Making the Grade (November): Dak Prescott, Luka Doncic, Magic Johnson & John Cena rookies, Robert Mueller, the first perfect Keith Comstock, Meghan Markle's MLB card & 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 ...

The Card: Dak Prescott 2016 Donruss #362 Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: It takes a pretty good deal for one of my buys to lead off here instead of one of my newly submitted grades, but this one was just that. This is one of those cards that is relatively available if you want to chase one down and slab it for some fun or profit. My cost? About $22, which might seem high generally speaking but isn't for its grade -- this was about half the price of the other cards in the same grade where I was looking at the time. They are even higher now.
The Grade: BGS 10

Reality Check: This one is just a half-grade away from a perfect BGS Black slab and the percentage of cards to get this mark is pretty low vs. the overall total. That's what surprised me here more and prompted the pick-up. It's a relatively heavily graded card, too, which you'd think would have resulted in more 10s. (Paper stock can be more pesky than Optic stuff when it comes to grading, though.)

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

The Card: Luka Doncic 2018-19 NBA Hoops #268 Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: I didn't rip a lot of some NBA brands last year but one of my first blasters -- if not the absolute first -- was Hoops with this guy inside. I stashed away my RCs in a box not thinking much of them (after all, it's a basic brand -- albeit the one that got me into NBA back in the day) but then realized I had this later in the year when this Rookie of the Year blew up. With no obvious flaws to its blue border -- that seems like the problem spot to me along with corners -- I sent it in awhile back.
The Grade: PSA 10

Reality Check: I didn't have visions of a 10 here -- I had figured most likely a 9 -- but I'll take it. It turns out a heavy majority of these cards have come back 10s so that takes a little luster off of it, but I knew I wasn't going to go the BGS route here as it's just not that pricey of a card and I didn't see it going at the highest marks that way.

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The Card: Magic Johnson 1980-81 Topps #139 Rookie Card (single panel)
The Reason Graded: I picked this one up raw not that long ago because it really really just jumped out at me compared to other copies around it based on centering and its clean look. These cards' perforation lines are often a key with raw cards. They can simply be brutal in comparison to where they should be on non-separated cards -- some perforations can be so off that align with the photo frame. This one clearly came from a well-centered copy and only its upper right-hand corner showing a very minor lift was the risk in my mind. Despite that, I paid about $20 for this card raw because I thought it had very good slabbing potential and because I know I won't pony up for a non-ripped card with him alongside Julius Erving and Larry Bird's Rookie Card. That's too much for me to pony and I'm too picky just to grab one. (Another worry? There can be fakes for these cards.)
The Grade: BVG 8

Reality Check: I was pleasantly surprised here but figured it had a shot at 8.5 at the highest. What also surprised me was how so many separated panels had been slabbed for this card alone. The value on these can be very low if separated and the big premium comes with the two-RC, all-Hall of Famers trio card in strong grades. All in all, though, I felt like this one was a win -- and only three are graded higher with many lower.

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The Card: Alvin Kamara 2017 Donruss Optic Lime #199 Rookie Card parallel
The Reason Graded: I landed this guy as a lone highlight from a dirt-cheap lot of Optic jumbo packs on sale last year and decided to slab it up since he's delivered well the last couple years. The packs were like $2 apiece back then (nowhere near that now) but mine didn't deliver much as this one was my best card ... by far. Despite its vertical centering, I figured I would slab it since I had peeked at the pop report and saw some consistency.
The Grade: PSA 9

Reality Check: Behold, the worst-graded copy! This is a situation where sub grades might have been handy but there is some extra fuzz hanging off one corner here and the centering is off top-to-bottom. I had figured it could get a 10 but knew this was likely. Either way, no worries for the cost and I'll tuck it into my stash of a few Optic slabs.

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The Card: John Johnson 1979-80 Topps #104
The Reason Bought: I could have -- and probably should have -- written a standalone item about this card and how it's been an obsession. Why? One, because it's vintage and that has its challenges and, two, because there's a personal story here. I opened a pack of this one earlier this year and marveled at how roughly cut and dirty these cards were fresh from packs -- none of them would have graded a nine let alone a 10. And maybe not even a PSA 8. Vintage grading is tough, tough, tough. Second, he was the first NBA player I ever interviewed and he died a few years back so I've been adding slabs here and there when they present themselves. This card? It has a pretty amazing action photo for its time -- almost Jordan-esque in the pose -- and I really wanted to land an elite-graded copy of this one. It's my favorite non-RC of his stuff. The stash of these I had from years ago just didn't seem to be crisp enough to grade so I went this route.
The Grade: PSA 9

Reality Check: I picked off probably 50 (if not more ... literally) copies of this card in bulk from a few dealers out there for pocket change per card just to see if I could grade one of my own and literally just one card from all of them all made the cut for grading. I sent it off -- and then this one presented itself. With my card still in PSA's hands, I hesitated to buy this one but then ponied up $29.99 for it because it's just what I was looking for. I'm glad I did as somebody out there is a heavier buyer than I here -- a different copy in PSA 9 sold for nearly $80 in the time since I landed this. Meanwhile, my "gem" I had big visions of that was off at PSA? Well, I'll hold that for another time ... let's just say it makes this pick-up even more satisfying.

