Making the Grade (May): Clerks, Moana, old Marvel comics, Judge, Ohtani, Star Wars, wrestling stars, Roger Maris & more

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

SCENE FROM A CLASSIC
The Card: Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson & Lisa Spoonauer (aka Dante Hicks, Randal Graves and Caitlin Bree) 2017 Skybox Clerks Triple Scene Autographs
The Reason Graded: Back when this one arrived, I picked off a lot of the autos over time -- at least while they were affordable -- with my sights set on some of the obscure names here and not the pricey Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith) ink that any serious collector of the View Askew realm likely already had on something before this card set arrived. The character that I wanted to find was Caitlin Bree as that character's moments were hilariously twisted and this card's scene was the culminating moment in her story. Getting this on cardboard was hilarious to me. What's unfortunate here is real life -- Spoonauer died of a medication overdose at age 44 while fighting cancer just 10 days after this product arrived. Read director Kevin Smith's tribute to her here. Over time, I picked off all but one of her autographs -- one that had been pricey that's even moreso now still eludes me as it also includes Smith -- but I recently decided to slab a couple of the best ones form my stash when I revisited them and saw how clean they looked. 
The Grade: CGC 10 (Pristine)

Reality Check: Perfect grade works for me. Her auto just barely touches the border of the card but that's about its only potential issue and it's really not incomplete, so it still got a top mark. (Though auto grades are pretty meaningless to me.) This is a strong start and I should really slab more -- and find that last one I need.

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

IT'S GOOD TO BE KING
The Card: Aaron Judge 2023 Topps Heritage
The Reason Bought: On April 8, 1974, Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's career home run record with his 715th longball and it was so much of a given that Topps actually went there in advance for card No. 1 in its 1974 Topps set. Fast-forward to 2023 Topps Heritage -- a modern-day re-do of 1973 Topps -- and that spot is held by Aaron Judge for his status as the newly crowned American League single-season home run king after his 62 in 2022. Had this originally been planned as an ode to Aaron that was derailed by his unfortunate death in January 2021? Perhaps -- I've love to know what Topps would have had planned for 1974 and 1975 Topps Heritage sets for Hammerin' Hank -- but it's not a bad modern trade-off here and elsewhere in the set. This card isn't pricey but the stock and packaging for Heritage can make for some risky grading, so I waited and watched and recently grabbed this instead of slabbing one myself.
The Grade: PSA 9

Reality Check: This copy is absolutely locked in on the centering and is clean. The backs are where I think things can get messy here. The combo of this one's grade, look and price got me to bite and it can go alongside my other Judge slabs and my 1974 Aaron in my collection.

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ANOTHER HOME RUN ... FOR ME
The Card: Shohei Ohtani 2018 Topps Heritage High Number -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: I've slabbed this one before and written about it before -- hit the archives for more thoughts -- and, while this is a 1969 re-do I like it as a symbolic card from the rich rookie crop of 2018. I opened a lot, pulled a lot -- that happened when boxes were cheap -- and I've graded a few.
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: Only three perfect 10s top this one ... I'll take it.

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THE MOMENT
The Card: Roger Maris 2008 Topps Sterling White Frame (/50)
The Reason Graded: Maris' record-breaking 61st home run in 1961 is the photo here, so when I spot it on cards I always stop and notice. This parallel came from an older version of Sterling -- one too pricey for me to think about opening back in the day -- but one where you can at times find singles with decent prices. This looked really clean and didn't break the bank raw, so I grabbed it. It's a high-end brand where the boxes were packed out with all cards inside being of one player, so there are times where these might not be as easy to find as you might think all these years later unless somebody held them and is finally getting rid of them.
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: I was optimistic this would grade well, but you never know with the matted deluxe materials used here ... this was a win.

