Buzz Buys (April): Wrestlemania notables, vintage Hollywood, Bo Bichette, Alabama football icons & more stockpiled faves

Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...

--

'TIS THE SEASON
The Card: Rhea Ripley 2020 Topps Chrome WWE Refractor autographed Rookie Card parallel (BGS 9, 10 auto -- BAS & Fanatics Witnessed)
The Price: Less than a 2025 Topps Chrome WWE retail mega box these days
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: She's one of WWE's top stars and this was a key card at a somewhat-modest price considering it's a RC parallel with ink attached -- and it's fully graded, too. Sure, that's not the "Mami" mode/look of Ripley in the here and now -- her hair and look changed a lot while in NXT and early on -- but that different does reinforce "rookie" in a visual way along with that gear. I'm sure I have a copy of this card in my stash unsigned somewhere -- and I know I have a couple colors of her certified auto here -- but this was still an easy addition and an easy choice to lead things off this month. Why? Since it's Wrestlemania season (the big one is on April 19-20). Oh, and there might be (intentionally) a little more wrestling this time vs. my norm, too. Ripley has a lot of cardboard but is among the safest bets there is to grab bargains and stash them away. Why? She's only 28 and has been in the game more than a decade and there figures to be plenty more to come for her in WWE. Interestingly, this one is also graded and in the BGS pop report, so it could have led off Making The Grade this month. It's a pop-three card with one lower and one higher, a 9.5, with five total copies graded.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but WWE cards are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

WAITED FOR THE WOOD
The Cards: Bo Bichette 2023 Topps & 2024 Topps Update Heavy Lumber cards (announced /500 for 2023)
The Price: About $36 total (delivered)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: These rarer pulls are more for the modern-day "case hit" fans, but beyond the one card having an announced print run of 500 copies these are ultimately pretty simple inserts printed on a light wooden stock -- something done off and on since the mid-1990s (1996 Leaf Lumberjacks) and more recently (2012 and 2013 Panini Cooperstown) that, while unique, never really went too crazy price/demand-wise when relatively easy to find. For Bichette? Not too pricey, though part of that might be from his rough 2024 season, while other players are cheaper and even more players have steeper asking prices. Why? Because these cards are different but aren't the easiest finds out of boxes. But, that said, if you wait like I did there a lot of boxes opened and over time stuff like this should come down in price. I didn't mind the looks here as I knew what I was getting into, though the 2024 card had some slight warpage (not damage) to the wood that hopefully will flatten out over time. I could have (should have) waited even more, but I figured I'd buy during the off-season in case he gets off to a strong start this year.
Grab a box right here: MLB cards are here.

--

CRIMSON KILLER
The Card: Oba Femi 2024 Panini Three Count WWE Red (/25) -- Rookie Card parallel
The Price: More than I might normally spend ... but I'm sold.
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Check out last month's Buys for a deeper take on why I think Femi is primed for a strong showing in WWE once he arrives on the main roster -- soon? -- but this pick-up is simply a color-match parallel as he's a former Alabama Crimson Tide track & field standout and this was his RC from this premium brand. To me, this is the best parallel color to have with that in mind, so I went there. My only qualm here is that a lot of the cards can arrive in cases that seem abnormally scratched up and might have small dust or other particles inside the cases at times (like that spot on the bottom edge here) but they're otherwise nice presentation pieces. The foilboard surface should be watched on this particular set for flaws, too, but with so much WWE stuff released at the end of 2024 and early in 2005, the singles prices for even premium brands like this still make it all pretty appealing.
Grab a box right here: WWE cards are here.

--

NOTABLE CARD?
The Card: "More Than Human" (Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent & Dylan Sprayberry as Clark Kent) 2019 Cryptozoic CZX Super Heroes & Super-Villains
The Price: Around $1
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This super-simple card struck me as interesting as it's one of few showing Costner in Man of Steel from back in 2013. I only know of one other ... from a food-issue set. Could there be more? Maybe. Costner has a lot of card appearances from the past with some of his projects getting full sets of their own, so this isn't some hidden treasure for him ... but within the DC realm it might be a highlight from a solid modern set that already has a lot of good cards showing Hollywood notables.
Grab a box right here: Non-sports cards are here.