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The Card: Prince Harry & Meghan Markle 2019 Topps Now #448
The Reason Graded: I picked up a few of this card when they arrived one part because of the novelty but more importantly because a player I collect is among the many seen on the photos on the back. It shows the royals when they were presented gifts for their newborn son from the Yankees and Red Sox -- they are surrounded by dozens of players as they show off their presents.
The Grade: BGS 10

Reality Check: I graded a pair of these since there is a slight design flaw in how Topps laid in the photos on the back (upper right edge) and I didn't want the grader to think there was somehow a miscut going on. This was the better of the duo and was a pleasant surprise as 10s just don't arrive from BGS for me often. I figured I'd be the only one slabbing one of these but that's not the case -- and I'm not the only 10, either. The former actress' one non-sports autographed card is too pricey to chase for my budget (or taste as I wouldn't pay that much) but I had thought about slabbing a base cards from that release. She's on several cards but the stock there was really soft and problem prone. These Topps Now cards are razor sharp and the player cameo on the back made it a no-brainer.

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The Card: John Cena 2002 Fleer WWE Royal Rumble #7 Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: Want to land Rookie Cards of several current/recent past WWE names? Well, this set is the home for the WWE debuts for Cena, Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton and Batista (You know, Drax!) for sure -- and maybe more. This is Cena's only card released in packs in 2002, making it his RC, and in elite grade it can be a three-figure card -- a PSA 10 has a $499 asking price on eBay as I type this and a PSA 9 is $89. Fleer used some soft stock with gloss that can be chippy on edges on this one -- you will get damaged cards from packs if you can even find them. (Fleer WWE boxes aren't easy finds ... or cheap ... at this point.)
The Grade: BGS 9

Reality Check: It graded about how I had expected but maybe better, actually. I chose the best of a couple copies I had to slab here as I've ripped a lot of WWE packs since the Fleer years but mostly to chase hits and other inserts. Cards like this one toiled in boxes without penny sleeves -- if they even survived bulk dump-offs back in the day. You'll see more cards from this set in future MTGs right here as wrestling RCs -- at least in certain situations -- have become a mini focus of mine at times.

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The Card: Rashida Jones 2013 Press Pass Parks & Recreation #70
The Reason Graded: This is a simple card from a bulk lot of packs purchased right here earlier this year that paid off pretty well, defying the odds with a pair of autographs. The cast for this show is stacked -- Chris Pratt (Star-Lord and Scott Hatteberg!), Aubrey Plaza, Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, Rob Lowe, Aziz Ansari, Fred Armisen, Parker Posey, Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman -- but Jones wasn't one of the signers. That leaves her base card and a parallel as basically the only options for an Angie Tribeca fan to slab. Why did I grade? Angie Tribeca -- that was one weird but funny show and she's the key.
The Grade: BGS 9.5

Reality Check: It's probably not surprising that this is the only copy graded, but I don't think it was an easy grade as the stock for this one seems to have a lot of fuzzy corners. (Again, I'll dub it as soft stock.) The foilboard parallels could be challenges, too, but when it comes to slabs it's really about the hits for this one. My basic card stands alone while more than 30 auto cards have been graded from this product and even a handful of its memorabilia cards.

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The Card: Max Muncy & Tyler Ladendorf 2015 Topps Update #US54 Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: It's not easy for a player in this day and age to have just a single Rookie Card, but for Dodgers slugger Max Muncy this is precisely that. While he's hit 70 homers during the last two seasons, at the time I sent this one in I wasn't sure if he was just going to be a one-year wonder. He put together another 35-shot year this year which made this fringe submission a little more palatable to present now that it's over.
The Grade: PSA 10

Reality Check: I didn't have visions of a 10 but that was a nice surprise -- I simply submitted it since I found one in some clearance-bin pack from the past and knew it was a lone-RC scenario.

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The Card: DeWayne Buice 1989 Upper Deck Promos #1 (hologram at bottom)
The Reason Graded: I picked this one up for about $6 raw and when I saw it I knew it was a strong contender to go into a slab. Why? A previous Wally Joyner submission of mine from this set got a generous grade but wasn't as clean as this card, so I submitted it along with another Joyner figuring I could chase 10s. These promos aren't super-expensive but they also aren't that easily found so I figured "why not?" ... and did it.
The Grade: PSA 9

Reality Check: I didn't get the elite grade, but I'm fine with a PSA 9 as the stock from this era is just so thin and so prone to all kinds of issues -- don't push them across a table ... that can demolish your surfaces with scratches instantly. Buice was a lynchpin for Upper Deck helping the company land its MLB licensing, allegedly making him millions. Meanwhile, he never made more than low six-figures as a big-leaguer with a 9-11 career record in three seasons. This has to be one of his best -- at least most-important -- baseball cards.

