Buzz Buys: A Bear Bryant classic, Steve Aoki plays ball, TMNT, a Big Bang Theory surprise, WWE stars, Sü Yüng, MLB & 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.

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL ICONS
The Card: Paul "Bear" Bryant & Knute Rockne 2010 Panini Century Collection Souvenir Stamps Sports Combos (two stamps dual material) (/100)
The Price: More than I'll admit ... but it's a keeper.
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is just the second time I've grabbed one of these key memorabilia cards with a piece of a fedora worn by Bryant and a jacket from Rockne -- two of the greatest coaches in the history of college football. Rockne has a number of memorabilia cards out there (more than 50) but Bryant only has a literal handful of cards -- and almost all of them were in this release. Why? Hats aren't all that big. As far as I know, all but a 1/1 card or two is in this release ... meanwhile, the prices for the few Bryant fedoras that may exist -- if they ever hit the market again -- won't be card-conducive in the future since they are pricey. The last two Bryant houndstooth fedoras auctioned? Together, they topped $100,000 on the auction block. These are limited to only 100 copies and I hadn't picked up one of these in a long time. Why this time? You never know when more might pop up.
Grab a box right here: 2010 Panini Century Collection (when available)

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

A SURPRISE INSIDE ...
The Card: Christine Baranski as Beverly Hofstadter The Big Bang Theory Seasons 1-2 Autographs 
The Price: $29.95 (in Platinum edition binder)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was a surprise find when I recently grabbed a sealed binder for this TV classic specifically to get the bonus card that comes with it -- and for the Seasons 1-2 binders it's typically a Sheldon Cooper pajamas card only found there. Instead, I when I popped my order box I got a Platinum binder -- it looks the same except it's silver -- and those include this autograph for Leonard's mom. I don't know how rare the binder is -- price-wise they are all about the same -- but I'll take ink and probably still find the Cooper card at some point. Those can sell for the same amount that the binder goes for while this one is also in the ballpark. (Most sealed binders include either a bonus hit or some type of promo card inside to be added to the sets.) 
Grab a box right here: The Big Bang Theory Seasons 1-2 binder (standard binder is likely here)

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AN ALL-STAR FIRST FOR ME 
The Card: Steve Aoki 2021 Topps Now MLB All-Star Celebrity Softball Game Base Relic (/99)
The Price: About $30 (after rewards points)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This musician has had his own Topps sets and some other appearances this last year, but I didn't grab this one because of him per se -- not really my genre of music. I grabbed it because it's one of only a few times where the annual softball event has made its way onto cardboard at all, much less as a memorabilia card. (Are there others? Maybe a few about 15 years ago ... but oddly those were player Relics and not celeb Relics from the game.) In this case, I would've preferred one of the yellow softball cards released by Topps Now but those only arrived signed at premium prices ($500 to $1,000) and low volumes. (Meanwhile, the game-used auctions for stuff from these games, when they pop up from MLB, are generally not that pricey for full pieces. A softball would be far cheaper than the cards.) This card was $49.99 but as a Now card Topps' rewards points for purchases worked here. When I saw this card lingering and available on the second day it was up for grabs, I tried the discount and since it worked you see it here. Based on the serial numbering of my card I may have been one of the last couple people to get one.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of this one ... MLB boxes are here.

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SKETCH POWER
The Card: Rafael sketch card by Alex Mines -- 2019 Topps The Art of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1/1)
The Price: $17
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The premium card set that this comes from is a really nice release documenting the history of the comic book characters who have taken to the big screen and had some runs on cardboard, too. Every card in this set is on glossed premium stock -- think Exquisite -- and then you get some parallels, an artist auto and then a sketch card every time. Autos include TMNT creators and then sketches are found as standard and then die-cuts with most being as strong as this -- some color, some not. For the price I didn't blink before grabbing this card. 
Grab a box right here: 2019 Topps The Art of TMNT