--

TIFFY TIME DELIVERED
The Cards: Tiffany Stratton 2025 Topps Now WWE 10-pack (announced /2,903) & bonus Orange parallel (/25)
The Price: $49.99
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This one took a long time to arrive -- so long in USPS hands that I skipped over several new Now cards that came after this that might have otherwise had a spot in my collection -- but when it did show it delivered in a way that I totally had time for. My 10-pack included an 11th card and, while that's one of the easier parallels to find, the particular numbering in some ways make this a 1/1 across the run. When did she win her first championship on the main roster? In 2025, of course, and this one is 20/25. ... Now, the real reason I grabbed this lot was because of a third possible find -- but that didn't happen with my order. Eventually one of each of these will be slabbed as Stratton has a strong and growing place in my graded collection.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but WWE cards are here.

--

CAN'T BEAT THAT
The Card: Nick Swisher 2006 Ultimate Collection Ultimate Numbers Patch (/35)
The Price: About $12 (and half of that is shipping)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: A throwback to my main player in my collection from the past -- he still is, he just hasn't had new cards in almost a decade -- and it's a patch card on his first team (the one that matters). I'm not sure how many copies I have out of of the 35 copies of this card that were made, but I might be pushing 10.  
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but MLB cards are here.

--

LANDED THE CHASE CARD
The Card: Tiffany Stratton 2025 Topps Now WWE photo variation 
The Price: Not much more than my 10-pack
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Remember that third possibility I mentioned with Tiffy Now? This is that and I simply waited out some of the early buys to grab one on the cheaper side of things. Since Now actually launched with the first Raw of the year on Netflix (Jan. 6) but her first title victory happened on Smackdown on Jan. 3, Topps waited to do a card for her championship celebration promo the following week (hence the Jan. 10 date on the card). This is her post-match celebration from Jan. 3 seen here on the variation. How many were made? That wasn't announced ... but if prices dip I might grab more. This copy is clean but a back corner has a little light funk where I'm not sure how it might grade ... but I'll probably slab all three together at some point. 
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but WWE cards are here.

--

THE DEVIL RETURNED
The Card: "Elektra's New Value" (Elodie Yung as Elektra Natchios & Charlie Cox as Daredevil) - 2018 Marvel Daredevil Seasons 1-2 Red Foil parallel (/299)
The Price: Pocket change 
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This grab was one from, actually, a few years ago and it had been sitting in my queue all this time for a filler spot here at some point and, well, with the Born Again return of Daredevil to TV ... now's the time. What was my mission with this card? I wanted something that offered up a clear shot at the 'devil along with Elektra that was clean enough to possibly do a simple slab of a numbered parallel. If I had unlimited funds to slab anything for the heck of it, this totally would get graded. For fun. 
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but non-sports cards are here.

--

GRABBED THE 'GRAPH, TOO
The Item: Tiffany Stratton Autographed 16-by-20 dated photo (Fanatics Authentic)
The Price: Also, oddly, not much more than my 10-pack
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: It's going to be a big 'Mania for Stratton, so I am dropping the post-championship pick-up that started my buying for her stuff this year -- this photo that arrived after her win but before the Now cards you already saw. I've picked off a few of her signed photos from WWE Shop (I'm using their photo here as larger photos are tough to photograph due to glare) and needed to add this one. Why? I have a different kind of collection building here beyond cards -- oversized photos. They're a sure-thing buy vs. the mystery of what's in a retail box or two ... I'm going with the sure-thing items more and more. I think this is my third signed photo for her but I still need one or two more to have each of the official releases since she arrived at the top level. 
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but WWE cards are here.