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The Card: Jimi Hendrix 1991-92 Pro Set Superstars Musicards #10
The Reason Graded: If you're a regular reader here, you know I'm a sucker -- yes, a sucker at this point -- for trying to grade certain Pro Set cards. The 1989 and 1990 NFL sets are gems -- yes, I said gems -- but this near-worthless music set is also really solid for who it includes and I've ripped a ton of dirt-cheap packs trying to land a legitimately solid high-grade card despite the awful cutting and stock for this and other releases. The Legends subset here is the biggest draw in my mind with some big names but there are others in the release who are key, too. The front of this card is soooo clean, so I submitted it to go along with a few other Hendrix cards you have seen in this series.
The Grade: BGS 9

Reality Check: It's a strong grade for the release -- and shockingly I'm not the only one to grade this card -- but I'm still tied atop the list as there are none better with a grade that wasn't what I was hoping for. Yes, the centering here is a little off (you can tell with the spacing around the name) but it's probably the back edges and corners that landed us here. (I don't obsess on backs as much when picking cards and this was still the best of what I had.) I ripped a ton of packs to get back this bummer but there was one other way to land these cards back in the day. I have a theory where I still could have a chance at some kind of 9.5/10 potential from this set ... we'll see at some point. Maybe. (Submitting cards from this one has become a love-hate thing.)

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The Card: Keith Comstock 1989 ProCards Las Vegas Stars #14
The Reason Graded: Remember that ESPN story that sold hundreds of these cards for stupid prices as people who didn't dabble in old minor-league cards learned the story about this admittedly awesome card? At that time, this card was sitting in PSA's hands. I had submitted it months ago -- well before that story -- and I waited as this card went from chuckle status to big bucks and then back to a chuckle for a few bucks. My two best copies already had gone off to BGS for super scrutiny and came back here with marks I liked but this one looked very clean, too, so I figured I'd send it to PSA.
The Grade: PSA 10

Reality Check: Behold, the first PSA 10 for this card! Do I need to say more? Probably not. The pop report for this one was a tad higher than I had expected -- and it's higher than the BGS pop report total, too. Do I see more of these getting graded? Probably not -- at least not that many -- but I could see people slabbing more if they saw some big sales of elite grades for this one. Mine, though is headed into a storage box beside my BGS 9.5s -- all cards I slabbed for their fun factor alongside my 1989 Fleer Billy Ripkens, C-3PO and other stupid, chuckle-worthy cards from the past ... stuff you've seen here if you're a regular reader.

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The Cards: 2019 Garbage Pail Kids We Hate the '90s #15A Jovial Jeff & #15B Livid Lebowski
The Reason Graded: This set ripping on the 1990s is loaded with so many classics and I've opened more of it than any other Garbage Pail Kids release ever. Ever. That's not to say I've ripped a ton -- just a few boxes -- but that's more than I normally do for the long-running brand. This homage to The Big Lebowski arrived in the same box along with a parallel, but I figured I'd submit them as a pair. I figured they'd really tie the room together.
The Grade: PSA 10 & PSA 9 respectively

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Reality Check: There are so many cards I'd slab just for fun in this release because of their pop culture ties but I went with my favorites for a start. I didn't get a perfectly matching pair -- and didn't expect it based on some centering differences -- but I also wasn't expecting a 10, either. They are both the first ones graded.

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The Card: Robert S. Mueller 2001 Topps Enduring Freedom #32
The Reason Graded: If there was some way to search how many times a name had been typed out here on the Interwebs the last couple of years, "Robert Mueller" would be among the top five. I'd guarantee that like Joe Namath at a pre-Super Bowl banquet. Earlier this year while building an eBay Buzz item, I happened upon an auction for a reportedly signed copy of this card, not knowing it even existed. This is from a post-9-11 non-sports set examining the American response to a national tragedy and a number of the events and people who were involved and in the headlines as well as military vehicles used in responses made the set. At that time, Mueller was the director of the FBI under George W. Bush and this was apparently (I'm not 110-percent certain) his only card appearance until the Decision 2016 releases that documented the new political landscape. I found a box of this on the cheap, so I could rip into some packs and slab one.
The Grade: PSA 9

Reality Check: This release has some serious early 2000s printing, cutting and packaging going on -- cards are rough out of packs with some gloss that can stick -- but I was still surprised to land a PSA 9 here. I slabbed it just to say I had done it. This is the first copy graded by either PSA or BGS. Fewer than 20 cards from the set have been graded by PSA with just two 10s. Others with cards that have been slabbed here include Osama Bin Laden and Bush, while unslabbed inclusions include a number of names in the headlines today. I stuck with the Mueller "Rookie Card" and the rest went into a storage box.

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