Buzz Buys (Sept.): A Fistograph, The Babe, early Earnhardt ink, Ice-T, vintage stuff, Tiffy Time (of course), TV, movies & 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 there's a bit of everything in there.e--

FINALLY FOUND A FISTOGRAPH 👊👊👊
The Card: Otis 2021 Topps WWE Undisputed Fistographs (/25)
The Price: About two Prizm WWE blasters (plus tax)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This box-topper from Topps' best release not named Transcendent back in its WWE days was not a regular kind of find. These days some of these are expensive and some are not, but the ones I'd want tend to have more dollars attached. While this literal big star -- a power and comedy guy -- isn't really on my radar, this was as a perfect example to own one of these cards for any name when I found it on the cheap. Now, what is it? If you haven't figured that out, that's a print from his right hand balled into a fist dipped in what looks like some light black paint and then pushed onto the card. The thumb touch blends in with his hand in the photo a bit but the rest is obvious, and it's a unique kind of card for a fighter.
Grab a box right here: Click for WWE cards

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

FINISHED THE GINTER RUN (SO FAR)
The Card: Bo Bichette 2020 Topps Allen & Ginter Mini Framed Relics
The Price: $20
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is, for now, the last Bichette Framed Relic I needed for a run of his Ginter memorabilia cards of that type. I perhaps overpaid on it but since it's from his rookie year I did it. I've always been a Ginter fan to some degree (more so in the earlier years) and I collect him. Simple as that. 
Grab a box right here: Click for MLB cards

--

COULDN'T PASS UP THE BABE 
The Mag: Babe Ruth -- Sport May 1948
The Price: $65
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This cover photo comes from the same year as his memorable Yankee Stadium farewell image that won a Pulitzer Prize but they couldn't be any different. This portrait is all about that round-faced legend with a Hall of Fame trio beside him. Meanwhile, other than some minor discoloring along the bottom that can come with age -- this is 76 years old -- this is a really nice piece in my book. I found it for a good price given that condition and at a sliver of what graded copies cost. Why do I mention that? I totally grabbed this to slab this. Totally will at some point soon as I dig it that much ... no matter what mark it lands. I doubt it can top this. But, if I come close ... it's a big win.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... Click for MLB cards

--

A BARGAIN ON A 1/1
The Card: Uma Thurman 2024 Wild Card Decades National Preview Sparkle Icons* Autograph Proof Card (1/1)
The Price: $19.99
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This release rewarded me well with a 1/1 in not one but all five packs I ripped and I had this one in the mail and on its way to me before I opened those. Why? She doesn't have a boatload of cards and I thought this was a good price for a 1/1. (* -- What exact parallel is this one? I'm not sure but I still dig it.) I'll be dabbling with this set when it arrives. 
Grab a box right here: Click for non-sports cards

--

EARLY EARNHARDT
The Item: Dale Earnhardt Jr. autographed 1993 Hargett-Earnhardt Motorsports driver card (PSA/DNA) 
The Price: $50
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is an early full signature for Junior. How early? Well, he was just out of high school here and it pre-dates his 1996 Xfinity Series debut and his 1999 Cup debut, too. How small was the operation? Well, here's a current view of the shop (address on back of the card, of course) via Junior. This could be as early as it gets, really, and that's why it caught my attention. It's not perfect as it has a pin hole and an inscription was removed but it's still his early autograph style that simply no longer exists unless you find his first certified auto or an older item like this. (He stopped signing his full name long ago.) The cool part here? This car look was recently revived as a throwback paint scheme for a race this year.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... Click for NASCAR cards

--

THREE OF A KIND
The Cards: Three Haliey "Hawk Tuah" Welch 2024 Leaf Pop Century packs (Silver /99, Sky Blue /75 and Circle /59 parallels)
The Price: $9.99 per one-card pack 
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is some cardboard for an "it girl" of the here and now (for now) who went viral for funny comments made during a man-on-the-street interview series. This is totally the kind of timely novelty pop culture kind of autograph I'd buy, but those were way too rich for my novelty-loving blood at $99 a pack. Instead, I opted for a trio of these unsigned cards made in the wake of those quickly selling out over on the company's site. I thought this trio was a win, though I'm not sure any of my cards would be up to snuff for grading at first glance. We'll see ... I need to give them a glance with a loupe.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... Click for non-sports cards

