Making the Grade (April): WrestleMania icons, MLB stars, LeBron vs. Kobe, two books, Bo, The Sandlot, Star Wars & more

Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading and knows that there are many reasons that collectors choose to slab cards. Sometimes it's to enhance the appeal and protect them when selling. Other times it's to protect an investment for the long-term or to protect for sentimental reasons. Or, it might be just for fun or curiosity about a potential grade.

Here's this month's grading diary here on The Buzz ...

WOOOOOOO!
The Card: Charlotte Flair 2015 Topps WWE Undisputed NXT In Line Autographs #NA-CH
The Reason Graded: The trio of big first/first-year autos in this release for three of the four biggest homegrown women's names (aka not Ronda Rousey) in WWE in this one have been slabbed in my stash -- Flair this time, Becky Lynch last time and Sasha Banks a couple times before in the history of this series. Why? Well, I think first (or first-year) autos are way more important than what people argue about on the Rookie Card front. They're inherently rarer and this brand is one that always seems to grade well as long as there's not any back-edge damage here (the designs often have dark colors).
The Grade: CSG 9.5

Reality Check: This one checked in where I had hoped -- and thanks to their new shift to a "Gem Mint 10" scale this one would be a 10 if in a new slab. (I'm good with that, too.) Flair isn't my favorite of The Four Horsewomen of NXT but I think this is one of her better cards ... though I do wish she would have signed in blue like everybody else.

Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.

TENACIOUS D
The Card: Kobe Bryant 2008-09 Topps #24
The Reason Graded: I opened a box or two of this set well before it dried up and well before the Topps NBA run came to an end with that last set blowing up. I saved this one (and a few other notables) since it was a good name with a good photo and I recently stumbled upon this sitting in a random NBA stars box -- not even sleeved -- all these years.
The Grade: CSG 9.5

Reality Check: It looked clean and I was right -- it checked in at what would now be a Gem Mint 10 ... and there are none higher. I'm not a big NBA collector these days -- just can't collect everything -- but this one is a nice card that should stay in my stash a while.

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HALL OF FAME ROOKIE
The Card: Manu Ginobili 2002-03 SPx (/2,999) -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: Buzz briefly lived in San Antonio and was there for one of their NBA titles, going to a couple games and landing an autograph -- this guy, who is now a Hall of Famer. NBA hounding isn't easy at all compared to other sports but he stopped to sign leading off-on the court pre-game -- I was trying for Robert Horry -- but after that I picked off a few RCs here and there years ago. I went back through my older NBA stuff I had in top-loaders and thought this looked pretty good ... so I sent it in.
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: Behold! The worst-graded copy of this card ever! Not a big deal as just two have been slabbed -- it's not that popular of a card perhaps due to that uni with no number. This card also has a funky design. It's not particularly rare but slabbed copies of this one have some decent prices.

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LEMME TELL YOU SOMETHING ...
The Card: Hulk Hogan 1982 Wrestling All-Stars Series A #2 -- "Rookie Card"
The Reason Graded: This is my second copy of this card -- my other showed up here in this series not long ago -- and this one I actually paid for as part of my set. (The other one, which checked in low, was tucked into a signed book I found on eBay years ago.) This one is cursed by the big blotch but is otherwise relatively clean with some typical wear but I still wanted this one slabbed along with some other key names from this key set.
The Grade: CSG 7

Reality Check: My set back in the day wasn't a perfect one but it was fine for my price. This card came back with a respectable grade -- that ink blotch does it no favors. Between my two copies I'm good with a 10.5. (Oh, brother.)

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LEGENDARY DIFFERENCE
The Card: Ted Williams 1978 TCMA '60s I #260
The Reason Bought: Williams' few cards not in a Boston Red Sox uni always get me to stop and look. This is a textbook example of that and it comes from a set that has been easy to find with good grades attached and has been graded in pretty good volume considering its age and price. That was well under $20 ... including shipping.
The Grade: BGS 9.5

Reality Check: None have checked in higher and this one is about a third of the total pop ... which is perhaps still high. A bargain price here was a good thing, though, so I'm fine with all the numbers here.