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A FIRST FOR MR. WRESTLEMANIA
The Card: Shawn Michaels 2005 Topps Heritage WWE Autographs
The Price: Around $50
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I picked this up in the last year or so in a private Twitter sale -- I can't remember the exact price -- but it's a key one as this is the first certified auto for Michaels, who is an iconic WWE star (Hall of Famer) and an all-time great. His career started well before this card arrived yet oddly he never had any ink until this first release from Topps in its present run with the WWD license. These are on somewhat rough Heritage stock but oddly they have heavy gloss, too, so they can be found with scratched ink right out of packs because of that and narrow-tip pens used to sign. (This one shows a hint of that on "Michaels" but is still very clean. Plus, the price was lower than what people were asking/getting when I landed it.) Topps didn't use on-card autos for most of their WWE sets around this time, which helps this card stand out along with having a big auto that would defy a sticker.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of this one ... WWE boxes are here.

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IF YOU SMELL ...
The Cards: The Rock -- 2000 Comic Images WWF Rock Solid 
The Price: About $4 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: These are from a set that focused on the life of The Rock inside and outside the ring with a number of full-bleed cards with moments that are the norm and then some that are funny or weird to see on cardboard like these. These were two cards that always got my attention as the Miami card is one of only a few showing him in a Hurricanes uniform -- albeit from years after he played -- and then the other one I always wondered just who that kid is. (Or if The Rock smelled anything.) Don't be shocked if I pop these into slabs for a Making The Grade at some point ... though the stock that Comic Images used is soft and super-chippy ... so an elite grade would be tough.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of this one ... WWE boxes are here.

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AIN'T GOT TIME TO BLEED
The Card: Fernando Tatis Jr., 2021 Topps Project70 by Alex Pardee (/22,509)
The Price: Factory cost via Topps
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This Predator homage had a dramatically cool "hunting" variation where everything is in bright color like he's being hunted like we saw in the Arnold Schwarzenegger classic from back in 1987. The card design here is 1989 -- it just works better -- and I did a bundle both because it's perhaps my favorite card of the year from this series and I wanted my shot at a chase card. The sales volume here is the second-highest of the series -- only behind Pardee's Trout card (/25,182) -- so that meant tougher odds at my landing a parallel (either by volume of cards or volume of buyers) ... but I didn't get one.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of this one ... MLB boxes are here.

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RETRO FLAIR
The Card: Paul Hornung 2009 Donruss Threads Century Legends Materials (/250)
The Price: $7.25
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This swatch doesn't really look all that vintage but a game-used memorabilia card for a Hall of Famer and Heisman winner worked for me for the price. He was more than a big deal in his day on a few fronts after he was taken with the No. 1 pick in the 1957 NFL Draft by the Packers. You can learn more about him here. His autos and memorabilia cards had been relatively affordable (and may still be now) before he died last year at age 84.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of this one ... NFL boxes are here.

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CHALLENGING THE NOTIONS
The Cards: Jim Thome 2002 Donruss Big League Challenge Materials (jersey patch and ball) and Luis Gonzalez & Rafael Palmeiro (base) cards
The Price: Under $12 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: These came one per pack as "untouched" slabs back in the day and I remember landing these as bonus cards (in sealed packs) occasionally in some very cheap Target repacks back then for less than what they originally cost. The Big League Challenge was a MLBPA-created home run derby that included some of the biggest names in the game -- and one that reportedly sparked Barry Bonds to make some changes -- slugging it out for off-season honors. The events prompted a few card sets -- regular issue, food issue and hits like these -- from a few companies and I remember pieces also being sold as memorabilia displays, too. It was a cool thing to see a few years and then it simply vanished. These days, the cardboard generally speaking isn't all that pricey but the star power is there. I liked this Thome card with the patch and ball combo, while the other one was funny -- a base card from a home run derby ... where nobody is running the bases.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of this one ... MLB boxes are here.

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SUBTLE PARALLELS
The Card: Big Al 2015 Panini University of Alabama Silver parallel (/25)
The Price: $3.50
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This card is a parallel from a catch-all college set that I ripped a ton of ... but I never found parallels for this icon or some of the set's non-player cards. The parallels for some of the cards don't always look that different than regular ones, actually, and this is one of those. It barely looks different other than the numbering -- the player cards have a silver background in the photo while this one does not. I grabbed Big Al since it was cheap ... and, well, I think it's the only mascot I've ever "met" as he walked up to me when watching a game along the sidelines years ago. (I was so surprised I gave him a hard couple taps on the forehead ... sorry about that, Al.)
Grab a box right here: No boxes of this one ... NFL boxes are here.