--

THE MISSING INK
The Card: Barry Sanders 1990 Pro Set blank-front error card 
The Price: Pocket change
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This jumped out at me for pocket change and for a misprint. Why? It's missing an iconic front that makes this one of the best football cards ever made. (See it here.) You can find a lot of versions of it from Pro Set scrap heaps that got out into hands over the years like this -- blank backs, double-fronts, no bronze ink versions and so on for this card but they're typically pricier than this (for no real reason as they're not rare). Part of me wants to find a sketch card artist to re-create the front on this card with some stylistic flair -- or exact precision -- but for now this will just hang out in a football buys box with some other oddball finds.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... Click for NFL cards

--

HOLE GONE GLAM
The Item: Courtney Love autographed 8-by-10 photo (PSA/DNA)
The Price: Less than a flagship box 
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The Hole singer has been on my list of 1990s icons to land for ink for a while ... but with her often-sloppy sigs costing much more than what this did and with far worse quality that didn't happen until this. I made a low offer on this one but they took it as it had been on the auction block for some time. While I would have preferred an early grunge photo with a full and visible auto, that's actually not easily done for a modest price. However, this photo might be why the autograph looks a little better than a lot of them. The photo is from her appearance at the 1997 Academy Awards where she got a Versace makeover in contrast to her role as, as one author put it, "the stripper wife of Hustler’s publisher in The People vs. Larry Flynt" which was the role that got her there and it sparked a lot of chatter with that strikingly different look. (That item talks about much of her career and this transition into acting and some new celebrity skin.) Perhaps this got a better-quality auto because she liked it more?
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... Click for non-sports cards

--

MAMI'S HOME
The Card: Rhea Ripley 2024 Panini Instant WWE Versicolor parallel (/5)
The Price: $49.99 via Panini 
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This rarity was a no-brainer for me after Ripley's Mania match was one of few highlights in my mind on the first day of this year's two-night show. This moment from her entrance routine is one that's shown up a bit on cards but this time her big-show look is in play with a little more crowd presence in that image, too. Better photo edits make a big difference on standard cardboard and that was another reason I bit.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... Click for WWE cards

--

A CHEAP ADDITION
The Card: Mark Ingram 2018 Panini Plates & Patches Purple (/30)
The Price: $1
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This low-volume card for an Alabama guy and former Heisman winner was an instant grab at that price even if Purple foil isn't the easiest thing to read ... that logo up top is toast. 
Grab a box right here: Click for NFL cards

--

GOING TO THE METAL
The Card: Frank Robinson (with Brooks Robinson) 2016 Topps Legacies of Baseball Vault Metals (/135)
The Price: Under $4
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This high-end set from the past was too pricey for my blood with its cost and its typical deliveries, but the metal cards have gotten me to bite a couple times when cheap. This time? A Hall of Famer who I collect with another Hall of Famer from their dynasty teams right beside him. The image quality on these isn't as nice as I'd like, but for the cheaper price I'll dabble. After all, 135 copies is a little on the rarer side of things. 
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... Click for MLB cards

--

BOTCHED THAT ONE
The Card: Roger Maris 1979 TCMA Baseball History The 1950s misprint
The Price: $1.25
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This botch is impressive with parts of not one, not two but three different card fronts on the back of this Maris, which also has its back in that inky mess too. That's a trainwreck for sure and I dig that -- but I also dig the Kansas City A's uniform he is wearing here ... he doesn't have a boatload of cards in that uni vs. other teams. 
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... Click for MLB cards

--

TWO SURPRISES IN THERE
The Cards: Ice-T & Rodney King 1992 Wild Card Decision '92 
The Price: Less than $2 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This pair of oddball inclusions in a political set aren't alone in my collection, actually, as this is 100 percent the kind of non-traditional cardboard that I like to slab as long as I can land an elite grade. This set is full of the usual political names but also has these and others that could be fun weird yet significant slabs -- but with the only caveat that these cards stuck together through the years so conditions and corners can be rough at times. I'm not sure other of these two will make the cut with surfaces and edge curls but the centering was far better than others where I was hunting.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... Click for non-sports cards

--

TWICE AS NICE?
The Card: Jaclyn Smith double-signed 1977 Topps Charlie's Angels card (BAS encapsulated)
The Price: About $36 
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This wasn't a card I needed or an auto I was chasing, but when I spotted it the simple oddity of it got me to stop, look, and then eventually grab after some hemming and hawing. What's the deal? Well, as you can see, she signed and inscribed it twice ... and to Charlie. Why? Maybe somebody felt one auto was on a dark spot? The other isn't much better. Overall the card itself is pretty clean vs. a lot of what you'll find for this oldschool set. 
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... Click for non-sports cards