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WELL-CRAFTED
The Card: Bryce Harper 2014 Topps Gypsy Queen Glove Stories #GSBH
The Reason Bought: The inserts in earlier GQ sets always had great designs in my mind but they all used relatively bold color schemes that showcase corner spots quite easily on soft stock. I've been tempted to submit a number of them from a few years but always dreaded a lower mark than this one on a cheap card ... which kind of negates the appeal of a slab if it's too low.
The Grade: BGS 9.5

Reality Check: This one isn't razor perfect but it's close -- the minor corner spots got that sub-grade a 9 but everything else was good. I grabbed this as I just felt like a 9.5 was really strong and it wasn't too pricey. I was surprised to see there's a 10 but wasn't surprised to see so few graded. All in all, I just like the photo and the frame here ... and it's not the only card like this I have graded. This same image was on a photo variation in flagship. Poke around and you'll see it in a past MTG.

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SEEING RED
The Card: Bo Bichette 2020 Topps Fire Red Blaze #71 -- Rookie Card parallel
The Reason Bought: This parallel is one of two from this release that I really like -- this one red and the other blue -- and I'm pretty sure I tracked down both raw with intent of grading ... but then I saw the challenges of the foilboard and perhaps the centering. But then I spotted this on the cheaper side of things.
The Grade: PSA 9

Reality Check: The centering is definitely off on this one -- but it might be off on many or all of them in this design. My raw one was, too, and that's why I didn't bother to slab mine. This one might not be a strong nine but at the same time there aren't a lot of these to go around. I ponied up a little bit to grab this but that's OK ... I sorta, kinda collect him, though I have cooled on that since last year. I figure prices will come down some as people were grading him heavily as a rookie. (Supply and demand.)

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GOING FOR GOLD
The Card: Tua Tagovailoa 2020 Score Gold #369 -- Rookie Card parallel
The Reason Bought: Collecting popular Alabama guys isn't that easy as there are plenty of dedicated collectors of the Crimson Tide who only collect the Crimson Tide. That's not me, though I buy my team pretty hard on the cheaper side of things. The influx of draft picks sets and college appearances in early season sets are bargain fodder that I can dig.
The Grade: PSA 9

Reality Check: A red parallel would probably be a better option here but I didn't mind the color this time at this price. This one was only $14 ... not bad considering costs of grading anything these days. (I'm not sure when I grabbed this last season but I think his NFL RCs that are dirt cheap in some releases are worth a look after their additions this off-season.)

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BOUGHT BY THE POUND ... AND IT DELIVERED
The Book: Star Wars: Vader Down #1 -- Mile High Comics/Katie Cook cover variation
The Reason Graded: If you're a regular reader of The Buzz then you might remember this "pull" from a grab bag -- a $30 five-pound bundle of books from Mile High Comics. I did a couple of them and have another issue that I need to slab for sure -- I landed a first appearance of the modern Peacemaker (aka John Cena's new show) and it looks as razor-sharp as this one does. The five-pounder format has changed since I bought -- they cost more now and can be landed with focused inclusions now -- but I think I will do another soon. This looked really good, so I sent it in ... I also like the cartoon nature of Katie Cook's work in card sets and on sketch cards but never landed anything on those fronts. I figured this might be a good start.
The Grade: CGC 9.8 (Universal)

Reality Check: I liked seeing this mark, especially considering it didn't look like it needed pressing. (I wouldn't have if it did ... as that adds a lot of cost and wait.)

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REEL BIG FISH
The Card: Mike Trout 2015 Topps Heritage #500 -- Action variation
The Reason Graded: These variations dropped roughly one per box back then and I was fortunate enough to land this guy, who is arguably one of the best names to find on an SP. When I recently decided to do some digging for a bulk sub, this one made the cut. Why? He's on the pricier side of things and I figured a high mark might make it even better.
The Grade: CSG 9.5

Reality Check: My vertical centering here is clearly off but everything else looked very good -- and it's also a card that would be a CSG 10 in their new slab with a new scale. That works for me.

