Buzz Buys: Hank Aaron, Bo Bichette, legendary MMA ink, a few young wrestling stars, Lebowski, Susie, Mortensen & more

Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals is to rip a little less and talk more about cardboard that I -- and you -- might like. One way to do that? Simple show and tell -- present a few pick-ups and say why they captured my attention.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... a number of pick-ups from recent months.

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(FULLY) LOADING UP 
The Card: Rhea Ripley 2020 Topps WWE Fully Loaded Green (/50) & Purple (/25) Chair Relic Autos
The Prices: Less than others have paid ... but high for me.
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The Green parallel here was one on my radar long, long ago when the teaser images from stars were teased online as they signed here. Ripley, now the Raw women's champ, is one of only a few younger stars in this release and was immediately on my radar when I didn't land any of her ink in my pre-ordered case. Meanwhile, the rarer Purple was a recent pick-up as it was bargain-priced compared to others out there on the secondary market. Her stuff is popular with the standard version the only card here typically under $100 on eBay, while the 1/1 version of this card recently sold for $1,000. Her autographs in other releases generally sell pretty well but I haven't seen others that high recently ... but I'm sure it's possible. Some Superfractors should be out there somewhere from Chrome and Finest. I'm not alone as a buyer, either.
Grab a box right here: 2020 Topps WWE Fully Loaded

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

LEGENDARY PIECE, SMALL SKETCH
The Card: Hank Aaron 2013 SportKings Series F Body of Work sketch/memorabilia card 1/1
The Price: $75
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This isn't the flashiest card but Hank Aaron wasn't always, either, in his legendary march to setting the all-time home run record. But this is a one-of-a-kind card that caught my eye because it was bargain-priced compared to others like it and it captures a moment that I collect here and there. The upper right corner of this card is a one-of-a-kind sketch that accents a jumbo piece of a game-used jersey embedded into the card. That moment is Aaron holding up the baseball after his 715th home run. The limited space doesn't make the details easy here, and it's not a photo-realistic likeness since that space is tight, but I like the idea. This is not the only 1/1 for him from this brand -- there are other sketches -- but the jumbo patch (a likely sleeve seam piece) is pretty solid. There were 630 different Body of Work cards made in this release and Aaron had nine different cards (all different card numbers). 
Grab a box right here: 2013 SportKings Series F

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EIGHT IS ENOUGH
The Card: Bo Bichette 2019 Panini National Treasures Game Gear Material Eights (/99)
The Price: $16
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This eight-piece card pre-dates his Rookie Cards but that's no matter here as it's all about the memorabilia -- a move that helps downplay the whole licensing thing by literally taking over the card. I'm not totally sure what some of the material might be from -- the textures are different on the blue pieces -- but it works. Would I pay a lot more? Probably not, but I am a sucker for memorabilia cards of players from the vintage years a lot easier than the younger guys in this brand -- I'm dabbling with his stuff on the cheap side since I can't afford the big stuff.
Grab a box right here: 2019 Panini National Treasures

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STAR OF THE EXPENDABLES ...
The Card: Randy Couture 2008 SportKings Series B Autographs Silver (announced /40)
The Price: $16
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I'm not really a big MMA fan, but I grabbed this one since it was on the cheaper side of things with an 0n-card sig from a guy who I do know from The Expendables movies where he had a few one-liners that worked for me. SportKings autos are simple but there are a lot of big names who can be found -- at prices that aren't as crazy. They are worth a search no matter where you're buying if you have an eye for an autograph collection with some variety. There are also a lot of signers in those releases that you won't find elsewhere. 
Grab a box right here: SportKings boxes (all years)

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TWO OF A KIND ...
The Cards: Michael Jordan 1991-92 Upper Deck Award Winner Holograms 
The Price: About $4 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I found these via a dealer who specializes in stuff that's nowhere in the realm of 1990s NBA, but I picked them off for the price. I did so with an eye on potential grading but there are very minor issues are on both --but one I still might grade at one point as they are still a lot cleaner than many you'll find. These cards from the first UD NBA release help define a new era in cardboard before autographs and memorabilia took over. I think I had one of these back in the day as I ripped some basketball but nothing in volume.
Grab a box right here: Grab newer NBA boxes here

