Buzz Buys: John Cena's first ink, A League of Their Own, Jerry Springer, Roger Maris, Courtney Love & more WWE additions

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 (but a little more wrestling than usual as WrestleMania is coming soon.

--

THE CHAMP IS HERE ...
The Card: John Cena 2005 Topps Heritage WWE autograph
The Price: A lot less than others out there ... whew.
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I picked this one up sometime last year when I couldn't find a lot of key WWE wax and it's definitely a solid grab and hold for the long term if you ask me. Why? Well my price was a lot cheaper than other copies of this card back then so that helped me finally pull the trigger and grab one ... and it seems that notable debut cards and first autos for a lot of wrestlers are really picking up steam of late (mostly on the guys' side as they were arguably undervalued). This is Cena's first certified auto and also from the first year of Topps' current run of WWE cardboard ... a release where ink wasn't even in every hobby box and those boxes are seemingly long, long gone in unopened form. He's been a signing machine over the years, so he's not necessarily a tough auto -- but many of those autos are on stickers and his sig has definitely devolved into more of a symbol to help him sign a ton of stuff in less time than it took for him to do these. You can see a "Joh CnA" here which is more than normal these days, though he's not signing much now. His only autos that I have seen of late are in Transcendent releases and that means he's not had traditional in-pack ink since 2018. Love 'em or hate 'em, he's been an iconic star for years now but his ring days are definitely winding down, so another thought here ... we'll see him in the next Suicide Squad movie soon. His ink makes sense to go the route of Rock, Austin and others ... though he's got a ton more out there than they do. It all starts with this card.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of this one ... but new WWE boxes are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

PREMIUM-BRAND PARALLEL
The Card: Roger Maris 2014 Topps Five Star Legends Relic (/25)
The Price: $27.75
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This one felt like a bit of a steal for me as it's a parallel from a strong brand -- a card with a strong look but perhaps a funky corner or edge that might have hurt the price. (Nothing major, but not perfect like many memorabilia cards out there.) I bit because I'll load up on Maris cards when affordable, though I prefer jersey/pants over bats. This one looks very good, though, and it's on the rarer side, too. 
Grab a box right here: Topps Five Star boxes (all years)

--

TOO CHEAP TO PASS UP ...
The Card: Steve Kerr 2015-16 Panini Totally Certified EPIX Play Memorabilia Mirror Prime (/25)
The Price: Under $5
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This guy seems like a future Hall of Famer given the entirety of his career -- five NBA titles as a player and three more as a coach -- but that moment for honors isn't coming any time soon unless he decides to retire. I casually (lightly) dabble with Spurs cards and, while Kerr is good for some zingers in interviews these days, I just liked the idea of a patch card that was this rare for the price.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of this one ... but NBA boxes are here.

--

FEELING GREEN
The Card: Toni Storm & Rhea Ripley (RC) 2020 Topps WWE Undisputed Green parallels (/50)
The Price: $12.50 for Storm, while Ripley was part of a small lot ... so under $4
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: These are two names I'm sold on as future WWE stars at the top level and this set is one that, while I normally rip a box or two, I didn't do last year ... they seemed to linger but never dropped in price so I went the singles route. There's a lot to like here with strong photos and the color parallels really add more oomph to the design in a simple way. It's a crisp and refined design that puts most of the emphasis on the photo, but I think it's the best Undisputed release in the six-year history of the brand. What made this pairing extra fun to me? I found them from sellers in completely different areas at different times and only when I had them in hand I noticed they have matching serial numbers. That's not too important but I like it as these are two of my favs from the set -- one for a strong photo fitting her character and one being a no-logo Rookie Card parallel that I got cheaper than many cards of hers are going for. 
Grab a box right here: 2020 Topps WWE Undisputed

--

ADDING SOME INK
The Card: Lori Petty signed A League Of Their Own 8-by-10 photo (via The Hollywood Show)
The Price: Around $25
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I have her ink from a past non-sports set but it wasn't tied to the baseball movie that's one major role she's known for. The Hollywood Show's website has a ton of ink from stars who have appeared at events with backgrounds in many areas of TV and film, and I grabbed this one late last year when they had a sale. She's not that tough of an auto -- she's had a lot of card appearances in non-sports releases -- but there still hasn't been any kind of release for the Penny Marshall classic telling us all about the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League that ran from 1943 to 1954.
Grab a box right here: MLB boxes are here.

