Making the Grade (Jan.): Stranger Things, newer stars, older mags, legendary ink and more star power as we hit a new year

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 ...

THEY'RE BACK ... SOMETIME SOON
The Item: Stranger Things Season 1 Target-exclusive Blu-ray set (2016)
The Reason Bought: How many Netflix series these days get a physical DVD release of any kind? How many get chain store-exclusive variant versions? Not that much of anything TV gets a physical release, really, not at least anywhere near the volumes of the past and that thought, along with the fact that the final season of this franchise is finally dropping sometime this year, got me looking here. I really liked the feel of this DVD set that's made to look like an old 1980s VHS sleeve that's had plenty of wear and tear and I also liked the idea of a graded item with that feel -- one where its actual flaws can blend in well and not stand out as glaring reasons why an item didn't grade higher.
The Grade: CGC 9.4 (A+ seal)

Reality Check: There are definitely other* copies of this one graded, but a pop report doesn't yet appear to be live for CGC Home Video (or it was down when I prepped this) and my number didn't come up on the verification search, either. That's OK for me as slabbed movies and games aren't as high on my radar in slabs as cards and magazines in terms of a "commodity" ... these are more the kind of shelf item with maybe some longer-term potential substance to them. To me they're more of a name-your-price novelty -- and, as an aside, I do like CGC's cases a lot more than others in this realm. This was a relatively cheap addition as well -- less than a lot of retail card boxes -- and over time affordable items can build a collection. One scary part? This is not far away from being 10 years old ... time flies.

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

AS GOOD AS IT GETS
The Card: Rhea Ripley 2023 Panini The National Red parallel (/99)
The Reason Graded: I spotted this show-pack rarity over on COMC and it looked really clean among the options at a modest price so I bit for a grab and slab without ever having it in-hand. Why? She's easily a top young name in the game and the non-traditional way these cards were released definitely will make these tougher to find over the years vs. traditional in-pack stuff -- plus these were multi-sport promo packs where the WWE stuff might be set aside by non-wrestling fans and forgotten.
The Grade: GGC 10 (Pristine)

Reality Check: The perfect result. Nothing else to say.

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LEGENDARY INK
The Card: Frank Robinson 2001 Fleer Greats Of The Game Autographs
The Reason Graded: I spotted this one on COMC as well and, while I know the white stock can obscure issues here, my opening of these long ago left a good impression other than maybe some surface spottiness, which is more about the stock than what's printed on it. The autograph here was crisp and bold, too, for a Hall of Famer whose ink can sometimes overwhelm a card's look -- and him on the Reds also is what I prefer.
The Grade: CGC 9 (10 auto)

Reality Check: As long as this came back a nine, it was a win in my eyes ... and it did.

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A TOP ROOKIE
The Card: Gunnar Henderson 2023 Topps Allen & Ginter Rookie Design Variations Mini -- RC-year insert
The Reason Graded: My photo here is a bit iffy -- I was having lighting issues and didn't realize the gold was blacked out until after I had filed everything away -- but the card is a top-grade perfect specimen for a guy who was playing well this season when I grabbed and slabbed this. Why this card? I liked the throwback design -- I was a heavy buyer for 2006 Allen & Ginter -- and I like mini rookies.
The Grade: CGC 10 (Pristine)

Reality Check: Top copy of two graded ... works for me. The fact that the second one checked in at a nine shows the risks here -- the minis can bounce around in the packs at times and corners can pay the price.

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MACHETE DON'T TEXT ... BUT APRIL PROBABLY DOES
The Card: Lindsay Lohan as April Booth -- 2013 Geekroom Machete (announced as /300)
The Reason Graded: As I mentioned last year, this set is one where I stockpiled a small volume of them a few years ago because I like the quirks of this movie and its characters. The end of the set includes actor credit cards -- their main cards -- after the set previously went through memorable scenes and this one was among a pair I subbed to see how they'd do. After my results so far, I'll sub more ... once I figure out where I put my box of sets.
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: Sole copy graded isn't a surprise and a 10 works for me. Lohan has cards from some past products and a few here but since this small-company set was printed in relatively low volume, asking prices for even raw copies can be steep here ... another sign that I should slab more from this one.

