Buzz Buys: Retro autographs, new old college football stuff, big/little Bo, WWE, Mays, Madonna, movie stills & even tacos

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 ...

--

THANKS TO OLD EL PASO ... 
The Card: Shotzi Blackheart autographed 2021 Topps Chrome WWE card (Fanatics witnessed)
The Price: $18.13 shipped (after $50 off promo)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: If you hit that link above and follow the instructions on the can when you hit a grocery store, you should be able to land a code for $50 off your order over yonder and it should be good on anything. While I pondered using this on some other things, I went back to my collecting well for a simple item that I would probably not buy at its original price as it's an aftermarket signed card but one that was witnessed and then slabbed and it says so right there on the label, which I like. It's not the best card per se for an added auto and her certified auto from this set can probably be found for less than this card's original price ... but for the delivery price here I didn't mind it. Plus, I made some tacos. I opted to stick closer to one of my collection cores with more Shotzi ink ... and as you'll see in the rest of this edition I'm still all over the place -- this is a Buzz Buys with some oddball and interesting pick-ups for this collector these days.
Grab a box right here: Chase the certified version in packs here

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

FINALLY, MY REPLACEMENT PROP ...
The Card: Matthew Modine autographed prop Honus Wagner T206 card from The Winning Season
The Price: $48
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: If you're younger, you probably know him as Dr. Martin Brenner from Stranger Things, but Modine is a veteran actor who over the last five decades has roles in Oppenheimer, Full Metal Jacket, The Dark Knight Rises, Weeds, Any Given Sunday, Gross Anatomy, Vision Quest and countless other productions big and small. (Famously, he turned down the lead role of Maverick in Top Gun.) He portrayed Hall of Famer Honus Wagner in The Winning Season back in 2004 with Kristin Davis co-starring in the TNT production, and, while I actually don't remember this card in a scene (it should be ... but I saw it long, long ago), these cards where he's worked into the original Wagner card design are still quite findable creations. He must have signed a decent-sized batch. I landed one long ago and then about two years ago I dug it out of my collection to send it into BAS for autograph authntcation as I figured it would be a solid and fun slab ... after all, it's a replica of one of the most-famous cards of all time and it would present well encased. I tweeted about my sub before sending it off and it was even authenticated per se when Modine saw the tweet (at right) before I sent it in ... but my box never made it to Texas. It was either stolen or destroyed in USPS possession along with my other autos -- some I would never be able to replace and that still burns. I waited for a cleaner copy of this one to arrive on the market a smidge cheaper than other copies out there and grabbed this awhile back ... I definitely won't be sending it in to be slabbed. 
Grab a box right here: None for this but MLB boxes are here.

--

THREE-DIMENSIONAL DEFENSE
The Card: Bo Bichette 2022 Topps 3D
The Price: $2.75
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This set is one where I have opened packs a handful of times but since the sets can be a decent size and the packs are small I think singles are the best way to go here ... at least that's the case for me. There are so many flagship clones to me -- too many -- that nothing really stands out all that much if you get a player or card you like in a pack ... it's just about the "big" names. I've picked off his 3D cards a few times since his debut in 2020 and I think the effect here actually makes this defensive dive better than the basic card.
Grab a box right here: MLB boxes are here.

--

A FAMILIAR IMAGE
The Card: Willie Mays 2022 Topps MLB Rookie of the Year 75th Anniversary
The Price: $2.65
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I passed on a lot of the small sets from Topps the last couple years -- mostly because if I am ordering them direct I expect them to arrive quickly, not at a distant later time -- but this one jumped out at me among the names in this set that celebrated a lot of past ROY winners inside. Why? This is the photo that Mays' 1953 Topps card painting is based on -- they just changed up the background. I'm not sure if this photo has been used on a lot of his cards -- my gut says no but I don't heavily collect Mays -- but it's nice with a lot of detail and that added trivia.
Grab a box right here: None for this but MLB boxes are here.