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A FIRST, BROTHER
The Card: Hulk Hogan 1999 Topps WCW Embossed Ringside Rarity Relic 
The Price: Around $25
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Lemme tell you something, brother, this is Hogan's first memorabilia card and, I could be wrong here, but also the first American-made memorabilia card for all wrestling sets. It's got one of his trademark yellow shirts inside, which makes it even more iconic even if this card came in the WCW years before he went Hollywood. The only copy of this card on eBay right now has a zero added to the price I paid not that long ago and completed actions show it a little bit all over the place ... anywhere from $50 up to $200 for completed auctions. Hogan has other memorabilia cards from the past, but this one was the only wrestling memorabilia card for anyone from Topps until its return run with WWE in 2005.
Grab a box right here: Grab newer WWE boxes here

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BIG BO
The Card: Bo Bichette 2020 Topps wall art (/99)
The Price: About $15 (after promotional discounts)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I have a few copies of this card and a number of its parallel release brethren, but the biggest one of them all -- literally -- is his Topps wall art. These are limited to just 99 copies and are blank-backed cardboard-stock 10-by-14s that are printed to order. They're still on the site now but won't be once some new releases drop and this set gets pulled. At least 10 exist so far ... and this one is a perfect addition to my stash of iconic RCs in their larger form.
Grab a box right here: 2020 Topps Series 1

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THE BOSS SIGNS
The Card: Sasha Banks 2017 Topps WWE Undisputed Autographs (/199)
The Price: $30
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The Boss' ink has been getting a lot more attention of late -- like a number of young WWE stars as we all wait for new wax to rip -- but hers perhaps has extra appeal with her small (so far) place in the Star Wars universe. (We haven't seen new ink there but I bet we might soon.) I paid a little more than I might have for this card ... for some reason I was thinking this was a blue parallel but it's not. Why shop here? Undisputed is a brand that delivers pretty well with a hit in every pack (and most packs are autos) and it also grades well. Banks ink is always on my radar if the price is right. (That's getting tougher.)
Grab a box right here: 2017 Topps WWE Undisputed

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A SEQUEL SEQUENCE
The Card: Major League II movie promotional press kit
The Price: Around $25
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This sequel isn't as strong as the classic first Major League movie but at least there aren't CGI baseballs like the third film in the series. Why grab this? Roger Dorn, Jake Taylor, Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn and others can be found here. What is this? Well, back in the days before CDs and Internet drop-boxes, studios would mail out packets of photos and info on new movies to newspapers, magazines and others with an audience -- and when they were done with them (if they ever opened their mail at all) they'd either sit on these or discard them. They are plentiful in some instances but there's also good break-up value with the photo inside. With a lot of wax just not in my budget or limited out there in the wild on release day, I've been picking up some of these small collections when they present themselves. The photos do have info and numbers on them to make them a little card-like, too. ... Just saying.
Grab a box right here: Grab MLB boxes here

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CAREFUL, MAN, THERE'S AN AUTOGRAPH HERE, AY!
The Book: Jeff Bridges & Isabelle Bridges autographed Daddy Daughter Day book (Premiere Collectibles signed edition)
The Price: $23
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The Big Lebowski is an iconic 1990s movie and a signed photo of Bridges as "the other Jeffrey Lebowski" is a pricey one because of that appeal and a rabid audience that often holds its own annual celebrations of The Dude. The same goes for Bridges' only certified autograph from an Iron Man set that is even more expensive -- and follically incompatible with Lebowski. But for a fraction of those kinds of items, I recently grabbed a couple of these books signed by him as well as signed/initialed by his daughter. His autograph isn't the most-deluxe sig out there -- and I'd suspect that his signed photos are problematic if not third-party authenticated given hefty price tags -- so I went with this. Not all of his autos look great here -- and his daughter signed a full-name signature on some of them -- but this beats $400 for a signed authenticated photo or even more for a card. (I'd prefer the photo but just want to say I have the ink first.)
Grab a box right here: Grab non-sports boxes here

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TWO PROJECT PIECES
The Cards: Shohei Ohtani (by Tyson Beck) & Satchel Paige (by DJ Skee) on 2020 Topps Project70 cards (/3,215 for Ohtani & /5,368 for Paige)
The Prices: Factory cost from Topps
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This series has given me a bit of angst this year with the player selection being so repetitive at times with some players and teams, but these two have caught my attention and gotten some of my hobby dollars so far. The Beck creation is perhaps one of the nicest cards he's made the last two years and it's got all kinds of details with a smart color palette for both the team and the player's country. The Paige card I like because it's one of just a couple cards (excluding parallels) to show him as a member of the Kansas City A's. The Hall of Famer pitched a single game for them at age 58 back in 1965. I'm not familiar with the CD cover that it's emulating but that just adds another layer of interest for those who know ... and want to explore a multimedia presentation being told via DJ Skee who created a playlist you can access via a code on the back of the card.
Grab a box right here: Grab MLB boxes here