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NINES ARE FINE
The Card: Julio Rodriguez 2022 Topps Heritage High Number -- first Heritage card
The Reason Bought: His first Topps Heritage card is one where I like the quirks of the 1973 design along with a retro-style bat-to-camera pose and it'll go in there with my Heritage RCs in slabs. Why? The oldschool collector in me likes traditional cardboard and slabbing this stuff can be a challenge if graded with scrutiny, especially if you know the card backs here.
The Grade: PSA 9

Reality Check: The volume of this one is high and most check in at this mark with a strong volume of 10s in play, too, but when I shop for PSA slabs I tend to look for a clean slab at a low price ... so it's no risk for me if the overall volume is steep. The key newcomers here are all on my radar as they're cheap and easily available ... but slabbing and landing top marks won't be. I will keep watching all of the key names as a collector.

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FINALLY GRADED MINE
The Card: Pat Tillman 2001 Fleer Tradition -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: I had this card in my to-grade stack for literally years and it's already been more than 20 years since he opted for military service (here's an Sports Illustrated item telling his story) and died while in Afghanistan. I ripped a lot of packs of this one back in the day -- likely chasing some Alabama newcomers and other favorites -- and jettisoned many of the cards over the years but held all of the obvious stars, rookies and subsets such as this one. Why? I'm not sure ... though I did buy a lot, so I'm sure the commons got to be cumbersome with their volume. By the time Tillman's story took a different turn, I did have this one among those cards I kept -- my only copy -- so it's been held all this time. Now it'll reside in my collection of slabs.
The Grade: CGC 9

Reality Check: Nines are fine and I wasn't even necessarily expecting that with the soft stock here and my centering that's obviously a smidge off, but most copies here check in at this grade with only three higher.

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TWICE AS NICE
The Cards: Tua Tagovailoa 2020 Panini Chronicles Draft Picks Phoenix Red -- RC parallels
The Reason Bought: I picked off this pair on the absolute dirt cheap -- about $10 total -- since this color of parallel is the best option for a Crimson Tide star and a Tide collector. Draft picks cards can't keep up with NFL stuff over time and in this era there was a lot of all of it made for a lot of people buying ... all variables that keep me looking for appealing Crimson Tide creations. Chronicles is loaded with him and others on my radar.
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: The pop report is pretty modest, really, but there are copies that are higher and also much lower so nines are, again, fine by me.

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THE DEBUT I SKIPPED LONG AGO ...
The Mag: Tua Tagovailoa -- Sports Illustrated, Jan. 15, 2018 (first cover)
The Reason Bought: I've had this one on my slab radar for a long time -- and even moreso after I remembered seeing this mag after his national arrival on the biggest stage of them all with the biggest result (perhaps the best game I've seen ... here's the end) and then balked at buying a copy at newsstand because they were all mangled and I didn't like its size for its price. Of course, grading magazines was nowhere near my radar in 2018. I landed this at a fraction of the typical asking prices and it was a no-brainer as I just wanted one that looked respectable in my stash.
The Grade: CGC 9.6 (Universal)

Reality Check: Only one 9.8 exists and that's fine by me -- not paying this price -- and my price was less than the asking prices for lower-grade copies on eBay right now, too. I can cross this one off and perhaps target one other cover and then my focus can be on cards more than other stuff. There's a Funko Pop! that might show up here for him at some point, though. (Maybe ... just for fun.) Didn't know they graded those? Keep reading ...

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THE THREE QBs
The Card: Peyton, Eli and Cooper Manning 2000 Collector's Edge Peyton Manning Destiny
The Reason Graded: This is from a small boxed set of 50 cards highlighting the career of then-newcomer Peyton Manning and most are pretty standard action shots of, well, not much substance after years of stuff coming afterward and some other slightly different looks on cards. But this one always struck me as different and one of the best odd cards of the bunch. The set isn't that rare -- I either landed it in a blaster box as a bonus or in some retail repack years ago -- but there are parallel versions to be found, though the printing/cutting isn't as friendly for slabbing with its stock, so slabbing can be a challenge.
The Grade: CSG 8

Reality Check: I was grading this one no matter what -- because that's Eli and Cooper Manning with him and there are not many cards with all of them together. (I know of no others off the top of my head, but it's possible.) This looked like it would be a candidate for a higher mark, so it made the cut on a bulk sub but ... back corners get a say, too, and they weren't as clean as they need to be. The front looks pretty good. The back edges on this one are pretty clean -- and they can be absolutely awful in some instances. Still a quirky card and a fun weird slab, though.

