Making the Grade (June): Big-time autographs, old comics, new slabs, error cards, Canadian stars & plenty 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 ...

MY FIRST NEW-LABEL SLAB ...
The Card: Derrick Henry 2016 Panini Origins Rookie Autographs #112
The Reason Graded: My latest submission of stuff from CSG is already back -- in times far faster than what's posted on their site -- and this card of Tennessee Titans star (and former Alabama Crimson Tide standout as well as Heisman Trophy winner) Derrick Henry was my choice for my first fast sub under their new format. Why? I thought it looked quite flawless with a solid on-card sig with literally nothing obviously wrong with the card. With this being perhaps my best NFL auto for him I opted to slab it since thick-stock cards like this have tended to grade cleanly for me.
The Grade: CSG 9.5 (10 auto)

Reality Check: I was a little surprised this didn't check in higher as the only couple of white spots on the card appeared to be to be part of the design's specs and splats but ... I'll live with it. This one might also be reflective of CSG's tough standards, which don't appear to have gotten easier at all with their new slabs and slightly tweaked scale at its top. (Cards previously in a CSG Gem Mint 9.5 are now Gem Mint 10s.) All in all, I'm good with this card and their new scale and look -- straight-on scans don't do these slabs justice. While I liked the previous style (and own plenty) this one is tight and right ... just like their time for return, price and structure that lets you see the front and backs of the cards as they were in-house. There won't be tampering/fake slabs when you can look up the card online -- a big plus over other slabs if you ask me.

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

A NAME IN THE NEWS
The Card: Sasha Banks 2017 Topps Heritage WWE Silver Autographs #NNO (/25)
The Reason Graded: I have a number of Banks autos and other hits I want to slab -- and you have seen a number of them here already if you're a regular reader -- but this one was part of a sub awhile back and I'd been waiting for a reason to pop it on here beyond something new on cardboard. As it turns out, her time in the WWE may be over as she and her tag partner recently walked out during a live show, leaving the company scrambling to re-write a main event that they had already announced during the broadcast. Not a good move for her cards at all ... but I'm still a fan.
The Grade: CSG 9.5 (10 auto)

Reality Check: The pop report counts these grades as 10s going forward (what they would be as today's slabs) so that's not a typo above or if you see this below. The grade was a slight surprise but I think it's accurate. I was fearing how the super-minor spot on the upper-right corner might grade. It's not a lift or anything it's just not a perfectly sharp square on thick retro-stock -- but it looks like I didn't have much to worry about. I don't grade autos all that often as I don't want to get any surprises back on cards I like, but this one was nice enough I took the risk of grading and it paid off pretty well.

-

REMEMBER THIS ONE?
The Comic: The Death of Superman -- Superman #75 (January 1993)
The Reason Graded: As you can see from the pop report stats, these aren't all that rare -- but I figured I'd sub it since my run of these were first-print newsstand copies and not direct/shop copies that are, in theory, way more plentiful in top grades. This one was landed back then as part of a Walmart value-pack for all of the issues that tied into this historic story arc long with some bonus item or something simple at a good price vs. cover. I was way more of a Marvel collector then and even Little Buzz then knew this was a marketing gimmick to sell some books ... yet I still did one. (But only one, unlike all the polybagged X-books back then.)
The Grade: CGC 9.6 (Universal)

Reality Check: I was hoping for a 9.8 a that's where the money is at with these but a 9.6 is still respectable as there are plenty in low grades here. Why are the 9.8's the most-plentiful? Probably due to the volume of copies made -- there is a lot to cherry pick from -- though I still think the barcoded retail copies will be rarer in the long run. Those copies didn't immediately live bagged and boarded like the other guys for this red-hot book back then. This one sold more than six million copies and the main villain, Doomsday, has been seen pretty much everywhere else in TV and DC movies since. You'll see more of him here in the coming months.

