Buzz Buys: Collecting Broadway Joe, Instant buys, WWE icons, good & bad ink, Kill Bill and even Drew Barrymore's debut

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 STRATUSFACTORY ADDITION 
The Card: Trish Stratus 2014 Topps WWE Road to WrestleMania Trish Stratus Pants Relic
The Price: Less than a typical low-end hobby box
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This WWE Hall of Famer got her own tribute set in this Topps release and part of the project also included a small batch of jumbo memorabilia cards that, unlike most Topps WWE stuff, wasn't loaded with pieces of shirts or mat pieces. Instead, these jumbos were massive swatches of some match-worn pants from the multi-time champ and they're also seen on the cards themselves in at least one instance. (This one.) These weren't impossible pulls back then -- I just never found one and they were pricey for Relics -- but I latched onto one when it surfaced to have it in my stash almost a decade later. With so many new boxes being pricey or less enticing at times because of that in all sports, I've found myself being more selective and playing the waiting game on some ... and buying up selected singles perhaps for more than I typically do. Though at the same time, the markets are starting to feel a little more normal here and there. This is an example of that.
Grab a box right here: None for this one ... find WWE boxes here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

A TRENDY THROW-IN
The Card: Hasbulla Magomedov 2022 Panini Instant UFC (/2,077)
The Price: $9.99 via Panini 
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Hasbulla is an online star who, well, I don't know a ton about but he's got enough interest in the UFC realm that he's "signed" and has the cardboard to prove it. I won't pretend to know all of the ins and outs here, but this one sold well for Instant and that's still a tiny fraction of the more than 5.5 million Instagram followers he has out there. (If they start competing for his cards at some point, it could get intense.) This 20-year-old Russian's debut card was a throw-in for me as part of an Instant order to get free shipping ... but I suspect it could be a popular card in a slab, too. (I might.) My main buys are later in this piece.
Grab a box right here: None for this one ... find UFC boxes here.

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NOT YOUR AVERAGE JOE ... 
The Items: Joe Namath -- Sports Illustrated July 19, 1965, issue (two of 'em), 1999 Fleer Sports Illustrated Covers insert card & 1999 Fleer Sports Illustrated Autographs unfinished card (no foil and no auto)
The Price: Under $60 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This iconic photo shoot spawned the "Broadway Joe" nickname and I've been picking off stuff here and there showing the moment. I recently grabbed two more low-grade copies of the magazine -- I may grade all four I have knowing the grades will be fueling the bottom of the pop report but I'm good with that -- as well as one Fleer insert and then an unfinished/unstamped and unsigned autograph card showing the cover. I'd like to land the inked version but they are pricey even when the condition is very rough as the stock here is very chippy. (I suspect it's also among the rarer autos from a relatively rare release now all these years later.)
Grab a box right here: None for this one ... find NFL boxes here.

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A DREW DEBUT
The Item: Drew Barrymore -- 1979 NBC Suddenly, Love promotional photo 
The Price: $16 
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: When I stumbled upon this in a search it became an immediate must-have piece in my always evolving and growing stash of pop culture stuff beyond cardboard. Why? Well, I did a quick IMDb search and Suddenly, Love was Barrymore's first role -- an uncredited one even. It's a TV movie aired by NBC in 1978 and then re-run again in 1979 as this promotional photo notes with its attached press info. We can all find her "Rookie Card" of sorts with E.T. stuff from Topps (and sets from other companies) but something like this seems way more obscure and unusual ... and I liked how the NBC info sheet was attached to make it more than just some old photo print. It's not perfect but I'm not sure if another would ever present itself again ... well other than the second one I have coming my way that was sent out for an original airing in 1978 and not this re-run in 1979. (That one was cheaper ... less than $25 for both.) Are more out there? Who knows, and that's part of the charm ... you can find cards easily. Barrymore is a star with countless things out there for a collector to ponder for soooo many projects and perhaps just as much other stuff not related to roles but rather a life lived in the public eye. There's no way I could collect it all and that's kind of what makes it fun (just grab what's interesting).
Grab a box right here: None for this one ... find non-sports boxes here.

