Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...

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RETRO RECORD-HOLDER
The Card: Roger Maris 2014 Panini Classics Home Run Heroes Jerseys (/25)
The Price: $30
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I ponied up a little bit for this one vs. my typical range for Maris mem cards since it's a rarer card, has a material (jersey/pants) swatch vs. a bat and is from a brand that packed a lot of potential for big names back in the day. Yet, at the same time, that price was a bargain. Yes, its centering is just slightly off, but otherwise it's clean -- that errant spot on the right side is part of the printed design on all cards here. It was an easy addition for a player I collect and pick off stuff for a few times a year. Those top corners are really clean on this one, which might not always be the case with those bold colors.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but MLB cards are here.

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

GETTING EVEN BETTER?
The Card: Victor Wembanyama 2023-24 Panini Haunted Hoops -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: I'm basically casually ripping at best when it comes to NBA these days -- just can't collect it all at today's prices (and might not want to with that) -- but the holiday-flavored version of Hoops got me to bite a few times since it's got a good volume of stuff in a box and a pair of Wemby RCs on the checklist. Is this a big card in the big scheme of things? Nah, but the printing and cutting here was so clean I knew I needed to grade it. Why?
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: Because this should be the result more often than not as long as the centering is there ... and the stats here show that to be the case roughly half the time. The phenom seems to be getting better with time and once the wax dries up for even stuff like this there could be interesting trends that buck the idea that stuff is overproduced these days -- it is ... but not when there's increased demand for a popular player. I need to scout singles more for this guy and cards I like ... I think there's more potential here over time than people might think based on soft prices for raw cards. (Even if boatloads of his cards are already graded.)

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

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Collectors who rip into packs of 2017 Topps Update, which officially arrives tomorrow, will find the third series of MLB Network personalities.

These nine cards are a continuation of the 2017 Topps MLB Network set that began in Series 1 and continued in Series 2 -- and all of them can be seen in the gallery here.

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Collectors who rip into packs of 2017 Topps Series 2, which officially arrives today, will find a new series of MLB Network personalities.

These 10 cards are a continuation of the 2017 Topps MLB Network set that began in Series 1 and this one includes the hosts of Intentional Talk, Hall of Fame honoree Peter Gammons and even a little ¡PLAKATA! from former big-leaguer Carlos Pena.

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Update: Kris Bryant is card No. 1 in the 2017 Topps set as revealed on the show. He was chosen via a collector vote.

“It’s a huge honor to be chosen as Card No. 1 since it has depicted so many legends before me,” Bryant said in a prepared release. “It’s very humbling and nice to know it came from the fans.”

"Kris Bryant is an outstanding player with an infectious personality," said David Leiner, Topps' GM & VP of North American Sports & Entertainment. "He’s done so much in his career and has created fans throughout baseball regardless of team loyalties. He’s the perfect pick."

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Want a first look at the MLB Network baseball cards to be found a week from today in packs of 2017 Topps Series 1?

Watch the Network on Thursday and it should happen -- and we're betting card No. 1 will be unveiled, too.

Although we can see the John Smoltz autograph here, the cardboard news -- whatever it is -- will come on Network's Hot Stove morning show tomorrow between 9-11 a.m. Eastern.

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Although the MLB Network has its share of Hall of Famers like John Smoltz, "Rookie Cards" for some of the other names who bring you the highlights begin arriving on Feb. 1 in packs of 2017 Topps Series 1 baseball cards.

A 10-card release begins a set that will continue in Series 2 and Update later this year and this series will include Lauren Shehadi (RC), Kevin Millar, Mike Lowell, Greg Amsinger (RC), Ryan Dempster, Sean Casey, Harold Reynolds, Dan Plesac and Smoltz as well as an MLB Tonight card.

A number of that crew's members already have cards as players (click to view a Buzz archives piece) -- but there will be several debuts in the forthcoming releases. Meanwhile, a number of them haven't had many autographs and all nine found in Series 1 will have ink.

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