--

TWO TOPPERS AND A MINI WALK INTO A COLLECTION ...
The Card: Bo Bichette 2022 Topps Heritage Mini (/100), 2022 Topps Heritage jumbo box-topper (announced /1,000) & 2023 Topps 1988 Topps League Leaders box-topper
The Price: About $25 (mostly the mini)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: If I could turn back the Heritage clock and chase just one type of single over the years, it would be the Heritage Minis, which have been rare finds in a release that has a few pack formats and has these cards sprinkled into each of them making them a little tougher to find in general odds-wise atop being numerically rare. (They'd likely be easier to find if they were, for example, hobby-only finds.) The jumbo box-toppers are a nice touch but I don't think people really like those (storage issues), while the 1988-style box-topper is modeled after a set that's not memorable at all (I was around the first time) but it was like $2 ... so too cheap to pass up as a topper.
Grab a box right here: MLB boxes are here.

--

NAMES IN THE GAME ...
The Item: Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Jon Lovitz & Madonna -- A League Of Their Own (1992) promo photo 
The Price: About $8
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This foursome of face shots for this baseball classic is a really nice one -- I hadn't seen it before -- and it was in unused, clean condition, too, like it was right out of a promotional mailer back in 1992. This was a no-brainer to add to my always-growing photo stash.
Grab a box right here: None for this but MLB boxes are here.

--

I GUARANTEE IT
The Card: Joe Namath 2001 Topps Gallery Football Bucks
The Price: Pocket change
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This timeframe and brand wasn't high on my list for NFL buying -- maybe a blaster and that's it -- but the Namath cards in this set were fun with a standard card and then a base card variation using the fur coat painting seen here. This one is more of a contest card where bulk buyers could stack these and use toward picking off artwork on eBay -- mailed in to get a discount certificate or refund. (I never pulled one back then so I'm going off what the card back says.) Since this is Joe Willie Namath in an iconic moment (wearing fur on the sidelines), I grabbed one of these since they were so cheap. This one is also very well-centered unlike many ... so don't be surprised if this pops up as a slab ... not a high-priority thing but it might. Pure novelty reasons.
Grab a box right here: None for this but NFL boxes are here.

--

PICKED A PICKER
The Cards: Danielle Colby 2019 Topps Allen & Ginter A-style Relics & Mini A&G Logo Back
The Price: About $8 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This pairing arrived in my hands after a deep dive of some sets known for their oddball inclusions and this member of the American Pickers crew was one that worked for me -- though I should have picked them off long ago when they would have been cheaper. (Her ink here is pricey, so I doubt I'll land one ... most of the non-traditional autos here are only limited to a couple hundred copies.) Something I never really noticed until I popped these in here is that swatch looks like it comes from the dress in the photo -- that's not the norm but it would make this pairing a little cooler than a lot of oddball Ginter inclusions. (I'm convinced after seeing a lot of hits as a regular buyer since 2006 that the plain, white T-shirt is big with celebs who have signed on. Or maybe it's just me.)
Grab a box right here: MLB boxes are here.

--

YOU PROBABLY WON'T REMEMBER THIS ONE
The Item: Paul "Bear" Bryant & Gary Busey The Bear (1984) promo photo 
The Price: About $6
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This publicity photo is for a pretty forgettable film released less than two years after the legendary coach died and it starred Gary Busey. It apparently didn't do well with a theatrical release making just $1.5M, and just $2.6M globally and it allegedly didn't even hit home video until DVDs were a thing in the early 2000s. (That's when I saw it ... a one and done as it was rough.) This promo photo was a surprise find and since it was minty fresh and comparing the screen version to reality I grabbed it. Had it just been of Busey, I probably would have passed.
Grab a box right here: None for this but football boxes are here.

