Buzz Buys: Broadway Joe, Money Mike, The Rock, The Goonies, Shotzi ink, Drew, vintage cards, movie moments & plenty more
This entry was posted on July 15, 2023
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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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BIG AUTO, BIG PHOTO ... SMALLER PRICE
The Photo: Michael Harris II autographed 16-by-20 photo (Fanatics Authentic)
The Price: Under $65 ... Note: this large-size item isn't easy to photograph all that well without a lot of glare on its top-loader, so the image above is their Photoshopped sales mock.
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I have this one batting lead-off as it's an item I wanted last year -- when he won the National League Rookie Of The Year award -- but I had my same-day order canceled by the company. Why? Perhaps it was my use of an extra sale code via a site that sells their stuff (it worked and the order was processed) but there was no reason given. I picked this up more recently -- with a rewards code atop a sale price -- from that same place, though, after he had a tough start to this season. No cancellation this time and no worries -- I just wanted his auto in my stash and I like the feel of a nice display piece (though I display nothing) with a large signature vs. a card that's likely going to cost more. In fact, the cheapest auto for him on a non-MLB card on one site where I buy singles is higher than what I paid for this. I'm probably a one-and-done on his autos unless they get cheaper over time, anyway, though. Why? His signature is a bit oversimplified as he's been in demand. It does look better than the mock but is still quite simple for my taste -- I'll start here and play the waiting game on any more.
Grab a box right here: Michael Harris RCs in 2023 releases
Keep reading for more interesting items ...
THIS MONTH IN 1965 ... BROADWAY JOE WAS BORN
The Mags: Joe Namath, Sports Illustrated -- July 19, 1965
The Prices: Around $45 each
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Just like I mentioned in this month's Making The Grade where I included a card based on this magazine cover, Broadway Joe's nickname was created with this issue when it arrived back in 1965 and he was a rookie with the Jets and teammates reacted. Here's the story in his own words. I only picked up my first low-grade copy of this magazine in recent years but I'm now pushing a half-dozen and I will eventually grade all of them no matter what despite low grades to come and those labels the super-serious slab collectors avoid. Why? This is on par with the Mickey Mantle 1952 Topps card in terms of iconic sports visuals ... and they're not that easily found in clean shape -- and often even rough copies can still have steep asking prices. I think it's a nice item in any condition as long as it's not seriously mangled. I don't even care if they are altered -- one here probably is -- but I think this is a good addition in many instances. Broadway Joe will always be a rebellious icon and this is where it started.
Grab a box right here: BlowoutCards.com NFL boxes
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REMEMBER ME?
The Card: Jasson Dominguez 2021 Bowman's Best Refractor -- Rookie Card parallel
The Price: $5.25
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This PPP -- Peak Pandemic Prospect -- might go down as a legend (good or bad) but right now he's still a 20-year-0ld hitting not much more than this weight in Double-A ball. He's got 10 homers, 24 stolen bases and 39 RBI in 76 games this season but a .204 average is really rough. I picked this one up on the relative cheap not that long ago as it's a parallel of his Rookie Card thanks to the checklist error that came with this release.
Grab a box right here: BlowoutCards.com
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TWO FROM THE CLUB ...
The Cards: Bo Bichette 2021 and 2022 Topps 582 Montgomery Club small-set cards
The Price: Pocket change for both
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This pair comes from the Club's bonus sets that are small releases sent out to members a few times a year using tweaked designs from the past (or ones that got tweaked before they became a past reality). Since these Bichettes were clean and pocket change I did both. I like the 1982 nod on the right one.
Grab a box right here: BlowoutCards.com for other MLB
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REMEMBER THESE?
The Card: Nick Swisher 2006 eTopps card (/724) -- with added autograph (announced /72) via eTopps signing on April 23, 2007
The Price: Around $25
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: There's been some talk about a lot of innovation recently, but this one comes from a line that was a big deal a generation ago. They're eTopps cards -- perhaps the original NFTs and vault service showcase, except they were real when you requested them or sold them off exclusively on eBay. In this case, in eTopps' later years, you could sign up for a limited drop to get a player to sign a card ... as long as you already owned a copy in your portfolio. I don't remember the details on this one but I remember forking over whatever the fee was for a signed copy (likely between $40-80 to add the auto) and I have picked up a couple since out of the announced 72 that he signed. It's basically the same as a regular card but with the auto added before it was re-cased after signing and then it came with a cert in an envelope. Could I see Fanatics/Topps bringing back eTopps or signing session approaches like this? I think so on both ... and I think they should do something like the signing service in some way.