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REPRINTED & SLABBED
The Book: Sports Illustrated #1 Aug. 16, 1954 -- 2001 reprint
The Reason Bought: This isn't the real thing but the price was right and I picked it up as another example of a mag I can look closer at and see how it checked in at its grade. The original issue has exploded in price in a slab in recent years and this reprint was long ago, too, to the point where they are popular but nowhere near as pricey. This issue has a foldout sheet of paper-stock Topps baseball cards that add value to both versions but obviously the original is a much bigger deal.
The Grade: CGC 9.0 (Universal)

Reality Check: A 9.0 isn't a great grade but the cost here was under $30 shipped -- and shipping mag slabs isn't cheap. Did I need it? Nah, but once I saw it in hand this is a pretty nice display piece ... and it's minor damage here and there actually makes it feel like an original. I was a little surprised to see so many slabbed -- these were part of gift sets that hit clearance bins long ago at retail stores (I passed at $9.99 because I just didn't need it then) -- but I also was surprised by there being no 9.8s.

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IN A WWE UNIVERSE ... FAR, FAR AWAY
The Card: A Curious Figure Watches (Koska Reeves aka Mercedes Varnado/Sasha Banks) 2020 Topps The Mandalorian Season 2 Trailer #4
The Reason Graded: This was the first appearance of WWE's Sasha Banks in the Star Wars world and it came in a Topps Now-style set made for the second season of The Mandalorian. I recently slabbed a few non-sports cards via SGC to make sure I had a presence for them here and this one was a fun return.
The Grade: SGC 10

Reality Check: Now cards generally slab well in my experience, so I wasn't totally surprised by a top grade. The other one graded after mine came up short of the mark I got.

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YOU'RE KILLING ME, SMALLS
The Card: Hamilton "Ham" Porter 2018 Topps Archives The Sandlot #SL-HP
The Reason Graded: I was big on this set back when it arrived and I had visions of landing a couple of the autos from it, too, once it was in-hand, but then the realty set in that one I did want had a lousy-looking auto and then others were way more popular with other bidders. (Out of my price range.) Ultimately, I never added any ink from this one but I have slabbed some. This is my second to get graded and it's arguably the most-iconic character of the bunch.
The Grade: CSG 9.5

Reality Check: This one checked in at what would cross over to a 10 ... so it's a win. These cards popped up regularly in blasters and in hobby boxes but they arrived at a weird time of year and I waited ... and waited too long to grab all that I might have wanted. I'm fine with a couple of 9.5 slabs, though. (My other one is on a past MTG ... poke around to find it.)

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THE BAMBINO HIMSELF
The Card: Babe Ruth 2002 Sweet Spot Classics #3
The Reason Bought: I'm not a big fan of foilboard cards or foil-heavy cards and this one is definitely that -- but it was pretty cheap for a slab of an all-time great ... so I bit at a modest price. How much? Just $7 ... and you can't even think about getting a card graded for that price these days.
The Grade: BGS 9

Reality Check: This one looks better than its mark -- the corner issues might be on the back -- and there is only one other graded copy out there to top it.

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BACK IN THE DAY
The Card: Mark Grace 1988 Score Rookie & Traded #80T -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: This set was quite a big deal back in the day with cards for this Cubbies icon and a Rookie Card for Hall of Famer Craig Biggio. I did a double-take on this one as that looks so much better than a PSA 8 other than some slight roughness on the bottom-left edge and grabbed it because it was a bargain.
The Grade: PSA 8

Reality Check: Look at that heavy volume ... not a big deal, but that's a lot of cards slabbed. I don't think I overpaid here -- it might have been less than $5.

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TWICE AS NICE
The Card: Shotzi Blackheart 2020 Topps NXT Roster #NXT-42 -- rookie insert
The Reason Graded: This card might be my favorite of her first-year stuff and these were so clean I couldn't decide which one to send -- and I had visions of 10s here. The green-slab just works here and I won't be trading them in for new-slab CSG 10s.
The Grade: CSG 9.5

Reality Check: These look like they are generally grading quite well and that's fine by me. I like this one so much it's one I'd kind of stockpile if the asking prices weren't so strong. I own a couple more and will likely grade at least one that looks just as good as these.