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ICONIC CHARACTERS
The Book: The Amazing Spider-Man No. 378 (1993)
The Reason Graded: Oddly, this one is not a newsstand copy from my deep stash of rarer (at least in high grade) copies from a few years around this time. The introduction of Carnage (the red one) to go with Venom (the black one) and Spider-Man (the seemingly later-added one in this composition) was a reason that got me to pick off a few copies around this time but nothing in deep bulk like the X-Men/X-Force stuff. I really liked the visual here back then and figured this looked good enough to slab when revisiting boxes more recently.
The Grade: CGC 9.8 (Universal)

Reality Check: Basically only the top mark -- only one immensely rare (abnormally rare) copy checks in higher. That's a win.

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THE GOLDEN TOUCH
The Card: Koska Reeves (aka Mercedes Varnado/Mercedes Mone/Sasha Banks) 2024 Topps Chrome Star Wars Aurebesh Variation Gold Refractor (/50)
The Reason Bought: I landed this already graded for less than the cost of a blaster box despite it being a rarer parallel of a variation -- roughly one in 44 hobby packs or one in about 2,900 in a blaster. What's Aurebesh? A language in the Star Wars realm, of course. I used to regularly dabble with Star Wars stuff as it was findable and mostly affordable with a shot at some rarer interesting things ... but I've pretty much stopped ripping with the odds/SRPs combo not being all that friendly vs. values. (This slabbed card being an example.) I made an exception for this slab, which also goes with a new for Reeves that also tangentially are part of my wrestling card collection as she's a former WWE star and now an AEW (and other international promotions') champ.
The Grade: SGC 10

Reality Check: Two copies graded in this mark was a little surprising -- but not as surprising as the bargain price.

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STORM VS. SHIRAKAWA
The Card: "Timeless" Toni Storm vs. Mina Shirakawa 2024 UD AEW Match Dated Moments SE
The Reason Graded: The Timeless One is an enigma in wrestling today -- or was it yesterday? -- and this newer card showcases her against a name back in AEW now on a full-time basis from Japan soon after some past matches, Mina Shirakawa. Shirakawa doesn't yet have AEW cardboard -- technically this isn't her card, it's Storm's -- but I grabbed and slabbed it anyway. Their three-pronged story with Mariah May (all previously worked in Japan) was a solid one for AEW last year.
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: Lone copy graded -- and a 10 was a nice surprise. I'll take that -- and I'll take whatever cards will be on the way for them.

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FROM THE HOLOGRAM ERA
The Book: Wolverine No. 75 (1993)
The Reason Graded: This issue was from right at the end of my dabbling with comics for a few years as a cheaper alternative to cards, which I was still doing, back in the day. Why? While the holograms and deluxe issues were cool inclusions back then (and probably still are), the 2-4x cover price just wasn't as fun as comics that were somewhere between $1-2 back then, which meant they could be stockpiled more easily. I only did a single copy of this issue -- the art from these creators weren't really my thing -- but I think I did as many of the various anniversary hologram covers as I could. I do I know I never found them all. When I was going through boxes for potential grading, this one looked remarkably clean -- especially the hologram as they can have surface scratching -- so I slabbed it.
The Grade: CGC 9.8 (Universal)

Reality Check: The top (normal) mark here is nice and it's only been bested three times out of a bunch of copies graded -- that's just 0.16 percent of copies checking in better than mine -- though most do check in at a 9.8 thanks to a stiffer cardboard cover.

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WASN'T BORN A DEMIGOD
The Card: Maui 2023 Disney Lorcana Cold Foil Rare (Triangle)
The Reason Bought: I recently opened some Lorcana cards and pondered this character's base card for a slab since it's voiced by The Rock and I figured this would make for a fun oddball slab to go with the wrestling stuff in my collection. Out of curiosity, I checked online to see prices and saw this rarer parallel already graded in a top mark for a decent price ... so I just grabbed it outright.
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: It wasn't super cheap but a top mark on a version that's rarer than what I found in a pack seemed like an easy pick for the price as there were no guarantees my raw basic version card would check in this high. The spread of grades for this one in the pop report, which I didn't check before grabbing, shows that top marks aren't a given ... so that made this decision even stronger.