Grab a box right here: BlowoutCards.com for other MLB
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BOOK 'EM, DREW ...
The Books: Drew Barrymore autographed Rebel Homemaker (publisher-released autograph edition) ... not just two, but five of 'em!
The Price: About $18 apiece ... thanks to a big sale ($30 cover price)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Yep, I bought five of these in the last couple months -- and I already had a couple of them from a buy mentioned at some point here in the past. (Why? They were cheap, baby! And then they went on sale even cheaper with buy two get one free from a major big-box seller.) Atop the price, these all had larger, more impressive autos of her admittedly lean initial-graph but since she has a long name I'll allow that. Also, more importantly, she's never had a certified (non-cut) autograph card so signed editions like this are about the only way a mass-available autograph happens. She's written a few books -- all with publisher editions where you can find them signed -- but once they dry up a bit the prices can rise. This one can be found with strong asking prices in the eBay world but also lower prices, too, where people are just trying to make say $10 on each one sold. Over time, I think there's going to be more interest here as she's moved from child star to the rebellious 1990s icon jumping atop David Letterman's desk to an A-lister and then to the next-gen Oprah or something. These days she's got a talk show, a magazine, books like this, a kitchenware line, clothing line (I think, though they're not made for me) and more within the pop culture realm that she's been at for years. I also think she arguably could have a stronger fan base over time, too, due to all of these other projects ... and she's already at 17 million on Instagram as it is.
Grab a box right here: BlowoutCards.com for non-sports
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NEARLY PERFECT?
The Card: Andy Pafko 1955 Bowman
The Price: $9.99
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This wasn't a card I needed per se, but when I run into 1955 Bowman cards and their wood-panel TV homages they're either typically mangled or seriously mis-cut as the top and bottom borders here just are not friendly at all. This card looked downright perfect to me so I grabbed it and it's very close to perfect other than an edge bump or two on the right border that blended in with all that texture on the design. I need to make sure it measures up -- always a concern with vintage -- but I think it's fine and this card is still clean enough I'd consider grading it ... for the heck of it. It just looks good and would look even better in a slab.
Grab a box right here: BlowoutCards.com for other MLB
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LOT BUYS ...
The Cards: Cora Jade 2022 Panini NXT Rookie Card lots (and parallel/inserts) ... just over 100 cards total
The Price: About $75 (did four lots over a few months as they presented themselves)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This young NXT star is among a trio of rookies I've watched pretty closely in the Panini years with her 2022 cards basically being her major-manufacturer debut, though she had a couple of Topps show promo and auto cards (no base) the previous year. Why lots? Potential and, really, because this one is an impossible grading challenge in my eyes. The set already has a lot of issues with its stock and color scheme and issues on edges and errant gloss on backs ... but this card takes it another step. Nearly every copy of this card I have seen -- save for maybe 1-2 out of this entire lot -- has a vertical line on its surface in the gloss like some kind of machinery touched/lightly scratched the sheet in that spot every time. You can see it just above the gloss glare in the image at right. Sometimes it's lighter than others but, it's always something there in some form or fashion. Since this release is cheap you can find unopened wax easily and bulk lots easy at times, too, and there is often more than one copy per hobby box. I finally gave up on more lots after finding one or two "maybe-grades" among these but I also punted maybe even slabbing those after spotting some PSA 9 action out in the wild. You'll see that and more here in the future.
Grab a box right here: BlowoutCards.com for WWE
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COLLECTING A CLASSIC MOMENT
The Photo: Ralph Macchio & Pat Morita The Karate Kid press photo
The Price: About $8
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This movie still is simply a classic showing Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Miyagi during one of the training scenes in this classic that spawned a film franchise, a reboot and then a Netflix follow-up series all these years later. This one was cheap and basically minty fresh, so I grabbed it since I also thought it was a nice, clean visual.
Grab a box right here: BlowoutCards.com for non-sports
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REMEMBER MRS. ROGER DORN?
