Buzz's Pick Six: Iconic autographs to chase down right now

Have you seen the latest cool cards from a new release? With so many options for collectors of all kinds arriving every week it's possible you haven't. That's where Buzz comes in -- well at least on one brand you'll see here from time to time in what we're calling Buzz's Pick Six. Simply put, here are six cards from a new arrival that seemed interesting to this collector and we think they might interest you, too.

This week's six-pack: Iconic autographs to own ... I'll make my signer choices and show six examples from recent releases. (This is by no means a catch-all or top-of-them-all list ... just six on Buzz's mind.)

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PAST MEETS PRESENT 
The Card: Ronald Acuña Jr. & Hank Aaron 2019 Topps Tribute Tandem Autograph Booklets Red (/10)
The Price: $1,999.99 Buy-It-Now (or best offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: OK, maybe this is a Pick Seven this week, but this card is a perfect example of get it while you can when it comes to autographs. This card is super-rare and from a high-end brand and it includes autographs of one guy who you should have these days and one guy you need to have in your collection if you do baseball. Acuña is the autograph you should have as he's an emerging MVP-caliber talent -- a guy who came up just short of being the youngest member of the super-elite 40-40 Club at age 21 ... while mostly batting leadoff. The other is an MLB legend you need to own in some fashion, the former home run king who hit more home runs than anyone in history* (save for That One Guy*). This is the elite past meeting the elite future. Aaron is 85 and his handwriting has gotten rougher over time, while Acuña will have plenty of reasons to potentially not sign new autograph deals if he becomes more and more successful on the field. Aaron was the auto that came to mind first for me, but Acuña is perhaps the autograph to own for this season. Thankfully, I've pulled both of these guys' autos out of packs in the past, so I haven't had to chase them -- but they should both be in an MLB collection.

Keep reading for five more items in this week's roundup ...

HE OF THE UNTOUCHABLE NFL RECORD
The Card: Emmitt Smith 2014 Panini Immaculate Collection Immaculate Moments (/25)
The Price: $81 after eight bids (five days remaining)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: If you go to a show where he's signing, you'll probably see the NFL's career rushing yards leader atop the autograph fee list -- but it's an autograph that can be worth it if he's signing something big. The ink you see here is a quicker, simpler version of his auto but it's on a perfect card and it makes this list this time. With the NFL seemingly moving away from workhorse RBs in the last decade, I'd bet that his record stands for a long time ... if it's not considered untouchable. (Might be.) The no-doubter top auto for football these days is Tom Brady, but I'd go this route first for the cost -- he's pricey ... but he's not Brady-priced. 

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A FREAKISH NBA PICK WITH THE MVP?
The Card: Giannis Antetokounmpo 2013-14 Panini Court Kings Next Day Autographs
The Price: $7,500 (for BGS 9.5/10) Buy-It-Now (or best offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: NBA collectors have a lot of iconic ink choices who command big money -- Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and others -- and then they have some retired guys and veterans who just don't sign like Tim Duncan, Charles Barkley and Russell Westbrook. (And then there are the new phenoms like Zion and Luka.) But this one is a different selection but one with proven on-court delivery -- the NBA MVP whose name I still can't spell beyond copy-paste. Why this card? It's an early auto for Giannis Antetokounmpo with an autograph that's a tad longer than others from his rookie season and recent years. Some of his sticker autos also have the longer sig, but this one's all on-card to get the nod. He'll be just 25 next year coming off an MVP season where he averaged 30.4 points and 13.7 rebounds a game -- and 6.5 assists, too. If you can land him on the affordable side now, I think it's a solid grab.

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THE KING OF NASCAR
The Card: Richard Petty 2017 Panini Select Endorsements Blue autograph (/43)
The Price: $69.99 Buy-It-Now (or best offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Looking to the NASCAR ranks, there are a ton of big names from the past, some from the present and at least one for the future who are good gets. You could go Earnhardt (both) here or seven-time champ Jimmie Johnson or 2018-ink phenom Hailie Deegan -- she might outsell them all for current signers -- but it's hard to pass up the ornately detailed autograph of Richard Petty. This example is a good one, though his on-card autos still show some limitations because of their size. You can find some impressive items when he's got more room to sign. Like most NASCAR stars, he's not a tough auto to find -- it's just a very good starting point for a stash with four wheels. 

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ALREADY AN ICONIC NON-SPORTS AUTO?
The Card: Daisy Ridley 2019 Topps Star Wars Authentics jumbo 8-by-10 card autograph (/10) 
The Price: $400 direct from Topps.com (click here for Star Wars boxes)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The next Star Wars film is coming soon and now might be the time to chase down ink from those you haven't yet grabbed before the casual, typically non-collecting fans decide they need something in their stash or on their wall. Ridley's autographs aren't generally tough finds on the secondary market, but she can be a tough pull in packs -- and that means they will cost you more than others. Her handwriting isn't all that Forceful -- and she often simply signs Daisy -- but I went this route with this pick because it's a full signature and card-like in that it uses the iconic original Topps design from 1977. I'm not totally sold on the photo here (or that fade to help show off the ink) but I'm picky and this topped the cards I saw out on the market at the moment. There are a lot of choices out there but this might be the way I'd go right now for this need. (That's right ... I don't own one. In fact I don't own that many Star Wars autos at all ... and I should.)

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ONE TO BANK ON?
The Card: Sasha Banks 2019 Topps WWE Road to WrestleMania autographs
The Price: $39.52 Buy-It-Now
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: There is a tremendous amount of stuff for fans of wrestling to choose from when it comes to certified autos. If stars are on the current roster, there are tons of choices and this pick is one where can show you how big names can be affordable -- and that's not a bad thing. Sure, there are rarer autos in new releases -- Undertaker, anybody named McMahon, Paige and Ronda Rousey, for example -- but this one is to show you it's not all about the cash even if The Boss has the dollar sign in her signature. With WWE moving to FOX next week, there could be an uptick in the already heavy online chatter about wrestling and she's bound to be one of the names making waves this fall. This particular card got the nod because it's a good photo for an autographed card. 

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

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