Buzz Buys: Historic Yankees, Broadway Joe, WWE stars, autos, old magazines, Elmo & The Rock, promo cards and plenty 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 ... and this time around it's a mix of really recent pick-ups as well as stuff found over the last year.

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A NEW CLASSIC ... 
The Cards: Roger Maris 2022 Topps Living Set five-pack (/5,722)
The Price: Bundle price via Topps
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Maris' name was in the headlines quite a bit with Aaron Judge's run toward his American League record 61 home runs -- also the New York Yankees' franchise record -- and Topps responded with a new Living Set card for this legend. The Jared Kelley piece includes some Easter eggs with the obvious one being a "61" on his bat and when I saw it I knew it was an instant buy. I grabbed a five pack with an eye on grading at least one, maybe two copies. (One is on its way to CSG as I type this and depending on how that goes a second might go there, too.) I haven't bought too many Living Set cards this year with lighter stock and centering issues straight from Topps happening too often even in my limited experience, but I think my one I sent in here should do well.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... but MLB boxes are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

THE RECORD-BREAKER
The Card: Aaron Judge 2022 Topps Now 62nd home run card (/91,685)
The Price: Free ... since I had some rewards points 
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I wasn't going to bother grabbing one of these figuring it would sell well but I had some points for a freebie and went ahead and did it anyway. Meanwhile, this one set a new Topps Now all-time sales record -- and there are already PSA-slabbed copies out there to buy to show how speculators are in hard on these. Mine will probably just hang out in a box with other recent pick-ups. I think they picked the correct photo based on what was shot that historical night but I'm not a big fan of the big-number touch that Topps added to the big HR cards as well as the parallel proof version and ink. 
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... but MLB boxes are here.

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ON BROADWAY ...
The Card: Joe Namath 2005 Donruss Gridiron Gear Materials (/50)
The Price: $9
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This bargain pick-up came from long ago and it was a steal as this isn't a shoot-used jersey piece but rather a gamer. It's also a nice larger swatch (though not a jumbo) and a low-volume card, so those are other reasons I bit. There's nothing to dislike here for the price but I'm not the biggest fan of foilboard in general.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... but NFL boxes are here.

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END OF THE LINE?
The Card: Mickie James 2007 Topps Heritage WWE Chrome Heritage II Autographs
The Price: Only a few bucks in a bulk lot
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This veteran star has been a mainstay for years now with TNA/Impact, WWE and indy runs and she's presently in a storyline that might be ending with a retirement match at some point soon. This auto is one of her earlier ones -- though not the first -- but it was a nice find in a bulk lot of WWE hits I landed quite a while back. My price here? Just $5 ... if that. I wish I could find more lots like that. Her autograph is best found on photos or within on-card sets where she signs big and bold -- in fact, I'm not sure I've seen anybody sign photos larger -- but I like the retro design here a lot.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... but WWE boxes are here.

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GET THE POINT
The Card: Vincent Lecavalier 2013-14 Panini National Treasures Timeline Jersey Prime (/50)
The Price: Free via Panini Rewards points
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: If you're a regular reader, you know I don't do much hockey at all but this one recently arrived in my stash as a result of Panini Rewards points on some redemptions that never happened. He was the first overall pick in the 1998 NHL Draft and his long name helps showcase a two-color patch pretty well.
Grab a box right here: : NHL boxes are here.

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TWO MORE NOW ...
The Cards: Spencer Strider & Atlanta Braves visit The White House 2022 Topps Now cards (/2,875 and /1,620)
The Price: $9.99 or less (Topps rewards points used)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Strider became a favorite of mine -- a fantasy team pick-up that carried me -- seemingly out of nowhere this year and he put up some serious stats as a rookie en route to a new long-term deal. That should keep him around with a core of players that should keep the Braves in the postseason hunt yearly and keep him more relevant. I pondered but passed on some of his earlier Now cards but grabbed this one for a record-setting game and then his team's visit to the White House to note their title last year. (He's not on that ... but I figured I'd present these together.) None of Strider's Now cards are all that pricey -- people probably chase parallels first -- but I wouldn't mind a run of stuff like this in slabs. That probably won't happen since I only did one of each you're always at the mercy of centering and then how the corners react to the mailing format if those little foam inserts are in play.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... but MLB boxes are here.