--

HIS OTHER SPORT
The Card: Michael Jordan 2013 SP Authentic Golf #23
The Reason Graded: Is a Jordan golf card a bit gimmicky? Sure, but it's not really a stretch as he's apparently pretty good, owns at least one course of his own and has a number of on-course stories out there for fans to eat up. He's got at least one Sports Illustrated cover as a golfer to go with his infamous one for baseball and dozens for basketball and, well, this isn't his only golf card, either. He's in other SPA releases and he's paired with Tiger Woods on a number of cards through the years, too. This one is easily among the cheapest but I liked a lot of the simple design touches here with its only flaw being the cropped-off club head. (I need a hint of that.) This copy looked pretty flawless so I threw it in a bulk sub figuring I could add it to my stash of Woods/Jordan slabs that aren't the typical stuff.
The Grade: CSG 9.5

Reality Check: I was right as this one checked in at Gem Mint (now a 10 on the table above) with none higher.

-

AN ODDBALL PICK-UP LONG AGO
The Comic: Prince: Alter Ego #1 (1991)
The Reason Graded: This was not my typical comic book grab back in the day but I knew this one was different as it was an indy book of sorts (at least not Marvel or DC) and a one-shot that popped up on newsstands for whatever reason. (Probably since it was Prince.) I grabbed one for the heck of it and held it for years -- its oddball status perhaps being why I never got rid of it -- until I recently dug it out for slabbing. Why? In top grades this book is pricey and it's even got some meaty price tags on it when it's not slabbed. They're a bit all over the place, but newsstand copies seem to carry a little more of a premium, too.
The Grade: CGC 9.6 (Universal)

Reality Check: I was hoping for a top mark but knew this one had at least one minor flaw on the spine that I knew wouldn't help ... I just wasn't sure how much it would hurt. Recent sales for slabs here are all over the $100 mark in even this grade, while a newsstand copy at a lower mark was the high at around $140. This book even had multiple printings ... so there was demand then even though I didn't see it. Long-term, stuff like this should maintain some type of demand as it was a one-time deal. All in all, not a bad $2 grab all those years ago.

--

GOOD CHARLOTTE
The Card: Charlotte Flair 2014 Topps Chrome WWE NXT Prospects #5
The Reason Bought: I have all but one of the key names in this simple but important set in a slab -- I own all of them raw -- but I punted any ideas of subbing one I have now and just grabbed this one graded. Why? It's not a clean one to find in my view and people who have 9.5s are waiting way more and those who didn't get them aren't trying to max out their cash. Flair isn't my favorite of this group but she'll probably remain the top name when everybody's careers are over.
The Grade: BGS 9

Reality Check: Only 84 cards for all cards in this set have been graded. No card has a BGS 10 of any kind. Paige, Sasha Banks and Flair are the three bigs graded here and of those three Flair is the toughest to land a 9.5. I would have preferred a 9.5 but not at three-times the price. I haven't looked at prices recently after grabbing this, so there's a chance prices have softened. This set and the standard set -- no parallels other than plates -- are keys in my WWE wheelhouse.

-

MASCOT MANIA!
The Card: Dennis Eckersley (with mascot race Dennis Eckersley) 2015 Topps Stadium Club #226
The Reason Graded: Buzz is a sucker for a good mascot card and this one is perhaps among the best of the best as the Hall of Fame closer for the Oakland A's is seen with, well, the Hall of Fame closer for the Oakland A's. Is this card worth a lot? Nah, but there are some rarer parallel versions to be found here that might be something here or there raw. I just liked this one so much I thought it would make for an appealing slab at a higher grade.
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: It's probably not high enough to matter here money-wise but I still like it. The stock here is pretty soft and its high-gloss approach also will do no favors if the cards aren't carefully handled. (They might also be sticking all these years later.) The backs are dark in color and chippy, too. What knocked me down? I dunno ... it's all good for a bulk-sub card.

--

TIME IN THE MILITARY
The Card: Ted Williams (1945 -- Sharpshooter) 1959 Fleer Ted Williams #24
The Reason Bought: This iconic Fleer set took Williams off the market for Topps and took us, well, everywhere with the Hall of Famer on the field as well as away from it. It's a pretty meaty set with a ton of visual hits and some misses -- and the cards are pretty cheap, too, for the era. I always liked this one as it was one of a few that highlighted his military career where he was an aviator in the U.S. Navy and a captain in the Marines, earning a number of honors after his combat missions in the Korean War. He was known for his eyesight on the field and this was an eyesight test while in training.
The Grade: SGC 86

Reality Check: You can find raw copies of this card under $10 and this copy wasn't substantially more -- less than some blaster boxes out in the retail wild -- while this grade is in the middle of the pack. It's nothing dramatically special ... I just liked it.