--

BIG RED
The Card: Bo Bichette 2022 Topps Chrome Club Threads Authentics
The Price: $4.50
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This jumbo Relic card from Chrome -- not something that's all that normal for the brand -- was too cheap to pass up and I like its look with the horizontal design, a tight swinging photo (though it needs more bat) and a big piece of a red material from an alternate jersey. Those unis are really striking and they always get my attention when in card photos. 
Grab a box right here: MLB cards are here.

--

TURN THE PAGE
The Mag: John Cena on WWE Raw Magazine, April 2003 -- first WWE cover 
The Price: $15
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: He's made a little history before Wrestlemania this year as his retirement tour now includes him working as a heel -- turning against Cody Rhodes while aligning with The Rock. Where will things go? It will be interesting to see and I actually grabbed this before all that drama. I own a couple of slabbed copies of this -- one I grabbed and one I subbed -- and this one, for the most part, looked quite clean so I grabbed it again since it's his debut. Was this strong enough to slab? Potentially ... but I don't think it's strong enough to top the one I slabbed, so it probably won't happen while he's still an active wrestler. At some point later? Probably.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but WWE cards are here.

--

SAVE THE CHEERLEADER ...
The Cards: Thea Hail 2023 Panini Revolution WWE Rookie Card, 2023 Panini Revolution WWE Impact (/199) & 2024 Panini Prizm WWE Ruby Wave Prizm
The Price: About $6.50 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This high-energy NXT star debuted in a pro ring with AEW -- her first match was on AEW Dark back in 2021 -- and she signed with WWE in 2022. She's only 21 now -- so do the math -- and already got a lot of experience at a young age and a good amount of WWE cardboard (2023-on). She's been a key part of a college-themed faction called Chase U and is the riled-up cheerleader making for both some fun comedy promo moments as well as solid in-ring stuff. What's next? Not sure ... and that's why these past pick-ups had been playing the waiting game. Maybe she graduates to the higher level soon?
Grab a box right here: WWE cards are here.

--

STAMP OF APPROVAL
The Items: Paul "Bear" Bryant nine 20-piece USPS 32-cent stamp sheets 
The Price: About $30
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: No, Buzz isn't starting a new collection -- these were released back in 1997 along with stamps of three others -- Pop Warner, George Halas and Vince Lombardi -- and I finally decided to track down some Bryant solo sheets here instead of just having a couple strips of the four tucked away in sleeves in an album somewhere as part of the school ties part of the ol' collection. Back in the day, I actually used a number of these Alabama stamps when I sent TTM autograph requests to former players, figuring that and a hometown address might spark returns ... and most of them did. They're not that rare and there's literal value still in these -- $57.60 -- as postage if I wanted to use them, but I'm good with them sitting in my Crimson Tide stash. There are a number of good names found on stamps since the 1980s and some earlier general sports stamps can be found from even further back. It's a niche you might check if you're a player or team collector in particular. Oh, and another thought ... does anybody grade stamp sheets? I totally would ... 
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but football cards are here.

--

IS IT A DEBUT?
The Mag: Shawn Michaels -- WWF Magazine, September 1995 (subscriber copy)
The Price: Too much ($30) ... but I took the chance on something of note here.
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: "What's a Rookie Card?" is a debate that will never end as there are many personal definitions for people out there -- and things do get a little muddier with wrestling thanks to a lot of years without traditional trading cards in packs and also stars' sometimes-changing personas. It also gets more complicated with international releases -- there's plenty of stuff from the past you'll simply never see -- and then also stuff like food issues where, nope, they're not RCs but can pre-date in-pack cards by years. So, what's the deal with this magazine? Inside each issue there's a perforated sheet of nine cards -- and they're only in subscriber copies -- magazines more likely to be folded in half and jammed into mailboxes back in the day. In this issue there's a card for a relative newcomer Hunter Hearst-Helmsley, who's now known as Triple H and is one of the public faces of WWE's management today along with The Rock (even higher as a board member) after a Hall of Fame career in the ring. For all intents and purposes, this is one of his first cards -- the only others are in a rare Panini set made in Europe that year -- so I bit as this copy looked remarkably clean ... and it is. Well, other than a light vertical fold line going downtime middle of the sheet. I've seen worse ... I've seen better. It looked good, so I rolled the dice and had the seller send it boxed so at least that's not new damage. (Ironically, the first time I grabbed one of these probably 20 years ago it was uncreased ... until it hit my mailbox thanks to a careless seller not realizing how it could be damaged. I'm now 0-for-2.)
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but WWE cards are here.