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RETURNING AT SOME POINT?
The Card: Paige 2022 Panini Select WWE Gold Prizms (/10) -- rarer Mezzanine tier
The Reason Bought: Has her wrestling career come to an end? We'll see. I picked up this Paige card before Saraya revealed that her AEW days had come to an end -- but none of that was why I landed this. I have always liked the look of this rarer-tier parallel -- and it's even better in a rarer color with a cheaper price than it perhaps should have been. Also a plus is that it's an earlier photo from her WWE run and there are fewer of those than the time after.
The Grade: PSA 9

Reality Check: Only a 10 tops this one and with the likely asking price there I'm good with my card -- this was less than the price of a pair of blasters.

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FREAKISH PHOTO FOR A FUTURE STAR
The Card: Oba Femi 2024 Panini PhotoGenic WWE  -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: I'm a broken record on Oba Femi if you're a regular reader here -- he's the top champ in NXT now and could be higher up in the future of WWE, too, at any time. I picked off this RC raw because of its crazy photo -- the guy on his shoulders is 6-foot-7 and 270 pounds and then the guy on top of them both is 6-foot-8 and 269 pounds -- and here's the moment. Photogenic is a brand all about the photography and, well, this one isn't pricey but I liked the moment on a RC enough to slab. That photo says it all.
The Grade: CGC 9

Reality Check: This one was a cheap COMC pickup, so I didn't get to see the details up close before grading, but I'm fine with a nine for a RC of a guy who should be a key name for WWE for a long time once he arrives.

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BABY SCHWARBINO
The Card: Kyle Schwarber 2014 Bowman Draft Prospects -- first Bowman card
The Reason Bought: I don't rip a whole lot of prospecting stuff these days -- I'm not a rip-and-flipper -- but I will dabble with cheap already slabbed early cards of notable, established names -- and this guy and this card is all that. Why? It's his first as a Chicago Cubs prospect -- you know, where he won a World Series -- and it only cost me about $4. Easy addition.
The Grade: CSG 9.5 (now 10)

Reality Check: Almost all copies check in at a 10 here -- and, since there are Chrome cards and autos that command more attention, the basic cardboard can't compare in terms of demand.

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AFFORDABLE RC II
The Card: Spencer Strider 2022 Topps -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: Another good name and an RC, but he's coming off a big injury so prices can be soft when a card isn't a top mark. I picked off a couple of these on the cheap to add to my small, but casual stash of Braves slabs.
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: This was around $5 -- another easy grab -- but it's a bit better centered compared to a lot of copies out there. I'd pondered grading my copies of this, but punted on that thought when I found these.

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PARALLEL POWER
The Card: Michael Harris II 2023 Topps Silver Foil -- RC parallel
The Reason Bought: Those thoughts on the previous two apply here. The copy I found in a pack had a slightly rough edge so I sat on it, despite earlier eBay sales for this key rookie at arrival being pricey (over $100) and it's off in a box somewhere. This one cost me only about $10 already graded.
The Grade: PSA 9

Reality Check: The pop report here is surprising but it's also not ... a bunch graded and nearly all are 10s. That makes for the lessers to be seen in even less demand and that's why I landed it on the cheap. That perception -- and the literal volume -- is also one reason why I don't do much subbing via PSA. The pop reports can be unruly for popular names -- and the demand might be rough later on if they're no longer as popular on the field.