The Card: Carson Carroll 1983 Fritsch Wisconsin Rapids Twins
The Price: $1
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: You remember Roger Dorn, the money-hungry diva third baseman in Major League who didn't want to risk getting hurt diving for ground balls and the guy won't do sit-ups? Now, how about his wife and how she comes into play in the plot? Well, I was casually flipping through an old media kit for the movie, an admitted favorite, and it mentioned how Suzanne Dorn was played by Stacy Carroll ... who had a brother who played minor league baseball. So, is this Roger Dorn's brother in law? (Kinda?) Carroll played seven seasons with his last three in Double-A for the Yankees and Royals organizations after he was a 17th-round pick of the Twins. Random ... but I had to add it. This was his first of only five cards before he called it a career and his sister ended up on the big screen with the big-leaguer.
Grab a box right here: BlowoutCards.com for newer MiLB
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GRABBED ONE, AND ...
The Card: Bryce Young 2022 Bowman University Chrome 1952 Bowman
The Price: $2
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: When I saw this card as one of the mocks in advance of this first fully licensed NIL-era release for Topps football cards -- the Bowman U years -- I was all set on loading up and ripping a bit to chase this and others for the stars for my team that were included. Then, my first two blasters arrived and, well, the condition issues were so rough that the two blasters was it. I waited to grab one of these as the centering seems to be a regular problem but this copy was cleaner than many. The problem? When it arrived it presented itself with a surface line across the front of the card at shoulder level. There went the appeal for even this copy. I want one slabbed ... but I'll just wait for somebody else to take that challenge and then grab their nine or better at an affordable price. Since Young had a lot of NIL cardboard before this, there's a lot for people to choose from and the NFL cards will be coming soon, too. I suspect there could be more bulk lots coming or some late grading results at some point. This one had the potential to be among my all-time great/favorite Mount Rushmore of cheaper #RollTide cards for sure. It's simple, a throwback, but also distinctly modern, too, for a guy who was the No. 1 overall pick. No matter what he happens in the NFL, he'll always be a cardboard icon in this uniform.
Grab a box right here: BlowoutCards.com for Bowman U
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THREE MORE FOR THE DREW STASH
The Items: Drew Barrymore The Wedding Singer press photo, 2004 Stellar Playboy 50th Anniversary cover (base) card, mid-1990s media headshot
The Price: Around $20-25 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Three more simple items for the flats stash (photos and cards) for this Barrymore kick of mine that I've been on this year, this pair of images was again among affordable and better-condition options -- there are many -- while the card is from a set that's not the easiest to find in any form. Stellar has made the sets for years -- I think since the early 1990s -- but for the obvious reasons you don't run into them much among typical card channels for singles/sets/packs/boxes. Atop that, for whatever reason, this set from the 5oth anniversary of that franchise isn't as plentiful -- perhaps Stellar didn't make as much, or it was really popular upon arrival or maybe the company was sold or having business issues (I have no idea). This simple card showing a magazine cover and then a cartoon on the back was a find that was a long-time coming. I've literally known about the card for some time but never had one pop up unless I wanted to buy the set ... and those aren't cheap.
Grab a box right here: BlowoutCards.com for non-sports
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CLEAN VINTAGE
The Card: Frank Robinson 1964 Topps Giants
The Price: $9.99
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This one is clean but clearly not perfect ... but as an instant buy it was cheap enough and clean enough for me to grab. These aren't all that rare in the big picture of things and they're likely going to be cheaper than regular cards from 1964 (at least for high-grade and for Hall of Famers). They're not going to get easier to find over time as more and more people grab vintage since, well, it's always going to be what it is. (Newly arriving stuff can evolve from year to year and new players can be hit and miss.) I collect Robinson rather regularly, too, and I probably have another deep in an album somewhere but at least now I can be 100-percent sure.
Grab a box right here: BlowoutCards.com for newer MLB
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THE CHAMP IS HERE
The Cards: Tiffany Stratton 2022 Panini Chronicles WWE Rookies & Stars Purple (/49) & Certified Blue (/99) -- Rookie Card parallels
The Price: Under $30 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This pair of parallels from her few RCs in Chronicles were not the cheapest finds, but I'm sold and she's now the NXT champ in the time since I grabbed them. The rarer one has a surface spot on the back but I may still slab it ... I like that set and it's a rarer version. The Certified isn't my favorite of all of them but I like the color parallels -- they pop a lot more than the base cards. Corners can be an issue there with all that rich color so it might get slabbed, too, but my expectations aren't as high grade-wise so it will wait in line behind other cards.