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WADDLE, WADDLE ...
The Cards: Jaylen Waddle 2021 Panini Instant NFL Rated Rookie Retro (/2,231) & 2021 Panini Prestige Xtra Points Diamond
The Price: About $4 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Waddle and Tua Tagovailoa are fantasy league staples for me and are also here since they are Alabama guys -- but since there are people out there way more dedicated in what they collect I tend to just pick off cheaper stuff I like. These two are simpler cards that caught my attention last year (Prestige) and then something I grabbed more recently. I didn't really like 1991 Donruss the first time around but I liked the color scheme for this one.
Grab a box right here: NFL boxes are here.

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CHASING KAIRI ...
The Cards: Kairi Sane 2018 Topps Heritage WWE Silver (/25), 2018 Topps WWE Slam Attax Live, 2020 Topps Chrome WWE Gold Refractor (/50), 2019 Topps WWE Undisputed Orange (/99), 2018 Topps WWE Undisputed Orange (/99), 2018 Topps WWE Undisputed Green (/50), 2020 Topps WWE Undisputed Green (/50) and 2020 Undisputed base
The Price: Nothing over about $7
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This Japanese WWE star is no longer working here but while she was in the ring dropping insane elbows I was picking off stuff that was affordable or from brands I like Undisputed cards that tend to grade very, very well. The others are early cards or rare/oddball additions that seemed like bargains. The three parallels on the bottom row are grading candidates for sure.
Grab a box right here: WWE boxes are here.

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ON THE COVER ...
The Mags: Shaquille O'Neal, Ken Griffey Jr., Richard Todd -- First Sports Illustrated covers
The Price: Less than $8 apiece on average 
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: These ultimately were bummers condition-wise -- not a surprise as it happens a lot with mags -- but each of these grabs were debut covers for two Hall of Famers and one school ties guy following in the footsteps of another. The Todd was found by somebody I knew out on the hunt at an antiques store and they sent me a photo ... it looked OK for a few bucks, while the others were a little more. In high-grade slabs (and without pesky labels) the O'Neal and Griffey are big deals. They still can be with labels but I'd only grade there with super-clean copies. These were a little iffy for me but you never know since they are firsts for big names.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... but sports boxes are here.

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GOING TO THE DOGS ...
The Card: Mark McGwire 1993 Milk-Bone Super Stars
The Price: Pocket change
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This oddball was one I grabbed just as an example of the weird and old stuff out there that you might not remember. (I didn't remember this one but then again I wasn't the person out buying dog food in 1993.) A slugger and his pups for pocket change works for something odd in the collection.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... but MLB boxes are here.

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IT'S A MAD WORLD ...
The Mags: Kim Kardashian & Kanye West and Hillary Clinton & Bill Clinton Mad magazine appearances
The Price: Around $1 apiece in a small grab bag package
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The art on recent-year covers from this long-running title that have celebs from pop culture or nods to movies (Mad Max at right) can get my attention easily and a third I found in this lot is off in CGC's hands ... so you'll see more like this at a later time. One cool part of the package these came from? Some of the mags had subscriber renewal paper covers so any damage happened on that paper instead of the covers. I like that when it comes to grading.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... but non-sports boxes are here.

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BOUGHT SOME BARRYMORE ...
The Cards & Mags: Drew Barrymore 1982 Topps E.T. set, Rolling Stone and Movieline magazines 
The Price: About $10 for each on average, maybe a little more on Movieline mags
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: These are examples of how picking a subject and picking off some items here and there over time can add up. I picked up all of these with an eye for grading, though the oversized Rolling Stone mags won't be candidates without some new slabs out there from CGC. (Make it happen!) I might grade one or two of the cards and a Movieline at some point ... but mag grading is as slow as it gets right now.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... but non-sports boxes are here.

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BUT THAT'S A ROCK!
The Card: Ticked Elmo 2019 Topps Garbage Pail Kids: We Hate the '90s Toys Sticker Spit parallel (/99)
The Price: $3
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Remember when Elmo's contempt for a rock getting a cookie he wanted went viral for a day or two? I barely do but that's why this ended up in my hands. Seeing the clips got me to look ... and Elmo didn't have much to choose from. This one, though? I thought it was classic as, well, this totally is the kind of Elmo who was talking about the rock and its cookie. He was ticked ... and that tickled many of us.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... but non-sports boxes are here.

