Buzz Buys: Some Los Angeles Rams flair, Roger Maris, big errors, Najee Harris, TV and WWE stars, vintage mags & more

Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals is to rip a little less and talk more about cardboard that I -- and you -- might like. One way to do that? Simple show and tell -- present a few pick-ups and say why they captured my attention.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... and this time around it's a super-sized edition with buys from last year as well as some from recent weeks.

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THE RAMS & PRIME TIME
The Card: Joe Namath & Sam Bradford 2011 Panini Certified Fabric of the Game Combos Prime (/25)
The Price: $27.75
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is one of only a few Joe Namath memorabilia cards from his career-capping 1977 season with the Los Angeles Rams -- and it's on the rarer side of things as a prime patch card along with another notable past QB for the team who people had tapped for Super Bowl stardom. I figured I'd have this one lead off this time as the Rams are in the Super Bowl on Sunday and, to me, this is a Super Bowl-caliber card on the cheaper side of things. It's a part of my school ties part of my stash ... Namath Rams jersey cards are always worth the look in my book.
Grab a box right here: 2011 Panini Certified NFL

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

VINTAGE BARGAIN
The Card: Roger Maris 1962 Post (SGC Authentic)
The Price: $15.99
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This being slabbed "authentic" is relative in my mind -- all of these cards were cut from cereal boxes so it's always going to be about their visual appeal. This one has a spot of tape or missing paper on the back but the front is very clean and the price was right in my wheelhouse for a player I collect. The appeal for me? It's from 1962, so his then record-breaking 61 home runs are right there on the stat line. If all "authentic" slabbed cards looked like this, I'd be all over them all the time. 
Grab a box right here: None for this one but MLB boxes are here

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GOING BIG & BATTLING LITTLE DETAILS
The Items: Najee Harris autographed 16-by-20 photo (Fanatics Authentic) and 2021 Panini Instant Fanatics parallel (/99)
The Prices: About $70 total (on sale)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This Alabama star had a solid rookie season (10 total TDs and almost 1,700 total yards) but his minimalist autograph was one that I just wasn't going to pony up for on cardboard at his present prices. I played the waiting game and found this oversized photo for around $50 and went with the biggest size as it was about $10 more than an 8-by-10. I figured bigger was better but ... it's perhaps not in this case. The photo of a memorable play is really too enlarged -- I didn't consider that a potential problem coming from Fanatics -- to the point where the color and pixels are a bit iffy. I threw in the Fanatics-only Instant parallel card to get free shipping and was a bit bummed that there were two corners showing white (not as easily seen here) and that their barcode sticker (see the photo ... I forgot to take it off the top-loader for my pic) was directly on the sealed Panini top-loader ... forcing you to have to remove it from the factory sealed case to see it cleanly. Since I had some retail-chain discounts and rewards, I got a pretty good bargain here, especially if he continues to play well but I can say both were a little bit of a bummer. I hadn't had iffy results with other similar grabs.
Grab a box right here: None for this one but NFL boxes are here

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SCHOOL TIES
The Card: Chris Boucher 2019-20 Panini Immaculate Collection Modern Marks autograph (/75)
The Price: $15 shipped
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is another guy with school ties for me and he's had a boatload of autographed cards before he got an actual Rookie Card -- that story here -- but I waited things out for grabbing some of his ink since, well, it's not much of a sig. I always liked Immaculate, though this design is a little light on the player vs. the design for me but the price was right. His strong showing last year with the Raptors sparked a lot of interest in his stuff but he's softened since ... now it's time for me to grab some. (If his auto was nicer, I'd grab a lot more ... it forces me to be picky or bargain hunt as it's not about sig quality.)
Grab a box right here: 2019-20 Panini Immaculate Collection