--

SEEMED CLEAN ...
The Card: George Karl 1974-75 Topps Rookie Card
The Price: Under $2
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This former fourth-round pick out of North Carolina didn't have the meatiest playing career but he was an assistant or head coach in the NBA and elsewhere from 1978-2016. He's sixth on the all-time wins list with 1,175 -- that's more than Phil Jackson -- and he's one of only nine coaches to win 1,000 or more (Doc Rivers will be next). The mention in The Last Dance last year got me looking and this was a really clean copy of his RC for a price too low to pass up. I might even slab this one at some point, though it's got a couple of decent size print spots. It's still a lot better looking than most I've seen -- 1970s printing and cutting can be brutal.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of this one ... but NBA boxes are here.

--

"SHOULD'VE LISTENED TO ME, BROTHER"
The Card: 1985 Topps WWF sellsheet
The Price: About $25? (Yikes ... but asking prices for others are even higher vs. when I bought.)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: With Hulk Hogan's 1985 Topps "Rookie Cards" (at least using a traditional in-pack definition) having blown up in recent years (and moreso in recent months) I figured I needed to add something that ties into that landmark first Topps set and first officially licensed WWE release. These days, product info is a little more complicated and it's all released via PDFs on email. Back in the day the basics and an ordering form would arrive in the mail or be handed to dealers from their sales reps. There's not much to this one but it's a solid photo of Hogan from that era and has a cameo from "Mean" Gene Okerlund. What's a lot tougher to find here ... Hogan's cards or one of these? (The cards are in more demand but have to be easier finds than this.) I recently looked and the only one of these I saw for sale on eBay was $50. (It's a blank-backed piece of paper ... so even $25 was a bit steep for me, but I did it.)
Grab a box right here: No boxes of this one ... but new WWE boxes are here.

--

A PAST FAVORITE
The Cards: Paige 2015 Topps WWE Undisputed wall art (/99) & two Red parallels, a 2016 Undisputed Blue (/25), 2015 Panini WWE Wrestling Action (Spanish release) & 2015 Topps Chrome WWE Night of Champions Mat Relic Pulsar Refractor (/75)
The Price: From a few bucks to around $75 for the metal wall art (I think ... keep reading.)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: These have been sitting in my queue waiting for a spot here -- some were from as far back as 2019 but I never really found a reason to pop them in -- but with Mania coming up here were are. The wall art from that first year for Undisputed (the year of her RC logo cards, but not her first WWE cardboard) was printed on metal and were printed to order ... I'm sure 99 don't exist there. That was a grab I made so long ago I don't even remember the exact price, while the Reds were pick-ups where I got them in and took pics not realizing I had more than one. (The brand grades well in my experience so I probably just grabbed any I found.) The other cards are all also from the same early part of her career and were bargain grabs compared to prices I had seen elsewhere. She's been expensive at times for rarer cards but hasn't had as many appearances recently ... so my grabbing them has slowed a bit, too. The Panini cards are really nice ... I wish I could find some packs/boxes there.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of this one ... but new WWE boxes are here.

--

WHO'S YOUR VLADDY?
The Card: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 2019 Topps Heritage High Number wall art (/99)
The Price: About $15 (after promotional discounts)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Just like you saw last time with another Junior, this one is part of my stash of notable rookies on their posters for certain brands depending on whether I like the photos/design. I typically do Heritage (single or multi-player) or flagship RCs from time to time. These fit perfectly in 11-by-14 top-loaders (though those are pricey) to help with the jumbo card feel. Topps typically keeps current-year and previous-year offerings on their site with these printed to order but once the calendar year changes they vanish. This pick-up might have been a mid-year grab (I did a few at once) but mine was just the second ordered. Long-term, I think key players and key cards for these could be interesting pieces. In some instances in the last couple years the biggest rookies have vanished quickly (Shohei Ohtani), while bot-buyers seem to have also done their thing sometimes last year with some of these vanishing very, very quickly.
Grab a box right here: 2019 Topps Heritage High Number (for the regular-size ones)