--

HIM & NOT-HIM
The Cards: Al Leiter 1988 Topps RC #18 (Error & Correction) -- Rookie Cards
The Reason Bought: Early in CSG's rookie season a lot of memorable but not pricey cards like these got slabbed and, well, I was there to pick off a few of them cheap while I waited on my first bulk sub to return. This was a memorably dramatic error and variation pair back then -- perhaps the first time I remember finding both versions with the cards looking so different -- so that's why I was a bit of a mark to grab these on the cheap. How cheap? The seller likely lost money vs. slab costs here.
The Grade: CSG 8.5

The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: The error card here (right) got the higher grade -- while the one with the real Leiter came in a little lower since that centering is off ... but it's not bad. I always found the error version in all my rips and I still have these buried in a box somewhere raw from way back then but the correction was one I only found once ... and it wasn't as clean as this one.

--

WAITING ON MY SUBMISSION ...
The Mag: Michael Jordan -- Sports Illustrated (Dec. 28, 1987) -- Subscription Edition
The Reason Bought: My first set of magazine submissions sent last year is still in CGC's hands but they should be back eventually (soon) with some titles that are a little more unusual than this one. In the meantime, I've found some stuff here and there at affordable prices to make sure I have a mag presence here each month along with comics. (I have gotten those back a couple times as they process those faster.) I always liked this one's photo -- it's a dramatic image even by today's standards -- but for back then this is a nice shot with a nice crop on a Jordan dunk. That's what this issue was all about -- good photos.
The Grade: CGC 7.0 (Universal)

Reality Check: Yes, I know that mailing label will annoy many of you out there as the newsstand copies are rarer in terms of potential grading volumes (most people simply subscribed) but there are actually more copies of label-less newsstand mags graded here (18) this this one. And, ironically, neither version has a 9.8 with the highest being a single 9.6. All that blue ink here looks good -- this book looks better than its grade -- but there are some color-less folds and other issues here that definitely dropped it down. I won't be grading a boatload of Sports Illustrated issues among my own subs but I have a few in my batches sent and on my tarmac here once things speed up. My tastes are a little more all over the place vs. simply sports icons for slabs ... but Jordan is always a good one.

--

FUN TRIVIA, CHEAP SLAB
The Card: Harry Chiti 1959 Topps #79
The Reason Bought: His 10 seasons in the majors aren't much for the record book from a statistical standpoint for the Cubs, Tigers, A's or Mets but he's got a place in the history books for sure and that fun piece of trivia is what got me to look and then grab this cheap slab. On April 25, 1962, the Indians (where he never actually played) traded him to the Mets for "a player to be named later" ... and on June 15, 1962, he was traded back the Indians as that player to be named later ... and he still never played for the Indians. He was the first player to be traded for himself -- but he wasn't the last.
The Grade: PSA 5

Reality Check: While his Rookie Card is found back in 1953 Bowman, this one is a relatively high-pop common and I went there with this one since it's colorful and a favorite set of mine from the 1950s. It's low-grade so it wasn't pricey.

--

REMEMEBER ME?
The Card: Delmon Young 2003 Playoff Prestige #206 -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: Speaking of not-pricey cardboard ... that was the variable here, too, though this card was a lot higher on the grading scale than the last. Young was a big-leaguer in parts of 10 seasons for five teams and it's fair to say he probably didn't live up to the No. 1 overall pick pressure put on him. I grabbed this for less than some of the retail packs out there these days -- or maybe about the price of what somebody paid to slab this in the good ol' days of bulk-slabbing. Maybe. Both of those things might serve as a reminder of diversifying your portfolio if you're going in hard with new releases and slabs of young players.
The Grade: BGS 9.5

Reality Check: Only a dozen exist in this grade and nothing higher. The fuzzy edges probably scare many off from grading here but that's just because these are real cardboard and not plastic. (All that fuzz isn't impeding into the card's area so it's not damage ... just not a smooth cut.)

