Grade posts here -- but a signed RC means I'll likely never need to sweat his stuff again. (Might window shop, though, or bite if price is right for a nice certified.) One more fun part of my card? If that label had a simple added line of Beckett/Fanatics witnessed instead of signed for Mill Creek and then slabbed, the price likely would be double what I paid. I wouldn't pay that -- and this one is a win in my book.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but MLB cards are here.Keep reading for more interesting items ...
Buzz Break: 2022 AEW Allure wrestling cards (two blasters)

From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and break down the results here. Like this and want to see more -- or maybe there's a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.
The boxes: 2022 AEW Allure wrestling cards
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (when available)
Keep reading to see a full breakdown and gallery from this one.
Making the Grade (Feb.): A Super Bowl lowlight, Tiffy Time, Wemby, NFL stars, The Punisher, two shots of Ali & much more

Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading ... so here's this month's grading diary here on The Buzz.
GETTING EVEN BETTER?
The Card: Victor Wembanyama 2023-24 Panini Haunted Hoops -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: I'm basically casually ripping at best when it comes to NBA these days -- just can't collect it all at today's prices (and might not want to with that) -- but the holiday-flavored version of Hoops got me to bite a few times since it's got a good volume of stuff in a box and a pair of Wemby RCs on the checklist. Is this a big card in the big scheme of things? Nah, but the printing and cutting here was so clean I knew I needed to grade it. Why?
The Grade: CGC 10Grade 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 P10 Total Population 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 10 2 16 3 32 Reality Check: Because this should be the result more often than not as long as the centering is there ... and the stats here show that to be the case roughly half the time. The phenom seems to be getting better with time and once the wax dries up for even stuff like this there could be interesting trends that buck the idea that stuff is overproduced these days -- it is ... but not when there's increased demand for a popular player. I need to scout singles more for this guy and cards I like ... I think there's more potential here over time than people might think based on soft prices for raw cards. (Even if boatloads of his cards are already graded.)
Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.
Buzz Break: 2022 AEW Allure wrestling cards (hobby)

From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and break down the results here. Like this and want to see more -- or maybe there's a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.
The box: 2022 AEW Allure wrestling cards (hobby)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (when available)
Keep reading to see a full breakdown and gallery from this one.
Buzz Break: 2024 UD AEW All Elite Wrestling cards (blaster)

From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and break down the results here. Like this and want to see more -- or maybe there's a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.
The box: 2024 Upper Deck AEW All Elite Wrestling cards
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)
Keep reading to see a full breakdown and gallery from this one.
Making the Grade (Oct.): Ohtani, Judge, KISS, Clerks, WWE, vintage books, Black Panther, Shotzi, Machete, Maris & 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 ...
A MONSTER YEAR ...
The Card: Shohei Ohtani 2018 Topps Heritage High Number -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: Ohtani had a monster season without even pitching -- first 50-50 Club member for starters and just short of the National League Triple Crown -- and his big-time potential had me submitting some of my RCs for him earlier this year. Did people expect this kind of showing, though? Probably not -- I know I didn't -- but I know Heritage RCs are my preference, so this one made the cut. The bottom corners seem to be the most-common issue with these cards, but this one was clean and so it made my sub -- and I will have two more on the way to grading, too, so you'll see more of this card during the off-season or by next spring.
The Grade: CGC 10Grade 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 P10 Total Population 1 0 0 1 0 1 32 149 68 181 3 436 Reality Check: The graded volume is high here but perhaps still modest vs. PSA volumes -- I'm good with that -- and this one has only been topped three times. I dig that. This mark isn't that rare but it is one that would be in demand with the two slots below also where many will look.
Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.
Buzz Buys: A few cardboard debuts, new autos, early TV items, bonus cards, Tiffy Time, old stuff & more for familiar names

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 ...
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GOING HIGH-END ...
The Card: Bo Bichette 2020 Bowman Transcendent (/100) -- Rookie Card
The Price: Less than some retail mega boxes ...
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: While this comes from one of the most-expensive brands ever made and he's a past All-Star, a bad season apparently prompts easy sell-offs these days and in this case I was a buyer. While I'd like his RCs from these releases in slabs (the frames and Chome-like surfaces here can show smaller flaws easily) this one was too cheap to pass up in comparison to slabbed cards that weren't even in elite grades. This cost me half or even a third of common asking prices for the graded cards with no obvious, blatant flaw to make it feel like it would check in lower ... though it's not perfect. It's a perfect start for me here -- I'll likely add more if The Big Bo Slide of 2024 keeps going. Why? I collect Bichette.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one, but MLB boxes are here.Keep reading for more interesting items ...
Buzz Buys: Stockpiling Rhea Ripley, eyeing Spencer Strider, past classics, grabbing unusual memorabilia & plenty more