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THOUGHT I HAD A HOMER ...
The Card: Jose Canseco 1995 Pinnacle Museum Collection parallel
The Reason Graded: I spotted this card with a solid price on COMC and swore I had a winner -- a 10 -- and compared to others out there it still looks light years ahead of them. I collected Canseco heavily for almost 20 years and have plenty -- most of it in the stockpile-volume, pre-hits, pre-eBay years -- so stuff like parallels from some sets with more splintered release (I barely saw these cards back then) I didn't bother chasing down or I wasn't going to overpay for a card. I think there might be a surface issue here -- maybe on the back -- as this one is flawless on the front. (That top right corner is the foil flashing back the light.)
The Grade: CGC 8

Reality Check: I dig stuff like this in slabs -- not super pricey but not easy to land perfect grades -- and this card shows that.

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BARGAIN BUYS?
The Card: Spencer Strider 2023 Topps Heritage
The Reason Bought: I'm on my way to a decent stash of Strider slabs -- his strikeout numbers before injury were freakish -- and this was an easy grab already graded. Why? Grading Heritage can be risky with its stock -- and for a cheaper card I'd rather let somebody else take the risk of landing something lower than this mark. (Nines are fine in my book.)
The Grade: PSA 9

Reality Check: Most cards check in as 10s here but at least the overall volume isn't crazy.

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FEELING BLUE DOWN ON THE FARM
The Card: Bo Bichette 2018 Topps Heritage Minor League Blue parallel (/99)
The Reason Bought: Another Heritage slab grab, I liked the MiLB take on 1969 Topps more often than I didn't so adding the main player I collect on a rarer parallel from this one already graded was a no-brainer.
The Grade: PSA 9

Reality Check: This was priced less than most blaster boxes out there in the retail wild these days, so it was an easy pick-up. There will come a time when Heritage MiLB won't be found easily, though not as many people will be looking, so I'm grabbing the names I like at times when they fall into my comfort zone for prices.

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ALWAYS TIME FOR TIFFY
The Card: Tiffany Stratton 2022 Panini Chronicles WWE Rookies & Stars -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: This release is one that has a ton of good stuff to be found but can also consistently arrive with condition issues -- bad back card surfaces in this case -- where grabbing them raw to slab isn't going to happen with this collector. Instead, I've picked off some key names already graded by somebody else and this is an example of that -- there's nobody more key in 2022 if you ask me than Stratton. Tiffy Time is now.
The Grade: PSA 9

Reality Check: I paid a little higher than my typical range for a basic slab here but that's fine as some higher, some lower will all even out in my collection -- and I collect Stratton pretty consistently, though she's pricier on some fronts thanks to high-rollers taking notice. That same attention, however, is what's getting some basic cards like this RC into slabs more often.

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RARE & CLEAN
The Card: Thunder Rosa 2022 UD Metal Universe AEW Skybox Premium Star Emeralds (/10)
The Reason Graded: I've had some good luck with COMC grab-and-slab cards and this rarer option was a pricier piece of speculative buying -- but I bit after having good results with a couple other cards for this high-energy star from this release. I didn't check the archives but I think this is my third version of this card slabbed with all three checking in at a 10 ... that's a win.
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: I didn't say speculative buying as a seller -- I was speculating that this might grade very well and it did. The textured cardboard can have weird shiny spots (like that bottom corner/edge) but it's a clean card.

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IT'S KEIRA KNIGHTLEY!
The Card: Sabé (aka Keira Knightley) 2012 Topps Star Wars Galactic Files Blue Foil parallel (/350)
The Reason Graded: Back when this Star Wars movie arrived in 1999, this smaller role/character had some scenes where some fans probably figured was tweaked via some CGI like I did -- Knightley looks remarkably similar to Natalie Portman and that's what got her the job. It was one of Knightley's first larger projects before going onto bigger roles and some other notable franchises. I don't do a boatload of Star Wars cards these days -- I prefer cheaper character card sets like this more than scene cards -- but this set was one where I dabbled a lot in the past. I never landed this parallel but when I saw it cheaply priced vs. its scarcity I grabbed it and slabbed it. (Poke around in the archives for at least one more card like this and I'm sure I say more on that one's timing.)
The Grade: CGC 9.5

Reality Check: This set has some good names on cards where they basically don't have much else unless you like spotting a face in the scene somewhere in the background. Newer sets do more of this approach -- Knightley even has autos now -- but this was, I think, the first card for her/this character in a basic set, though it was trumped by a gaming set back in 2000. (I'm not an ironclad Star Wars diehard so I could be wrong but I think this is the first standard card) Meanwhile, the film had been around almost 15 years by the time this card dropped and Knightley had arrived in three Pirates of the Caribbean movies, too.

