Making the Grade (Feb.): A Super Bowl lowlight, Tiffy Time, Wemby, NFL stars, The Punisher, two shots of Ali & much more

Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading ... so here's this month's grading diary here on The Buzz.

GETTING EVEN BETTER?
The Card: Victor Wembanyama 2023-24 Panini Haunted Hoops -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: I'm basically casually ripping at best when it comes to NBA these days -- just can't collect it all at today's prices (and might not want to with that) -- but the holiday-flavored version of Hoops got me to bite a few times since it's got a good volume of stuff in a box and a pair of Wemby RCs on the checklist. Is this a big card in the big scheme of things? Nah, but the printing and cutting here was so clean I knew I needed to grade it. Why?
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: Because this should be the result more often than not as long as the centering is there ... and the stats here show that to be the case roughly half the time. The phenom seems to be getting better with time and once the wax dries up for even stuff like this there could be interesting trends that buck the idea that stuff is overproduced these days -- it is ... but not when there's increased demand for a popular player. I need to scout singles more for this guy and cards I like ... I think there's more potential here over time than people might think based on soft prices for raw cards. (Even if boatloads of his cards are already graded.)

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

IT'S TIFFY TIME!
The Card: Tiffany Stratton 2022 Panini NXT Red (/199) -- Rookie Card parallel
The Reason Graded: In less than a year on the main roster, Stratton has ascended to the WWE Women's Championship with a mix of athleticism, high-flying gymnastics moves and plenty of character work. It's a total package that can at times be obnoxious -- she's a heel -- but as I've written many a times here on The Buzz it's been a quick run and it was obvious that it could have even happened long ago. There will be big things to come here and her 2022 Rookie Cards -- she has nothing before that as her career began at the end of 2021 with no indy experience before WWE -- are findable, so naturally I have picked off a lot of stuff and slabbed, too. This RC parallel is from a release that isn't super grading-friendly, so slabbing this wasn't a given for a top mark.
The Grade: CGC 9.5

Reality Check: Anything nine and up here is a win if you ask me, especially on the base cards, while the parallels might trend a little cleaner as long as the top corners and color edges are clean. I was surprised and happy with this mark and it's only got one card topping it.

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REMEMBER THE TIME ...
The Card: Janet Whackson (Janet Jackson & Justin Timberlake) 2007 Topps Hollywood Zombies
The Reason Graded: It's been more than 20 years since the controversial -- and planned -- "wardrobe malfunction" moment during the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show on this day in 2004. This card comes from a celeb-loaded and totally eccentric set of Mad magazine-style cartoons with zombified twists. Who green-lit this set? Who knows at this point ... it was a one-and-done (as far as I know) but a few cards here have caught my attention as potential oddball slabs. Why? Weird in high grades might have more interest than you might think.
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: Only two slabbed and a nearly perfect grade ... works for me. This fits into a music niche for my slabs with a side of football and pop culture impact -- there was a lot of fallout -- and it'll probably not be the last card I grade from this one as there are a lot of 1990s and beyond icons and moments found in this one.

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THIS MONTH IN 1965
The Card: Muhammad Ali 2014 Topps Heritage News Flashbacks
The Reason Graded: This card notes a headline from 60 years ago this week -- Cassius Clay became Muhammad Ali -- and it's been one of my favorite cards of a sports name in this long-running Heritage insert set that's typically packed with surprises every year. (This year? We'll see ... ) I knew this one looked locked-in in all regards when I spotted it in my stash of old pulls and got it into a bulk sub last year.
The Grade: CGC 10 (Pristine)

Reality Check: As good as it gets -- perfect -- and two others graded aren't close ... this card is a knockout.

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NFL ARRIVALS
The Card: Bryce Young 2023 Panini Instant Rookie Photo Shoot First Look (announced /2,812)
The Reason Bought: I picked off this one already graded as the prices got cheap as the season started winding down -- before he had a few strong games to end the year. Why? Roll Tide ... and it's also a really well-balanced design with a clean portrait from the NFLPA Rookie Premiere. The stock here is a little hard and maybe chippy at times, so I've never really dabbled buying and grading my own like I have WWE.
The Grade: BGS 10

Reality Check: I know of at least three 10s that exist (there are probably more) but for whatever reason when this card is looked up on the pop report none of them show ... only nine BGS 9s. If I search this number, it does show up but isn't populated on its own page or linked to the others. Go figure.