--

WOOOOOOO
The Items: Ric Flair, Kevin Von Erich, Kerry Von Erich & Ricky Steamboat 1984-85 Ringside magazines
The Price: $9.99 apiece 
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This trio of mags came from a dealer breaking up a really nice stash of early 1980s to early 1990s mags all in really clean condition. This title was from the makers of the science fiction mag Starlog and I vaguely remembered them from the late-1980s when I started exploring the ring beyond WWE TV. The center one might even be slab-worthy with its iconic Parade of Champions cover image. (Ironically, that photo is a reversed negative with Flair's initials on his trunks on the wrong side and the colors of the Pepsi logo in the back flipped around. That shouldn't happen and typically wouldn't happen now ... but that's just an another quirk from back in the day.) 
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... Click for WWE cards

--

IT'S STILL TIFFY TIME!
The Card: Tiffany Stratton autographed 2022 Panini NXT Rookie Card (BAS-Fanatics Witnessed) via WWE Shop
The Price: About $60
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was found over on WWE Shop and it was an instant buy as Stratton didn't have any certified autos in her rookie year of cardboard. A witnessed on-card auto here is a strong item at a fraction of what a lot of her certified autos go for. 
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... Click for WWE cards

--

PACHYDERM PATCHES
The Card: Nick Swisher 2008 UD Premier Premier Swatches Gold (/10)
The Price: $12.50
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This one showcases a pair of pieces from a sleeve patch and it's also on the rarer side of things where it was an easy grab. I have a ton of stuff from this set -- mostly from a big lot buy in the past but some also from picking off cheap copies -- but this is still a win for that price/volume. 
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... Click for MLB cards

--

CARDBOARD DEBUT
The Card: Oba Femi 2024 Panini Instant WWE (/71)
The Price: $9.99
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: There's no Rookie Card logo here, but there could have been as other debuts have been noted that way for this series. Either way, it's his first WWE card of any kind and I figured it would not be ordered heavily ... and I was right. Why did it matter to me? Well, two things ... he's going to be an absolute destroyer and looks like he could be a big deal for years with a total package of skills for a big guy. Atop that, he fits in my Alabama Crimson Tide stash as he's a former shot-put standout (aka Isaac Odugbesan) with multiple SEC titles in his track and field days. I can't collect it all -- his Prizm debut ink is pricey already -- but a rare first card works for now. I knew this card would annoy me if I passed and a low-volume card would cost me more later. Why not chase more? My focus tends to be more on the women's side for pricier WWE buying and I'll wait it out as he will have more cards coming. 
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... Click for WWE cards

--

A TICKET WITH A STORY
The Item: Stardom X Stardom 2018 in Osaka -- July 22, 2018, ticket (features Kagetsu, Bea Priestley, Viper, Xia Brookside, Shotzi Blackheart, Britt Baker, Delilah Doom, Kikyo, Kylie Rae & Dust)
The Price: About $15 as part of a lot
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I found this while on a deep dive of Stardom stuff online and in a lot with other tickets for the Japanese pro wrestling company. It seriously jumped out at me as that grid of photos includes more WWE and AEW names than Japanese stars despite this event being a crossover with the American women's promotion RiSE Wrestling. The big surprise here for me was seeing Shotzi as I collect her pretty hard and she didn't have any Japanese cards like the others. I did some Googling and found nothing except a number of those stars didn't have matches at this show ... and then I saw the posted attendance was around only 500 fans. I figured if I passed on the lot I'd likely never see this ticket again. Not knowing what the deal was, I bought it anyway. I posted this on social media since it was such a mystery and Shotzi actually commented and messaged me. "I was scheduled for a Stardom tour but broke my ankle two days before my flight," she said in a message and then posted "fun to see what almost was" publicly on the post to make it even cooler. This pre-dates her WWE debut that came in December 2019.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... Click for WWE cards