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 ...
MAMI'S HOME ...
The Card: Rhea Ripley 2020 Topps Transcendent WWE (/50) -- Rookie Card
The Price: Less than some of my others ... and less than a new hobby box.
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: My lucky No. 13th copy of this RC from a super-deluxe release puts me over the 25-percent mark for stockpiling this card's entire print run and while it was still a pricey pick-up it wasn't my highest one, either. How many more will I find? Not sure ... but I do have a price ceiling, even for this top WWE badass and this badass card. I picked up this one awhile back and it got lost in my shuffle of WWE stuff awaiting a slot here, but since she's back from injury and ready to do some mauling she leads things off this month.
Grab a box right here: None for this one ... check out other WWE boxes.Keep reading for more interesting items ...
Making the Grade (June): Muhammad Ali, The Crow, Space Jam, Wemby, Spidey, Connor Bedard & Liv Morgan before WWE?

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 ...
GRADE LIKE A BUTTERFLY ...
The Card: Muhammad Ali 2021 Topps Muhammad Ali The People's Champ Collection Black parallel (/56)
The Reason Graded: When I spotted this card (ungraded) at about the price of a blaster, I bit as that was a good number for a parallel from this set that was released week by week for a year on Topps' site. Since it was both a rarer parallel and, if you ask me, one of the better-looking cards in this retro-styled set with that exposure photo, I also opted to slab it. Why? Well that stock and color is a grading challenge -- but it was one I was willing to take as this one looked strong.
The Grade: CGC 10Grade 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 P10 Total Population 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 Reality Check: I was right and it graded actually better than I had hoped (I figured a 9.5) making this a win atop of a win.
Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.
Making the Grade (May): A perfect Victor Wembanyama Prizm, old comics & mags, new MLB stars, Stacy's Mom + plenty 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 ...
MY FIRST WEM-BAM!-YAMA ...
The Card: Victor Wembanyama 2023-24 Panini Prizm Green Prizms -- Rookie Card parallel
The Reason Graded: My first -- and actually only -- batch of Prizm NBA blasters included this gem and I knew instantly that it would be in a slab once I saw its centering and then no issues among the sometimes-pesky edges for Prizm and similar stock of the last few years. (Sometimes clean ... sometimes not.) In this case, I had this one in a box headed for grading even before I had its Buzz Break box broken down and posted here ... and it's a solid keeper for me vs. my Hoops finds that all had things that me scared off of slabbing them.
The Grade: CGC 10 (Pristine)Grade 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 P10 Total Population 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 Reality Check: That's pretty much the perfect scenario isn't it? Top grade for a retail blaster -- at suggested retail price even -- pull ... even if there's a curtain that seemed to lather up some people out there. This won't be the last you see of this generational talent in this series ... but this is it for this month's slabs.
Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.
BuzzMania 7: Even More Elite Arrive On A Big Day ... (Hour 6)

The biggest weekend in pro wrestling is here with WrestleMania 40 set for this Saturday and Sunday from Philadelphia. We'll make today a big one for wrestling collectors right here on The Buzz with #BuzzMania7, a marathon of WWE wax box/pack breaks all day long.
This one is a rip of a release that's about collecting basics -- mostly base and inserts with a lot of variety. With autographs being quite rare on the retail front and somewhat rare in hobby, I played it safe for the dollars with a break of a few discounted blaster boxes. The Brand: 2022 AEW Metal Universe -- five blasters
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com for hobby boxes
What's inside this one? Keep reading ...
BuzzMania 7: An Absolute AEW Allure Invasion (Hour 4)

The biggest weekend in pro wrestling is here with WrestleMania 40 set for this Saturday and Sunday from Philadelphia. We'll make today a big one for wrestling collectors right here on The Buzz with #BuzzMania7, a marathon of WWE wax box/pack breaks all day long.
This hour's break pits a hobby box vs. a retail box for a brand that's stacked with color and variety but doesn't necessarily guarantee any hits. How do they compare in how they deliver? Let's see ... The Brand: 2022 AEW Allure hobby box vs. retail blaster
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (when available)
What's inside this one? Keep reading ...
Buzz Break: 2022 AEW Allure wrestling cards (blaster)

From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and break down the results here. Like this and want to see more -- or maybe there's a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.
The box: 2022 AEW Allure wrestling cards
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)
Keep reading to see a full breakdown and gallery from this one.
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