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A DEBUT DOCUMENTED
The Cards: Ava Raine 2022 Panini Instant WWE (/663) -- "Rookie Card" (10-pack)
The Price: Direct bundle price from Panini America
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This NXT newcomer is just 21 but she has been in WWE developmental for a little while now and despite that this is her first trading card. It coincides with this moment that was her TV debut. It's also likely her only card for 2022, too, making it an "XRC" of sorts or a Rookie Card per se if you don't care about in-pack definitions. She's the first fourth-generation star in WWE history as she's the daughter of The Rock, the granddaughter of Rocky Johnson and the great-granddaughter of "High Chief" Peter Maivia. (No pressure.) She's part of the faction known as "Schism" along with Joe Gacy, Rip Fowler and Jagger Reid and where it all goes from here could be interesting. Either way, this one is her first and only card with just two rarer parallel versions made (a total of six cards). The debut was a surprise to me, though I don't religiously watch NXT right now, and with her late-October arrival I figured she wouldn't be popping up in any of the remaining WWE releases. (She's not in Chronicles, so it's just a matter of what year is put on any that follow that.) 
Grab a box right here: None for this one ... find WWE boxes here.

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SUCKER FOR ODDBALL MEMORABILIA ...
The Cards: Gerald Henderson 2013-14 Panini National Treasures Sneaker Swatches (/99)
The Price: Panini Rewards points
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I'll admit the pickings were slim when I was cashing in some points for a number of lesser redemptions, but these being shoe cards got me to bite a lot faster than some of the low-point stuff out there ... I'm a sucker for odd mem cards so here we are.
Grab a box right here: None for this one ... find NBA boxes here.

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TWO OF A KIND
The Cards: Andy Phillips 1999 Multi-Ad Staten Island Yankees (autographed/CAS), 2008 Kahn's Cincinnati Reds 
The Price: Around $20 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This guy is part of my Alabama school ties stash with the autographed card being one I think I needed even unsigned -- it's his first MiLB card -- and then the other being an oddball food issue that I have never seen before. (Kahn's is a meat company established in Cincinnati in the 1800s and they've had card sets for years.) I don't know much about CAS but I knew the sig looked right so I bit.
Grab a box right here: None for this one ... find MLB boxes here.

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NEW INK
The Item: Ja'Corey Brooks autographed Alabama Crimson Tide 16-by-20 photo (Fanatics Authentic)
The Price: Under $40
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This sophomore had a strong season so I grabbed this over-sized autographed photo to have something in my stash and not have to worry about signed cards until perhaps later if he's in demand. He had 37 catches for 623 yards and seven TDs this season for my team -- enough to get him on the Fanatics radar -- with good production but easily showing there could be more potentially to come. The photo and sig here are simple but also strong vs. a lot of stuff out there for college items. At a price like this one, dabbling ain't bad ... if he ends up being notable beyond the college ranks this kind of a simple buy might look a lot better in the future. If not, no worries.
Grab a box right here: None for this one ... find football boxes here.

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NO LONGER PERFECT PUZZLING
The Item: Hulk Hogan 1985 Wrestling Stars Milton Bradley puzzle -- sealed
The Price: Under $20
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This one was the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat all rolled into one, brother. Those two know their 1980s WWE (then WWF) memorabilia know that Wrestling Stars logo and that immediately puts it into a timeframe for merchandising that was just taking off like Hulkamania itself. This is a simple boxed puzzle -- you have to cut the sealed box open to put it together -- but this one is still closed and the package was seemingly perfect when I bought it. When it arrived, though? Well, an item that sat atop it in the mailing box (a bagged magazine if I remember correctly) scuffed up that surface as you can see up top since the paper isn't glossed. In its original condition this one felt like a seriously strong piece and something where I could add a zero now or later to its value. Now? Still cool and probably still a better item than I paid ... but the scuffs are a definite distraction and value downgrade.
Grab a box right here: None for this one ... find WWE boxes here.

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LORDY, LOOK AT THE DETAILS ...
The Card: Kordell Stewart 2000 Donruss Preferred QBC Preferred Materials (/125) (but only 25 graded ... BGS 8.5)
The Price: Around $35
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I wouldn't have normally ponied up a bit for a Kordell Stewart card but I liked how this one shows part of his autograph on the swatch and you can see that piece on the image on the back of the card, too. It's the end of his first name and the start of his last name there with the ventilation holes showing right through it. That alone made this one a cool addition.
Grab a box right here: None for this one ... find NFL boxes here.