--

FROM BROADWAY TO NBC
The Item: Joe Namath The Waverly Wonders (1978) NBC promo photo 
The Price: About $9
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: His football career ended as a member of the Los Angeles Rams in 1977 -- final game Oct. 10 -- but his TV and film career included a lot of small roles over the years both before and after that time. This series, though, is the one with the most episodes with the pilot airing on Sept. 7, 1978 ... but only four of the nine actually airing. (It was toast by Oct. 6, 1978.) This photo is dated Aug. 4, 1978, and it made me wonder how much promotion even happened for this one with the plug pulled on it so quickly. Network TV photos are findable -- there are others for this show -- but this one really jumped out at me as a solid piece for the price with all the info on the show on the back still attached. Namath played Joe Casey, a retired pro basketball player who (poorly) taught history at Waverly High School (Eastville, Wisc.) and coached the school's basketball team, the Waverly Wonders. This bomb was his only attempt at a full-time TV series and its competition was Wonder Woman and Donny & Marie ... no wonder it failed. 
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... Click for NFL cards

--

A FAVORITE SET
The Card: Shotzi Blackheart 2022 Panini Chronicles WWE Flux autographs
The Price: $15
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This card is so nice I've bought it twice as well as ponied up for a rare Gold parallel ... this is just my latest. The design approach is non-traditional with its color schemes -- even more different on the backs -- and I like it as an insert. I'm not a big fan of the brand as a larger full set like what has been done for NBA fans. I need to see what the parallel rainbows look like here and get them all on my radar.
Grab a box right here: Click for WWE cards

--

SUPER-CLEAN VINTAGE
The Card: Adele Mara 1948 Bowman Photoplay Stars
The Price: $4
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This set is one that I legitimately didn't know existed until recently and I picked off a few cards from a run that looked really clean, not really knowing much about the subjects. Mara had a long career, starting in the early 1940s and running even into the 1970s, with many big projects that had her alongside John Wayne, Roy Rogers, Rita Hayworth, Fred Astaire, Gene Autry and even ... The Three Stooges. There's so much that can be collected in the vintage film realm if a name strikes you, but I just thought this card was really nice for that price and 76 years old.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... Click for non-sports cards

--

BABY SPICE CAUGHT IN THE ACT
The Item: Emma Bunton (aka Baby Spice) -- March, 22, 1998, Sipa Press 7-by-10 color print 
The Price: About $14
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Most media photos that I land are black and white prints with white borders -- quickly and cheaply done to get the job done for publications back in the day. This one? Not so much ... so that's why I bit to add something for another 1990s icon into the photo stash. The photo provider isn't one I'm that familiar with but all the info is printed on the back of the print (click to see at right) and Sipa still exists as a service. This came from an international seller of leftover media publication archive materials like much of the others you see here regularly ... it's just got a premium feel this time.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... Click for non-sports cards

--

SOME RARER INK
The Card: Nick Swisher 2008 UD Premier Signature Premier Blue autograph (/33)
The Price: Less than $5
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This product was packed with parallels -- so many across all sets I couldn't tell you if I even have them all -- but when they're low-volume cards like this at a low price for my player, I'll bite. I'm perhaps getting close on full rainbows well after the fact (except for 1/1s) but when this cheap it doesn't matter if I have or not, I'm grabbing.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... Click for MLB cards

--

HEADSHOTS & RESUME (IN THE CITY)
The Items: Two Kristin Davis publicity photos with résumés 
The Price: About $6 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This pair of headshots is not like a lot of the ones I've grabbed from a dealer's massive stash of this kind of stuff. These aren't from really early on in her career and are from roughly the same time, but she's another name who is among a big-name cast who doesn't have a ton of cards. It's also just something cheap but still somewhat unique in the photos album along with movie and TV show promos.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... Click for non-sports cards

--

TWO MORE DREW
The Items: Drew Barrymore 1994/1995 Boys On The Side promo photos
The Price: $17 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This pair is just like above but these are for a specific movie, though they are dated and branded differently -- I think it might be the case where on was for a movie press kit while the other was for promotion for home video. (The left one doesn't name the movie but is an obvious still based on the wardrobe and hair.) I tend to just grab full press kits for stuff with Barrymore, who I collect to a moderate degree, but these two portraits stood out a little more than the typical promotional scenes on images so I picked them up as singles.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... Click for non-sports cards

--

A UNIQUE CARD
The Card: Martin Mull 1992 Pro Line Team NFL National Convention Stamp
The Price: $6
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This comedian's recent death at age 80 immediately had me thinking of this card -- I own it a few times over, including the signed version -- but one I hadn't landed was this show-stamped card from a set only found at the National. This looked flawless on the screen over on COMC, so I grabbed it ... and after having it in hand I will probably slab as I think it's an obvious 10 contender. (I could have submitted it directly but the stock here is plain and gloss-less so I figured I'd give it a surface look first.) It's unique and one of many Pro Line cards that will always be different but not expensive. This one shouldn't be, either, but I grabbed it since it's so clean.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... Click for NFL cards