Grab a box right here: BlowoutCards.com for WWE
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APPEAL OF THE REEL
The Items: Major League film stock cuts
The Price: About $20 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: These popped up from an enterprising seller who did the work and the presentation to get me to bite on something that isn't all that expensive. They're cuts of five frames from an original film print -- with thousands of visuals like these on those reels -- but it's hard to view or even present that stuff if you do find them on the cheap. In this case, these were among a ton of scenes from this film -- and others -- where they did the work to cut and scan key moments. I bit for key characters on a batch, figuring a blaster box for the same price could be a disappointment while this was a sure thing. When they arrived they each came in a semi-rigid with a correlating sticker on the front to show the movie they came from. (All same movie this time, of course, but differing sticker designs.) The seller did the work and I like the simple appeal ... I need to go look and see if they are still at it. There's a chance I'd do more -- there are definitely more moments and characters I like to see. Why this stuff? Just something different and affordable ... and they're quite card-like with their cases.
Grab a box right here: BlowoutCards.com for other MLB
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ALSO KNOWN AS ...
The Cards: Joe Sculthorpe 2021 SAGE Premier Draft Autographs Red & Gold (/100) versions
The Price: About $7 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This former N.C. State offensive lineman is now known as Hank Walker on WWE's NXT show and here are two of his only four cards that are only found in this release. That's all he's got for cardboard but I suspect we'll see him in the NXT set this year if Panini does that one or if some of the other WWE releases dip deep into the NXT ranks like they should. All I need here is a Black parallel and then a Blue 1/1 to complete a rainbow.
Grab a box right here: BlowoutCards.com for college football & WWE
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ANOTHER SIX-PACK OF SHOTZI
The Photos: Shotzi Blackheart autographed 16-by-10 photos (and one 8-by-10) (PSA/DNA, JSA and BAS authenticated)
The Price: Between $18 to $30 apiece
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This high-energy WWE star might be having a higher profile and getting some mainstream media attention after her Smackdown segment on Friday night -- one where she shaved her own head (click to watch the promo) as part of a storyline feud with a WWE veteran who previously attacked her and cut off a lock of her trademark long green hair. In reality, it was an on-screen homage to her sister who recently did the same thing as she's battling cancer. What will happen next? We'll see, but a feud with Bayley does figure to be high-profile. As for this six-pack, I've been a regular buyer of her ink and cards for a while now -- you know that if you're a regular reader -- and these photos were priced well vs. a lot of cards, though all WWE cardboard is softening with a new year of stuff on the way. I tend to stick with the helmet pics as the Tank Girl of WWE is iconic there but others have worked their way into my stash as they presented themselves, even one from before WWE (red hair) where she was working in the horror movie/scream queen realm. New Shotzi could be even more interesting if the intensity goes up. She was already high-energy as it is.
Grab a box right here: BlowoutCards.com for WWE
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NEVER SAY DIE!
The Photo: The Goonies -- the whole crew (Kerri Green, Josh Brolin, Corey Feldman, Sean Astin, Ke Huy Quan, Jeff Cohen, Martha Plimpton) -- promotional press photo
The Price: About $8
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: There was no way I could pass on this one when doing the ol' scroll routine though old promotional photos. Why? This image shows all of The Goonies together (albeit barely) and it was super clean and unused, looking just like it did when it came out of an envelope almost 40 years ago. This classic probably doesn't need explained even to you younger readers -- but here's the trailer. The Topps cards for this classic seem to be on the rarer side of things for the era -- packs will cost you more here than others for sure -- but since they are black-bordered and the typical 1980s quality I'm not very intrigued there as somebody who likes to grade. This kind of a photo? I might look into it ... slabbed promo photos can have the same appeal. This isn't a perfect kind of item for the film but it's close.
Grab a box right here: BlowoutCards.com for non-sports
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GOT IT COVERED ...