--

PRE-TIMELESS TREASURE
The Card: Toni Storm 2021 Topps Chrome WWE Slam Attax Autographs
The Price: Around $30
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This auto comes from the lone Chromed-out version of Topps' long-running gaming brand made for overseas audiences that included a number of good names on autographed cards -- but not autos found in every box. I've picked off a number of Storm autos through the years as she was a high-profile name as a newcomer to WWE when she hit its cardboard in 2019 ... and since then she's had all kinds of twists and turns in her career, including asking for and getting her release from WWE not that long after she made the main roster. She has enjoyed a rebirth of sorts in AEW, the WWE's main rival company, since 2022 and is now "Timeless" Toni Storm as previously noted. This ink is definitely a little off-the-radar vs. a lot of stuff so it was an easy grab at that price. 
Grab a box right here: WWE cards are here.

--

SHOPPING FOR SHOTZI
The Cards: Assorted Shotzi Blackheart Panini America and Topps base cards and parallels (2021-2023)
The Price: Pocket change to a few bucks
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This assortment of parallels and other basics isn't anything all that exotic -- just doing some spring cleaning of my stuff that had been waiting for a spot here -- but there is plenty of Shotzi to be found. (And, of course, there will be more ... I'm a collector.) It's good to have some favorites that aren't always pricey -- though her rare stuff can be -- but most of these aren't. I'm good with that. 
Grab a box right here: WWE cards are here.

--

THE FEARSOME FOURSOME
The Item: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis & Cynthia Nixon -- Sex & The City Season 3 2000 HBO promo photo 
The Price: About $5
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I found this on a deep dive of TV photos from one seller and it struck me as a nice, simple piece showing the four main names of a franchise that was as big as it gets for a time in the late-1990s and early 2000s ... so it became a sorta-random cart inclusion. Am I collector here? Probably not, but when it comes to cards there's essentially almost nothing for most of them -- only Cattrall has cards thanks to an easy Star Trek movie role and Parker is on a single TV Guide cover set card if you poke around in the archives. 
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but non-sports cards are here.

--

TALKING MINIS
The Cards: Nick Swisher assorted mini cards -- 2014 Topps Mini Pink (/25) and Gold (/63) parallels, 2016 Topps Mini base cards (10) & 2006 Topps Allen & Ginter No-number Mini (/50)
The Price: Pocket change to about $35 for the Ginter
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This group of minis came to my collection thanks to a curiosity search one morning not that long ago with the parallels of the Topps flagships on my radar since they are rarer yet cheap ... and the rarer card from the landmark first Ginter set got me simply because I wasn't 100-percent sure if I had it. Or, more accurately, I wasn't sure how many I already had. The parallels cost me about $6 total, while the mini lot was under $1 a card ... all fine by me as my player hasn't had new cards since that 2016 flagship card and its parallel releases. 
Grab a box right here: MLB cards are here.