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A WINDOW IN TIME
The Item: Vanessa Williams on cover of 1984 Miss Rhode Island Pageant program
The Price: $9.99
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This definitely isn't in my wheelhouse of a typical publication pick-up, but it struck me as odd and interesting, so that's why I grabbed it when it popped up from a dealer who has all kinds of stuff. Before Williams was known as a Grammy-nominated singer and award-winning actress, she was a social pioneer as the first Black woman to win the Miss America title back in 1984 -- but that didn't last long. She was crowned in September 1983 and gave up the crown about halfway into her role the following July after a nude photo scandal. Perhaps this program was published for an event right there in the middle to have Williams on the cover for the Rhode Island event (she's from New York) while still showcase a few pages inside and then her on the back cover? This just seemed like an odd item, though pageant stuff isn't really among my collecting areas at all, with her entertainment career since and for the price. It seems like an item that would have been scrapped in my mind but maybe the publication deadlines were way different all those years ago. Would I grade it? It seems like the kind of interesting and clean item visually that could be a simple slab somebody could make some money on ... but it was in a tad rougher shape than I expected. (So ... maybe?)
Grab a box right here: None for this one ... find non-sports boxes here.

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NO GRADE TO MAKE ...
The Card: Nick Swisher 2012 Topps Mini Topps Vault Proof (1/1 ... issued in slabs)
The Price: $23.50
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This find is a simple one from a series of years where Topps released blank-backed "proof" cards of new sets via the Topps Vault. It's just a regular card with a full front but nothing on the back. With this release they opted for slabbing them so they present well. I'm sure the seller paid more for it than I did since he was a Yankee when this arrived, but it's now in my permanent stash.
Grab a box right here: None for this one ... find MLB boxes here.

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THAT OTHER WORLD CUP ...
The Cards: Ricochet 2019 Topps WWE NXT Bronze Autos (/99) & Santos Escobar 2021 Topps WWE NXT Purple Autos (/75)
The Price: Under $12 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This year's World Cup is over with Lionel Messi and Argentina winning it all over in the soccer world but earlier in the month the WWE had a series of matches (on FOX of course) for a star to take home a World Cup and these two were the finalists with Ricochet the winner. Did I buy these because of that? Nope. Why is it here? When I was going through my files of cards waiting to pop up here for this series they were literally side by side in my folder ... absolutely making me post this. I bought Ricochet pretty hard when he first arrived as he's a unique star, while the Escobar card was clean for the release (edges are an issue there) along with a modest price.
Grab a box right here: Find WWE boxes here.

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THAT LITTLE EXTRA ...
The Cards: Roy Rogers 1997-98 The Genuine Article Hardwood Autographs (/7,500) (seven of 'em)
The Price: Pricelessly bad ... 
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I've written about this one before -- it's somewhere in The Buzz Archives -- but here's a quick revisiting. The certified autographs here look 100-percent correct except for one little thing ... Roy Rogers doesn't have a "d" in his name as it's spelled on the card ... or on the autograph. Whoops. Could he have signed them wrong as a joke? Maybe, but it seems like that story would have come out at some point if he had ... but it hasn't. For the most part, these are cheap because the design is so rough ... so I grabbed a few more on a whim.
Grab a box right here: None for this one ... find basketball boxes here.

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ROOKIE CARD PROOF ...
The Card: Rhea Ripley 2020 Topps WWE Undisputed Topps Vault Blank Back Proof (1/1) -- Rookie Card parallel 
The Price: $20.50
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Looking back at this sale from last year, it feels like a steal. This is a Rookie Card in that her first base cards appear that year but Topps didn't put its logo on this one. I grabbed it and one other card from the Topps Vault over on eBay long ago but this one got buried among all of my many (too many) WWE buys since then.
Grab a box right here: None for this one ... find WWE boxes here.