--

THE REAL DEAL
The Card: Paul "Bear" Bryant 1966 New Orleans Times-Picayune press photo 
The Price: About $10
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This press photo shows the legendary Alabama Crimson Tide coach at the big game for the year and being greeted by Sugar Bowl Queen Marybeth Bodker. It's a photo that has a back showing tons of file use and an original stamping as part of the newspaper's library that gives it an original feel and more info about who took it and when. Atop that, it shows some of the tricks of the trade for older photography with Bodker's hair highlighted with what looks like some paint or liquid paper (something like that) to make her stand out from that dark background a bit on the page. This felt like a unique kind of piece -- and it probably is in terms of being a Type 1 photo but all the markings and such on the back I'm not sure if I'd slab something like this. (I'm weird ... but I might go through the process on some once to say I did it for Making The Grade.) However, I have not looked into costs for that tangent when it comes to slabbing/grading. It would certainly help the presentation for an item like this vs. being in a top-loader or album page.
Grab a box right here: None for this but football boxes are here.

--

THANK YOU, TRISH
The Cards: Trish Stratus 2021 Topps Finest WWE Rumble Pops, 2022 Panini Prizm WWE Ruby Wave Prizm & 2022 Panini Select WWE Global Icons Silver Prizm
The Price: About $5.50 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This trio of Stratus chrome-stock cards happened over time when I wasn't able to get my hands on Prizm early on and then Select, too. The Finest insert was just a cheaper find. All three have clean looks and photos from different times in her Hall of Fame career. That Global Icons insert set is a nice one with a simple concept, too.
Grab a box right here: WWE boxes are here.

--

MY THROWBACK GO-TO FOOTBALL BRAND ...
The Cards: Brodie Croyle 2006 Fleer Ultra -- Rookie Cards
The Price: About $1.25 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This former Alabama QB was there around the time I was, but I wouldn't expect most people to know or care -- but he was a Kansas City Chiefs QB before That Mahomes Guy so there's that. The reason I popped this affordable pairing on here this time is to make a note about some memorable NFL RCs in Fleer Ultra ... it's a brand that delivered some nice stuff over time. The brand arrived in the early 1990s but I'd start with 1997 and go forward ... there's some good stuff with strong photo-first designs in there. The Peyton Manning RC in 1998 might be my favorite of them all.
Grab a box right here: None for this but NFL boxes are here.

--

PRE-PRINTED POSTCARDS FOR A-LISTERS ...
The Cards: Drew Barrymore
The Price: About $55 for four sets of these
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: If you were collecting and on the Interwebs back in the mid/late 1990s and ever dabbled with through-the-mail autograph hunting and all those address lists that used to be out there -- or even the simpler the e-mail addresses that seemed to be attached to some names on those lists -- then you probably know what these are. Big names -- and a lot of not big names back then, too -- used what was called Studio Fan Mail and they'd send out pre-printed postcards like these and sometimes dozens of names at a time. I remember landing big envelopes loaded with them a couple times and I knew what they were -- not legit -- but they were interesting in their various images, styles and how the pre-printed autos were done using spot inks that made them look slightly "sort of" real at a glance ... until you saw them side by side. But it was also the kind of (in my mind back then) non-valuable junk that I didn't keep. I didn't ponder them being card-like collectibles that would come and go with time and Barrymore here is an example. This is just three styles used for her -- and the one on the right was actually one I received back in the day. It was one I likely chucked with the rest when I moved (more than once). Why? They weren't sports and they weren't real autos and I was out of space. I found these recently and on a whim grabbed all four sets that a seller had since I figured that might be the best way to land better-condition copies. These were printed by a company called Tamkin Color, which actually made these from the 1960s and into 1990s. Just do an eBay search for that name and you should find an interesting mix of solo and cast images from the past -- and that way at least there's a good chance they aren't something fresh off some dude's printer.
Grab a box right here: None for this but non-sports boxes are here.