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COOL CONCEPT
The Card: Ja Morant & Zion Williamson 2020-21 NBA Hoops Jersey Swap
The Price: $1.75
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The post-game jersey trade is common in sports but I don't know how often it has appeared on cards. This pairing and trade was a big one and I figured I'd grab it as an example of a fun set that doesn't have to break the bank. A slabbed version of this card would be nice, too, but Hoops stock is not super-strong -- you can see a minor corner spot and then an edge spot across the way that nixed this one for me on that front.
Grab a box right here: 2020-21 NBA Hoops

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BACK & FEELING THE GLOW
The Items: Tina Ferrari autographed 8-by-10 photo & Ivory 2001 Fleer WWF Championship Clash Divas' Private Collection 
The Price: Less than $25 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This WWE Hall of Famer is the only one of that group who was an original GLOW performer -- before the Netflix series it was a real thing on real TV. (I vaguely remember it as a kid ... it wasn't good to Kid Buzz.) I grabbed this photo from a dealer who regularly does signings/appearances as it's the first time I've seen a Tina Ferrari autograph instead of Ivory. There's a lot of similarity between the two -- I'm not sure I can figure it out -- but her Ivory sig has the same kind of Z and double-line element. (Wrestlers' alternate-name autos are interesting to me as some you just don't see often.) The memorabilia card here was a recent sub-$5 find as part of a small lot I grabbed ... Fleer stuff can be really cheap despite the fact that the cards aren't perhaps as easily found and include items that aren't shirts or mats. In this case, it's a piece of a scarf.
Grab a box right here: None for this one but WWE boxes are here

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Big Bang BUMMER
The Mag: The Big Bang Theory cast cover -- Entertainment Weekly, Sept. 26, 2012
The Price: About $10
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: See that little spot of white paper beside the B? That's enough to take this off my slab-it-for-fun list   -- at least immediately -- but this, to me, is a perfect type of pop culture mag that would look good in a slab without breaking the bank ($10 mag, $30 to grade). The challenge with grading mags, though, is condition -- the paper for weekly mags like this isn' that good and then there's the whole bundling and distribution thing along with damage from people flipping through them back when newsstands were a much bigger deal than now. This mag is 10 years old and there are a lot of dealers who sell mags (surprisingly) online, but a lot of them can have condition issues and that's the key with grading. I didn't notice that spot on the image when I grabbed it but it was there all along. This still might grade OK (perhaps a 9) but I think avoiding issues with these problems ("spine ticks" as these are called) that have ink loss are more ideal for best results and best re-sale if you go there. This one could still end up in a slab from me later -- the core cast makes it a good item -- but my to-grade list is perhaps as backed up as CGC's is right now.
Grab a box right here: None for this one but non-sports boxes are here

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ROUNDING UP THE REST ...
The Cards: Assorted 2020 Topps Project 2020 and 2021 Topps Project70 cards (Mike Trout, Ichiro Suzuki, Ronald Acuña Jr., Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr.)
The Prices: $3 up to $19.99
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: These sets got me to bite often in the last two years but not all of these were buys direct from Topps. The Griffey is the one that holds the sales record for both sets and I got it for about $3 with the Mays not much more. The others I grabbed from Topps last year as I liked them enough to grab or do a bundle. Project70 winds down this week and I'm sure I will probably have one more to come from those along with two I previously ordered ... then it will solely come down to bargain grabs of cards I like on the secondary market when they present themselves. It's been fun and I am ready for the next iteration when/if it arrives ... but I do think I'm becoming pickier the more I see releases like these.
Grab a box right here: None for this one but MLB boxes are here

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ABRUPT FINISH ... BUT THEY GOT A FAVORITE IN
The Cards: Shotzi Blackheart 2021 Topps WWE Living Set (10-card bundle)
The Price: Bundle price direct from Topps.com
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The Living Set is no more as Panini taking over the WWE license killed this one in December before a number of obvious names -- young and old -- appeared on cards. While I didn't get my trio of young stars I collect on cards -- no Rhea Ripley (a big omission) or Toni Storm (before she quit WWE) -- I did get this one ... and I ponied up for a 10-pack to give myself a better chance at a razor-clean copy that's slab-worthy. (I totally will grade.) This image is from earlier in her NXT run but it still gives us a representative look at the high-energy star with all kinds of eccentricities like the helmet.
Grab a box right here: None for this one but WWE boxes are here