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'TIS THE SEASON ...
The Item: Sü Yüng photoshoot-worn Impact Knockouts T-shirt with (match-used?) bloody dress adornments
The Price: Enough that some might ship me to the Undead Realm for buying it
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This veteran indy wrestling star is one who doesn't have many card appearances (just a few made for her to sign and/or mist that I've seen) so that means collecting can only be done via signed photos, auction items and other merch. That last one is a key as she's got a good amount of merch with three personas in Impact the last couple years. The Bloody Undead Bride doesn't do much talking -- not this persona -- and I think she's keeping with that approach in general as I've only seen one interview where she kind of talks about her craft. (The concept and what goes into all of it fascinates me ... probably due to the mysteries.) Any other interviews I've seen are only done in character -- in today's wrestling world, this seems pretty rare. This was a unique piece as Impact! had stars customize shirts to wear during a TV/web promotion and then a photo shoot before they auctioned them off on the same weekend as a big PPV. While they were there, they all signed personalized messages to the buyers on a large piece of match-used canvas. That piece was a fun thing to discover when popping open the box ... check out the message I got. Classic stuff -- just like the tweet that she sent out to promote it. (There were pizza rolls for sure.) Even her Twitter feed is a bit of a mystery as it's more about other wrestlers and her friends in the industry than her projects.
Grab a box right here: No boxes ... wrestling boxes are here.

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BO BEFORE THE FLOW
The Card: Bo Bichette 2019 Topps Heritage Minor League Clubhouse Collection Relics
The Price: Under $7
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This one comes from perhaps an overlooked brand out there -- Heritage Minor League -- that has to have a smaller print run than the comparable MLB stuff, so I try to grab them when I can. Why? There will always be a point where the boxes are vanishing so fast that the typical return vs. cost doesn't make sense to open and that's when typical stuff may not be as easily found. (Perhaps getting there already ... I haven't looked.) I simply grabbed the hits I wanted to land when they popped up and this is one of them.
Grab a box right here: 2019 Topps Heritage Minor League

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THE RING'S THE THING
The Card: David Ortiz 2019 Topps photo variation 
The Price: $2.35
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I never landed the Boston Strong photo variation for Ortiz a few years before this one that's a tough pull -- and it will cost hundreds -- so I am sure I grabbed this easier short-print on the cheap after one of those searches. Simple as that. It's got a unique twist but not quite as dramatic -- or rare -- as the other one.
Grab a box right here: 2019 Topps Series 2

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THE DEMON RETURNS
The Card: Finn Balor 2016 Topps WWE Shirt Relics
The Price: $5
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This younger WWE star has been with the company several years now but, for the most past, had abandoned his body-painted "The Demon" persona you see here save for a few bouts in recent times. He just came back and, well, that got him here, though the outcome of that match was ... stupid. His cards in paint are worth the look if you ask me -- far more interesting than his other stuff.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of this one ... WWE boxes are here.

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OVERSIZED SHOTZI
The Card: Shotzi Blackheart signed 11-by-14 photo (PSA/DNA cert)
The Price: $30
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This pick-up was more on the bargain side of things -- an 8-by-10 could cost that or more -- and it's that size that's a reason why this photo doesn't have my typical clean backdrop ... it's just too big. The photo is one seen a few times from early in her NXT run and since that time she's finally started appearing on certified autos after having nothing until the delayed 2020 WWE stuff arrived this year. Her autos are softening because of that but we really haven't seen much of The Ballsy Badass of WWE just yet on Smackdown. Will she be rolling solo again after the WWE Draft? It's possible that taking care of business could pick up ... which would spark added interest here. She's been on the pricier side of things for sure as her indy persona and name are the same as her look and routine in WWE.
Grab a box right here: No boxes ... WWE boxes are here.