--

DID YOU KNOW?
The Book: Johnny Mack Brown (1942-1962 Dell Four Color Series II) No. 645 (1955)
The Price: About $10
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: No, I'm not digging in in vintage Westerns or comic books with this one, but this book did look really good for pushing 70 years old. Why did I grab it? I hate to be a broken record but this, too, fits my school ties part of my collection as Brown (that's his real name) was a college football superstar for Alabama and the Rose Bowl MVP as part of a 1925 national championship squad. His post-football career was a Hollywood career with an A-list kind of start and then a shift toward Westerns that led to stuff like comic books. (Get more basics here.) It's quite the story. The Alabama diehards know all of the ins and outs for all of their big names and teams from the past, but I tend to stick to bigger names from the AFL-NFL years -- but I have picked up some stuff like this and cards for Brown on whims since they're often pretty cheap for older oddball items and not stuff you'll see out there everyday.
Grab a box right here: None for this but football boxes are here.

--

BEFORE THE WWE ...
The Cards: Shotzi Blackheart 2019 Four Corners Platinum Series B
The Price: $34 for the pair
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This pair of indy cards pre-dates her WWE stuff but since she's self-made the name remains the same here as it is on cards now -- though they have shortened her name to just Shotzi. (That's despite Joan Jett being around WWE here and there in recent years thanks to Ronda Rousey. The name is a nod to her band, The Blackhearts, as Shotzi is a music fan as well as a horror movie devotee.) These aren't her first cards but they are close and I grabbed a couple more since CGC is grading them and, well, I'd like to slab more than the one I have coming in the October Making The Grade. Those dark borders and a kind of brittle glossed stock aren't super-friendly for grading.
Grab a box right here: None for this but WWE boxes are here.

--

FOUR MORE ... AND I STILL DON'T HAVE 'EM ALL
The Cards: Nick Swisher 2005 Upper Deck Artifacts Gold (/25) and base (/1,350) & 2005 Playoff Prestige Xtra Bases Purple (/100) and Black (/25)
The Price: About $17 total (and most of that for one card)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This pair of pairs is kind of what my PC player pick-ups can look like these days with Swisher not having any new cards in literally years and these being early releases that have parallels that I really didn't sweat early on. I still don't sweat them now unless they are low-volume or something I think I might not have as long as the price is right. The /25 card is one I might not have had -- not sure but there are only 24 others -- but it was a lesson that older stuff might not be aging well and served as a reminder to be careful when buying and inspect in-person if you can. That one's surface gloss might be breaking down or been in a brick of cards with issues. The surface was sticky and I barely touched the top edge, leaving a fingerprint in the gloss ... but not a fingerprint. Atop that, that foil looks really rough like it's breaking down ... so we'll see how that one ages in my collection. The other set is one where there are several parallels -- not easily found as they had prize/promotional ties -- so I just pick off those when I think I need or they're cheap.
Grab a box right here: None for this but MLB boxes are here.

--

FOUR REFS, ONE CARD
The Card: TNA Referees (Brian Hebner, Brian Stiffler, Taryn Terrell, Earl Hebner) 2013 TRISTAR TNA Impact Wrestling Live 
The Price: Pocket change
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This one isn't a big deal but it is a bit unique from one of the past TRISTAR sets as it showcases the refs for the company all in one spot. I'm sure some of them do have cards but not many, while Terrell was a wrestler here as well as in WWE as Tiffany but she doesn't have a bunch of stuff overall. The Hebners have a place in much of wrestling history, too, and you can spot them on a lot of cards as cameos from the past.
Grab a box right here: None for this but wrestling boxes are here.

--

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN ...
The Item: 1984 Wrestling All-Stars Calendar
The Price: $32
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is one of those pandemic buys where I bit because the price was right and the availability was there from somebody who was clearly sitting on a lot of original stock at that time ... and they are not available as easily now. (It's just too bad I packed this one away long ago and didn't take more photos ... but it's also an item I didn't want to mess up handing it too much.) What is it? It's a calendar where the image across from the month is a pair of jumbo cards in the style of the 1982 and 1983 Wrestling All-Stars sets but with different images. A sample page is at right and some eBayers are trying to sell those individual pages for amounts that make this complete version price seem like a steal. These also offer up a bit of a "what might have been" if the sets had continued arriving after the first three sets (1982 had Series A and Series B before the final set in 1983). These pages also look like they have been nice items for autograph fans, too.
Grab a box right here: None for this but wrestling boxes are here.