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BROADWAY JOE FAVORITES
The Cards: Joe Namath assorted Panini Spectra, Select, Impeccable, Legacy, National Treasures and UD Exquisite Collection cards
The Prices: $2 to $8
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This Hall of Famer is one I pick off from time to time on the cheaper side of things mostly on numbered cards and then parallels from sets I like. Spectra and National Treasures always get a look from me while premium sets like Exquisite and Impeccable will, too, if the price is right. That was the case on the Spectra card -- I didn't even realize I had grabbed more than one ... and I'll probably do more at some point on any of these.
Grab a box right here: NFL boxes are here

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AUTOGRAPHED ART ...
The Piece: Toni Storm autographed Rob Schamberger WWE lithograph (buy-it-now via WWE Auctions)
The Price: $50
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I picked up this dual-signed Schamberger print direct from WWE a few months ago but it got buried in my photo files until now ... and it's now unavailable to those who want one. (He's not contractually allowed to sell stuff of former WWE stars.) We have seen a limited number of cards in WWE Undisputed sets from him in the last three years and there's a lot he's done out there for art pieces that aren't on cards ... there's a ton of stuff to collect.
Grab a box right here: None for this one but WWE boxes are here

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PAYS TO SUBSCRIBE ... TO MAILING LISTS
The Comics: Assorted Wizard World convention-exclusive comics and variants (25)
The Price: Free!
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This lot of books is another classic example of where signing up for promotional mailing lists can pay off -- or at least add to your stash -- on the cheap. Wizard World recently had a deal where if you spent $25 on books you got $25 in books (whatever you wanted) free. I grabbed a slab for $30 so these were all freebies. Are they pricey? Not really at the moment -- Wizard World was still burning off its stock which limits right-now potential -- but as show-only books I think there's some potential vs. standard stuff. Generally I like to see two versions side by side as well -- they might do well moving them in pairs later on.
Grab a box right here: None for this one but non-sports boxes are here

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SHE'S BACK ...
The Cards: Maryse 2019 Topps WWE Transcendent Collection auto (/25) and Blue parallel (/15), 2018 Topps WWE Undisputed Green auto (/50) and 2017 Topps Legends of the WWE Blue Belt auto (/25)
The Price: $7.75 up to $56
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This former WWE regular recently returned to the ring for some work alongside her husband beyond their Miz and Mrs. TV show to do some talking and fighting. That was enough for me to pull out a recent run of ink I had grabbed (in the last year or so) for her that I had stashed away waiting for a time to appear here. The Transcendent autos are from before they started to blow up a bit in price -- she's not among the priciest autos but they are all generally higher than when I found these. The other two are from interesting sets and both were pretty affordable and that's why I added them. That year's Undisputed design is a little rough but I like the color parallels, while the belt card is on the rare side and may have been the cheapest of them all.
Grab a box right here: WWE boxes are here

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A PREMIUM-SET BARGAIN
The Card: Yoda 2019 Topps Star Wars: Stellar Signatures Stellar Art Reproduction (/100)
The Price: $8
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: These cards from Stellar are a cheap way to dabble on the high-end without doing ink or spending too much from a brand that's as pricey as it gets for Star Wars and maybe for all of non-sports now that I think about it. This isn't a perfect rendering of the Jedi master, but I didn't mind it for the price considering how few were made.
Grab a box right here: : Star Wars boxes are here

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REMEMBER THESE?
The Cards: Cornelius Bennett, David Palmer & Randall Cunningham 1994 Topps Stadium Club Super Bowl XXIX embossed cards
The Price: $12 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The Super Bowl card shows of the past often had wrapper redemptions for exclusive parallel cards and Stadium Club was the set of choice for Topps in 1995. I found these three as part of a big run of cards available from a dealer and grabbed them since they aren't seen all the time. I collected Cunningham relatively heavily back then but never had that one, while Palmer and Bennett are college ties guys who were big names in the past to make it into the set -- and Palmer is a Rookie Card. I figured I might not see them again if I didn't grab them.
Grab a box right here: None for this one but NFL boxes are here