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... AND THIS IS A ROCK
The Card: The Rock 2004 Fleer WWE Chaos Tuff Guys Memorabilia
The Price: Only a few bucks in a bulk lot
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: No, it wasn't this rock that Elmo had a beef with ... but The Rock does like his cookies on cheat day. (There are many examples out there ... and they even get their own stories.) I landed this in a collection buy (with that James card) and I figured I'd pair it here with Elmo, though I could have waited for WrestleMania season where a comeback could be in play. His daughter also recently made her WWE cardboard debut after a first appearance on NXT, so there's a good chance they will both pop up here again soon.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... but WWE boxes are here.

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SLAB-WORTHY THROWBACK ...
The Mag: Jessica Alba -- Entertainment Weekly magazine
The Price: $16
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I think this one was a pick-up from a mag dealer with a few other items as this price is a little higher than I remembered but it's definitely a simple but iconic photo that will look good in a slab -- and it's a very clean copy other than one spot that might need pressing. This issue is from back in 2006 -- but not her first cover as those arrived in her Dark Angel years -- but I think this portrait is better than the rest. I've picked off a number of big names from recent years who might not have card appearances (she actually does, though) for grading.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... but non-sports boxes are here.

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NOT PARALLEL PRICED
The Card: Josh Donaldson 2019 Topps Major League Material Relics Gold (/50)
The Price: $2.50
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This one was just a pure bargain buy as it's a parallel card that was priced like a regular one -- not a big deal but I'm sure the odds of finding one were not low. Donaldson has been a strong player off and on during his career -- and he's a collector, too -- but it seems there's always more negatives lately out there in the chatter. Will he play the next two years with the Yankees or move on again? He's cheap either way, making him easier to collect.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... but MLB boxes are here.

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'MELLA IS MONEY
The Cards: Carmella 2017 Topps WWE Undisputed Women's Division, 2018 Topps Heritage Blue Autographs (/50) and 2019 Topps WWE Women's Division Bronze (/75)
The Price: Under $20 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Almost all of the cost here is for the ink as that's a rarer hue with a pretty clean look -- slab-worthy -- while the one on the left is an insert and the one on the right is a parallel with a photo that just struck me as good and a little funny. All in all everything here was priced about right -- though maybe a little low on the ink.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... but WWE boxes are here.

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DEMONIC DEMAND?
The Card: Finn Balor 2017 Topps WWE NXT Roster Silver (/25)
The Price: $2
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This veteran's painted "demon" persona was a regular thing back in NXT and it brought some distinct visual variety to the show with his entrances and varying looks. Now? He's quite plain but he lets his action to do the talking ... and he's good. But I tend to stick to the cards from this timeframe more than any other as the difference makes a difference to me.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... but WWE boxes are here.

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TIDE ROLLED IN ...
The Cards: Assorted Alabama Crimson Tide players' RCs, parallels, inserts and more -- Jalen Hurts, Najee Harris, Trevon Diggs, T.J. Yeldon, Damien Harris, Amari Cooper, Brodie Croyle, A.J. McCarron and others
The Price: Pocket change up to a few bucks
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This run of stuff is just cheap PC grabs ... and me doing a little housecleaning of the files prepped for this series ... I buy too much of the stuff like this whether I have it or not if the price is right. The Yeldon autos are among his first for prep All-Star stuff and that NFL auto is a RC from a premium release where some singles are dirt cheap. Since these are all guys with school ties, there's no worry about "bust" or future NFL performance ... just buying for fun to add to my volume. Someday I'll be organized for it to matter. Maybe.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... but NFL boxes are here.

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A THROWBACK
The Set: 1991 Classic MiLB factory set
The Price: A few bucks in a lot
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was a throw-in of sorts on a small bulk lot of Classic sets and while this is a memorable one to me from back then -- I bought boatloads -- it's not aged all that well. I landed one of the Mike Schmidt autos straight from a pack and loved the gold-foil chase cards in some pack formats here -- neither are this, though. This is simply a factory set where the cards are wrapped in bricks inside the box. I opened it and pulled out the notables for sure -- Pedro Martinez, Ivan Rodriguez, Chipper Jones, Jim Thome among them -- and then some school ties guys. I might grade one or two since they're fresh copies.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... but MiLB boxes are here.