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AN ODDBALL IMPORT CARD
The Card: Paige 2014 Edibas WWE Lamincards (Italian)
The Reason Bought: I grabbed this graded international gaming card because I simply had no idea it existed and it's from the same year as her first NXT cards. For other years of Lamincards, these are printed on a clear plastic that's truly not grading friendly from what I have seen (surface scratches are bad even from packs from what little I have witnessed) so this grade for a solid star who has a meaty life story in wrestling was a win.
The Grade: SGC 10

Reality Check: Lone copy graded isn't a surprise to me ... I'm not sure I've ever seen any of these raw, let alone slabbed.

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THROWBACK NBA
The Card: John Johnson 1972-73 Topps
The Reason Bought: He's school ties player for me -- the first NBA player I ever interviewed -- and is a regular vintage target of mine with a few pick-ups a year since I own most of his stuff. (I definitely own all of his Topps cards in slabs already.) This second-year card is a clean copy that appeals to me and it's one that is always carrying that weird ink blotch on the left -- it's definitely something in the negatives for one of the colors. I'd bet money that it's the reason why there are no 10s ... even though it's part of the design, albeit unintended. The only place I have seen it printed correctly is on progressive proofs you can see here. Clearly something went wrong after those were made.
The Grade: PSA 6

Reality Check: This is a pretty clean PSA 6 and it wasn't expensive, so that's why you see it here. Simple as that.

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LIKED THE LOOK
The Card: Gunnar Henderson 2023 Topps Flagship Collection -- RC-year insert
The Reason Graded: I slabbed a couple of cards for this former Rookie Of The Year last season and both graded pretty well. This one made the cut for me as the thicker-stock stuff tends to grade well and I like the look -- plus, it being in only one packaging format limits its overall volume made to a degree.
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: He got better last year vs. his rookie year, so Henderson is a guy I'd be watching. This is the best-graded of two slabbed by CGC ... but I'll do more if I see cards that I like.

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CARDBOARD FROM AN ICON
The Card: Tiffany Stratton 2023 Panini Prizm WWE Green parallel
The Reason Graded: This second helping of Tiffy Time this time isn't because this second-year retail-only parallel is something super unique in what it is. It's unique in its backstory that's really only known to me ... but here you go. It came from the collection of Ben Aguirre Jr., aka @cardboardicons online, and he pulled it from a blaster box at some Walmart in Wisconsin while on a work trip. He would regularly text me about card stuff and was on the hunt taking a break from some seminar and was shocked by all of the options he found at retail in the Midwest vs. California where he lived. I told him to grab Prizm WWE atop some other box and this was his only "notable" find ... we commiserated and were on to the next boxes, though Stratton has ended up becoming one of my main collecting targets since then. This later ended up in his COMC account and I picked it off and had it graded.
The Grade: CSG 9.5

Reality Check: It didn't matter what grade this one got ... I wanted it slabbed.

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HIGH-GRADE REPRINT
The Book: Captain America No. 241 (1993 JCPenney Marvel Vintage Pack reprint)
The Reason Graded: This iconic cover is one that a lot of people like and it arrived back in 1979 with the iconic hero facing off against the iconic vigilante -- a showdown of light and dark among Marvel heroes from famed artist Frank Miller -- and the original issue can be a pricey one in a slab with this kind of a grade. This isn't that, though. This is an early 1990s reprint (the Todd McFarlane-era Spider-Man logo in the UPC box  is the tell) only found in some junky bulk lots sold by that chain with some reprints worked into the mix to help make a stack a little stronger. I kept this and other reprints for sure -- I'm not sure how much of the other junkier filler survived -- from a couple of these cheap repacks grabbed just for the heck of it back then. When I recently went through some of my old stuff this one absolutely jumped out at me with how clean it was ... so I sent it in.
The Grade: CGC 9.8 (Universal)

Reality Check: A top mark without even needing pressing ... only six equal to it and none higher. I bet this is a win for pocket change plus the cost of grading ... here's what somebody got for one recently. Why the demand? Well, who was buying oddball JCPenney repacks back then when there were plenty of comics shops out there? How many existed to start and how many have survived to command a top mark?

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TEED OFF
The Card: Tiger Woods 2001 Upper Deck -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: Buzz bought a boatload of 2001 Upper Deck when it got cheap -- I remember landing a case of boxes for $75 long ago -- and that meant over time that I found a decent amount of the RCs for this golf icon. Me and everybody else. It's easily one of the most mass-produced cards ever made -- and also one of the most-graded -- but with all of the copies I had in my stash I never opted to grade one. I plucked this one from my stash and sent it in.
The Grade: CGC 9

Reality Check: I was surprised with this result to be honest, but there's a lot going on with these with their soft stock, heavy gloss and edges that can be funky (check those backs). I thought I'd check in higher for sure but I'm fine with nines. I think I have a couple others that might have been grading candidates, but golf is just not a high priority in my collection. I prefer the promo card for this set with a different photo and I graded that years ago.