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ONE CLEAN COIN
The Coin: 2007 U.S. quarter-dollar proof -- Wyoming version (2007 S CLAD 25C)
The Reason Bought: I mentioned my reasons for some late-year coin slab additions last time and this is my second of two affordable additions to add some here. Why this one? It's from the "50 State Quarters Program" that launched in 1999, giving all states their own back to give collectors some new looks. Each year, five states got their coin and the simplicity of the logo here got me to bite with this super-shiny proof (an "ultra cameo") looking so nice that even some of the coin's reflection off the inside of the case can be seen on the surface.
The Grade: NGC PF 69 Ultra Cameo

Reality Check: It was a cheap grab for me so a 69 vs. a 70 didn't matter -- and there's good volume on both. Will I collect 'em all? Nope, though I did toy with the idea of grabbing one for all five states where I have lived. (Maybe ... it's not a high-priority project.) A lot of modern coin slabs can be found pretty cheap -- cheaper than you might expect -- though obviously more than what the coin's worth raw.

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YOU'RE WELCOME
The Card: Saraya 2022 UD AEW New Arrivals
The Reason Bought: This moment is one where it still might be one of the biggest surprises (definitely to this fan) in literally years for all of pro wrestling. I've written about it here before, but basically she was permanently retired from WWE action due to a serious neck injury at just age 26 in 2018 ... but returned on a big stage in AEW with little chatter before it actually happened. (The crowd reaction was unreal and mine was, too.) It was, and remains, a great moment after some legit bummers in her story. Due to product delays, she really didn't have much AEW cardboard at all beyond this, and I picked off a number of raw copies, aiming to find something worthy of a top slab ... and I have struck out often.
The Grade: CSG 10

Reality Check: This one presented itself and, well, I watched and watched and watched it and then finally ponied up to grab it at a steep price (for me), knowing how none of my two dozen (or more) copies were not going to cut it for this mark. Simply put, I had to have this card.

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FLASHY GAMING
The Card: Mina Shirakawa 2023 Bushiroad Rebirth For You Stardom foil parallel
The Reason Graded: Photo-wise, the holographic foil surface here was a fight but, well, this Japanese star is a fighter who has in recent months made her way to American wrestling via AEW ... and that got this collector to look. Her BBM Rookie Card -- pre-Stardom promotion -- is a little pricey for me (I'll probably just buy one already slabbed if it presents itself) so I bit on this cheaper parallel card from a gaming-style set from Japan as a starter point.
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: I'm not surprised I'm the first to slab but I am sure these Bushiroad Rebirth cards for her and others of note will be slabbed more and more via a few companies as they are widely available and are printed and cut as clean as it gets. I'd be shocked to see anything below a 10 from any company with these ... they are that cleanly made.

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JUST TO SEE ...
The Item: Slash (Guns N' Roses) 2024 Funko Pop! Rocks figure
The Reason Bought: I have had a couple of Funko Pop! figures on my mental maybe-grade list -- no idea where I put them, hough -- since PSA revealed its slabbing on this front in the past. Never got around to it but when I spotted a serious volume of these from a seller with sports and non-sports figures at modest prices for the misses -- an 8.5 is a "miss" for sure -- I bit here just to see how things looked in-person and get an idea of the scale. While I prefer the original Slash figure -- it, too, is stored away with other Funkos (somewhere) in my collection -- this was cheap enough I bit for what it would cost to grade (shipped). So it would have cost more to find the figure and shipping each way if I were to grade on my own.
The Grade: PSA 8.5

Reality Check: The pop report* here doesn't appear to be active but I do know more than one of these has been graded. Beyond that, I was a little surprised to see that an 8.5 allows for some smaller creasing in the packaging -- in this case on the back as if the box was haphazardly opened once and bent. It's not a bad bend 0r a crunch like a case got dropped but I do know I wouldn't submit a Funko with a bent-up box to start. I'd probably stick to nines and up if dabbling here. The case is nice and firm with a similar feel to cards ... but a bit thicker. Will I do another or slab one? Maybe or maybe not. If the right name popped up at the right place I might bite but I'm not sure these will be on my radar heavily ... but you can never say never.