--

CHEAPER GRABS
The Cards: Ronald Acuña Jr. 2019 Topps Gypsy Queen Fortune Teller Mini, 2020 Topps Opening Day Blue, 2018 Topps Now (/4,593) -- Rookie Card
The Price: Pocket change to $5
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I thought I had more for him stashed away for appearances here, but that likely means I have more to come ... it just hasn't arrived yet. These three have simple reasons for me grabbing them. The mini Gypsy Queen card uses his 2018 Heritage RC photo so I'm pre-disposed to look there (plus it's a mini), while the 2020 card is a classic with a simple gesture after a hit. The Topps Now grab was probably an off-season addition as it's a RC that was cheap. (He had a lot of Topps Now cards as a rookie so prices can be soft if not slabbed.) Some of the cardboard attention seems like it might be off of him ... so there could be bargains out there if you're hunting regularly.
Grab a box right here: MLB boxes are here.

--

THE BOSS IS HERE
The Card: Sasha Banks 2017 Topps Heritage WWE Silver Autographs (/25)
The Price: $35
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I grabbed this just before WWE hobby wax started to vanish last year around this time with COVID because it's a rarer type of pull with a solid photo and a very clean look to it. It's a smidge off-center but still close enough this one could grade very well as everything else looks sharp. (Not a given with this brand's color parallels at all.) Banks is a top name on the women's side and she's got some mainstreaming possibilities with her Star Wars role, so finding cards on the rarer and affordable side like this one might not be as common of a thing going forward ... just like finding Heritage hobby boxes. They're being stockpiled or ripped ... and cards like this one won't be in every box.
Grab a box right here: No hobby boxes of this one ... but new WWE boxes are here.

--

YOU SHOULD KNOW HIS SISTER
The Card: Anthony Parker 1997 Press Pass Certified Authentic Autographs
The Price: Under $1
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I grabbed this one simply for some trivia ... his younger sister is former Tennessee star and WNBA standout Candace Parker. She was the No. 1 overall pick in 2008, a league champ and Finals MVP in 2016 and has all kinds of other honors that include Olympic gold. Her autos will cost a lot more than this. Meanwhile, he played in parts of nine seasons in the NBA and was a two-time EuroLeague champ and also the league's MVP twice. He's got a few draft picks autos and an Autographics card (remember those?) but he has to be the more-obscure auto.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of this one ... but NBA boxes are here.

--

ADMITTEDLY, A BIT OF A BUMMER
The Card: Maryse 2021 Topps WWE Living Set (/1,592)
The Price: Direct from Topps (bundle price)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I was a bit worried about the Living Set's arrival for WWE, knowing I could easily be lured into grabbing a five-pack of cards nearly every week depending on who the subjects are or how the art looked. I contemplated the first week but passed thinking those might be more plentiful ... and they were. This one got me, though I was not that happy about this one when they arrived as I clearly got a retro-centering pack ... the front card is the only close one left-to-right. Why buy a bundle? Potential grading ... but I can't play it safe and cherry-pick one for grading when they're all off-centered. The top-bottom centering is always off on these ... I expect that area to be used for when there are lithos made. The Undertaker card is perhaps the best art so far in the series but this bundle led to me passing. That sentiment won't last, though ... I'm sure I'll grab more.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of this one ... but new WWE boxes are here.

--

THE BABY-FACED ASSASSIN!
The Card: Ted Irvine 1976-77 O-Pee-Chee 
The Price: About $1
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: No, I'm not some secret vintage hockey buyer ... but I am casually (slowly) grabbing the stuff that's out there for this guy, who's the dad of pro wrestler Chris Jericho. Why? Almost purely for the trivia of it. This is a pretty tight vintage design that I wouldn't mind seeing re-used somehow somewhere.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of this one ... but NHL boxes are here.

--

AVOID THE ... AH, NEVERMIND
The Card: Jimmy Dugan A League Of Their Own Funko Pop! figure 
The Price: $10-ish
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: What happens when Buzz gets a holiday gift card but there are no cards in stock at the big box store? Funko happens. Why? Well, I dunno ... but this one was a classic I did have to have as Tom Hanks' role is perhaps the best one in this memorable movie. Dugan was loosely based on Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx who was a manager in the women's league for one year, though not for the Rockford Peaches. (Ironically, his team lost to the Peaches in the postseason.) Had I realized that this and Geena Davis' character, Dottie Hinson, were the only two Pop! toys that were made, you'd see them both here ... but this was the only one in stock.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of this one ... but MLB boxes are here.