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"WE'RE BAD GUYS ..."
The Card: Harley Quinn (aka Margot Robbie) - "Playing The Part" 2019 Cryptozoic CZX Super Heroes and Super Villains
The Reason Graded: I slabbed a few cards from this high-end set where iconic characters are featured with A-list names playing them -- a combo that doesn't always happen on cards. (In other words, Harley Quinn has far more cardboard than Robbie as Quinn.) There are some nice cards in this one, so I figured some could make for decent little slabs.
The Grade: CGC 9

Reality Check: Looks like I'm not alone with that basic thought -- or with the grading here not being the easiest thing to do. These have thicker stock and high gloss so that can present issues at times for grading ... no worries, nines are fine.

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SIMPLY TIMELESS
The Card: Toni Storm 2023 UD AEW Match Dated Moments
The Reason Graded: There was a time when Storm's "Timeless" era didn't have much cardboard and this online-released card  is one of the earlier ones (maybe even the first, I didn't check) where this bawdry retro-style character full of quick-lipped catchphrases is presented almost as she had been on TV. (She was in black and white during many a moments ... but they hadn't quite gotten the red lipstick spot-colored on a live TV broadcast like it is here.) The photo suits the character's melodramatic existence so well ... it's so Timeless.
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: The 10 was a nice surprise -- the stock here is super simple and could be messy at times -- but lone copy graded wasn't. One of many Storm cards in my stash -- and there will be more.

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PLAYING IN PURPLE
The Card: Bo Bichette 2018 Bowman Draft Chrome Purple Refractors (/250)
The Reason Bought: Those in-between years for a player's Bowman arrival and then their Rookie Cards sometimes can be packed with options but not as much demand compared to the cards with those "look at me" logos attached. That's fine by me as it means you can sometimes find stuff on the cheap with an early feel without a premium price. This was a cheaper pick-up as part of a run of slabs for this player I collect as well as some other affordable filler (low value at least) additions.
The Grade: CGC 9.5

Reality Check: I wasn't expecting big volume here considering it's a tweener card and a parallel -- but highest graded and much higher the other works for me.

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A CURIOSITY SUB ...
The Card: Randall Cunningham 1999 Donruss Preferred Passing Grade (/1,500)
The Reason Graded: The grade is a funny bummer but this was more of a COMC/CGC experiment ... you see, the tip of that football at the top is actually a card inside this card ... a die-cut and foil-stamped literal football card showcasing the player on the report card envelope. I wasn't sure if they'd even grade it -- or try to turn it into two slabs -- via my submission on the site, but it turns out the card inside a card inside the slab is a thing. Now I need to go find my other copy of this sitting in a box somewhere and slab them separately (I actually like the inner card design) to have 'em all in a slab.
The Grade: CGC 7

Reality Check: Hey, at least the grade matches the uniform number. Plus, the only other card in this set -- a Peyton Manning card -- checked in at a 7.5 ... so I'm at least in decent company with everything kind of low. This was a fun and funky set back in the day, so I opened a lot and Cunningham was the original player I collected when I got into football stuff in 1989. By this point I'd moved on to other players and focuses but a unique Cunningham can always get my attention.

