Buzz Buys: Cheap Jordan, Schwarber & Shaq slabs, Ricochet, a Yahoo! icon, Gritty, Top Gun, Mac Jones, Trish Stratus & 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 there's a little bit of everything -- 20 items for a new year.

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WILL HE STAY OR WILL HE GO?
The Card: Kyle Schwarber 2016 Bowman's Best Rookie Card (PSA 10)
The Price: $8
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I picked this one up because the price was right for a high-grade Rookie Card but also because I took a look at the stat sheet. I'd argue that while he's been off the collecting radar of many lately, Schwarber put up a career year last season. His average was still low -- but a career-best .250 -- and he also had career marks in homers (38) and RBI (92) as well as games, at-bats, runs, hits, doubles ... pretty much everything except stolen bases and on-base percentage. He'll always be remembered as a member of the 2016 Cubs World Series championship team, but I said "had been" off collecting radars because there were recent trade rumors where he could be headed to the Yankees. A move like that would make these kinds of cheaper buys vanish far faster than they might already and rejuvenate his cardboard. I'd be buying on him right now among the cheap early options.
Grab a box right here: 2016 Bowman's Best baseball cards (when available)

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

CHEAP & ICONIC
The Card: Michael Jordan 1989-90 NBA Hoops (PSA 9)
The Price: $13.50
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: No matter what his hand indicates, this isn't the No. 1 card in this landmark release -- those honors go to the David Robinson Rookie Card with a secondary nod to the unimportant-then but sometimes-pricey-now Steve Kerr RC in there, too. This card, however, was a slab that's been on my mind for a while as Jordan stuff from around this time is readily available with the higher grades commanding solid cash. I have pondered grabbing an old Series 1 box of this one to chase some Robinsons and others in this set, too. Why? I consider it a landmark release as it helped change things away from just Fleer for NBA collectors that year and it got people (like me) ripping into packs since it was similar to Pro Set with its chase inclusions and an always-updating approach. I still might rip a box but, I grabbed this for the price since there's no good guarantee for how those old boxes can deliver -- or that cards won't be miscut or damaged in packing. Quality control is perhaps the biggest concern when ripping into these boxes. 
Grab a box right here: No boxes for this one but new NBA boxes are here

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RARER RICOCHET
The Card: Ricochet 2019 Topps WWE NXT Blue Autographs (/50)
The Price: $17.25
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This high-flying and aptly named (he seemingly bounces around the ring) newcomer to the main WWE roster is a bit of an indie wrestling legend who still has a relatively modest amount of cardboard in WWE releases. He has a small amount of signed cards with on-card autos among those, so I grabbed this since the price was right. I also did so despite it being from a brand where dark edges and skinny stock will make grading in this one rather miserable. (This one won't get slabbed.) His first WWE autos have been pricey and somewhat scarcer, so this card felt like it was a solid pickup -- plus his auto's simplicity has led to cards where ink runs off the sticker/card or is streaky/light. This one was clean so I grabbed it since I hadn't yet tracked one down and I like the design for this set a lot more than others from the 2019 WWE lineup.
Grab a box right here: 2019 Topps WWE NXT

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PRE-TRADE BARGAIN
The Card: Kenyan Drake 2016 Panini Clear Vision Rookie Clear Cloth Jerseys Prime (/49)
The Price: Less than $4
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This pick-up came before his trade to the Arizona Cardinals and before he had a few career games that won more than a few peoples' fantasy leagues late in the year -- but it's still an example where memorabilia cards for recent NFL releases can be fun pick-ups on the cheap (even when there's prime material involved). I'm not sure if I've ever opened many of this brand's packs since it's generally leaner on hits, but I have picked off a number of these cards that include memorabilia and acetate all in the same place since they are so different than other stuff. 
Grab a box right here: 2016 Panini Clear Vision

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A LEGENDARY ROOKIE
The Card: Gritty 2018-19 Upper Deck Game Dated Moments 
The Price: $6
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I'm a bit torn on this one. Yes, I paid $6 for a mascot card. It's a Rookie Card of sorts, too, and this maniac of a mascot has the same birthday as me based on this card. I've watched the few cards he has with an (googly button) eye on getting one graded, but this was a hockey stick to the face (kind of) as these cards are gloss-free and the dark photo here makes for some tough edges and surfaces if not inspecting them in-person. This one was more of a $6 bummer on that front (and I was so blah about it I didn't even want to re-photograph this one to avoid its glare). I guess I'll look toward one of his Young Guns cards instead. Yep, he has those, too ... Gritty is a star.
Grab a box right here: No boxes for this one ... click here for new NHL boxes

