Making the Grade (May): Bryce Young, Rhea Ripley ink, J-Rod, The Rock's RC, Princess Leia, old magazines & 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 ...

No. 1 GOES FIRST HERE, TOO ...
The Card: Bryce Young 2021 Onyx Vintage College Football Autographs
The Reason Graded: I collect Alabama guys but on the cheap so when a top talent arrives on NFL cardboard odds are I already found them ... if they had stuff. Generally, I try to have auto of all new big names and in the most-recent years thanks to NIL deals where active players can sign autograph deals that's been easier to do -- for both big names and guys who won't be top picks. In the case of this new Carolina Panthers QB, I pulled this one -- something I also did with Tua Tagovailoa -- so I don't have to chase new stuff after he was taken No. 1 in this year's NFL Draft. (But I will if I somehow find bargains.) This one is nice as it's on-card, has a clean retro design (I like that) and has a design/photo that doesn't showcase the fact that there are a couple small missing logos here that would come with full licensing. Atop that, his autograph on this card -- and the card itself -- is super clean and many of his autos are absolutely not clean in recent years. (In fact, I'd say that his auto is bad way more often than it's good ... and it's not that good visually to start with.) When I saw this one, I knew I needed to slab it for those reasons.
The Grade: CSG 9.5

Reality Check: I was a little worried about the surface here as the retro stock is definitely no-frills -- it doesn't even have a light gloss -- but it checked in with a grade I don't mind. I was happy with this and you'll probably see more of Young here in this series -- or at least Buzz Buys -- more once new NFL stuff starts popping up and the college colors fade away for some. Those colors won't fade away for me -- I like them a lot more than anything Carolina -- and he's always going to be the first Heisman-winning Alabama QB.

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

AND NEW ...
The Cards: Rhea Ripley 2020 Topps WWE NXT Roster Autographs & Silver parallel (/25) -- rookie-year/first autos
The Reason Graded: She's one of two top women's champs in WWE after this year's WrestleMania and that has a couple of her cards back on my radar like this one. That's more for fun than any flipper potential but that's also likely going to happen here to a degree if you're hunting bargains. She's legit and is an established name and player at age 26 -- that means a lot more time to go in WWE barring any injuries. These cards were ones I pulled from packs if I remember correctly -- I own a few of a few colors -- and both looked clean enough to put into a bulk sub before 'Mania.
The Grades: CSG 9.5 & CSG 8.5

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Reality Check: I'll admit the 8.5 was a bummer but the centering there is off for sure -- I didn't even notice it that much until prepping this file -- but the regular one is tight and I'm good with the pairing. (It's a clean 8.5, which is more than I can say for a lot of cards from that product.) I may grade others that I have at some point, too, but some other premium-brand Ripely autos are also in my stash that need graded sooner.

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SEEING RED
The Card: Julio Rodriguez 2022 Topps Stadium Club Red parallel
The Reason Bought: I'm a big fan of these cards as that color foil just pops off the card unlike some of the hues that are used in this photography showcase. While I was looking for a different name and striking out on slabs -- Ks and Spencer Strider were definitely a thing last year -- I did put in an offer on this one figuring it would not be mine ... but here we are. I likely overpaid but I liked it, though it's not really the best Stadium Club photo.
The Grade: PSA 9

Reality Check: The volume graded here isn't bad -- and I am sure the pop report is way higher on the standard card, which is another reason I like a graded parallel more. (There's a good shot that prices will dip on his basic cards as their volume rises.) While it's not a top grade it's not an awful one ... and it's not the lowest so I am comfy with it.

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A MOUNT RUSHMORE OF ROCK II
The Cards: The Rock 1998 WWF Superstarz -- Rookie Card (champions subset)
The Reason Graded: Like I said last month, I had a run of Rock RCs from opening a box and finding a set in an album I bought and I couldn't decide which ones to send ... so I sent them all. The glossed stock here is kind of soft and cuts can be rough but my copies of this card were a little cleaner than a lot of 'em I have from the set -- but they were getting graded no matter what. He has two cards in the base set -- this one in a small group of cards for stars who were champions at the time -- and I like this one more with a portrait and The People's Eyebrow raised. This is a quality card.
The Grades: CSG 8-9

Reality Check: Like the other one, I was a little surprised by my results but at the same time a nine isn't a perfect card, either. Mine checked in well here -- nothing tops my top three -- so I can't hate that.

