Vince Papale
First Buzz: 2024 Fyre Fyrebrand Signed Jersey Edition
What: 2024 Fyre Signed Jersey Multi-Sport Edition
Arrives: Nov. 1
Box basics: One autographed replica jersey per box (16 boxes per case)
Order: Click hereWhat's buzz-worthy: Fyre turns its attention to the autographed jersey realm with a blind-box release that includes top stars from around the Big Four sports all in one spot.
Keep reading for more information.
Buzz Buys: Anthony Fauci's Rookie Card, big Bo Bichette, Kobe, Sasha Banks, AEW's start & Mark Wahlberg's new NFL card?
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 there's some new stuff and some throwbacks as I await some new arrivals.
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IN THE HOUSE (BUT NOT IN THE STRIKE ZONE)
The Card: Dr. Anthony Fauci 2020 Topps Now (/51,512)
The Price: $6 (direct from Topps)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This card was a fun surprise after his awful first pitch to start the season on Opening Day last month and it set an all-time record for Topps Now with more than 51,000 copies sold. That's more than double the previous record for Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s MLB debut last year. Why? The novelty of it and the market has been strong for this card as many non-collectors apparently want one. That price has made me glad I did a handful. I may or may not slab one as I had planned as these didn't come in as razor-sharp/perfectly clean as other Topps Now cards I've done. (And also because grading prices are getting steeper.) The real question for people out there ... did anybody get a parallel? Those are new for Now this year.
Grab a box right here: None for this ... get 2020 MLB boxes here.Keep reading for more interesting items ...
Making the Grade (December): Rare Shohei Ohtani, Star Wars, Pete Alonso, Tim Duncan, vintage, several WWE stars & 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 BIG BLASTER PULL
The Card: Shohei Ohtani 2018 Topps #700B hand on helmet SSP photo variation
The Reason Graded: Not that long ago, I pulled this card from a Series 2 blaster box and decided that it needed a slab since these SSPs appear to be relatively rare -- and I was even more surprised to see how they didn't grade all that well on the pop report. Meanwhile, mine looked very clean ... so I had to do it.
The Grade: BGS 9.5Grade 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 B10 Total Population 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 5 5 1 0 14 Reality Check: Only one card graded better than mine and four others have equaled it while eight cards have checked in at a BGS 9 or lower -- that seems pretty low for a modern card, though the skinny stock here clearly could have issues after these cards hit packaging. I'll admit that this was a pull while Ronald Acuña Jr. hunting in Series 2, but this feels like a win on top of a win with it grading so well after being pulled from a discounted box. Here's hoping his third season is as strong or better than his first two, which are remarkably similar from the batting side.
Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.
Will "Catching Kelce" turn into collecting Kelce? Perhaps ...
Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce will be the star of a reality TV show that revolves around his dating life -- and, believe it or not, there's a shot that it could spark added interest in his football cards.
E! Entertainment announced this week that it has eight episodes of Catching Kelce coming soon and in a story to deadline.com an E! executive described why the player was chosen.
“On top of being a well-respected athlete, Travis has a fun-loving, over the top personality that draws people to him," E! executive vice president Jeff Olde said. "We are excited to give our viewers an up-close look at his search for love."
So, why might this mean something for his football cards?
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