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CRIMSON TIDE FILLER
The Card: Mac Jones 2021 Donruss Optic -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: A Roll Tide filler slab for less than $5. Sorry for your loss to all those who spent big on grading him on rushed orders and even more on speculative buys. He's always got a spot in my Alabama stash, though.
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: The volume here is pretty high but he was a big name and this is a popular brand during the boom. A lot check in higher than this card and a number are also lower ... that's why I didn't grab raw and slab and played the waiting game instead.

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A WWE THROWBACK
The Card: Mandy Rose 2016 Topps Heritage WWE -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: This former NXT champ arrived on cardboard quickly as she had an established profile from being on a pair of WWE reality shows, Tough Enough (a competition to get a WWE job, which she didn't win) and then Total Divas (after she got a job despite having finished second). She perhaps had more cardboard than TV matches early on -- she wasn't an NXT in-ring regular until May 2016  -- but went on to have a solid WWE run with plenty of moments. Her Heritage RC is a favorite of mine from a few options that year.
The Grade: CSG 9.5 (now 10)

Reality Check: This 1986 Topps MLB re-do for the wrestling ring is one I opened a lot of -- and this is among the better base cards to find for key new names in that set -- but with all that white space in the photo the cardboard/ink flaws can really stand out easily. I own a few versions here -- I've graded some parallels and other copies of base cards of my own -- but when I spotted this 10 at a good price already graded I grabbed it. That's a no-brainer for around $10.

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BROKE THE GPK?
The Card: Kim Kar Trashy N (aka Kim Kardashian) 2016 Topps Garbage Pail Kids Prime Time Trashy TV
The Reason Graded: This GPK homage to a notable name in trashy TV, err pop culture, is a classic in that it's an homage to a niche (fashion/pop culture) magazine shoot (click for a closer look) where Kardashian tried to "break the Internet" back in the day. This cover is the non-nudie cover of the mag and the photo is actually an homage to some past fashion shoot doing the same thing. That Winter 2014 issue was perhaps perfectly timed to be taken on by the Garbage Pail Kids and its cards like this one of celebs that I dabble with more -- either music or celebs.
The Grade: CGC 9

Reality Check: The grade is probably about right here -- the stock was super-skinny back then and there's always something wrong somewhere with skinny-stock stickers. I liked the creative name here as much as the parody of the image. I'd totally try to find a copy of the mag to slab with it but they're not cheap over on eBay. I'll stick to this one.

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BARGAIN BUYS II
The Card: Spencer Strider 2022 Topps x Naturel 1952 -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: I've window-shopped the Naturel set more than once -- especially boxes as they are cheaper -- but the uniqueness of the artist's stuff vs. the return just hasn't gotten me to bite. Yet. This might be my only card from this one, too, though there's perhaps a chance I picked off some random single just to see what these looked and felt line in-hand along with other stuff from the Project 2020 artist.
The Grade: PSA 9

Reality Check: I'm sure this was ultimately a cheap slab pick-up for a player I'll check on from time to time. Proof of that is that this is Strider's third card this month.

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GPK VIA VIEW ASKEW
The Card: Felicia Finger Cuffs (aka Alyssa Jones in Chasing Amy ... aka Joey Lauren Adams) 2023 Topps Garbage Pail Kids x View Askew Orange (/75)
The Reason Graded: The Kevin Smith film universe -- aka View Askewniverse -- is packed with overlapping characters with mentions or spots in a few movies over the years and this GPK set is packed with name characters from many of them. I never opened a box, though, as they just didn't seem packed enough with a parallel in each pack and maybe a numbered parallel in each box ... and nothing else but the base cards. It's good ... if the box price was low. I went the singles route instead and picked off some of the better names for a light stretch of time and this one made the cut for both the character and grading. Why? Well, I was a little surprised this one made the list -- it's an example of the balancing act of making a card set for a hard-R (mostly language/situations) comedy that says 1990s.
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: Started the month with Clerks, ending the month with Chasing Amy -- result almost the same but both a win. I need to grade more of my non-sports favorites at some point soon.

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