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THAT'S MY MEMORABILA
The Card: T.J. Yeldon 2018 Score Red Zone parallel (/20)
The Reason Graded: If you're a regular (or long-time) reader here, you might remember this. This former Alabama Crimson Tide star is carrying a game-used football that I own -- that story is here -- and he scored a touchdown with it on this very play. Why don't the socks match the photo to the card? That story is here. Since the NFL season is heading toward its finale, this was one of a few football subs I made recently and I figured now's the time for some of the stuff to appear here. Expect more next month before the Super Bowl.
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: Not surprised this is the only one -- it's rarer parallel of a common -- but it's going with my football and I figured red was a good fit for the collection, too. (Plus the parallel stock seems a little cleaner for grading.)

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NOT WHO YOU MAY THINK ...
The Card: Sabé (Keira Knightley) 2000 Star Wars: Young Jedi Collectible Card Game Battle of Naboo Expansion Set
The Reason Graded: Sabé was a decoy to help protect Luke and Leia's mom back in the day -- I can't remember or care about which movie at this point -- but cards of Knightley still stand out as there aren't tons of them compared to a lot of characters. Plus, a lot of people don't seem to realize -- I didn't for a long time -- that this wasn't some GCI job where Padmé Amidala (aka Natalie Portman) was on screen twice and beyond that Knightley would go on to other notable roles. All that said, this card from a past gaming release jumped out at me on COMC because it's from literally years before other cards showed up for the character. My crack research shows nothing until 2012 Topps Star Wars Galactic Files for non-gaming/playing cards and then not much after that for a few years before more regular appearances. Knightley even now has a certified auto or two.
The Grade: CGC 9

Reality Check: Is this a first card? I don't know -- I'm just a casual Star Wars buyer now as there's just too much -- but I thought this would be a solid little slab and for a story here. I'm fine with nines so it checking in there is OK and it's the only one ... for now.

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BIG THINGS TO COME?
The Card: Solo Sikoa 2022 Panini Select WWE Red (/249) -- RC parallel
The Reason Bought: I picked up this card already graded for a really cheap price since it's a RC and he's been injected into some main-event storylines over the last couple years. His stock, to me, has slipped with the move into a main player in The Bloodline saga while Roman Reigns and The Rock had been away, but I think there's still more to come without him being the No. 1 guy ... plus he's young so there's plenty of ring time to come.
The Grade: PSA 9

Reality Check: Centering on this entire release is an issue left-right but this one looks clean there and I think that's another reason I grabbed it.

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TIFFY TIMES TWO
The Cards: Tiffany Stratton 2022 Panini Prizm WWE Hyper Prizms -- RC parallels
The Reason Bought: I've been sold on Stratton for a long time now and that has meant dabbling with already-graded slabs as well as submissions of my own. In the case of her RC here, that has meant I have grabbed parallels twice in a couple instances ... but since the prices were right this was not a big deal to me.
The Grade: PSA 8 & CGC 9

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Reality Check: I think I picked off the CGC copy first before the other one -- the PSA perhaps lower than I'd regularly go for a slab -- presented itself at a price too low to not rescue it. I'm sold on Stratton and I think this texture of Prizm is really overlooked for the amount of flashy appeal found here. The left-right centering seems to be the issue often -- just like in Select -- but as a bargain-shopper I'm fine with that.

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NO CHICKEN NEEDED
The Card: Wade Boggs 1983 Donruss -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: This is my favorite RC for this Hall of Famer and when I spotted this slab under $10 it got me to stop and look at everything up for grabs. This card is super clean for that mark and I think most of it is based on the centering as I didn't see much wrong with it otherwise. No-brainer of a buy and I think it's from a factory set, too, as it's just clean.
The Grade: CSG 8.5

Reality Check: Most copies check in here with a decent number of nines but not much above that. Typical vintage/1980s look there in the numbers. A nine is a big win in this era and anything above that is elite. People not realizing that can mean bargains on grades like this one. I'd take it often.

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YOU KNOW THERE'S BO ...
The Card: Bo Bichette 2020 Bowman Heritage -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: Bowman Heritage is kind of the forgotten brand in recent years but I liked the look of this 1992 Bowman re-do a lot with this photo of his batting stance. There are others with photos like it and I've probably bought those, too.
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: The volume isn't high here but over half of them check in as 10s ... I'm fine with that since this wasn't a pricey buy.

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... AND SHOTZI, TOO
The Card: Shotzi Blackheart 2021 Topps Chrome WWE
The Reason Bought: I picked this one off cheap after landing a different Shotzi already slabbed at a bargain price from the same seller ... and this one, while a cheaper and more-common card, was a surprise. It's, in my mind, a little dirty for the grade ... as in it might have needed a fingerprint wipe before slabbing.
The Grade: CSG 9.5

Reality Check: It's got some spots on it where I wondered about the grade, but I think it just didn't get a wipedown on the surface along the sides before grading. Not a big deal as this is just a filler slab for one of my main collecting targets these days.

