Buzz Buys: Calvin Ridley, Frank Robinson, Project 70, Mickey Mantle, The Goon, MLB icons & chasing a Toni Storm rainbow

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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A RARE ROOKIE CARD PARALLEL 
The Card: Calvin Ridley 2018 Donruss Jersey Number parallel (/18) -- Rookie Card parallel
The Price: $37.50
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was more of a premium pick-up for me yet still felt like a steal, too, as this is one of those rarer parallel type of cards where if you pass on one copy you might not see another again as it's a super-rare card in a release with a meaty, multi-format print run -- meaning some of the cards might never be found. It's relatively clean and I also had my eye on it for possible grading but there's a minor wrinkle or surface indent that could get a low mark (maybe). I probably won't risk that but it's no big deal as this one is staying in my school ties part of my stash. It doesn't hurt that he could have an even more dominating kind of season with future Hall of Famer Julio Jones on the move, though.
Grab a box right here: 2018 Donruss NFL (a few formats)

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

BIG FRANK PART I
The Card: Frank Robinson 2004 SP Legendary Cuts Legendary Swatches
The Price: $3.75
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This Hall of Famer is one who I'll grab on the memorabilia front if he gets cheap enough and this is one of those times, though I prefer him in his Cincinnati Reds years first. This flannel swatch helped it look a little better, too, and it's from a brand that I've perhaps only ever ripped into four or five times (boxes) through the years ... and not in a long time. (So I'm not sick of seeing them.) Design-wise I liked it because the color here balances and frames the black-and-white image pretty well and the foil is there but not super-overwhelming. But let's not stray from the point ... less than $4?!?
Grab a box right here: No boxes for this one ... get MLB boxes here

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IT'S TONI TIME
The Cards: Toni Storm 2020 Topps WWE Undisputed Blue (/25), Gold (/10) and Orange (/99) parallels (previously had Green added here)
The Prices: More than I'll admit
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I picked up the Green parallel (/50) and base card of this one long ago but was patient and fortunate enough to find these recently ... though I'm sure I paid more than I would have than back when this arrived. Why am I going after these? I like this photo -- simple as that -- and collect her stuff as she doesn't have all that much yet. (She'll be a regular in pretty much everything going forward, though.) This set's HDR treatment on the photos lets you see a lot of detail compared to some sets and this is a simple moment that's part of her pre-match routine -- throwing the horns works with her don't-care, whatever, rock-n-roll vibe she has. All I need now? A Purple (/5) and a 1/1 Red (and, to a lesser degree some printing plates) ... but I'm sure I missed them.
Grab a box right here: WWE Undisputed boxes (all years) are here

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MY NAME IS ...
The Card: Mickey Mantle 2021 Topps Project70 by by DJ Skee (/4,697)
The Price: Direct cost from Topps (I did the bundle that day)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This card's simultaneous nods to Mantle's only Rookie Card -- 1951 Bowman -- and his most-iconic card -- 1952 Topps -- all come together here with a nod to an Eminem CD cover in this card from DJ Skee. The backs of Skee's cards have QR codes taking you to playlists but I haven't checked that out yet. I just liked the sepia toned vibes of this one and think it printed out somewhat perfectly. (Some Project70 cards have arrived darker than I had hoped but this one was perfect.) 
Grab a box right here: No boxes for this one ... get MLB boxes here

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BIG-TIME CARDBOARD
The Card: Ronald Acuña Jr. 2020 Topps wall art (photo variation) (/99)
The Price: Direct cost from Topps (did discount bundle)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This photo variation is a classic one with perhaps a record number of faces on the front of a card that does not show the player's face. (OK, maybe not ... but it's unique in that way.) The basic version of his card from last year's Topps set is a classic, too, but I grabbed one of these posters as part of a recent three-pack just so I could say I liked this one quite a bit. Added trivial thoughts ... I was just three posters late of landing his uni number here and, man, would this not look good with a big, bold autograph across the bottom here?
Grab a box right here: No boxes for these ... get 2020 Topps Series 1 boxes here

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IT'S STILL HOCKEY NIGHT SOMEWHERE
The Card: The Goon 2018 Topps Legends of the WWE Autographs (/199)
The Price: $4.48
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The Goon was "kicked out of every league he ever participated in" and this bad wrestling gimmick didn't last long, either, as he was done after less than a year back in 1996. Yet somehow he ended up in this set just a few years ago. His only traditional in-pack cards were in this one and the release from year before ... with this set's autos his only certified autos. The two Legends releases were loaded with unusual/oddball autos from stars (and non-stars) from the past and the boxes dried up pretty fast not that long ago after floundering a bit after release (perhaps why it didn't return in 2019). Part of me would want to see this done again but with more women's autos in the mix.
Grab a box right here: No boxes for this one ... get WWE boxes here