--

A FAMILIAR FACE?
The Card: Dina Meyer 2021 Rittenhouse The Women of Star Trek: Art & Images Autographs
The Price: $7.50
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I'm sure I saw this Trek film she was in (Star Trek: Nemesis) at some point in the past, but Meyer has been in a ton of stuff over the years that didn't get her a certified autograph appearance -- but there is a chance you can find her on other cards. She's in Starship Troopers, Birds of Prey, the Saw movies, Johnny Mnemonic, Sequestered, Friends, Beverly Hills 90210 and a ton of other roles big-screen and small-screen through the years. I knew her from the first two and grabbed this since I thought the price wasn't bad compared to a lot of Trek ink for characters I remember but actors who have not had as many big roles.
Grab a box right here: Non-sports boxes are here.

--

SHE'S BACK!
The Cards: Lana 2015 Topps WWE Undisputed Red (RC parallel), 2016 Topps WWE Undisputed Autographs (/299), 2015 Topps Chrome WWE Autographs, 2017 Topps Heritage WWE Silver (/25) & 2018 Topps WWE Women's Division Women's Royal Rumble Gold (/10)
The Price: About $53 ... and more than $30 of that is the Chrome (these buys were long ago)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I wasn't sure I was ever going to work these long-ago buys into this series, well, ever as she's been gone from WWE since 2021 and hadn't been anywhere a ring since -- but she's popped up in AEW with a potential storyline across from her husband that might add to some of her past highlights where she was his dominating manager a la Rocky IV and Ludmilla Drago. That was classic stuff (the stuff in the power suits seen in the top row), while her later character work and in-ring stuff was a little all over the place and searching for success before it became to an abrupt end. We may get the best of both worlds in AEW and I like that thought. During her first couple years of cards I was an active buyer and always looked and as she was off the radar more prices softened. Fun fact: C.J. Perry also was known before WWE ... if you followed Florida State football.
Grab a box right here: WWE boxes are here.

--

CLEAN VINTAGE
The Card: Don Zimmer 1959 Topps
The Price: $9.99
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This card is pretty clean for its age -- though for some reason it's not impossible to find them from this set compared to a lot of years -- and this one caught my attention enough to grab it. It's got a couple more spots than I initially noticed but don't be surprised if you see this baseball lifer in a slab at some point later on ... it's pretty clean though not a given that I will grade immediately. I overpaid a bit for a raw card but it's still clean enough it might be worth it -- but it's not a 10 or anything. It looked really, really strong when I spotted it.
Grab a box right here: None for this but MLB boxes are here.

--

HE MET HIS MATCH
The Item: Heather Graham & Mike Myers -- Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me press photo 
The Price: About $6
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This also is a clean press photo from an iconic pairing of the recent past -- meanwhile I say that and this is from 24 years ago (time flies) -- and that condition along with the price was enough for me to bite ... hard. A lot of bigger-name franchise press kits can be pricey but picking off single images from collections can be decent moves if the images are strong. (A lot of behind-scenes photos are not.)
Grab a box right here: None for this but non-sports boxes are here.

--

SLIDES OF THE TIMES
The Items: Pink photo slide lot (22) with Aerosmith's Steven Tyler cameoing on one 
The Price: About $12 
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This slide kick of mine came and went pretty fast (I'll probably revisit it off and on) this year and one of my small lot pick-ups was this one as I think I like musical slides better than celeb red-carpet stuff that can be a lot more formulaic in terms of images for these small card-sized collectibles. The top row here is the better stuff -- a cameo with Aerosmith and some stills from video shoots -- while the rest is from a performance and somewhat repetitive but I like the volume here for the price. Why Pink? She's been going for a long time now -- unlike a lot of others in her genre -- and doesn't have a lot of card appearances. I think stuff for iconic cards of names from more recent decades could have more interest than people think -- and they might not ever show up in card sets due to licensing costs. (They don't need the money.)
Grab a box right here: None for this but non-sports boxes are here.