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TRANSITIONAL CHAMP
The Card: Rob Gronkowski 2019 Topps Now WWE (/171) 
The Price: $7.25
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This anomaly isn't Gronk's only WWE card -- or his most-expensive -- but it was the first. I didn't grab one from Topps but instead waited figuring prices might dip. They have -- and likely lower than what I paid for this one in the past -- despite there being only 171 made. I didn't have any Tom Brady cards stashed away with his retirement but figured this comes close ... Gronk dabbled with WWE for a brief time before returning to the NFL with the Bucs and the rest is history. I think there's a good shot he retires next.
Grab a box right here: None for this one but NFL and WWE boxes are here

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COOKING CLASS
The Cards: 2019 Upper Deck Marvel Deadpool "Chimichangas with Deadpool" eight-card insert set
The Price: Less than $2.50 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I'm a big fan of some small insert sets out there that you can put together easily and Deadpool is one of those characters that I think works well in situations like this, too. Would I slab a small set like this? I have and I would  ... if slab prices weren't so sky-high or slow right now. This is a simple set showcasing how The Merc with a Mouth does some cooking -- and fun cheap cards in highest grades can sell better than you might think. Lower-grade slabs, though? Not so much.
Grab a box right here: None for this one but non-sports boxes are here

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NEVER HAVE I EVER ...
The Items: Misprinted 1971 Topps Frank Baker & Misprinted Hit Parader December 1970 magazine 
The Price: Less than $12 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: These are easily two of the most-botched pieces I have ever seen in the collectibles realm for registration or the centering/alignment of the four printing plates. One is a common vintage baseball card, of course, and the other is a vintage music magazine that should have never made it out the door with its colors a good half-inch off. I've worked in printing and been around presses and the trashed stuff from simply starting up the machine don't often look this bad. I had to have them with the mag costing me $9.99 to live the rest of its collectible life in a box. (I don't dare slab these ... do I? Insert evil laugh here.)
Grab a box right here: None for this one but MLB boxes are here

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VINTAGE FLAIR
The Mag: Oakland A's owner Charles O. Finley -- TIME magazine, Aug. 18. 1975
The Price: $9.99
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This team owner was known for his eccentric approaches to the game on the marketing and promotion side and it was those things that led him to the cover of TIME for this classic more than 40 years ago. I picked this up with a definite eye on a slabbed piece for sure but its got a small spot in the red border on the bottom left and some mis-alignment with the cover and pages that were a little rougher than I had thought. I still might actually do it given how this looks overall ... but a lot of other stuff I have found will get graded first. This isn't a dramatically in-demand issue or anything ... I just like it.
Grab a box right here: None for this one but MLB boxes are here

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RARE & CHEAP ODDITY
The Card: E.J. Manuel 2013 Absolute Football Leather & Laces (/25)
The Price: $1
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Normally Leather and Laces cards have showcased football pieces in my experience (I'm not a heavy all-the-time NFL collector ... I just dabble somewhat regularly) but this card caught my attention as those laces appear to be from shoes and the leather is from cleats or a glove. I thought this was odd enough to grab when it's this rare and only $1. Weird memorabilia cards will always have a place in my collection as long as they're cheap.
Grab a box right here: 2013 Absolute Football boxes

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BUYING IN BULK
The Cards: Bo Bichette 2020 Topps Now five-card lot
The Price: $18
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was a nice grab for some rookie-year Topps Now cards -- though he had Now cards in 2019 -- with both an eye for a potential slab and then for a card with a little different kind of photo perspective. My Bo buying has slowed a lot in recent months but that's perhaps because I bought too much this past year. I still think he's among the young guys to watch and the Blue Jays should be contenders once again ... when they start playing.
Grab a box right here: None for this one but MLB boxes are here

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