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MISSED A SPOT ...
The Card: Phil Jackson 1976-77 Topps 
The Price: Under $5
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This set is one that I would totally buy if I could find it on the affordable side of things without the cards being mangled, but it's their postcard sizes that make them unique and also make them prone to destruction. They're not tallboys (standard width just taller) ... they are bigger in every way and that probably made them less popular and tougher to store over time, too. This one looked really, really clean and sharp for the most part for a notable name and I thought I had a solid card here ... until I noticed what looks like an eraser mark near his hand on the right side. Somehow I either missed that spot or thought it was part of the photo until I got it in-hand.
Grab a box right here: None for this one ... find NBA boxes here.

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UNTOUCHED MEANS PERFECT, RIGHT? (MAYBE NOT ... )
The Set: 1989 Donruss MLB factory set (sealed)
The Price: $9.99
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was a fun find as the seller thought it was from a different year with that price attached. I thought I had a bargain of sorts on my hands, too, until I popped the sealed brick with the Ken Griffey Jr., John Smoltz and Randy Johnson Rated Rookies ... they're clean but the factory set cut (they are definitely different than those cut for packs) isn't always nice. And to top things off, I clipped a corner on the Griffey when I sleeved it to make it even worse despite using thicker card sleeves that make clipped corners less likely. (Sigh.) Top-grade Griffeys here are pricey because the cuts and the ink flow with all that black, blue and purple can be super messy. And if those don't get you, the skinny stock that's so easy to damage might. I'll probably just shop for something that looks respectable there.
Grab a box right here: None for this one ... find MLB boxes here.

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I DIG THESE ...
The Card: Bo Bichette 2020 Bowman's Best - Franchise 2020 Die-Cuts
The Price: $2
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This one is a nod to a past insert (in 2000 Bowman's Best) and I like it ... so grabbed one for the player I regularly scout. Not much else to say on this one.
Grab a box right here: Find MLB boxes here.

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AN IMPORTED THROW-IN ...
The Book: Uma Thurman in Kill Bill on cover of La Septieme Obsession Sept./Oct. 2021
The Price: $12
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: No, I don't read French but when I recently picked up a couple of slab-worthy magazines from a dealer in Germany I threw in a couple of other unique/interesting ones to justify the international shipping cost or to add on a discount. This is a magazine (that feels a lot like a book) showcasing movies with martial arts as the focus. So many American magazines from back when Kill Bill arrived -- not that there were many -- that showcased the film used cover shots avoiding or obscuring the yellow suit. Although this is from years later, it also feels like a cool piece visually that could look good in a slab. (Very low priority for me on this one but if I could grade anything I wanted this totally would make the cut.)
Grab a box right here: None for this one ... find non-sports boxes here.

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ONE I MISSED BACK THEN ... I THINK
The Book: Excalibur: Air Apparent one-shot (1991)
The Price: $3
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This won't be in a slab but I grabbed it on the cheap since it was a graphic novel from back then that eluded me while I was regularly collecting this series. I'm 99.9 percent sure I have everything now except for one rarer graphic novel that I just can't commit to for its price.
Grab a box right here: None for this one ... find non-sports boxes here.

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I DIG THESE, TOO ...
The Card: Dennis Eckersley 2020 Topps Rookie Card Retrospective Logo Medallions
The Price: Under $1 (squashed back corner)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: These rookie reprints on thick stock with a small medal inlay to modernize the classics with the RC logo of today are fun and affordable. I had Bryce Harper here last time and this time it's the Hall of Famer. The price here was nice but a scrunched corner on the back was a surprise ... it happens. These were one per blaster as the "hit" and some strong names were on the checklist, too. The thick stock and printing here was very clean.
Grab a box right here: None for this one ... find MLB boxes here.

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TOO BIG TO SLAB ... MY BAD
The Mag: Metallica -- Metal Hammer December 2016
The Price: $6.99
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Speaking of "it happens" ... just when I thought I had found a high-grade Metallica mag that might be worth a slab -- modern this time instead of fighting condition issues with vintage -- I landed this from a bulk lot from a dealer of new mags. Still a bummer. The catch this time? It's too tall t0 fit in a CGC slab by one-eighth of an inch. Sigh. Nexxxxttt ... 
Grab a box right here: None for this one ... find non-sports boxes here.