--

A WWE LEGEND ...
The Card: Bruno Sammartino 2015 Topps WWE Undisputed Autographs
The Price: $20
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Sammartino was the top guy in the World Wide Wrestling Federation for a long, long time ... literally. He won the WWWF title in May 1963 and held it until January 1971. His second reign started in December 1973 and lasted until April 1977 -- that's more than 4,400 days of headlining the company in its days as a regional power that sold out Madison Square Garden regularly. He retired in 1987 and was a critic of the WWE in many ways for years until he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013 and because of this, he never appeared on any officially licensed WWE cardboard until that time. (He had cards in the vintage years and autographed cards elsewhere.) His first WWE autos arrived in 2015 and I liked the look of this one as its horizontal design let him sign his name somewhat comfortably. He's not a relatively rare auto but his place in wrestling history isn't lost on buyers as they have gotten more expensive since his death in 2018. Read more about his life and career right here.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of this one ... but new WWE boxes are here.

--

ONE OF FEW CARDS
The Card: Courtney Love 2012 Famous Fabrics Ink Music, Music, Music Memorabilia Single Silver (/90)
The Price: $15
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I grabbed this memorabilia card for the Hole singer because, well, there just aren't a whole lot of options out there. She has a few really oddball non-sports appearances and then a 1/1 cut auto in this release and a few memorabilia cards ... this is the easiest one to find. Celeb likeness rights and autograph deals often cost more for companies the newer the celebs are, but I've often wondered what a non-sports catch-all set like Pop Century or Americana might look like with nothing but notables from the 1990s to today. Love would make my checklist.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of this one ... but non-sports boxes are here.

--

STONE COLD STUNNER!
The Sets: Three 1995 WCW Main Event sets 
The Price: Under $65 shipped
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I've been hunting stuff in unusual places and with different strategies with many cards blowing up in price -- not just in wrestling. This find had me pretty excited for the price -- almost half that cost was shipping -- and the reason why this one is here is that it's the in-pack U.S. Rookie Card for "Stunning" Steve Austin. This is a pricey card if in top grade, though it's a release that can often have stock and gloss issues. One of the three here might be a contender for a really good mark while the other two are likely 8.5/9 kind of material for varying reasons. I took the shot for the price and bought every set a dealer had ... still a steal with these results. It's a set with one other Austin card (those were far rougher cuts) and a few other notables on their first American pack-issued cards. None of those are as expensive, but I simply stashed them away -- and this is a set LOADED with Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair cards, too.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of this one ... but new WWE boxes are here.

--

IT'S NOT PERFECT ... BUT IT'S A PIECE OF THE ROCK
The Card: The Rock 2002 Fleer WWE Royal Rumble Memorabilia
The Price: Under $7
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Fleer's run as the WWE card maker from 2001 to 2004 included a ton of good stuff but memorabilia cards in perfect condition just aren't easy ... if they even exist at all. I'd say, to some degree, there can be soft prices on a lot of those hits from the past due to this, but at the same time I'm picking off a lot of them if cheaper with a notable name I like. Sure, this is merely a mat card (the most-common find for any company, really) but it's of a top name. Meanwhile, not all cards from this era are as cheap -- some with unusual pieces inside are blowing up just like a lot of things. This set is one where boxes and sets will cost you plenty due to some key names' RCs -- John Cena, Batista, Randy Orton, Brock Lesnar -- so the hits aren't even really a focus for many buyers.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of this one ... but new WWE boxes are here.

--

DO YOU REMEMBER THE SET?
The Card: Jerry Springer 1998 Comic Images The Jerry Springer Show Promos
The Price: About $1
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: That's a trick question above ... this card set never made it to print, only a couple of promo cards. (There's one other and I've had it for years ... even got it signed in-person long ago, so, yeah, I've met Jerry Springer.) I don't remember how I even found that past card, meanwhile I added this one just recently when poking around for cheap promos with some story appeal. The only other stuff made here was a six-card chrome-stock set with half of it showing guest brawls (I wonder if licensing those helped nix this release?) and then Steve Wilkos and Todd Schultz ink (the guys you see here). Again, like Courtney Love, I think a certified auto for Springer might sell pretty well in a non-sports set ... and I'm sure there are a lot more 1990s icons who could sell some boxes.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of this one ... but non-sports boxes are here.

--

Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com. 

>> Click here to buy cards on BlowoutCards.com