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GRIP IT & RIP IT ...
The Card: Mike Oz 2019 Topps Allen & Ginter Framed Mini Black Autographs (/25)
The Price: Less than $8
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: He's the host of Yahoo! Sports' Old Baseball Cards video series where he interviews MLB notables while they open a pack and then makes a trade if there's something they want from the packs. He signed for last year's Allen & Ginter set and this parallel was a decent pick-up for the price given its scarcity. They haven't pulled his card in a video yet that I know of ... but it might happen in 2020. Last year's stuff now qualifies as old, right?
Grab a box right here: 2019 Topps Allen & Ginter baseball cards

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ALABAMA INK
The Card: Mac Jones 2017 Upper Deck USA Football Autographs
The Price: $10.25
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is the only autographed card Jones has in that year's USA Football release beyond a 1/1 card, and it's one of just six total cards for this player in a simplified product lineup that's all about elite prep All-Stars. This is the guy who took over for Tua Tagovailoa for the Crimson Tide after he went down to some serious injuries late in the year and he delivered well in his games, including a bowl-game win over Michigan that had a touchdown on the first play. With his only cards being in this release (none elsewhere) there could be some movement here if you can find them. (I picked it up for my permanent stash -- an example of my seasonal buying and you can see other examples of my school ties buys here and elsewhere on The Buzz.)
Grab a box right here: No boxes for this one ... get NFL boxes here

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SOLIDLY BUILT
The Card: Derrick Henry 2018 Panini National Treasures Colossal Materials (/99)
The Price: $2
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This brand isn't always one that's known for colorful looks, but this card is big and bold in a few ways -- both in its massive blue (colossal) swatch and the blue accents and a photo that also match. It's clean and simple -- though not too simple like this brand (and others) can be. That made it a solid and affordable pick-up to in my mind -- but it also doesn't hurt that he was the league's top rusher this season with more than 1,500 yards, edging Nick Chubb for the title in the final game. His performances of late should raise his cardboard profile, too.
Grab a box right here: 2018 Panini National Treasures football cards

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TIME TO STOCKPILE CHEAP ROOKIES
The Card: Keston Hiura 2019 Bowman Sterling Rookie Card
The Price: $1.33
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is the time of year to stockpile the notable MLB Rookie Cards of last year that are cheap -- not in March or April -- and this guy might be near the top of my list as he can be really affordable compared to other guys who didn't hit as well as he did last year. This 22-year-old hit .303 in 84 games with 19 homers and 49 RBI -- numbers that project out to coming close to a 40-20 campaign had he played a full year at that pace for a team that made the postseason. Hiura has a lot of prospect cards and autos from before last year, especially with time with USA Baseball, but it seems basic RCs can be strong sellers in general, especially when slabbed, more than earliest prospect cards these days. This isn't the flashiest design but Sterling's premium price with an auto in every pack is one where that had to have limited the overall production volume on the basic cards a lot more than other brands. I almost had this card bat lead-off this time but figured I'd reward those who read this far with a flipper tip of sorts -- one that could pay off early next year with a solid start.
Grab a box right here: 2019 Bowman Sterling baseball cards

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DONE CHASING THIS AUTO ...
The Card: Joey Lauren Adams autographed 8-by-10 photo (PSA/DNA certified)
The Price: $25*
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: There's a Chasing Amy card set on the way that should have certified ink for Adams as well as some other A-listers from the Kevin Smith classic later this year, but thanks to some eBay Bucks* I grabbed this one essentially for free last year. Adams does have 14 low-volume autographed cards in the 2014 Leaf Pop Century set -- 10 of those are 1/1s -- but they use stickers and I wanted a bit bigger, bolder sig. Her standard card there is the only un-numbered one with the rest limited to no more than 25 copies ... so this photo is likely checking in cheaper than the cards would. I've been aiming to pick up some different buys for this series at times in recent months ... and this is one example.
Grab a box right here: Click here for Chasing Amy boxes