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APPROPRIATE PROP
The Card: 2015 Breygent Bates Motel Authentic Props shower curtain
The Price: Under $2
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I've never seen a second of anything for Bates Motel but a handful of releases for this series have gotten me to grab a few cards -- either because I liked a signer on a different show or because, like this one, there's an unusual or apropos prop card. A shower curtain memorabilia card for a Psycho prequel series? That just seemed right ... and it was dirt-cheap.
Grab a box right here: No boxes for this one ... get non-sports boxes here

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TWICE THE COLLECTOR
The Card: Todd McFarlane 2010 TRISTAR Obak Black (/50) and T212 Mini parallel 
The Price: $4.13 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This card is one of few appearances for the comic book and toy mogul whose hobbies include collecting historic game-used home run baseballs. On this card, he's holding Mark McGwire's record-setting 70th home run ball from 1998 which he paid $3M for. His appearance in this set included an autographed version -- a card I wouldn't mind owning -- but I'll start with these. These kinds of odd cards with MLB ties are prime Allen & Ginter territory in my book (it hasn't happened for him as these are his only baseball cards). Unique cards like this are also prime grading candidates for me. We'll see.
Grab a box right here: No boxes for this one ... get MLB boxes here

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RAJ'S COOL SISTER
The Card: Aarti Mann as Priya Koothrappali 2012 Cryptozoic The Big Bang Theory Seasons 3 & 4 Autographs
The Price: $30
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: These boxes hadn't traditionally been all that tough or pricey finds except for maybe the very first release and the first few sets included autos from pretty much all of the main cast members. (I was late to the party for the most part on most of them, though.) In the last year where boxes of everything have been re-discovered or ripped into by fans with nothing else to open, Big Bang boxes have gotten a little harder to find ... and can be pricier than I'd probably do. So, with that said, I figured I'd grab this ink to go with the Raj auto I pulled from a box ... and I also found an Emily Sweeney auto in another.
Grab a box right here: No boxes for this one ... get other Big Bang Theory boxes here

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AND THEN THERE WAS ONE
The Card: Liv Morgan 2018 Topps Heritage WWE Blue Autographs (/50)
The Price: More than I'll admit
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: You ever have somebody pick off stuff thinking you might want it? This is perhaps one of those cards -- and you can put this one in the bail out your buddy who overpaid category, too. I didn't mind as I like Morgan -- the last of the Riott Squad left in WWE -- and now might be her time to make some moves. This card has its soft-stock flaws like many here but it looked better in scans than it did upon arrival. That's OK ... that can happen with on-card autos. Someday, I'll convince topps to use Undisputed stock on every autograph in everything.
Grab a box right here: 2018 Topps WWE (retail)

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TWO OF A KIND
The Cards: Caris LeVert 2016-17 Panini Absolute Basketball Tools of the Trade Rookie Materials Dual Patch (/25) and 2018-19 Panini Spectra In the Zone Autographs (/75) 
The Price: $10.55 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This NBA veteran had some big games last year and I picked up one card here just to say I had an on-card auto and then the other because it had a nice ball swatch and a patch -- and both were priced on the cheap. I'm pretty sure I grabbed this one after his 51-point game against the Celtics ... meanwhile, he became a member of the Indiana Pacers this year and topped 20 ppg for the first time in his career.
Grab a box right here: Get NBA boxes here

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COLLECTING A CHARACTER/ARTIST
The Card: The Uncanny X-Men Annual #11 
The Price: $2.49
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was a cheap grab awhile back as annuals just don't seem to get as much love as other books for popular titles from the past. In my case back when I was a regular comic book grabber -- early 1990s and not for too long -- I was an artist/character collector and this one included Alan Davis art with some Captain Britain and other related character appearances like early runs for Betsy Braddock who became/is Psylocke. (I know the characters from old Marvel cards, not so much the storylines.) Davis' simple style has very clean retro-1970s/80s vibes that I liked, too, but I latched onto his characters and stuff for more trivial reasons. That was all thanks to the details on Marvel Universe cards.
Grab a box right here: No boxes for this one ... get Marvel boxes here