--

THROWBACK INK
The Card: Molly Holly 2001 Fleer WWF The Ultimate Diva Collection autographed Rookie Card (via The Wrestling Universe Store)
The Price: $9.99
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This WWE Hall of Famer's auto isn't tough -- she's signed for years despite being retired for some time -- but an on-card auto on one of her Rookie Cards for a good price made this an easy grab. Also helping here is that it's in a decent condition -- this set has a lot of issues as the gloss was chippy from the start, the stock is soft and the gloss also has not aged well. Stuff in packs is likely to be bricked so what exists is what exists -- and this one is not perfect but I've seen far worse. This is also, just for the fun of it, possibly among my first batch of candidates for a CGC-JSA sub just to get some inked stuff into slabs vs. top-loaders. Why? I think I have one unsigned already in a slab somewhere in my stash (and likely in the archives here) and it would be cool to have a matching pair. Other stuff would be higher priority but this one might get in there later this year. 
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but WWE cards are here.

--

BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL?
The Card: Jose Canseco 2024 Topps Series 1 1989 Topps inserts 
The Price: Pocket change
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: As somebody who was around for the original take here, I liked this a little more in the here and now vs. the back then. But ... I'd also rather see this crisper and cleaner take on 1989 on oldschool-style stock and no gloss, but that's just me. For pocket change, I'll dabble -- and actually what got me to look was seeing how clean a Relic from this one looked. 
Grab a box right here: MLB cards are here.

--

VINTAGE PICK-UPS
The Cards: Assorted Claudia Cardinale vintage international cards/stamps 
The Price: Pocket change up to $20 for a couple of these (🤷‍♂️)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: There are a few names in my collection where I just see what's out there a few times a year and pick off a few things just for the heck of it -- no precise method to my madness -- just to add to the stacks. A couple of these 1960s cards are seemingly more obscure and were a little cleaner, so I paid a little more and, well, if I had passed I might not see them again. One's from a Dutch chocolate set and another is from Germany. Some of the others are more easily found and way, way cheaper -- especially in lesser condition -- so some of these were as cheap as it gets for vintage. And that's also how I ended up buying them more than once. No worries ... the price was right. 
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but non-sports cards are here.

--

VERY NICE, VERY EVIL
The Cards: Danhausen 2022 AEW Metal Universe The Merch & Skybox Premium inserts
The Price: Pocket change for both
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This eccentric wrestling character -- he wrestles but he's even more enigmatic as a character -- is seemingly everywhere (buying comics with C.M. Punk here) but he wasn't on a whole lot of AEW cardboard until a couple of releases that I've liked. That's this set and Allure. Why? Just some cheap and quirky cardboard -- the shirt insert is perfectly weird and the other is a more-traditional re-do of a past Skybox set. Neither here was clean enough for a novelty slab -- I may just grab something slabbed by somebody else at this point -- but I definitely need a slab that's, as his schtick says, very nice and very evil. Here's how he explains it.
Grab a box right here: AEW cards are here.

--

OLDSCHOOL HOLLYWOOD
The Items: Alix Talton (aka Alice Talton on these) stamped 1941 Warner Bros. publicity prints (one roughly 8-by-10 and the other roughly 12-by-9)
The Price: Probably too much ... but I'd also never likely see this stuff again if I had passed.
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This pair of stamped Schuyler Crail Warner Bros. publicity prints are for the 1941 film Sergeant York with Gary Cooper. She apparently played a "hillbilly" per the descriptions on the back and yet the film isn't among her IMDb credits -- and there's only one fully-credited role between then and 1949, though she had a few uncredited roles in those years. What's up with that? Well, Talton was signed to a Warner Bros. studio deal around this time and was under contract but only had small roles until she was ready for more-substantial work. She worked in plays to build upon her skills atop her singing and dancing work that led her to a top-15 finish at the Miss America pageant after she was Miss Atlanta (Ga.) in 1938 -- that's in part how she was found by Hollywood. In later years, she had roles in films with Kirk Douglas and Humphrey Bogart, a spot in an Alfred Hitchcock film featuring Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day and a number of others, including Rock Around The Clock and the campy sci-fi "classic" The Deadly Mantis in the 1950s. She also worked into the 1960s and '70s in TV and movies. Now, why is this here and now in my stash of movie stills? I liked the really early factor here -- think "Rookie Card" stuff but ultimately earlier -- and the style of studio portrait is one perhaps more seen on pricey originals for some big names. These just struck me as interesting older pieces with a story -- but nothing too dramatically expensive. 
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but non-sports cards are here.

