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: Kobe Bryant 1996-97 Upper Deck #58 Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: I actually bought this card more than a year ago and thought I had it waiting in my stash of cards to present here at some point but, after doing some searching, realized that I never took a photo of this iconic 1990s card and it had been waiting for its time to appear. Unfortunately, we know why this NBA legend has been on the minds of many sports fans out there this week so here we are. I picked up this Rookie Card back then since it was a decent grade for a decent price -- just $9 -- and I didn't ever pull one way back when. It doesn't have any obvious flaws on the front, so it looks much better than its grade, too. (Sub-grades on the back of this slab are all 9 or higher except for an 8.5 on corners and one corner shows why.) The shocking news of this week has created a frenzy of interest for Bryant's RCs and autographs -- and a card in this same grade (not an elite grade, really) sold for $200. Mine will remain in my stash.
The Grade: BGS 9

Reality Check: The pop report on this card is a lot stiffer than I had expected with this being the most-common grade and fewer than 600 checking in higher. I had expected there to be more but I suspect the pop reports on this card could change a lot in the coming months -- and it will be interesting to see if any ever reach BGS Black status. Bryant has a number of RCs -- more than 20 -- and this one is unique in that it doesn't show him in his Lakers uniform. The debate as to whether Bryant's cards will hold values in comparison to what people are paying right now is an interesting one over on the Blowout Forums where there are a number of discussions. I think this is a scenario that may defy common collecting logic -- I'd think that anything is possible in this case and there are a lot of buyers right now who will pick up cards and stash them away forever, leaving a smaller volume of stuff available for everyday collectors to grab on eBay and other market hot spots. Finding unopened boxes won't be an option for a lot of his Rookie Cards that people want to track down, either.

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

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Have you seen the latest cool or interesting items on eBay? If not, you just might see some of those here every week as we're launching a weekly version of our eBay Buzz pieces that pop up from time to time. We’ll spotlight some items that have a story or just wow us with how much interest it might have — and we’re not just talking baseball cards, either.

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BIG NAMES IN NEW PLACES
The Item: Odell Beckham Jr. 2014 Panini National Treasures Hats Off Signatures New Era Tag (1/1) ... plus a few more autos and cards
The Price: $7,000 Buy-It-Now (or best offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: There are a number of NFL veterans in new places this coming season -- Antonio Brown, Mark Ingram, Kareem Hunt, Nick Foles, Le'Veon Bell and Mark Ingram for starters -- but it's perhaps Odell Beckham Jr. who walks into the best position for potential cardboard hype as he's now the big target for Baker Mayfield in his sophomore campaign after a "dangerous" and record-setting rookie season. Beckham's last three seasons haven't been nearly as productive as his first two -- a big drop-off on the field and even more off of it -- but if you're a believer in the talent it's time to buy. (Right?) The complaints about future Hall of Famer Eli Manning won't be there, so the production will be. (Right?) Antonio Brown leaves a team with a solid cardboard fan base for one that's also strong -- but it's a team that's seriously underachieved. Hunt is perhaps done on cards. Foles is perhaps a push and Bell could be in for a big tumble ... or big ups if The Big Apple's underachievers are successful. Ingram? He's leaving as the Saints career rushing TD leader and almost its career yards leader (less than 100 yards short) for a team where he might get the ball more but might be off the radar card-wise vs. New Orleans. That leaves Beckham as the biggest potential gainer here ... am I right? We'll see. This is a solid card and the lot includes a few others but there are a lot of high-end options out there for one of the biggest guys in the rookie crop of five years ago.
Similar Pieces: Other Odell Beckham Jr. autos on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for 2014 NFL boxes

Keep reading for four more interesting items in this week's roundup ...

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