--

MEMORABLY COMMON
The Card: Bob Welch 1991 Score #568
The Reason Graded: There are a lot of memorable and unique cards from the early days of Score MLB sets (1988-1992) and this is one that's always stood out as unique but never, ever been all that valuable. It's a showcase of his split-finger fastball on the front and it tells the story (in four paragraphs) of how that helped his career on the back. The photo on the card back is more traditional but it's one where the grip is obviously seen, too, making this a smartly crafted piece of cardboard. Welch won the 1990 American League Cy Young after his 27-6 season -- by far his best year of his career -- and was on the World Series champion 1989 A's team, too. To me, this card is more memorable than even his Rookie Card (1979 Topps). 
The Grade: CSG 9.5 (new label Gem Mint 10)

Reality Check: This is the only copy of this card graded by CSG and PSA has graded just one (a 10). None of the other of the major grading companies has graded one. If their fees were cheaper, I suspect more people might do weird stuff like this from time to time ... but they're not.

 --

MORE BO
The Card: Bo Bichette 2020 Panini Diamond Kings #144 -- Rookie Card (SP)
The Reason Bought: The Diamond Kings design is an acquired taste for sure but not even all that Photoshopped paintwork can take away from the mastery that is that batting stance and Bichette's second-generation swing. I picked up this one for less than the old blaster box price and I see why it got a nine with some roughness to that left edge. Everything else looked good to me -- and I need to look back at these again to see if prices have softened any. I could use a parallel or two if cheap enough.
The Grade: PSA 9

Reality Check: I should have checked the pop report to wait things out or hunt a 10 as I likely overpaid here a little based on his those stats look. It's OK, though, as I collect him.

--

YOU CAN'T SEE HIM
The Comic: Suicide Squad: King Shark #5 -- John Cena as Peacemaker variant cover
The Reason Bought: Confession: I need to see all of the Peacemaker spin-off episodes starring WWE star (and Hall of Fame lock) John Cena, and I say that knowing that, well, peoples' opinions are mixed on the film franchise. I liked the full cut on the original Suicide Squad movie nobody seemingly liked and then I didn't like the Harley Quinn spin-off. (I caught the second movie over the weekend and I like where this character is going, too.) I don't even know how I found out this variant existed but since it might be his first appearance in a comic as the character -- that is clearly Cena in the costume -- I bit. I like the idea of pieces that cross over collecting genres -- this and WWE -- similar to Sasha Banks' Star Wars cards.
The Grade: CGC 9.6 (Universal)

Reality Check: This was the only copy on the pop report back when I found it -- another reason I bit right then -- and it hasn't been topped even though it's been equaled.

--

FEELING GOLDEN
The Card: Bo Bichette 2020 Topps Gold Stars Walmart factory set #78 -- Rookie Card parallel
The Reason Bought: As part of my Bichette buying of the last couple years, I recently went ahead and ponied up a little for a 10 copy of his RC parallel only found in some factory sets found at Walmart. I did pull one of these sets, but the card backs can have some black-ink funk on them and that was the case with my copy I pulled.
The Grade: PSA 10

Reality Check: The grading volume here isn't as insane as the base card -- that one is over 29,000 copies graded -- though most are checking in at 10s and not lower.

--

FEELING FROSTY?
The Card: Antonino Rocca 1951 Topps Ringside #53
The Reason Bought: I didn't notice this when I found it, but that left side/bottom of the slab is very frosty -- as in it might be altered -- but this is a card I have always wanted in any form for a high-flying old-time member of the WWE Hall of Fame. (Its overall condition isn't great so I doubt it's altered ... but it could be.) Rocca is one of a few pro wrestlers found in what is otherwise a boxing card set that in some cases was packed out as two-card panels (so some cards can be found with rough perforation tabs on ends). I'll readily admit I'm not all that knowledgeable of stuff from this era -- it's the Capitol Wrestling Corporation, which came before the World Wide Wrestling Federation, which became the WWF and then the WWE -- but this card is a memorable one with the acrobatic star who wrestled without shoes showing off. (Remember, this is in a boxing set.) My basics about him are overly simplified but let's just say another way you can know he was a big deal is that he wrestled Superman -- yes, Superman -- in one of his old comics.
The Grade: PSA 5

Reality Check: For a vintage release, this slab volume seems low, though that may just be because it's not one of the four major sports. These cards are definitely findable -- but conditions can be very rough. (Another reason people may not grade.)