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A HISTORIC RUN
The Mag: Mark Ingram II -- Sports Illustrated, Nov. 30, 2009 (first cover)
The Reason Graded: I'm not a huge fan of graded SI magazines that are newer but that's mostly because they can be so skinny that they feel like they aren't laying flat in their slabs ... but I made an exception for the first Alabama Heisman Trophy winner's first cover. This one was a recent return for me after a batch that was out for more than a year and I figured it was clean enough to get slabbed ... but I didn't bother getting it pressed. (That's likely the difference between this and a higher grade here.)
The Grade: CGC 9.4 (Universal)

Reality Check: I was OK with the grade -- I figured it would be that or higher -- but on new stuff like this a 9.8 or 9.6 is the ideal grade with the top mark being the main one to seek. Why? These can still be found cleanly and the premium-money for sellers is really only at the top couple of slots with stuff that can still be found and graded. In this case it doesn't matter as I'm not a seller, but I was surprised to see that this was a "top pop" -- but then I wasn't surprised as it is the only copy graded. That's not all that surprising, though, as his NFL career is winding down. Did you know he's the leading rusher in Saints history -- tops with both 1,451 carries for 6,500 yards -- as well as in rushing TDs (52) after 12 NFL seasons? Fun facts.

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BARGAIN-PRICED BUY
The Card: Trevor Lawrence 2021 Panini Absolute Football (retail) -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: This one was really cheap -- under $9 -- and the flaws here were not obvious, either, so it was a no-brainer considering all that foilboard. Yes, these are retail-only cards, so they're not rare ... but as you can see from the stats below that 10s are not going to be happening as much as they might elsewhere. I like the design here but the only thing I don't like is that jersey color ... would have preferred some color there.
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: All in all for the price I am good here as Lawrence had a strong finish last year and is showing signs of being a "next-up" kind of guy on cards though he clearly had a lot of looks early on.

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ONE FOR MOTHER'S DAY
The Card: Lisa Leslie 2007-08 Rittenhouse WNBA parallel (/333)
The Reason Graded: This is easily one of the oddest cards in the history of cardboard in the big picture and I think it's perhaps one of a kind on that front, too. I was revisiting a lot of my old cards that have stories to tell and since this was a parallel -- I didn't find any base copies I might have if I do -- I popped this into a bulk sub. My real question here with Mother's Day coming up is whether this qualifies as a Lauren Lockwood pre-rookie card.
The Grade: CSG 10

Reality Check: I was surprised by the grade here -- to be honest I didn't even loupe it hard I just sent it -- but given the scarcity here (and some surprising demand price-wise) it's a solid card.

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I PLAYED THE WAITING GAME
The Card: The Imprisoned Princess Leia -- 2022 Topps Star Wars Sapphire Edition
The Reason Bought: I didn't bite on these boxes at all when they arrived -- just not my thing for the cost -- but when they blew up I did some window shopping and came up with a mental want list of cards I thought were more interesting or iconic than others in this set that revisits/reprints/improves upon the iconic 1977 set on Sapphired Chrome stock. This one was at the top of the list, especially since Leia's main card -- the reprint of what the flippers/new blood are calling a "Rookie Card" -- was more. Why do I think this one is better? The situation and her remark to Luke Skywalker in this scene are pure Leia. Plus I have a lower-grade copy of this one from 1977 somewhere in my stash.
The Grade: PSA 9

Reality Check: I landed this for about $12 so the pop report doesn't even matter to me ... it was the card I wanted at a good price and that fills the spot in my stash. The pop report shows 10s are almost three times as easier, too, so I'll let others pay more for that grade.