--

THE LONE MEMORABILIA? (MAYBE.)
The Item: Home Run Derby X promo 11-by-14 poster (Aug. 11) -- Nick Swisher, Megan Lucas, Trot Nixon, Dexter Fowler, Jonny Gomes, Jake Arrieta, Rob Dibble
The Price: $14 shipped 
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This international event has been a thing the last two years with a number of stops around the globe but, surprisingly, it never had any cardboard or any other memorabilia from what I have seen save for this poster tied to one of the stops for this year's event. There are six former big-leaguers here and one is right in my collecting wheelhouse so I had to grab it ... since, well, like I said I don't know of anything else that was made. It's likely ... yet nothing has popped up where this collector does his looking.
Grab a box right here: None for this but MLB boxes are here.

--

GOING OLDSCHOOL
The Item: Sally Field -- The Flying Nun promo/press photo (1967)
The Price: $7
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is truly oldschool but not among the oldest stuff potentially out there for this acting legend who has had a bunch of roles over the years beyond this one. Her break-out series was Gidget then this one (which actually had its own card set) and then plenty including Sybil, Smokey & The Bandit (and sequels), Hooper, Norma Rae, Places In The Heart, Steel Magnolias, Mrs. Doubtfire, Forrest Gump, ER, The Amazing Spider-Man, Lincoln, 80 For Brady and much, much more. This is pretty early on stuff for this two-time Oscar winner and the back of the image fits the photo for use right back in 1967 ... it was really interesting for that price even with all of its wear and tear on the back.
Grab a box right here: None for this but non-sports boxes are here.

--

OVERSIZED SIMPLICITY
The Card: John Johnson 1979-80 Seattle Supersonics Police  
The Price: Under $2
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is an oversized oddball set but not that tough to find in the big scheme of things -- I grabbed it since the price was right and this fits one of my PCs/school ties part of my stash. I don't really have a need for the whole set otherwise I'd own more than the one or two copies of this one that I do now.
Grab a box right here: None for this but NBA boxes are here.

--

AWAY FROM THE RING
The Item: Paige autographed 8-by-10 photo (JSA authenticated via Big Event NY show)
The Price: Under $40 shipped
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This former WWE star has had quite the career and life with plenty of ups and downs -- I've written about them many times here so poke around in the archives -- and since she's now the AEW champ there are new chapters being added at age 31 ... years after she thought she'd never wrestle again and retired due to serious neck injuries. Her certified autos aren't as rare as they once were -- she signed more stuff in a year for Panini than anything during the Topps years -- and more with her real name, Saraya, should be coming at some point in AEW sets. This popped up on a saved search after she did a signing for the Big Event NY show where she signed a wide variety of wrestling and beyond photos and I added this one since it had a dramatically different vibe than a lot of wrestling photos. (Some also had dual sigs -- her real name and this -- which is an interesting kind of item. I may go there, too, if something strikes me.) Meanwhile, a lot of her signed cards -- with sticker autos -- are pricier than this.
Grab a box right here: None for this but wrestling boxes are here.

--

SOME QUICK BASICS
The Book: Victorian Trade Cards by David Cheadle
The Price: $9.99
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I've been dabbling with more and more oddball stuff from the past and have at times found myself doing deep dives for really, really old stuff but realizing I'm not really sure what might be what in terms of scarcity. (Ultimately, like anything it just comes down to price, subject, condition, appeal and age ... no matter what it is.) I picked up this book on the cheap as a simple reference to at least flip through and see what types of categories of these cards are out there. This wasn't a deep read -- it's largely an extended narrative too thick to read it all -- but it works in a boatload of images that are helpful. I have seen better books on older stuff like this -- particularly on tobacco cards -- but it might lead to a few smarter pick-ups here and there. Maybe.
Grab a box right here: None for this but non-sports boxes are here.

--

NEVER TO BE REPLICATED?
The Card: Past Presidents (Carter, Ford, Nixon, Reagan, Bush) 1992 Wild Card Decision '92
The Price: Under 50 cents
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This isn't a card I needed, but for way less than a regular stamp I thought it was an interesting one with five presidents in one spot on one card. Will this situation happen again? It could but I have my doubts. This set is one with more surprise appearances than one might expect to see ... I need to pick some of them off. When I do, you'll see them here.
Grab a box right here: None for this but newer Decision boxes are here.