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REMEMBERING AN ICON
The Mag: Mickey Mantle -- Sports Illustrated, Aug. 21, 1995 (obituary issue)
The Reason Bought: This mag checks in lower than my norm range, especially for newer stuff, but it was a nice piece as this black-and-white commemorative design is one where its flaws are kind of masked by the visual ... and for roughly the price it would cost to grade I added it, anyway. No-brainer. Would I pony up for a high-priced, higher-grade copy? No need. An iconic name but not one I actively collect ... this just was a nice visual piece for a bargain price. Filler ... but I like it.
The Grade: CGC 8.5 (Universal)

Reality Check: The spine here is clean and tight on the front -- those issues tend to annoy me the most -- while the back is where there's some funk. There's also some light color loss on the front from handling but it blends right in with the vintage photo. Plenty of issues check in higher than this one. I'm not sure I'd ever normally check in with a mag or comic below a nine for new stuff ... but the price made this an exception.

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GOING GREEN
The Card: Thunder Rosa 2021 UD AEW Spectrum Green (/25) -- RC parallel
The Reason Graded: This self-made indy wrestling veteran and now AEW star doesn't have a boatload of cardboard despite some time in the game, so the cards from this set -- technically her in-pack Rookie Cards excluding some Japanese stuff and an indy boxed set appearance -- have had me looking as a collector. Why? I like the energy and the look for her character, especially when in high-speed, ruthless-heel mode. This rarer parallel presented itself and I ponied up perhaps more than I might for others as I really liked the color match of the foil/background to the photo.
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: Lone copy graded was not a surprise at all ... but a 10 was. The centering here, depending on how one looks at the standing elements, might be a smidge off vertically but the rest was clean. I dig it.

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CALLED TO THE HALL
The Card: Ichiro Suzuki 2020 Topps Project 2020 by Sophia Chang (announced /6,207)
The Reason Bought: Remember me? Project 2020 seems like a lifetime ago -- maybe not for those who loaded up to flip hundreds of copies of cards and haven't finished yet -- but this simple take on his iconic 2001 Topps Rookie Card was a favorite of mine back in the day, though I will admit I'm not sure if I actually grabbed one back then or not. (Check the archives, let me know.) This presented itself for around $6, so it was an easy addition as a slab. Why? I like the original and ... you'll be seeing more of the original here soon as he's now a Hall of Famer.
The Grade: BGS 9

Reality Check: I was surprised to see how few of these are graded -- though BGS fees were probably quite high back then -- while the PSA pop report isn't much higher, either. (PSA has, however, graded more than 13,000 cards from the overall set.)

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REMEMBER ME FROM ...
The Card: Shelley Winters 1948 Bowman Photoplay Stars
The Reason Graded: I didn't know this set even existed until recently when I found it on a deep dive of non-sports cards online and I picked off a trio of really clean cards for a few low-priority reasons. This one? It wasn't super-cheap (around $10) but I knew that name/face from somewhere ... so I checked IMDb. It took a bit, but I figured it out ... I didn't know her from her Oscar-winning roles from the 1950s and 1960s. Instead, I knew her from when she was in the 1970s Disney film Pete's Dragon and as the grandma from Roseanne. (Read more about her life and career right here.) Now, why did I grade? This COMC find looked really, really clean in its scan save for the centering ... and since it's 75-plus years old I figured I'd slab for the heck of it. Slab variety.
The Grade: CGC 7

Reality Check: The edges are typical vintage cuts and it's legitimately clean save for the centering. Had that been stronger, this would have checked in even higher. By comparison, PSA has graded 22 of these and nothing has checked in higher than an eight.

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A SHORT-PRINTED MINI
The Card: Bo Bichette 2021 Topps Allen & Ginter Mini (extended SP)
The Reason Bought: This high-number mini for a player I regularly grab in slabs was an easy pick-up for the price -- less than $8 for a high-grade slab -- which was likely because it's not a rookie-year card. The fact that this is a 10 and it was pulled from a Rip Card made this a double no-brainer for me at that price.
The Grade: CSG 10

Reality Check: Two graded, none higher. Quality win for the collection.