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DIDN'T WAIT FOR THIS ONE
The Book: Batman No. 93 (2020) -- variant cover
The Reason Bought: If you checked out a recent Buzz Break of some DC/IDW comics repacks here on The Buzz, then you saw this comic -- a cardboard stock art variant -- pop out of one where it cost me mere pocket change. It's a striking cover with Harley Quinn half-wearing a Joker mask about to lay the smackdown on, well, you. My copy from the repack had a small issue on the back cover, so I knew that one was not going to be slabbed ... but curiosity got me looking.
The Grade: CGC 9.8 (Universal)

Reality Check: The pop is high -- and I paid pretty well here so I may have paid too much -- but I liked it and wanted it ... so the price doesn't matter. I'm a big fan of the handful of artists who have a smooth, photo-realistic approach. In this case, the piece is from Italian artist Francesco Mattina. The book raw isn't expensive -- apparently pandemic-era variants were popular so they sold plenty -- but I'm more of an art/slab collector in this realm with new (and really with old) stuff.

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CLOSER TO THE ANNIVERSARY
The Card: Hank Aaron 1974 Topps
The Reason Graded: This card has been a favorite of mine for a long time, but I also took a long to find a clean but cheap copy. Truth be told I liked a Topps Fan Favorites remake of this more, so this didn't worry me as much -- but I found this super-clean but creased copy a few years ago. I recently decided I wanted it slabbed no matter what. Why? Crooked and sloppy cuts are very, very common here -- along with vintage wear as card No. 1 in the set -- but this one is really nice other than the centering.
The Grade: CSG 4

Reality Check: Check out that topper -- just three eights and nothing higher -- meanwhile, mine has only nine total copies graded. I think the visual appeal here is fine -- and the creasing does not affect the photo. If all graded fours looked like this I'd buy them all day long.

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A NEW NICHE?
The Card: Angela Fong 2013 BenchWarmer Bubble Gum
The Reason Graded: If you're a regular reader you have probably seen her name pop up elsewhere as I've casually collected her autographs and other stuff because of her brief wrestling career (known as Miss Angela, Savannah or Black Lotus ... more info here) and because I can dabble without breaking the bank. BenchWarmer autos are really, really cheap -- and boxes used to be, too. I recently pulled out a couple of her cards to slab and this one, while not a big card had centering that measured absolutely perfect ... so I threw it in a bulk as a base card starter slab for a small run of her stuff.
The Grade: CSG 10

Reality Check: I didn't expect a 10 but it didn't surprise me, either. Since the multi-sport/non-sport stuff is newer to their slabs this one didn't show up in the pop report* but I'm sure it's the only copy graded. I'll add more cards to it in my stash in the coming months ... just for fun.

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ANOTHER BARGAIN BUY
The Card: Jonathan Taylor 2020 Panini Chronicles Luminance NFL -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: This guy has been a beast at times during his brief NFL career -- I'm a believer but also just a dabbler -- and this set is one that I really like at times with a full-bleed feel and a minimalist approach that makes the cards really all about action photography. But the real kicker here? I found this for less than $6 ... and I grabbed some of his other RCs around that price, not just this one.
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: The pop here is meaty and it's top-heavy but nines are still fine ... and at my price this one was a no-brainer.

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THE NEW HALL OF FAMER
The Mag: Stacy Keibler, Bubba Ray Dudley & D-Von Dudley -- WWF Raw Magazine, April 2002
The Reason Graded: "The Duchess of Dudleyville" was a last-minute announcement for this year's WWE Hall of Fame and that made this one's arrival after a long -- and still not over -- journey to CGC-land seem well-timed while being a 100-percent accident. This classic image is from when Keibler was their manager -- and an alternate photo from this shoot has their tag team championships in play instead of pieces of tables they broke. This is a classic piece of early 2000s WWE and the same image appeared on a Fleer insert card -- 0ne that I'd love to find already graded but the edges are always jsyt as chippy as those table pieces -- but instead I hunted down this copy of the mag. These mags might be tougher to find than the card in a top grade as posters got ripped out of these and I suspect fans just didn't treat magazines as well as cards.
The Grade: CGC 9.0 (Universal)

Reality Check: This is the only one and, well, I was a bit bummed by all of this mag's story ... and it's not over. The spine spot by the "got" wasn't there when I bought it ... a seller just threw it in an envelope and it was damaged in the mail in that general area despite a pretty steep "collector" price that I paid. So, because of that, I sent it to CGC for pressing last year and after a long wait I was told that it couldn't press because of inserts/poster inside of the issue. So a long wait for nothing ... then another long wait to get it graded ... and then when it arrived over a year later the top left corner of the case was chipped during mailing back to me. So ... presently it's sitting in a box at CGC awaiting another slabbing. The good news is that magazine grading may be getting faster this year ... so waits won't be as bad.