--

NOT MUCH CARDBOARD ...
The Cards: Miss Tessmacher (Brooke Adams), 2010 TRISTAR TNA Xtreme, 2010 TRISTAR TNA Icons & 2010 TRISTAR TNA Icons Sugar & Spice Autographs -- Rookie Cards/rookie auto 
The Price: About $8 total (mostly the auto)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I was surprised while doing a deep dive to see that Brooke Adams didn't have any in-pack WWE cards despite about a year and some change there so I kept looking to find her Rookie Cards (these two) and then added some certified ink. Why? I try to track down at least one auto from as many names as I can -- at least in the modern years -- just for the heck of it. It's a lot easier to land autos from a smaller group like the pro wrestling ranks vs. the typical sports where there are tons more names to chase. I feel like I need to go find some Eve Teschmacher cards from the old Topps Superman sets to go with these, too.
Grab a box right here: None for this but wrestling boxes are here.

--

THE GREAT ONE
The Card: The Rock 2022 Panini Chronicles WWE Phoenix Silver parallel 
The Price: $2.25
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: His surprise return to WWE last week was just that -- a big deal -- and now there are all kinds of big dream-match possibilities being considered in terms of a showdown with Roman Reigns that seemed inevitable the last year or two yet never happened. I picked up this simple Chronicles card because I liked the design and the photo choice.
Grab a box right here: None for this but WWE boxes are here.

--

DIPPING INTO THE BOOTLEGS ...
The Card: Sü Yüng 2019 Kage GFX Impact Wrestling (unlicensed cards)
The Price: About $3
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This set is a custom creation so it's not licensed and I'd typically not bother with stuff like this ... but The Bloody Undead Bride has so little cardboard I made an exception. One thing I do wish is that the card had a centered take on the 1983 Topps design ...
Grab a box right here: None for this but wrestling boxes are here.

--

FRAMED FIVE TIMES
The Item: The Fifth Element (1997) 35-mm film cut (five-frame strip)
The Price:Less than $5 (with promo/extras in order)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This time Leeloo and Korben Dallas star on one of these simple and creative pieces that are the work of a seller you can find on eBay -- name is Cell-Scene -- where they take super-long film prints and cut them into five-frame strips showing memorable moments from this film and many others to make them a little more card-like and collectable. This movie is seriously overlooked and full of eclectic and memorable stuff and it's not as bad as a ton of sci-fi from around that time. I think it's aged well.
Grab a box right here: None for this but non-sports boxes are here.

--

IT'S ERIC BISCHOFF'S NEPHEW!
The Item: Eugene autographed reproductions WWE promo photo (2004) via The Wrestling Universe 
The Price: $3
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is the absolute last of my signed photos from a late-2021 (yep, that long ago) sale lot of inked photos where I picked off a number of names I didn't have ink for via a chain that regularly does in-store appearances. The child-like character was overly enthused with everything wrestling -- down to imitating his favorites like Hulk Hogan mid-match -- and a bit of a savant where he'd be the childish, bullied underdog who would always end up on the winning side vs. many big-name villains. This run only lasted a couple years but he had a few cards and a lone certified auto ... but this was so cheap this was a better route to land ink vs. a silver-sticker auto.
Grab a box right here: None for this but WWE boxes are here.

--

CHAMPIONSHIP FINALE
The Card: Paige 2015 Topps WWE Undisputed Black (/99) -- Rookie Card parallel 
The Price: $25
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I paid a little more for this one than I might usually but that's because this one is simply a set I am a big fan of and this unmarked (no logo) Rookie Card is the perfect color of parallel for this WWE icon who is now the AEW women's champ. Simple as that.
Grab a box right here: None for this but WWE boxes are here.

--

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

>> Click here to buy cards on BlowoutCards.com