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NEW GINTER IS HERE ...
The Card: Olivia Culpo 2013 Topps Allen & Ginter Relics 
The Price: Around $6
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Why did I buy this? I'm not sure ... I grabbed it over a year ago. Maybe it was around the time of a Ginter arrival that got me looking and I dabbled on the cheap with an oddball Relic? Maybe, except that's not really that cheap. Maybe I saw a snippet from some show? Maybe it was her NFL ties? I simply don't know what got me to look and click. I am a fan of Ginter's framed minis in general and oddball names are always fun.
Grab a box right here: None for this one ... find MLB boxes here.

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THREE MOONS ...
The Cards: Ember Moon autographed WWE cards -- 2018 Topps WWE Undisputed Green Auto Relic (/50), 2018 Topps WWE Gold (/10), 2019 Topps WWE Raw (/63)
The Price: Under $40 total 
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Her high-flying and colorful time in WWE came to an end like a number of stars last year but I had been stockpiling her ink here and there when the price was right since I first saw her unique moves in NXT. These days, she's in AEW and known as Athena -- and she's been roughing up foes to the point where I think something bigger may be happening sooner than later. All of these are on the rarer side of things -- even the Raw card, which is a flagship-style release for some reason -- so that price, while a little higher overall for my typical spend, isn't that bad for three cards. (That's just how I shop.) 
Grab a box right here: Find WWE boxes here.

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AN UNMARKED HIGH-END ROOKIE CARD ...
The Card: Indi Hartwell 2021 Topps Transcendent WWE (/50) -- Rookie Card
The Price: $29.99
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: She's still in NXT but this was one of the first base cards I grabbed out of 2021 Transcendent as it's a Rookie Card for sure ... but one without a logo. Since only 49 others exist and it's impressive in feel (though not the greatest photo) I bit. I'm not sure this brand will have an equivalent one going forward but we'll see. I felt like this one was a good card to have for the Aussie star.
Grab a box right here: None for this one ... find WWE boxes here.

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A NAME IN THE HEADLINES ...
The Card: William Regal & Rob Van Dam 2002 Fleer WWE Raw vs. SmackDown Pay-Per-View Relics
The Price: Around $3 as part of a lot
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Regal is a respected name in the wrestling ranks and one who has a decent amount of cardboard ... yet I couldn't tell you when his earliest stuff appears without having to do a search. (Looks like 1995 WCW as Lord Steven Regal may be the in-pack starting point.) He's just there regularly as an authority figure in many WWE sets and elsewhere as a wrestler. Meanwhile, RVD is an ECW icon who has had a Hall of Fame career as well. With Regal in the headlines for company changes recently, I figured this past bulk lot buy could get it in here. Cards like this aren't anything too special in the big scheme of things, but they aren't typically dropping as cheaply as this one. Why? Those wax boxes are perhaps all gone ... so what is out there is out there. 
Grab a box right here: None for this one ... find WWE boxes here.

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AN NBA THROWBACK ...
The Card: Carmen Electra 2005-06 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects NBA Chrome Refractor (/300)
The Price: $3
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: She was one of a handful of celebs who were included in some Topps NBA releases around this time and pre-pandemic I would regularly do some searches to see what some of these odd cards were up for grabs. I liked the grading potential of a Refractor here -- especially numbered and at that price -- until I saw a scratch on he bottom border when I got it in-hand. I think some of the funk in my image is just dust I didn't rub off with a cloth but there's a light scratch there. How much would it hurt the grade? I don't know ... but it wouldn't be helpful.
Grab a box right here: None for this one ... find NBA boxes here.

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A PAIR OF CLASSICS ...
The Sets: 1991 Classic Red (three sets) and one 1991 Classic Purple 
The Price: A couple bucks per set in a lot deal
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: These are a few more sets from my recent bulk lot buy -- a couple of sets from the classic years of Classic where a set was packed out in two bricks with some game pieces or a board. There's a lot to see in these -- and some surprises -- so I think they are worth the look. (I had so many to go through I only took pictures sealed.) They may not be the most grading-friendly sets with this packaging, but I suspect I will grade some that I like for the heck of it at some point. 
Grab a box right here: None for this one ... find MLB boxes here.

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