Buzz Break: 2023 Leaf Metal Pop Century 1/1 Proofs

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The box: 2023 Leaf Metal Pop Century 1/1 Pre-Production Proofs
Where to buy: Click here (when available)

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery for what was in this one.

Cards per box: 1
Base set completion: 
N/A
Duplicates: 0

Inserts/short-prints: 1 (all in gallery below)
Leaf Metal Pop Century Knockouts Red Wave Signatures (unsigned) Pre-production Proof (1) – Molly Ringwald (1/1)

What’s Buzz-worthy: I recently picked up a small batch of these for some quick-hit posts and, well, this one turned out to not be so quick. Why? Curiosity. This was my first rip of the bunch and it's a name I'd totally track down in this release for ink -- 1980s movie icon, Molly Ringwald -- except that this photo's definitely different. Her trademark red hair is nowhere to be found here and she's in black leather like she was in a Grease cast or something ... but my rushed but still too time-consuming IMDb search yielded nothing as to the source of the image. That makes this, to me, even more interesting than one of the perhaps more-obvious cards with an iconic look. An added plus here is that this is a proof for the autographed version of the card -- the spot for ink kind of reinforces the "proof" part to me -- and asking prices for her cards here aren't bad. (Nothing outlandish but she might apy for about half of the packs I bought ... so that would be a win if I was moving stuff.) ... As noted before, in past years, the proofs from Leaf's annual celebrity ink-fueled line Pop Century were released as slabbed cards and sometimes as 1/1 Proof autos, too, at a higher price per box. This time? One proof per pack in sealed top-loaders with a sticker and cert attached to both. At a glance on some cards that's a little distracting -- some are on clear plastic -- but ultimately the backs are all blank here along with the autograph spots. The price should be a little more friendly on these this year without slabs and ink but the lineup in Pop Century was as stacked as it gets so there should still be interest here as 1/1s, though there are many varieties per card with all the colors and textures, can sell well for names who are in obvious demand ... and maybe even for some you might not know. ... Overall, I like this approach as it's something that could trend affordable while remaining unique and something that could pique the interests of a lot of collectors out there with all of the various genres found here. There's potential.

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Product Grade: A
Pack Grade: A-
Fun Grade: A- (one-card packs can be hit and miss ... this was a good one)

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