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DRADY-DAY DOUBLES
The Card: Julio Jones & Mark Ingram 2011 Panini Limited Draft Day Player Combos Materials (/100)
The Price: $6
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: These two former teammates are all over my Alabama Crimson Tide collection but in different ways. For the Heisman winner, I have tons of autographs and memorabilia cards, meanwhile, the future Hall of Fame WR is a guy who's always been the pricier side of things for ink. So I don't have a ton there, but I do have enough memorabilia for my taste. Together? Well, they share some cardboard and this one was too cheap so I grabbed it. I'm a big fan of the NFL Draft mem cards, too.
Grab a box right here: Panini Limited boxes (all years)

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THREE OF A KIND
The Items: Susan/Su Yung/Susie triple-signed Impact! Wrestling 8-by-10 and triple-signed match-used ring mat cut (Impact! authenticated)
The Price: Less than a basic box of cards
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I'll admit I don't know a ton about this ring veteran but I recently visited the Impact! site and saw this -- a triple-auto piece where it's the same person playing three characters -- and that caught my attention. Su Yung is a horror-movie-inspired kind of character in kabuki makeup with a creepy vibe as "the undead bride" who mauls people, spits blood (even on deluxe indy-made trading cards) and is of few words even during signings. Meanwhile, after she was killed off (Impact has an "Undead Realm" of cinematic matches so that can happen), Susie suddenly arrived on the scene. She's a child-like competitor who doesn't seem to like fighting that much, introduces herself often and has a very strong and vocal sense of right and wrong. ("That's good! ... That's bad.") Then lastly, Susan is a no-nonsense type. The first clip I saw was a live-stream autograph signing while in-character as Susie and doesn't ever break in several long sessions. Watch the first minute (or five) there to get an idea ... I wasn't actually sure what I was seeing at first, but her "Hi, I'm Susie" still kills me every time. Meanwhile, she doesn't seem to do many real interviews (compare this clip to those) which still keeps it mysterious and reinforces to me that the craftwork here is pretty cool. (I'd love to hear an interview discussing Susie's creation.) One reason it's all new to me is because we haven't seen new Impact! trading cards in years, so there's nothing here to collect except independent cards via the dealer where she did the signing or stuff released by Impact!
Grab a box right here: Grab wrestling boxes here

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THE REPORT'S INK
The Card: Chris Mortensen 2004 Playoff Honors Fans of the Game Autographs
The Price: $8.55
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This veteran NFL reporter has been with ESPN for 30 years now and this is the time of year where you can hear a lot from guys like him and Mel Kiper -- and both were signers for the earlier years of Fans of the Game where celebs and reporters noted their fandom as part of regular cards as well as autographs. This is one of Mortensen's only autos -- he has two others that each have a parallel (five total).
Grab a box right here: Newer NFL boxes are here

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ALL ABOUT THE PHOTO
The Card: Ken Griffey Jr. 1996 Select 
The Price: $1
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Sometimes it's just about a memorable moment and a memorable photo ... and that's the case here on this cheap card. What I thought was odd here? I couldn't find this image on any other cards ... it's only from when Junior scored from first on a hit and the Mariners won the game to go the American League Championship Series. They've only made it that far in the postseason twice since then ... and nothing since 2001. Junior had tons of cardboard then ... and has had plenty since. But no other cards that I know of. Are there others? Tell me if you know ... I haven't seen them.
Grab a box right here: Grab MLB boxes here

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FACE TO FACE ... WITH FEW CARDS
The Photos: Britt Baker & Thunder Rosa autographed 8-by-10 photos (via HighSpots/private signing)
The Prices: Around $20 each
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This duo put on a show last month in a bloody unsanctioned match on TV that had people talking -- see the last nine minutes of it here (if you can handle the crimson mask and thumbtacks) -- and it was such a spectacle I decided I needed the ink. Baker has some Leaf auto cards (sticker ink with illustrated images), while Rosa has at least one independent card but no ink. For the prices and sig appeal, I decided to grab a couple autographed photos -- I often do that to get ink vs. chase early autos that can be pricey until stars sign more. The match is a memorable one -- one of the most-outrageous women's matches in this country -- that raised both of their profiles.
Grab a box right here: Grab wrestling boxes here