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A LOW-GRADE FAVE ...
The Card: Eric Davis 1985 Fleer -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: I have always liked this card -- raiding a shopping cart full of 1985 Fleer rack packs on clearance for 25 cents a pack as a kid is among my earliest card memories -- but none of my cards from that got saved as I wasn't a regular collector until a couple years later. I have a couple other copies of this RC but the gray ink shows flaws well and the printing wasn't real clean at all ... so I have nothing slab-worthy. I stumbled upon this one on the relative cheap and bit despite its one basic and obvious flaw.
The Grade: CSG 7

Reality Check: The centering here is bad -- but everything else is solid -- and while it's among the lower copies it still looks nice, which is something I probably wouldn't say about many cards from the modern era with this mark. I was surprised to see so many graded -- and nothing above a nine -- but that's a sign that this set doesn't make things easy.

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CHROME CALLED
The Card: Paige VanZant 2017 Topps Chrome UFC
The Reason Bought: When she popped up in the wrestling ring over in AEW, I started checking on her slabs and ink just to find a couple of simple cards to have a presence in case business picked up and so I could say I was covered. Her Rookie Cards are in some affordable sets but with thin damage-prone cardboard, while her best autos -- on-card autos with a full name, not a PVZ autograph (I have one of those on a sticker I pulled from a pack) -- are in Chrome. So ... that's how I was looking here. I went a different direction with ink -- it'll pop up in a Buzz Buys at some point this year when it strikes me -- while this one was a simple slab grab for just $11. At that price, it was an easy buy. Yes, I know it's not a 10 but I'm fine with a nine if it's cheap.
The Grade: PSA 9

Reality Check: This one isn't the lowest mark and the split between nines and 10s is pretty even. It's not a RC but it is from the first Topps Chrome UFC set, which is popular. Her wrestling time might be over -- she's been off the radar for a while now -- so my pick-ups were a bit moot but at least I have something for a name who had crossover moments.

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RARER BUT CHEAP
The Card: Chris Boucher 2020-21 Panini Mosaic Gold Mosaic parallel (/10)
The Reason Bought: I landed this PSA 10 that's /10 for basically $10 ... and that was a surprise as I didn't expect it at all. But I'll take it. Why did I grab this? He's got school ties for me and an interesting basketball journey as well as some odd cardboard trends that aren't normal ... poke around here and you'll see a past item or two I have written about his stuff.
The Grade: PSA 10

Reality Check: The only copy graded ... works for me. I do wish that the design included a hint of net hanging in front of him to make the dunk photo look a little cooler.

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BO KNOWS MINIS
The Card: Bo Bichette 2020 Topps Allen Ginter Mini -- Rookie Card parallel
The Reason Bought: I'm a big fan of minis, Ginter and a big buyer of Bichette when they're cheap. (I'm not dedicated enough to buy the big stuff here ... but he's worth it.) This one hit all those marks.
The Grade: PSA 9

Reality Check: I wouldn't pay up for a 10 looking at those stats but since it's a RC parallel it's not a bad thing if you do. Bichette has had downs but has looked good so far this young season. His 2020 stuff is heavily graded but I'll grab them easily when prices dip. This was under $10.

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BO KNOWS CHROME
The Card: Bo Bichette 2020 Topps Allen Ginter Chrome -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: I think I have opened exactly one box of Ginter Chrome in its existence -- just not the feel I like for old-timey cards -- but a slabbed RC from the brand clearly didn't scare me off in the 2021 postseason (yep, this one has been sitting all that time ... I have grabbed many Bichette slabs) as I paid $18 for it. (Insert the emoji shrug here.) I probably didn't find a blaster box I liked at that price so grabbed this.
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: The pop report here is very lean ... I'm not sure what it tells me, really. I didn't price check or really hunt -- I grabbed this along with some other slabs at that time.