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BEFORE THE INTERWEBS BLEW UP ...
The Card: 1997 Pinnacle Inside promo card
The Price: $2.75
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This "baseball card" is actually an info card telling dealers what was to come in a memorable (yet also forgettable) release that put a pack of baseball cards into a can. No, really ... like soup. This promo card had all the info on a release where you had to use a can-opener to open them to get your clear-cellophane-wrapped 10-card pack. I bought a lot of these back in the day since they were different -- not that they were that great -- but the idea definitely does stand out from the rest of the pack at that time. The first WNBA set was released in this form (it might be the best of them) as were sets for the NFL and NHL ... and oddly the promo cans for these actually didn't include cards inside the can one year if you're looking to sample these. (Go figure.) All you need to know about Pinnacle Inside's debut can be seen on this card ... I had to grab it since it was an oddity all about an oddity.
Grab a box right here: Click here for newer MLB boxes

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A STRATUSYING BUY
The Card: Trish Stratus 2011 In the Game Canadiana Black Autographs 
The Price: $11
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The price on this autograph was one I couldn't refuse as the ink from this WWE Hall of Famer is often about double that and this card comes from a set that might have a lower print run than any of her wrestling releases. It's a multi-sport/non-sport hybrid showcasing Canadian celebs that was sold in a small box with a few hits and some singles nearly a decade ago. These small boxes have seemingly dried up but here's what was in one I ripped back in the day. These cards use stickers but the design is one that makes it work with the design and it's a tad less obvious than other sticker autos out there. I didn't mind that here -- I've picked up a few of her autos through the years but not at this price.
Grab a box right here: Click here for WWE boxes

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STRONG SOPHOMORE SEASON
The Card: Nick Chubb 2018 Panini Phoenix Red Rookie Card parallel (/299)
The Price: $2
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Baker Mayfield probably grabbed a lot of the attention on this team last year -- good and bad -- but the Cleveland Browns sophomore who delivered big this year was this former Georgia Bulldog who was among the league-leaders in carries, yards and yards per game this season. His TDs were the only thing not dramatically improved over last season -- he tied his rookie mark. There were only 16 1,000-yard rushers this year and he checked in at No. 2 -- and his stuff can be found on the cheap side way more often than many other guys in that club. I liked the look of this one, though the Phoenix design is admittedly busier than others.
Grab a box right here: 2018 Panini Phoenix football cards

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I FEEL THE NEED ...
The Card: 2017 Topps Pro Debut Gold Promo Night Uniform Relics  -- Top Gun Night (/50)
The Price: $2.50
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The trailer for Top Gun: Maverick dropped recently in advance of its arrival in late June -- 34 years after the original -- and that me think of this card so you see it here. While we still don't have film-based cardboard after all this time (I'd take it for sure even without key autographs) this one is as close as it gets, right? This card notes when the Potomac Nationals MiLB team wore themed jerseys back on Aug. 6, 2016. The players' jerseys had fake leather bomber jackets and dog tags as part of the design, while anybody legally named "Maverick" got in free. (Sorry, Goose.) This is the rarer parallel version of this card and I picked it up recently because I like the sheer weirdness of this set. The standard version (/99) can sell for a lot more than what I paid here.
Grab a box right here: Topps Pro Debut baseball cards (all years)

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THE BOTTOM LINE
The Card: Robert Horry 2017-18 Panini Opulence Championship Hall Signatures (/49)
The Price: $4.75
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I grabbed this since it was an on-card auto -- and an affordable one at that for a guy who hadn't signed much at all during his playing days -- from a high-end brand that I'd never realistically rip into due to its price. Yet this card hits the spot for both school ties and for my small Spurs collection. I didn't even realize it was from Opulence when I bought it -- I thought it was a Gold Standard card -- but the bottom line on the front is what makes it work for me. It's a reminder that he's got seven NBA rings at home -- only six players in league history have more and they are all former Boston Celtics.
Grab a box right here: 2017-18 Panini Opulence basketball cards