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WHAT?
The Card: Lil Bow Wow & Gary Payton 2001-02 Upper Deck Inspirations Like Mike jerseys
The Price: About $13
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I vaguely remembered some of these cards existing but hadn't seen one in years when I recently stumbled upon this in a search. A Bow Wow facsimile auto and four memorabilia cards with NBA stars -- Allen Iverson, Chris Webber, Gary Payton and Jason Kidd -- can be found as part of a set made to promote the 2002 movie. What was it about? "A 13-year-old orphan becomes an NBA superstar after trying on a pair of sneakers with the faded initials 'M.J.' inside," per IMDb. The cast is pretty strong here with a number of film notables and then a bunch of NBA cameos beyond players with cards. The card's swatches are noted as being used from the film and in an NBA game for Payton. Among names in this film that could make for a big collection project? Morris Chestnut, Jonathan Lipnicki, Brenda Song, Crispin Glover, Robert Forster, Eugene Levy, Vince Carter, Steve Francis, Tracy McGrady, Alonzo Mourning, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, David Robinson, Kenny Mayne, Ahmad Rashad, Hannah Storm, Reginald VelJohnson, John Thompson, Fred Armisen and even Jimmy Kimmel ... and more NBA cameos.
Grab a box right here: Grab NBA boxes here

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A LEGEND LOST
The Card: Bob Gibson 2019 Topps Tier One Tier One Talent Autographs (/60)
The Price: $50
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: When this Hall of Famer died last fall I admittedly wasn't sure if I had one of his autographs or not -- it's not out of the realm of possibilities as he wasn't a super-tough signer, but I'm just not that organized -- so I did a little hunting and found a relatively low-volume on-card sig to add to my stash. I've always liked and wanted his 1959 Topps Rookie Card but it was always too pricey to chase when I would casually look but I knew I wanted to make sure I had some ink. This is a little higher than I'd typically pay but the prices got a little crazy back then as they typically do when legends are lost.
Grab a box right here: Topps Tier One boxes (all years)

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CLOWN PRINCE OF BASEBALL
The Card: Max Patkin 1993 Fleer ProCards in-person autographed cards
The Price: $25 for the lot
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: If you're like me, you might have first been exposed to Patkin for his small role in Bull Durham  but his place in baseball lore as "The Clown Prince of Baseball" meant thousands of ballpark appearances beginning in the 1940s until he retired in 1995. He was a former player but made his living showing up as a clown/mascot at games and doing appearances. Learn some about it straight from him right here. I was doing searches for oddball MiLB stuff and these presented themselves at a good price -- they're not authenticated but they match pricier slabbed cards and this card is one that I believe was made for Patkin as it's not attached to any team sets made by Fleer. (That design is for ProCards' MiLB team sets that year.) His cardboard résumé is pretty limited -- about 10 cards -- but the only way you can get his ink is from in-person or TTM successes (or cuts). His easiest cards to find might be his three unsigned 1995 Action Packed MiLB cards.
Grab a box right here: Get newer MiLB boxes here

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WWE'S TANK GIRL ...
The Photo: Shotzi Blackheart autographed 8-by-10 WWE photo 
The Price: Around $20
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Have you seen how well her 2020 Topps NXT autographs have been selling? Click here for active eBay auctions and click to completeds. (Wow.) Some of those hefty prices are for rarer parallels and ink with extra inscriptions, but some of that also is because that set is the only place to find her only WWE autographed cards right now. (There are surely more coming ... perhaps as soon as next month with the delayed 2020 Women's Division release.) While I recently pulled one of her autos -- one I had been looking for but had been picky -- before that, I picked up a couple of photos from a signing she did with a dealer who does shop appearances and signings. As I noted last time, this young star is still relatively new to WWE after working in independents for the last half-decade. The cool part of it is that her name and character hasn't changed ... so her past fans are also grabbing her cards along with new fans. She's an eccentric high-energy character who comes to the ring driving a freaking tank. It's absurd and that's the point.

Grab a box right here: Grab WWE boxes here

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