--

SHE DIDN'T JUMP
The Item: Rosie Perez White Men Can't Jump (1992) 8-by-10 promotional photo 
The Price: About $5
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This basketball movie's main duo, Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes, always gets all the attention -- and I have grabbed portraits from this movie before (check the archives) -- and they are often the two on the few magazine covers, too. But White Men Can't Jump was among a few key roles for Perez early on, and this portrait looked nice for the price. This is also a perfect kind of item for an autograph vs. the typical kinds of images from press kits.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... Click for non-sports cards

--

THROWBACK MiLB
The Card: Hank Aaron 2021 Topps Pro Debut MiLB Legends Green (/99)
The Price: About $10
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Why did I grab this beyond it being a colorful and rarer take on 1964 Topps with a MiLB twist for the former MLB home run king? This one is serial-numbered 44/99 ... his uniform number. The front is nearly spotless but the back has some edge funk so I had it delivered to give it a look ... I still might grade it.
Grab a box right here: Click for MiLB cards

--

A DIFFERENT WHIM
The Items: Bad Girls (1994) playing card decks (all cards featuring Madeline Stowe, Mary Stuart Masterson, Andie McDowell & Drew Barrymore)
The Price: $6 for two decks 
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This grab was both a whim and a fail ... since they're playing cards all of them look this way and I figured this girl-powered Western from 1994 might make for a good novelty-style slab among my Barrymore cards. But ... you see those letters with gold ink? That hasn't aged that well with that ink leaving some light remnants on cards touching that and then the ink flow and registration (alignment) is also often quite iffy. Could I grade one? Sure ... but I'm not sure how well the results might be. You never know how any kind of cardboard -- or plastic stock -- might age and this was a reminder of that even if they're not seriously old and are freshly opened.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... Click for non-sports cards

--

FOUR-PIECE POWER
The Card: Tim Hudson 2005 Playoff Absolute Memorabilia Tools of the Trade Blue Quad Materials (/100)
The Price: $5
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This set was a fav of mine for a few years when they started popping up with as many as six different memorabilia pieces on a single card and a few different types of pieces in play. This offers a touch of both with three kinds of items in one card but it's not that flashy this time. For the volume made and the price, adding this former All-Star and 20-game winner was an easy grab.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... Click for MLB cards

--

THE SIX PACK ... MINUS ONE
The Items: Six Pack (1982) 11 promotional 8-by-1o photos -- featuring Kenny Rogers, Anthony Michael Hall, Diane Lane, Erin Gray and others
The Price: $9.99
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This NASCAR movie was one I vaguely remembered as a kid -- probably on HBO  heavy rotation or something -- and it turns out this cast ended up being stronger than it was at that time as the kids in the "six pack" ended up in some notable roles later. With the volume of images and that price for a clean set, it was an easy pick-up, though not a high-priority one. (More of a comfortable throw-in with some other stuff.) It turns out this set was missing one image from being complete -- not a big deal but the missing one is the best racing-specific photo showing the country music star in his car.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... Click for NASCAR cards

--

A CLEAN THROWBACK
The Card: Harmon Killebrew 1958 Topps
The Price: About $16.50 shipped
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This Hall of Famer's card is obviously off-centered but it really looked nice otherwise and, well, it's close. It's also perhaps slab-worthy but not as nice as I had hoped it might be. That's not a big deal as it was still a lot cheaper than a lot of copies out there for his fourth-year card. I probably will grade at some point ... just not a high-priority card for me.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... Click for MLB cards

--

FROM THE 'GRAM TO THE PUMPKINS
The Items: Kiki Wongo autographed 8-by-10 promo photos 
The Price: $25 apiece via her website, Kikiwongo.com
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: She's presently on tour with The Smashing Pumpkins after offering the world her "shrednanigans" on social media in recent years. What's that? that's a mix of sliding into the frame and hamming it up for the 'gram or TikTok playing famous guitar riffs, offering some metal takes on other songs as well as other new music stuff to her two million follows between both accounts. I found her clips scrolling the 'Gram and she became an instant follow and then not long after that she was tabbed to go on the road with the 1990s icons ... so I figured I'd add some music ink (not always the easiest realm to collect) to the autograph stash.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... Click for non-sports cards

--

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

>> Click here to buy cards on BlowoutCards.com