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SO MANY CARDBOARD CAMEOS
The Card: "We Are The World" 2011 Topps American Pie
The Reason Graded: Check out the list of names on that album cover on the card above ... it's a who's who of 1980s (and before) music. The stars are big enough they probably all have cards elsewhere but I liked this one's feel in Topps' set known for historical nods when it comes to a high-grade slab. Why? All that star power -- and just for fun -- to add to my growing stash of music slabs that pop up here pretty often. (Click here to see a larger version more easily.) I wasn't that old when this song arrived in 1985 but I watched plenty of MTV back then ... and it helped raise more than $50 million to help humanitarian aid efforts around the world. See the video here.
The Grade: CSG 9.5

Reality Check: Like the Fong card, this one isn't updated in the pop report* just yet, but a number of the cards from the set are in there ... there's a chance there's more than one graded here, but this is the only one I know of for now.

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REMEMBER THIS ONE?
The Card: Mike Trout 2012 Panini Prizm
The Reason Graded: This is Trout's card in the debut Prizm set and it dropped a year after his Rookie Cards and is one of a few second-year pieces that has had some serious demand in the past when in a high-grade slab. I thought I had a tight copy but clearly I missed something obvious when I submitted it quite long ago. (Green label there being a giveaway.)
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: This grade is where most copies check in with a decent number of 10s, too. I have one other I didn't send in but should ... but a lot of other stuff captures my interest a bit more.

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SO MANY OHTANIS ... I COULDN'T DECIDE
The Card: Shohei Ohtani 2018 Topps Complete Sets Chrome (set bonus card) -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: I have literally dozens of rookie-year Ohtani cards of all types as I was buying boatloads of retail packs (and hobby, too) back then and have basically sat on all of it despite his historic performances. Why? None of them were of the genuinely huge variety ... so if they miss grade-wise then there are plenty of other slabs competing with it. I have slabbed some favorites here and there and this one made the cut since it was a factory set bonus ... also somewhat easily found but at least it's a Chrome card that has a decent feel to it.
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: I was very surprised to see the volume so low here, but I suspect flippers probably take these elsewhere or have other cards that they grade first. (Perhaps like me.) I'll do more Ohtani cards. but I need to revisit a lot of stuff to see what has aged well in my mind and weigh that vs. others. With popular names it can be more prudent to just buy others' misses or bargain hunt for higher marks.

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CHASING 10s ... AND GETTING THEM
The Card: Spencer Strider 2022 Topps Now Postseason Atlanta Braves set -- Rookie Card (/1,439)
The Reason Graded: I'm a sucker for the Braves' red jerseys and this postseason team set was loaded enough with stars and rookies that I bit. And then when this top rookie arrived in this color I was even more set on slabbing it. Why? Print volume on the basic cards from last year are really high so others will land and mess with grading -- I'd rather just dabble with the stuff in this realm and buy their misses.
The Grade: CSG 10

Reality Check: A 10 was an extra win here even if the team's postseason came up short without any team set bonus cards last year. He's off to a strong start this season, too, and firmly atop my fantasy team's roster, too. (I know you care.)

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A FOOD ISSUE FEUD
The Card: Bo Bichette 2020 Topps Utz -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: I think I've told my story on this card here elsewhere on The Buzz -- I probably own close to 10 of these raw but without one a strong candidate for a mark higher than this. After eyeing, buying and scouting -- I even tried an unopened pack with bad luck -- I just grabbed this one on the cheap to get it out of my system. I want one in a higher grade as I like the fact that this is a rookie-year food issue set (a pack came in a family pack of chips bags), but that might not be easily done.
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: I didn't check the pop report here -- I simply grabbed it -- and I'm not surprised to see this one not topped yet. The stock is skinny and the packs were small and dropped in with bags of chips in a bag. I've also seen this card on the top of packs often -- that may explain some of the minor corner issues seen on some of them.

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J-ROD'S CHROME DEBUT
The Card: Julio Rodriguez 2019 Bowman Chrome Prospects
The Reason Graded: I don't rip boatloads of Bowman boxes but when I was revisiting some of my old rips I found this guy on a Chrome and a standard card ... I opted to the grade the Chrome. Why? I figured it had a better shot at a better grade and, to tell you the truth, I'm not the biggest fan of this photo ... it just doesn't look like J-Rod at a glance.
The Grade: CSG 9.5

Reality Check: Considering this was my only copy and not one where I could pick by best from a few, I'm good with the grade. Many are checking in at a 10 -- Chrome can grade consistently clean -- so this isn't a big win, but he's looking like a franchise player and a must-have right now among young stars.