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A CLASSIC 
The Item: The Paper press kit (media info and 10 8-by-10 photos)
The Price: $9.99
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This Ron Howard film about a day in the life of a newspaper crew is a fun one if you know that world and it's a whole lot of reality-based save for maybe the printing press fights. (Maybe some of the map discussions. Maybe.) So much has changed in the world since this one (made in 1994), but it's got so much going on and tells the story and re-creates the environment quite well. I have probably bought this press kit -- photos and info sent out to media to publicize the movie -- more than once that's how much I like this one.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... but non-sports boxes are here.

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SOME INDY INK
The Item: Kylie Rae autographed Sabotage Wrestling 8-by-10 photo (via Wrestling Universe)
The Price: $7.50
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This indy star popped up early on in AEW with a gimmick you can see a teaser of here -- she's just so happy -- and so when I was going through some discounted autographed photos at a major shop that does signing appearances I picked this one up. Why? She's only got indy-set cards that I know of so far, so for now I figured I'd pick off an auto for a bargain price. I pick up ink when it presents itself and try to have something for a lot of names if the price is right.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... but AEW boxes are here.

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PROMO POWER ... NO, REALLY
The Card: Ken Griffey Jr. 1993 Score promo
The Price: $3.75
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This one isn't likely in your collection and you may not know it exists -- I didn't -- but ultimately it's a dealer promo that looks almost identical to a base card save for one small detail. What's that? The crop of the photo. On the regular card, his foot is touching the bottom border. Click here to view the standard card. Weird, eh?
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... but MLB boxes are here.

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STACKS OF STRATTONS
The Cards: Tiffany Stratton 2022 Panini Prizm WWE Rookie Card lot (approximately 60 cards)
The Price: Around $60
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This young WWE star didn't have any cards before this one arrived and with all of the Prizm run-up I decided to grab a small lot ... and then a second larger one. Why? Just doing some good old-fashioned cardboard hoarding with a decent chance at one maybe being elite-grade slab-worthy. I might have one in there -- the base cards seem to have a lot of issues -- but I was actually also kind of surprised (and pleased) that she wasn't in anything else except for the NXT release (and the UK Panini set) so far. No autographs, no memorabilia and a limited lineup of stuff ... all good things to help keep focus on only a few cards made so far. Less completion helps on Rookie Cards.
Grab a box right here: WWE boxes are here.

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SEALED WITH A ... 
The Card: Alicia Fox 2019 Topps WWE RAW Kiss Card (/50)
The Price: $15
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was simply cheaper than it should have been, especially for a lower-volume card, so I grabbed it. Fox had a long WWE run but had been off the radar in recent years, so she doesn't have as many card appearances. Meanwhile, a lot of common Kiss Cards have asking (and sale) prices higher than this. It was a no-brainer, really.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... but WWE boxes are here.

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HOW MANY "ROOKIE CARDS" HERE?
The Cards: 1983 Topps Jaws 3-D set and small lot
The Price: About $20 total (maybe less)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I mentioned this in my Making The Grade item launched this week -- the set has cards for Lea Thompson, Dennis Quaid, Lou Gossett Jr. and others you might know from TV over the years. The set has a few main "character" cards as well as others showing scenes and this kind of stuff seems like quality cheap slab material in my mind. I grabbed the set first for possible grading for the main Thompson card. It was less than $10, which I thought wasn't bad for an early 1980s set but my centering was very early 1980s though the rest was sharp. After that disappointment, I waited and watched before grabbing a small lot that included a number of duplicates and a Thompson to slab. I haven't done any research but I think these might be early or first cards for all of them.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... but non-sports boxes are here.

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SOME WRESTLING THROWBACKS
The Mags: Assorted Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, Mil Mascaras, British Bulldogs and more vintage 1970s/1980s magazines
The Price: $10 each
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: These non-WWE mags can be clean -- though many are not -- design-wise and the cleaner the look the more likely I think they'd be decent mags to grade. High marks won't be easy as the paper quality here isn't as nice (newsprint) and the covers are also on un-glossed soft stock, but I found a dealer with all of these and picked them off over a couple months. The Flair, Rhodes and Mascaras covers are perhaps slab-worthy in my eyes, while the other two were nice but a little too rough for my taste to grade. Note the bottom left one has a "card" of The Sheik and some mags like that are popular with collectors. (This one, probably too rough.)
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... but WWE boxes are here.

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