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AN INTERNATIONAL THROWBACK
The Card: Sonny & Cher 1966-68 Dutch Gum Unnumbered Set 3 Group 3 (looking up version)
The Reason Graded: Another oddball COMC buy, this one looked like it could be an elite-grade contender -- and it still does to me save for some corner spotting that blends right in with the white stock. Why this card? There's a whole world of European cards out there for non-sports -- way more than people might see at a show or even a deeply stocked or specialized card shop -- and icons of the past like these two (1960s/1970s for them both and for her into the 1980s and beyond) can make for unique slabs with good appeal ... if the grade is strong. (Plus, is it just me or does she look like Jersey Shore's Snooki here?)
The Grade: CGC 6

Reality Check: This one missed the mark for an elite grade, but since it's a little earlier card for them right in the prime of their arrivals for music and early TV spots I still don't mind it. A lot of these sets are very affordable ... it's just a matter of realizing they exist and then searching for names that appeal to you. (Hint: Check the non-sports section of COMC.)

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CHEAP FILLER
The Card: Wrigley Field (first night game) 1989 Score
The Reason Bought: This was an admitted filler slab but an oddball card so I grabbed it for next to nothing. What's the deal? In 1988 Wrigley Field finally added outfield lights ... up to that point, the Cubs only played home games during the day. MLB's first night game came way back in 1935 but not here -- read this for the story of why it finally happened.
The Grade: CGC 9

Reality Check: I was surprised to see five copies of this card graded -- it's cheap and readily available -- but in a slab 1989 Score may not yield the friendliest of results. This is the most-common grade of the five and surprisingly there is a 10. (The bottom left blue corner is fine here -- just a case scuff or some errant dust I didn't rub off the case.)

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ODDBALL MiLB?
The Card: Mark Prior 2002 Grandstand West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx Mark Prior (standalone set)
The Reason Bought: I could have held this one for a graded inclusion over in the MiLB Madness series each month but I didn't. This comes from a small six-card set that's all about this first-round pick (second overall) who ironically only pitched six games for the team that year before heading to Wrigley Field. The set is different ... for example, the back of this card talks about how his debut was delayed so he could attend the Sullivan Award ceremony ...  which was won by Michelle Kwan.
The Grade: BGS 9

Reality Check: The fact that so many of this one -- with its non-traditional card photo -- was graded shows how big of a deal he was back then. This and the Wrigley card cost me about $10 total ... and that's probably still high -- but I liked the oddball appeal of both.

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BABY SPICE!
The Sticker: Baby Spice (aka Emma Bunton) 1997 Magic Box International Spice World stickers
The Reason Graded: Buzz is letting MTV Classic roll in the background more and more as I work during the day, and I'll admit that has led to some curiosity searches as to what kind of cardboard some names from the past might have. This is one of those times -- and the challenge of grading stickers is also seen here.
The Grade: CGC 8.5

Reality Check: What exactly knocked this one down to an 8.5? I'm not totally sure but the centering is a little more off left-right and you never know with paper or adhesives, which can leave spotting on fronts or backs as this stuff ages. This was an oddball COMC grab and slab there ... so I didn't exam it before slabbing. Since it's different, I don't mind it even at this grade.

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DREW FOR TWO
The Card: Drew Barrymore (January 1995 cover) 2005 Stellar Playboy 50th Anniversary
The Reason Graded: As part of a 50th anniversary card set made 20 years ago, a few covers from the past capped the set and in this case an issue that turned 30 years old today made that cut along with a few other celebs and iconic cover designs and stars. There have been sets for this realm since the 1990s but they're largely off the radar as small-company creations without widespread distribution. This Barrymore collector added these as they are her only cards from any of those sets.
The Grade: CGC 9

Reality Check: I couldn't decide between the two so I sent both -- and I figured that could help me avoid a lower mark in case the graders somehow felt that the irregular background white was somehow an issue with the ink. (The wall behind her is white ... but it's been slightly tweaked for the card.) Same grades. If I find more, I might slab more ... but the stock here is really soft, is glossed and there seem to always be very minor corner issues (perhaps from cutting or packaging) that might make it tough to top this mark.

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