The Photo: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Sports Illustrated Dec. 5, 2016, cover photo print (oversized)
The Price: About $25
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This one was a consolation prize of sorts for me. If you're a long-time reader then you know I own something appearing on this SI cover -- read that story here -- after some dumb luck and some exhaustive research. I wanted to find a copy of the magazine to slab to go with that but have struck out there a couple times (newer issues can be harder to find clean vs. old ones with far-lower print runs in recent years) so I finally went to a site I have known about for years and bought something else as a companion piece. I went to SIcovers.com and grabbed this print. The clarity and quality is off the charts -- better than I expected and better than a printed magazine -- but the size threw me for a loop so it sat in its shipping container for a time until I could find the right top-loader. While I ordered a print size that would fit with other oversized stuff I have like the old Topps cards as wall art (RIP on those), that was the image size here and it had a border around that making it even larger than the cases I already had. No worries now ... it just delayed me getting around to telling this story (and showing my lame photo).
Grab a box right here: BlowoutCards.com for WWE
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LISTEN ALL Y'ALL IT'S A ...
The Cards: Kylie Rae 2004 Sabotage Wrestling Series 2 cards
The Price: $10 each
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This indy wrestling company has had a number -- a strong number -- of internationally known WWE and AEW (and other) stars in its past ranks and it has made a handful of card sets over the years where a lot of those names have shown up on early (if not their first) cards. I went on a minor indy kick awhile back to find some names on earlier cards and that included Rae, who I first saw on the first AEW pay-per-view -- her only AEW match. She's an indy veteran -- and also has just one televised WWE match -- but with her a little bit of everywhere I figured there's potential. I also grabbed these since I like the Sabotage stuff but can't find the ones I really, really need. This isn't her first card but from what I have seen she only has a couple of legit indy card appearances since her debut in 2016. I have time to find others as she won't be chasing down any new championships just yet for a bit -- her next title will be "Mom."
Grab a box right here: BlowoutCards.com for AEW & WWE
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ROCKFORD'S FINEST
The Photo: Tom Hanks, Madonna & Rosie O'Donnell A League Of Their Own press photo
The Price: About $8
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This one remains one of the most-iconic women's sports movies -- if not the No. 1 -- and yet it really wasn't merchandised as heavily as it would have had it arrived in more recent years. There was an anniversary DVD recently that included some extras and some promotional stuff way back when it arrived on VHS for video stores, but not a lot that can be easily found today with any regularly appearing ease. (There's a fun facsimile autographed baseball for top names as well as some oversized versions of the cards seen in that DVD for example.) But since I've picked up those long ago I'll go this route at times when they pop up. (I would have picked up the whole press kit in the past but those along with lobby cards can have strong asking prices due to the A-list names here and/or are drying up.) This one I grabbed for the names as well as for it being cheaper and cleaner than lot of examples.
Grab a box right here: BlowoutCards.com for non-sports
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TWO OF A KIND
The Cards: Nick Swisher 2008 UD Premier Premier Swatches Blue (/50) and 2007 Upper Deck Spectrum Swatches Patch (/50)
The Price: About $12 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This guy hasn't had any new cardboard in years -- since 2016 -- but I'll keep my eye on patch cards from certain timeframes as well as ink even though I probably have hundreds of autos as it is already. In this case, I was a big, big fan of that "OAK" patch package and the prices on both of these. Simple as that.
Grab a box right here: BlowoutCards.com for other MLB
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FRESH CARD-SIZED TIME CAPSULES ...
The Items: Pam Anderson, Tommy Lee, Julia Roberts, Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder 1990s photo slides
The Price: $10 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: A newer kick of mine -- one that I'll explore more here in the coming months -- are photo slides, which I know people have collected for years but I have never bothered with. Sure, I've added sports slides for my personal collection players or maybe some with school ties from places like the Topps Vault regularly in the past ... but not much else. But with some of my ripping volume down for a few reasons I've simply explored other directions of collecting. These are two simple examples of where you can find memorable names on small card-like slides that were somewhat mass-produced (but not mass-produced like cards in packs) in the years before digital distribution was a common thing for photo services. In the case of these Celebrity Photo Agency slides they can often be found with specific events/dates attached to add to the appeal -- you could collect a name from a certain year, or names from certain events or shows (awards shows, big movie premieres). "Pam and Tommy" were everywhere in the mid/late 1990s, while the trio isn't noted for any specific event or date from 1992. One can box, top-load or page these just like cards and that's what I'm doing for now. I've grabbed some specific images here and there like these and have have dabbled with some lots -- some small and one really large -- that let me dig to see what's interesting. I'm not sweating the writing on these -- they'd of course be better without -- but for small pick-ups they seem like they could command more interest later. (Maybe.) Why? Well, they're not making stuff like this any more -- so what's out there for names is what there is. It's just not time or cost efficient to do slides now.