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A BIRD, A PLANE ... IT'S LOIS LANE!
The Card: Erica Durance autographed Smallville 8-by-10 photo (Wizard World Authentication)
The Price: $20
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The Wizard World Vault is the website for the comics show promotor where they sell autographed items from past appearances. The prices on non-sports autos and items can be pricey at times but that company also wasn't afraid to slash some prices here and there, too. Durance played Lois Lane in Smallville -- one of few TV series form the 2000s where I've seen most or nearly all episodes thanks to DVD binges. Could I tell you a lot about many of the episodes? Probably not ... but I liked the simplicity at first and there was cardboard to rip into, too. I never landed this Lois Lane's ink on cardboard but I did land others --Margot Kidder wasn't Lois Lane in this series but she signed. This reduced-price photo worked for my budget to make having both happen. (Would I have paid a lot more? Probably not.)
Grab a box right here: No boxes for this one ... get DC boxes here

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BIG FRANK PART II
The Card: Frank Robinson 2016 Panini Pantheon Guilds (1,500 RBI Club) (/99)
The Price: $7.75
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Pantheon is a premium brand that I never actually saw in person, let alone opened, and there were some things I would have liked to see from a box. Meanwhile, this card is the only one I have ever seen in-person. It's got a simple approach with a nice foil touch with the facsimile autograph and a strong photo that ultimately doesn't need team logos to do the job. I wasn't a big fan of the die-cuts up top, but I do like the rounded corners and other touches. The swatch appears to be a while patch piece from a newer jersey but I wasn't really sweating that for the price. All in all, I bought this one since I collect Robinson (as I mentioned before) and I wanted a sample to see how these cards look and feel.
Grab a box right here: No boxes for this one ... get MLB boxes here

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THE PROJECT ... ONE YEAR LATER
The Card: Bob Gibson 2020 Topps Project 2020 by Ermsy (/14,867)
The Price: $5.95
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I think I own a couple of these -- I might have actually posted my other one here in a past month -- and that's because Ermsy's stuff is really nice and this one is a really creative twist on his Rookie Card from 1959 Topps. A lot of his other cards are really out there and busy, but this one isn't and I can appreciate that. Project 2020 cards can be cheap in some instances but some of Ermsy's cards are still pretty pricey ... otherwise I might chase all of his cards.
Grab a box right here: No boxes for this one ... get MLB boxes here

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ONE FOR THE PROSPECTORS
The Card: Dayan Viciedo 2009 Bowman Chrome Prospects Autographs Refractors (/500)
The Price: $3.75
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is a pretty nice card of a Cuban baseball star who arrived with big expectations the year after this one was made. He played in just five seasons, hitting 20 or more homers twice but nothing to justify the big prices once paid for his cards -- and he arrived as a relatively established commodity. He's played the last six seasons in Japan -- and actually is still playing -- which I didn't know when I grabbed this one as a reminder that there are no guarantees in prospecting. This design is one of the stiffer ones in the last 20 or so years of Bowman but I still liked how this particular card looked.
Grab a box right here: No boxes for this one ... get MLB boxes here

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SIMPLE (BUT NOT) CARDBOARD
The Card: Bubba Wallace 2018 Panini Victory Lane Engineered to Perfection (/399)
The Price: $2.25
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I liked this card's swatches -- a simple two-color piece of sheet metal and then a tire cut with some fibers showing. Neither is all that remarkable but they show how you can get some nice cards in the NASCAR realm on the cheaper side of things. Part of me wishes the flags were not there -- this could have worked as a half-photo card -- but I like it for the price.
Grab a box right here: 2018 Panini Victory Lane

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I SEE SKIES OF BLUE ...
The Card: Bo Bichette 2018 Bowman Draft Chrome Sky Blue Refractor (/402)
The Price: $3.99
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This raw copy was a bargain pick-up at some point last year and I liked how the various hues of blue play off of each other well. I have a couple of standard Refractors in slabs for him in this set for not much more and this is the kind of simple prospect card that can sell for a good amount more with a higher grade in slab. (These available and cheaper cards can also have decent gains when a player gets hot.) Bichette is too pricey for me to collect but I'll certainly dabble.
Grab a box right here: 2018 Bowman Draft

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THE START OF A SEASON
The Card: Shohei Ohtani 2021 Topps Now Card Of The Month 
The Price: Free (used rewards points program to free COTM each month this season)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was the first in the Card of the Month program over on Topps' site this year and the player makes perfect sense. If you're a regular buyer of stuff via Topps, you can get rewards or discounts on Topps Now cards and I opted to get the freebie card each month this year for the heck of it ... I included this here as a reminder for some of you out there who may not realize it exists.
Grab a box right here: No boxes for this one ... get MLB boxes here

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