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THE GLUE TO THE SHOW
The Card: Lauren Shehadi 2017 Topps MLB Network
The Reason Graded: Did this 2017 set arrive after I wrote this piece back in 2016? Probably not, but the notables from MLB TV have appeared on Topps cards in this one and in other subsequent releases a number of times. This set appeared only once per hobby box in all three series of flagship that year and this card has been on my radar in a few ways -- mostly because most of the other key names already had cards. I think I landed a slabbed in-person auto of this one long ago (she apparently signed though the mail regularly after these arrived) in lieu of the certified auto (/10) which I eventually found, too, but the base card actually had eluded me for some time. Why? I wanted a clean copy -- and that's not easy at a low (or even at a higher) price. Why? The skinny stock and those black edges/corners. I spotted this one and knew it would be a grading candidate ... so, nearly a decade later, here we are.
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: The corners on this one are light years ahead of many others you'll see out there in the world ... and yet I still only landed a nine. It could have always been worse. Next up, I might try slabbing her card and others from the numbered 5-by-7 versions of the set Topps sold ... once I can figure out where I've had them stashed away all these years.

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EARLIER CARDBOARD?
The Card: Lenina Huxley (Sandra Bullock) 1993 Skybox Demolition Man
The Reason Graded: Here's another big name of the 1990s and beyond on an early card appearance -- I'm not sure if it's her first in-pack card but it might be -- and that's why I popped this one into a bulk sub. I picked off a pair of these sets dirt cheap -- about $10 total -- and knew the grading would not be easy here as the stock is pretty soft, has all that color ink and is glossed.
The Grade: CGC 8

Reality Check: I had hoped for an 8.5/9 card, but the bottom corners here show why that didn't happen. They're not bad but two of them showing some spotting is probably too much. Some sellers have higher asking prices on singles like this -- one seller's price for this single card on COMC is higher than both my sets and I could add another and still have money left over -- but if you can find a clean set you'll save a few bucks. Bullock had other cards in this one -- and other notables do, too.

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'TIS THE SEASON
The Card: Jalen Hurts 2020 Panini Chronicles Gridiron Kings -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: Hurts' RCs can be found cheap, despite his impressive play for the Eagles, thanks to the volume made and a lot of releases in 2020 -- and this is right there with them from a release packed with a lot of cards for a few names.  How can I easily say those things? For one, check out the pop report stats below.
The Grade: CSG 9.5 (now 10)

Reality Check: A lot of these have been graded and only two have checked in higher, while a majority have checked in lower. This number seems pretty high overall but perhaps not for a popular rookie in 2020 from an affordable brand.

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'TIS THE SEASON II
The Card: Tua Tagovailoa 2020 Panini Chronicles Draft Picks Prestige Xtra Points Red -- RC parallel
The Reason Bought: See above for Hurts ... a lot of the same applies here, though the pop numbers are not as high as this is a parallel from a draft picks set and not an NFL release. This was an easy grab at around $6 for this collector -- the color is as right as that price. (Roll Tide again.)
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: Behold! One of the lowest-graded copies, though there's only one higher.

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LOOKED STRONGER
The Card: Muhammad Ali 1992 Pro Line Portraits Team NFL
The Reason Graded: I'm a sucker for pretty much everything Pro Line the first few years and one of the most-unique cards among many is this insert showing the boxing legend in some Miami Dolphins gear. It's not that rare or that pricey -- but these inserts aren't in every box -- and this one looked super, super clean over one COMC so I grabbed it and slabbed it without seeing it in-hand.
The Grade: CGC 8.5

Reality Check: The light spotting on a couple corners probably hurt it here -- maybe some back edge issues of minor visibility -- but I thought I had a nine or better here. It's OK ... I have others I may sub. Why? A legit high-grade 10 from the stuff from these years isn't the easiest thing in the world to pull off for Pro Line and especially Pro Set. The stock is just brutal at times in more than a few ways.

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NOTED THE NUMBER
The Card: Dream Bigger (Brian O'Halloran & Rosario Dawson) 2022 Zerocool Clerks III Yellow & Blue parallel (/99)
The Reason Graded: This parallel from the newest Clerks franchise shows a pair of the top names here -- one an O.G. in Dante and Becky (Dawson) who's the biggest A-lister in the franchise. Without giving away any spoilers, the cards showing these two always get a second look from me ... and this one's serial number, No. 37, well ... that got it slabbed.
The Grade: CGC 9

Reality Check: Lone copy graded wasn't a surprise ... a nine was. Generally speaking, this set is very cleanly printed, so I must have missed a surface spot or small issue somewhere. (The spots on the black line are dust from shipping materials I forgot to clean off.)

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THE PHOTOSHOPPED THROWBACK
The Card: Dansby Swanson 2015 Bowman Draft
The Reason Bought: This was a dirt-cheap addition just for the heck of it -- this MLB All-Star looks so weird in this uni as his only real games were played with the Braves and Cubs -- since it was a first card. It might have cost less than the pack it came from.
The Grade: CSG 9.5 (now 10)

Reality Check: The stock here in these days was as skinny as it gets -- so 10s are not a given -- but nearly all copies graded here have checked in at that spot.

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