Grab a box right here: BlowoutCards.com for other MLB
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MR. AND MRS. ...
The Cards: Magnus Brutus (Nick Aldis) & Mickie James-Aldis TRISTAR TNA Impact Rookie Card, parallel (/30) and autographs
The Price: About $45 total ($25 for the James /50 auto)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This group of cards came into my hands over a few months when searching for old TRISTAR TNA cards, which haven't been a thing for about a decade. Nick Aldis, now a former NWA champ, is back in Impact and his wife is back there, too, as part of a career that has been both here and a little bit of everywhere, too. (Both never in AEW, though, and him never in WWE.) This is his only American Rookie Card (there could be previous international cards I don't know) and those are his two earliest autos (among a few), while her cards here are a lower-volume parallel and one of her many certified autos. But, it's one of only a handful of her autos not on TRISTAR stickers -- this one on an embedded piece of used ring mat noted on the card. By the way, his first card with his real name appears to the in the landmark 2018 All-In set, while she's got stuff back to her 2006 WWE card debuts.
Grab a box right here: BlowoutCards.com for AEW & WWE
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GOING FOR GOLD ...
The Cards: Al Snow, Molly Holly, Trish Stratus & Chyna 1999-05 Danbury Mint 22K Gold WWE cards
The Price: About $25 ($10 for Stratus)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This grouping would please Johann van der Smut (you know, Goldmember) as these are embossed and encased gold leaf cards that were sold this way as part of an ongoing membership subscription deal from the Danbury Mint for several years. They actually made a lot of these cards -- more than 120 -- but I opted to only pick off a few cheaper or earlier favorites over the last year or so. They aren't the best visuals but most of the likenesses are off of recognizable images -- but not all -- and the biggest names can be pricier as these are definitely more-obscure than in-pack cards but not impossible finds.
Grab a box right here: BlowoutCards.com for other WWE
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TWO INK APPROACHES ...
The Cards: Angela Fong BenchWarmer autographed 1/1 box-topper parallel and Eclectic Collection autograph lot (10)
The Price: About $35 ($24 for the 1/1)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This former Florida Championship Wrestling (pre-NXT) champ turned WWE announcer turned Lucha Underground faction leader has a lot more than that on the ol' resume but her entire wrestling career led to just two cards ... a rarer FCW card and a WWE gaming card. Meanwhile, she's had BenchWarmer cards since 2012 and is probably pushing 1,000 different ones with all of the show/Vault editions that revisit old sets. That volume of what's out there for a lot of names means affordable names -- especially with so many autos -- for a lot of the signers and that makes them easy to collect without breaking the bank. Since the box-topper is an oversized card, I bit on that higher price for the heck of it to add a 1/1 to my stash, while I picked off 10 of the Eclectic autos as it was that repack brand that got me to revisit the brand as an affordable rip loaded with hits. Eclectic boxes delivered so many autos again without forking over too much to open a bunch of packs and included stuff back to the original releases from the early 1990s, too. (The last one I opened you'll see as a Buzz Break here soon ... I think I pushed 20 autos and she was one of them.)
Grab a box right here: BlowoutCards.com for BenchWarmr & WWE
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FROM THE UK ...
The Cards: Rhea Ripley, Shotzi Blackheart, Gigi Dolin & Sarray 2021 Topps Superstars (UK release)
The Price: About $18 for these (and a couple duplicates I didn't include in photo)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This release was compelling at first but these were a bummer upon arrival as the stock used for this UK release was iffy with edge and corner issues. Even worse, one of my cards had a corner lopped off like a circle punch was used on it. That soured me on all of it despite some interesting developments. Such as? The Dolin is her first Topps WWE card -- her lone Rookie Card if you count international releases -- arriving the year before anything in American packs, while Sarray, although a veteran with cards from Japan, only appeared in some 2021 Topps releases and this was among those RCs. (Ripley and Shotzi were just favorites I threw in as I had to buy from a UK seller at the time.) I had these in hand waiting to show up here for a long time ... so long that Sarray is no longer in WWE. It's a nice set and there are some good finds including hits but the stock issue really soured me on these as I like stuff that can be graded -- it just wasn't worth the risk/disappointment for the price of importing.