--

AN IICONIC DUO
The Cards: Billie Kay & Peyton Royce 2018 Topps WWE Then Now Forever Blue Autographs (#111 and #158) (/50)
The Reason Graded: This duo recently went on hiatus as wrestlers but one (so far) has landed a film role letting them dabble there where they want to while stepping away from the ring. I bet they'll be back as they can entertain either as a talking duo or in the ring -- and that's one reason I've grabbed good cards here and there and slabbed a few, too. Either way, these Aussie stars made their mark and have had memorable careers.
The Grade: CSG 9.5 (10 auto)

The Grade: CSG 9.5 (10 auto)

Reality Check: A matching pair here is exactly what I have gone for with both the un-signed blue parallel and these parallel autos. Why? The poses are part of their tandem entrance routine so they just feel right as a tandem. Both have plenty of card appearances so time out of sight may soften prices -- and I think the Blue parallels are the best cards in this release.

-

A CARD OF ITS TIME
The Card: Ken Griffey Jr. 1994 Collector's Choice Home Run All-Stars #HA2
The Reason Graded: I always liked this small set, which was a prize in a contest in packs that year called "Crash The Game." That doesn't really matter now though, but this set is a showcase of holograms meeting foil-stamped cardboard (his autograph is atop his photo, tough to see here) while the design is a nod to the brick warehouse outside Camden Yards which Griffey hit during the Home Run Derby that year. Cheap card, cool card if you ask me ... and it would be cooler as a 9.5/10. And I'd probably pay for that if it presented itself.
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: This was part of a cheap bulk sub and I still like it as a nine seeing how none have topped it with a decent volume them graded. Why none higher? Probably something with the corners from packing or all that gloss and the hologram if I had to bet. I thought mine looked fine.

-

GOING OLDSCHOOL
The Card: Mark Grace & Darrin Jackson 1988 Fleer #641 -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: Cubs fans probably appreciate this one more than most -- just like they probably do the player -- but if you were collecting in 1988 and 1989 then you know that Mark Grace was a big deal. He was a three-time All-Star and got himself a World Series ring as a Diamondbacks player in 2001 but his 1988 RCs are ones that always get my attention (as long as they are cheap) today. I don't have all of them between Topps, Donruss, Fleer, the Score Rookie & Traded set and then some company's updates but I'm close.
The Grade: BGS 9

Reality Check: Many cards check in lower than this one, so I am good with this grade found at a bargain price.

--

ONE FROM UP NORTH ...
The Card: Johnny Musso 1972 O-Pee-Chee Canadian Football League #46 -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: I liked the look of this one condition-wise and picked it up as my first example of a KSA slab, which is from a grading company based in Canada. I generally stick to the other graders you see here but this one is about the card -- a CFL RC of sorts (he doesn't have anything else in-pack per se that's close) and he's part of my school ties part of my collection.
The Grade: KSA 8.5

Reality Check: I don't know if there's actually a pop report for KSA and this card didn't help. When I went to check the serial-number on the back of the slab nothing came up in their system save for a message saying for me to send photos in to an email address. (Probably some data loss in the past for them.) I checked a different card's serial-number and it didn't cough up any other info on that one ... so my pop report issue may be solved.

--

ANOTHER FROM UP NORTH
The Card: Chris Boucher 2020-21 Panini National Treasures Signatures #S-CBC (/99)
The Reason Bought: Boucher is another school-ties guy for me, so I picked up this premium-brand slab for an otherwise unimpressive autograph ... but at least it's an on-card unimpressive autograph. I've told his story here a few times -- he has a boatload of certified autos but very few if any base cards and his "Rookie Card" by the traditional definition came well after his first inked cards. That's an interesting scenario for a guy who has had some pretty good on-court success at every level of the game. Literally every level of the game.
The Grade: SGC 8.5

Reality Check: These thick-stock cards can be chippy at times (often on the backs based on what I have seen) while the color on the corners here can show how it was handled to get that on-card sig. It was a cheap card so I knew what I was getting.

--

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

>> Click here to buy cards on BlowoutCards.com.