--

COLLEGE THROWBACK
The Card: David Palmer 1994 Superior Rookies Autographs (/4,000)
The Price: $2.50
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This former Minnesota Vikings star of seven seasons was on a national championship team in college -- before it more-recently became the Crimson Tide norm under Nick Saban -- and beyond that he doesn't have a boatload of certified autograph cards during his playing days. In fact, only this one and two others (Signature Rookies and Pro Line Live) were signed as an active player. His six other inked cards came in the 2012 UD Alabama set ... and he's got nothing else. Because there's so little I'll pick things off if they get cheaper like this one ... even if I already have it.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but football cards are here.

--

NFL THROWBACK
The Cards: Shaun Alexander 2000 Collector's Edge Odyssey Old School & 2000 Collector's Edge Odyssey Ripped
The Price: About $2 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This pair of inserts came from the same release and one has always struck me as interesting -- the one with the retro helmet -- and I picked off both during a deep dive of cheap cards during the college season. Why? He was the top star and a first-round pick when I was around the Crimson Tide, so I'll always look, though he's got too much stuff to actively collect in any meaningful way. That retro card is totally one I'd slab if I thought it would land a good grade ... it's simple but weird. 
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but football cards are here.

--

A PAST WWE STANDOUT
The Cards: Angela Fong 2024 Benchwarmer Emerald Archives Green 2014 BenchWarmer Eclectic buyback auto (/3), two 2015 BenchWarmer Eclectic Pink parallels (/25) and a lot of seven 2015 BenchWarmer Eclectic autos
The Price: About $24 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Poke around in the archives and you'll see a few mentions of this former WWE champ (albeit in Florida Championship Wrestling, the NXT predecessor) turned announcer who ultimately didn't have any card appearances of substance other than a single FCW card and a single WWE gaming card. She does, however, have plenty of BenchWarmer cards and these came from a brand where, at one time (and not any longer) the boxes were dire cheap to rip in bulk. I opened a lot of the 2014 boxes and easily built up a stash of autographs from that release alone. I didn't pull many of her autos for the WWE collection -- I like to have something for ink from as many names as I can -- and the prices were right here for some bulk buys. 
Grab a box right here: BenchWarmer cards are here.

--

WORKING PUBLICITY
The Items: Celebrity Photo Agency 1999 media slides featuring WWE stars Triple H, Chyna, Ivory, Debra, Stephanie McMahon, Vince McMahon, Linda McMahon, Shane McMahon and Big Show. 
The Price: Pocket change as part of a couple lots
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: My short-lived curiosity with media slides included finding a couple batches of slides featuring wrestling stars from a couple companies back in the day and this was just one part of that batch. The focus is mostly on Triple H and Chyna here, but some others sneaked their way in on some red carpet/event group shots. While some of these look identical, there are minor changes from frame to frame. A serious player collector might look into slides for their collection as all it takes is a different kind of page in an album for a spot in the collection. 
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but WWE cards are here.

--

SHOPPING FOR SWISHER
The Cards: Nick Swisher -- assorted Topps, Panini America and Donruss/Playoff SPs, parallels and oddball cards 
The Price: Pocket change to a few bucks for the slightly rarer numbered stuff
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This player is one I've collected heavily over the years, so he'll always have a spot among my buys, either as singles or COMC click-and-picks that arrive en masse later. Since I grab a lot of 'em and they tend to pile up easily, I'll just drop these here and call it good ... some samples of stuff one can collect without breaking the bank. 
Grab a box right here: MLB cards are here.

--

Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com. 

>> Click here to buy cards on BlowoutCards.com