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A HUGE CARD BACK IN THE DAY ...
The Card: Shaquille O'Neal 1992-93 Fleer Ultra Rookie Card (BGS 9)
The Price: $9.95
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I grabbed this one for what I consider a pretty solid price and a bit of a mystery BGS 9. Why? It's about the subgrades it got knocked for (edges and surface) -- those flaws just aren't visible on the front here. It looks like a perfect card on the front. And the back isn't worse ... in fact I'd argue this looks like a 9.5 or better. I never owned his Stadium Club RC back then, but I've pretty much picked up slabs for most of his RCs recently. Why? Probably because I remember how big his arrival was for cards back then. We're seeing it in more advanced ways now with Zion Williamson.
Grab a box right here: Click here for newer NBA boxes

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VINTAGE ON THE CHEAP
The Card: Joe Namath 1971 Topps Game Cards
The Price: $1.24
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Want a vintage project that you can complete over time without breaking the bank? This 52-card set is a good candidate. This card might have some issues with the left edge and some discoloring, but it's not mangled otherwise. I bit for the price since Namath is a notable name in the set and from the NFL's past. Other keys in the set include Dick Butkus, O.J. Simpson, Gale Sayers, Len Dawson, Fran Tarkenton, Johnny Unitas, Terry Bradshaw and Bart Starr, while most of the other players should be very affordable. These cards can be a little all over the place with their cutting and centering -- that's the only worry but it could be one reason they are so cheap. If you're not buying to slab, this is an easy old set to collect.
Grab a box right here: Click here for newer NFL boxes

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BACK IN THE DAY ...
The Card: Barack Obama 2008 Upper Deck Presidential Victor (with Joe Biden and Michelle Obama cameos)
The Price: $1
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Psssst, let me tell you a little secret about 2020 ... it's an election year. This is a baseball card from back at a time where a ton of politicians from all parties appeared in sports card sets. (Why? Probably because Allen & Ginter had helped loosen things up in 2006 rather successfully.) Political cards in MLB sets in 2008 included some standard-looking cards as inserts from Topps and a bunch of other inclusions from a few releases, including these Presidential Predictor cards. They have creative caricatures of various candidates worked into memorable sports moments from the past with some of them being very well-crafted pieces of art. This post-election Victor card was sent to a select number of hobby shops as a bonus for their card-buyers as a twist on Tony Dungy's historic Super Bowl win the previous year. The widespread presence of politicians in sports sets has been toned down a ton since then -- it lasted a few years before vanishing or being limited back to releases like Ginter -- but you can find a ton of people in that realm in a set of their own, the landmark Decision 2016 releases.
Grab a box right here: Click here for MLB boxes

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UNIQUE MEMORABILIA
The Card: Peter Stastny 2001-02 Fleer Greats of the Game Board Certified
The Price: $2
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The name says it all here ... board certified as in it's a piece of the boards that's been certified chopped up and put into cards. These can be cheap and colorful (a few shades can be found for a few players) and this collector thinks they are interesting because this type of memorabilia just hasn't been done often through the years. I'm no hockey card devotee, but I don't remember this happening more than a handful of sets -- a couple from Fleer and one from In The Game off the top of my head. (There could be others but they can't be that common.)
Grab a box right here: Click here for newer NHL boxes

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DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR?
The Card: Minkah Fitzpatrick 2019 Panini Certified Certified Gamers Mirror Blue (/75)
The Price: $2.85
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This guy has delivered big for the Steelers after a midseason trade (the best deal of the year per one writer for The New York Times) and some say he's a contender for Defensive Player of the Year honors, too, though he's got teammates who could also compete for that one. Generally speaking, most defensive players don't get much cardboard attention at all and this card is a (sorta) example of that in one way. Fitzpatrick has cards -- he's pushing 900 different since his RCs arrived last year -- but fewer than 50 of those are memorabilia cards. He didn't attend the rookie photo shoot, so he only has 35 different memorabilia cards (give or take a few in any new releases). His only 2018 NFL mem cards are in Limited Draft Day sets (stage-used stuff) and then in Flawless and National Treasures. Those were followed up this year by cards in this release -- they are noted as game-used, by the way -- and then in Immaculate, Gold Standard and Playoff. That's it -- and it's only a few cards per release. Now imagine if every offensive player had mem cards at this kind of low volume.
Grab a box right here: 2019 Panini Certified football cards

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