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ANOTHER TOP NEWCOMER
The Card: Rhea Ripley 2020 Topps NXT Roster #NXT-37 -- rookie insert
The Reason Graded: Another unique newer star who I collect is found in the same set and other than a slight centering  tweak this one looked perfect. I figured it might not grade as well as the Blackhearts but I have others that might get sent in at some point, too. They're better than this.
The Grade: CSG 9.5

Reality Check: This checked in at a 9.5, which will translate into a 10 with their new Gem Mint 10 scale. My centering here might be borderline for the mark.

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POPULAR RETRO
The Card: LeBron James 2004-05 Fleer Tradition #140
The Reason Graded: This card, for whatever reason, was a popular and pricey one last year when I sent it in with a bulk sub. I'm not that big of a fan of it, but I do tend to go more retro with my tastes vs. high-gloss and foil-stamped stuff that's common now and was back in this era of NBA cardboard.
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: My centering might have gotten me here (vertically, it's off) but there also could be something on the back here. (The stock is pretty soft on these.) It looks like many have checked in like mine, too.

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IT'S NICKYYYY!
The Card: Spirit Squad 2006 Topps Heritage WWE II #51 -- "Rookie Card"
The Reason Graded: I'm pretty sure I can't name all five of these guys all these years later but there is one member of this old men's cheerleader squad who is still in the game today and he's currently the NXT champ ... the bottom-right here is Nicky, aka Dolph Ziggler. He's a multi-time champ and a likely future Hall of Famer (though he's not had a lot of heavyweight title time) and this is one of only a few cards for the team that was seemingly everywhere for a stretch. (They likely have more international cardboard then they do American in-pack stuff ... this is the only base card I know of for a non-gaming U.S. release.)
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: I had probably a half-dozen of these to consider for slabbing and I can say confidently that they aren't likely going to be easily graded. There are so many rough-stock issues on the cards from this set and if that doesn't get you the corners will. So many times there are corners with lifts or crunches and I suspect that's from printing and packaging ... and this set of Heritage isn't alone. There are other first cards from other Heritage years I'd want to slab but every copy (and some card I probably have 20-30 of) has corner issues under a loupe. This checked in as the highest-graded copy.

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GO WITH THE FLOW
The Card: Bo Bichette 2020 Topps Turkey Red #TR-11 -- rookie-year insert
The Reason Bought: I picked this up since I just didn't want to deal with the soft stock and those dark edges for subbing one of my own. It's not a pricey card but I'd want one in this grade and not a lower mark. Simple as that.
The Grade: CSG 9.5

Reality Check: Only one 10 (in green CSG slabs) exists though this one would be a 10 now in a new slab. I'll keep it in this holder.

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A BOTCHED HEEL MOVE
The Card: Maxwell Jacob Friedman (aka MJF) 2018 All In #18 -- "Rookie Card"
The Reason Graded: This is the worst-graded copy of this card in existence at the moment and that's likely from that small gouge on the bottom left edge near the "A." I only noticed that after-the-fact and it was emphasized by this card being in its case backwards. (That's the card back.) Ironically, it came back like this along with another iconic card from the set that was in its slab the right way right beside it in my order. Oh well ... maybe I have the lone botched one?
The Grade: CSG 8

Reality Check: This beloved jackass has been heavily graded and he's like pretty much everybody else in this landmark indie set that is an "XRC" release of sorts for AEW. (It wasn't an AEW event but it helped make that company come into existence with many of the same names.) He's also like pretty much everybody else in that absolutely nothing from the set exists at a 9.5 or higher. It's often the centering (not good) or the rough back edges if you ask me. More than 230 cards have been graded ... nothing above a nine. I feel OK about my low marks.

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GOING OLDSCHOOL ...
The Card: Richie Ashburn 1954 Red Man Tobacco #1 (hand cut without tab)
The Reason Bought: This oversized card is most-commonly slabbed with its pull-off ticket still there or at least not cut off. Nearly 80 copies exist that aren't cut like this but since they are listed separate in the PSA Pop Report I'll only present this. I found it for less than the price of a basic blaster and thought it really looked good for its condition. Like ... way better than its grade.
The Grade: PSA 5

Reality Check: This Hall of Famer is perhaps more popular with his hometown crowd on cardboard but I didn't buy this for the money ... it just looked good. It might have some kind of wrinkle or light crease that got it this mark but I couldn't find it.

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