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INSIDE THE SET ...
The Set: 2014 Topps NFL factory retail set (with Relic pack)
The Price: $50
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I picked up this set recently for one card that's a bit of a novelty here -- that Pat McAfee is his only Rookie Card. It's also a little stealth as it doesn't have an RC logo -- it wasn't released in his first year as a player -- but it's a Rookie Card based on the definitions used for years (well before any logos). He doesn't have a Chrome counterpart but he did have a manufactured Relic card from the year before this one. (Not an RC since it's an insert.) My pics here include the bonus Relic I landed -- not a bad find -- and then the bonus Rookie Card variations pack and then a couple names I pulled out on a quick search. One thing to be aware of -- a lot of cards in these sets can, oddly, arrive damaged if the boxes rolled around a lot in the past but the McAfee and the RCs were generally fine as they are toward the middle of the set. I grabbed this to make sure I have the McAfee -- it can be pricey as he's a media name and now a WWE announcer -- and the irony here is that I know I pulled one years ago. But ... I may have jettisoned it as it wasn't an RC logo card.
Grab a box right here: 2014 Topps NFL factory set

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TOYING AROUND ...
The Card: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Funko Pop! MLB figure ... 
The Price: Around $10
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This one was a free-shipping throw-in -- a cheap item to get me to the threshold -- and that's actually pretty common for me with toys and online ordering these days. I think this was a grab during spring training but it turned out to be a decent pick as he had an MVP-caliber year and has established him as one of the young greats in the game. Now I just need a Bo Bichette to go with it.
Grab a box right here: MLB boxes are here.

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ALABAMA GRABS
The Cards: Various autographs, memorabilia cards, Rookie Cards, parallels & MiLB stuff for Alabama Crimson Tide players and coaches (baseball, basketball and football)
The Prices: Pocket change up to maybe $10 
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: These are the cheaper names out there that I have amassed in the last year (maybe more) and had in my queue for use here ... not realizing there were so many piled up. (In reality, there are more ... but those are the better names I'll sprinkle in more often during football season.) This year the defending national champs have more than 50 guys on NFL rosters so there's always more to come for me to grab -- but I tend to do so later on in their careers ... when they are often cheaper.
Grab a box right here: NFL boxes are here.

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UMPS HAVE INK, TOO
The Card: Rick Reed 2004 Bowman Heritage Signs of Authority
The Price: $9
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This set is one of few in recent years to expand its checklist to include base cards and autographs of MLB umpires while revisiting the 1955 Bowman TV design. This is one where they took the time to change up the photos between ink and base cards with base parallels including black-and-white images so that adds to the array of options here. There are a few notables on the checklist -- most if not all being first-time signers -- and that makes it an interesting project if one were to take it on. That year's prospect crop isn't the greatest now but these are unique possibilities if you open a box.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of this one ... MLB boxes are here.

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THE FINALE ...
The Cards: Major League 8-by-10 lobby card (final scene celebration) 
The Price: Around $10 
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I landed the bigger (11-by14ish) lobby cards for this one long, long ago but the smaller sets like these, which I think were made for European audiences, have eluded me within price ranges where I'm comfortable. I picked this one up solo and then found a separate set (or at least a near set) with a similar style but different language for not that much more around the time of this one probably early last year. Both were so long ago I don't even have all the details saved -- but they are still cool enough I figured I'd finally work them in here. After all, it's the postseason right now and this was from their clincher. (This particular lobby card caught my eye as it used a photo not seen on the larger set.)
Grab a box right here: MLB boxes are here.

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FINISHING WITH JUST A FEW ...
The Cards: Assorted Nick Swisher hits, parallels, Chrome/Prizm stuff, jumbos, imports and more
The Price: Pocket change to around $50
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This lot is like the Bama lot here -- I grabbed a lot of Swisher cards in the last year or so and I never found reasons to work them into Buzz Buys for whatever set or timing reason. This batch does show where my tastes are for this PC player of mine -- patches, rarer hits, Ginter stuff (ripped and unripped there), minis, parallels and plenty more. Since he no longer appears in sets, there's not as much to choose from -- and sometimes asking prices can be absurdly high -- but I still grab them on the regular. This batch is big here but pretty small in terms of my overall collecting volume for him -- yet it also includes some of my favorite cards he's ever had.
Grab a box right here: MLB boxes are here.

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