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HELD THIS ONE FOREVER
The Card: Lionel Messi 2014 Panini Prizm World Cup
The Reason Graded: When he finally won the World Cup this one was sitting in my to-grade stack with Cristiano Ronaldo being the one I had submitted from this set before the big one started. Once he got his title, I popped this one in an order -- though this brand is more of a bad experience for me than a good one back in the day. Why do I say that? I don't really do much soccer and it took four boxes to land an auto (at some strong prices but not astronomical prices like the boxes are now). Others around me pulled stuff that was way better -- I remember a Pele/10 card -- but I held onto some of the basics like this one after a failed set build. (Four boxes couldn't even get me close.)
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: I was a little bummed with the grade -- it didn't have any obvious flaws to my eye -- but it checked in lower of my other I slabbed from this landmark set. This grade is also among the most-commonly landed here but it definitely could have been worse, too, as there are a lot below it, which was a little surprising.

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A MYSTERY TO ME ...
The Card: Ava Raine 2022 Panini Instant WWE -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: This one made me mad ... and I have no idea what the deal is unless one thing that is totally wrong here somehow hurt the grade. My entire batch of this card that I bought direct from Panini had the watermarking effect printed on both sides of the card instead of just the back. Despite that, I still graded one -- what I felt was the best copy -- as this is the only 2022 card of The Rock's daughter. (Oddly, her 2023 Prizm cards also have a RC logo ... I'll let you all chew on that.)
The Grade: CSG 8.5

Reality Check: This isn't the worst one but it definitely checks in low among the 10 graded. It's a key card if she ends up panning out but my stock on her here is low after her first appearance in a ring during a tag match during the NXT show during WrestleMania weekend. It wasn't impressive at all. If things get better, maybe I'll revisit my others ... maybe.

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A RARE PRE-ROOKIE
The Card: Cora Jade 2021 Topps Transcendent WWE VIP Party Red & Yellow 1/1 -- pre-rookie promo card
The Reason Graded: I picked up this card since it was one of just 25 1/1 cards in varying colors and I liked the price. Her only other cards made by Topps were autographs in one 2021 release, while Panini America got her Rookie Cards in all 2022 products. Jade figures to be a player for WWE's women's ranks given her age and place already early on in her NXT career but has had some ups and downs, too, where momentum may have slowed. I picked this up in the middle of last year while a lot of her ink and rarer 2022 cards were big sellers.
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: I was fine with the nine -- I had hoped for higher, of course -- but I sent it knowing there was a minor spot on a back edge that I feared a little bit. This still looks like a very solid card for the grade and my price.

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LIKED THE COLOR SCHEME ... AND A CLEAR SIG
The Card: Tay Conti 2019 Topps WWE Women's Division Autographs Bronze parallel (/75)
The Reason Graded: Conti was a judo standout in Brazil and turned that into a shot in the WWE but ultimately that didn't last all that long -- parts of four years -- but that was long enough to get her some card appearances and certified autos while in NXT. In 2020 she moved to AEW where she's also had ups and downs and it was during a strong start there where I popped this into a bulk sub with a number of autos. Her first cards were in 2018 -- so this isn't a first-year sig or anything -- but I liked the color combo here with the Brazil gear ... and I didn't see any issues.
The Grade: CSG 9.5 (now 10)

Reality Check: A 10 and I'll take it. That's not going to happen easily with her on-card autos in NXT -- that's a black-ink design on skinny stock.

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SCHOOL TIES
The Card: Kira Lewis Jr. 2020-21 NBA Hoops -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: He's got school ties for me but instead of subbing one -- if I pulled one and not sure as I have cut back on NBA buying post-Zion -- I simply grabbed a cheap slab. How cheap? Just $4 for a 10 ... I'll take that from any grading company, err, at least the ones I think are legit.
The Grade: CSG 9.5 (now 10)

Reality Check: Most copies actually don't check in at the top mark -- and that makes sense as this stock is perhaps a little brittle with some color corners that really make any issues stand out. This one is fine for a one-and-done slab for a player in my stash.

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