Grab a box right here: BlowoutCards.com for other WWE
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A SURPRISE I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT ...
The Card: Rain Robinson (Sarah Silverman) 2021 Rittenhouse Women of Star Trek Art & Images Red parallel (/50)
The Price: $12
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I barely remembered this edgy comedian having a guest role long ago but then again Star Trek: Voyager just wasn't high on my watch list even back then (1995) ... and that's when I did have more time/interest in watching Trek. However, a lot of recent releases from Rittenhouse Archives have big names in small roles -- often on basic cards, sometimes on ink -- and this was a surprise find when I recently opened a box. What also was surprising here was the set's simplicity -- a base card, a Blue parallel (/99), a Red parallel (/50) and a set of four 1/1 printing plates. That's it. I found the Blue, grabbed this and I'm probably done -- a collecting whim done to near-completion in seconds. Her character does have a handful of appearances on cards through the years but I'm probably good here as the design of this set has a bolder feel vs. basic screenshots that are used in a lot of past releases. (This is one, too, but the design uses it in a stronger way.) Beyond that, I don't think Silverman has any card appearances despite being in entertainment since the early 1990s.
Grab a box right here: BlowoutCards.com for non-sports
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VINTAGE VARIATION GOT ME
The Card: Haywood Sullivan 1959 Topps variation -- (No circle around ©; period after A in "U.S.A.")
The Price: Almost $5
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The variation here might have got me to bite -- I bought it so long ago I don't remember -- or it was way under-priced vs. other copies of the card but it turns out Sullivan has a pretty remarkable MLB career that I am not sure many can emulate. After he was a star football and baseball player for the Florida Gators, he was a MiLB veteran before some MLB time. After that, MiLB and MLB manager. Later on, a scouting director. Then, a part of a team ownership investment group with the Red Sox ... then its GM. He drafted his son as a second-round pick -- too high and he was a bust -- and survived some corporate chaos to be named the team's CEO/COO by Jean Yawkey. Then, he cashed out his ownership stake for millions in the 1990s and was posthumously elected to the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2004. (See it all in more detail here.) That's a fascinating life in baseball for a guy who hit .226 in 312 games spread over seven years ... and I just bought it because it was a variation. I think.
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CLEARLY A STAR
The Card: Spencer Strider 2022 Panini Chronicles Clearly Donruss -- Rookie Card
The Price: $1.50
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This flamethrower is high on my radar but I'm just going for affordable and simple stuff like RCs and some slabs here and there along with an auto and a mem card (both recently checked off my needs) as I know that dabbling with pitchers can be short-lived and iffy over time even if they show themselves to be Hall of Fame caliber. It's too soon to know for sure here but Strider is definitely off to a strong -- and historic a few times over -- start in the last two years. Right now, he leads the majors with 11 wins this season (already equaling last year) and he's also got a ridiculous 176 strikeouts in 110 innings -- more than 14 Ks per nine innings this season. He was second to Harris in the ROY voting last year, was an All-Star this year and an overall dominator on the first-place Braves right now. He only has about two dozen RCs from last year, but also has a lot of other stuff to chase. I would be looking ... the team is loaded, he's home-grown and he's a big part of it all.
Grab a box right here: BlowoutCards.com for this one
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'TIS THE SEASON (AGAIN)
The Card: Sonya Thomas 2012 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions Authentic Memorabilia
The Price: Under $3 (maybe I paid more since there's a better color swatch?)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Need some Déjà vu in your day? You're about to get it as long as you read last month's Buzz Buys .. where I had a previous copy of this same card with a simpler swatch in the lineup ... for a lower price. I guess I had a couple of them sitting on the BB tarmac and missed the other. Here's what I said last time ... This competitive eating champ is known as "The Black Widow" and she's one of the ... wait for it ... "Four Horsemen Of The Esophagus" with "Hungry" Charles Hardy, Ed "Cookie" Jarvis and Joey "Jaws" Chestnut. July 4 is when we get the most high-profile eating event, so I figured I'd pop this in here as a reminder that a ton of competitive eaters have cards -- autographs and memorabilia cards, too. Is this all serious? To me, no. To others? Well, they eat it up ... and there can be good money on some of the stars' cards.
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