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

AS GOOD AS IT GETS
The Card: Caitlin Clark 2024-25 Panini Instant WNBA (/26,980) -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: I watched and waited for the most part with Caitlin Clark cards as Panini Instant stuff arrived regularly and her in-pack WNBA Rookie Cards arrived later in the year. But, when this award-winner card popped up with a clean and iconic studio photo? Well, I pretty much instantly (pun not intended as it's simply true) grabbed a 10-pack with an eye for a slab. It's in a past Buzz Buys (hit the archives) and this is the result a few months later.
The Grade: CGC 10 (Pristine)

Reality Check: This one is heavily made and should be heavily slabbed -- the number of Pristines has at least doubled just in the few weeks since I got these back from CGC -- but many won't be checking in at this top mark. I didn't slab to expect a perfect 10 but I thought this one had potential after going through my stack. Three of my 10 had solid centering and this one was first to make that cut ... with this mark I may not need to send in the other two. It's my lone Clark slab ... and it's strong enough it might stay that way just so I can say I went 1-for-1 grading here. We'll see.

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

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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 ...

MAMI'S HOME ...
The Card: Rhea Ripley 2020 Topps Chrome WWE Gold Refractor Autographs (/50) -- rookie-year auto
The Reason Graded: I picked up this one a few years ago for a pretty modest price -- about the price of a box back then -- and since then Ripley has emerged as the top name among a newer wave of stars who, barring injuries, should be helping redefine women's wrestling for some time. I had this one in my get-graded stacks for a long time as I don't often slab up auto cards -- I don't like surprises -- but I did it on this one and a standard auto earlier this year since they looked quite clean.
The Grade: CGC 10 (Pristine) with 10 auto

Reality Check: As good as it gets and this card is a monster as it is. A raw copy pushed $500 not that long ago and a PSA 9 sold for that much as well earlier this year. A perfect 10 absolutely works for me on this one ... it's the best color here if you ask me, too.

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

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Buzz buys a lot of stuff these days and for a few reasons, really. Sometimes it's just bargain-hunting, sometimes it's just something that strikes me. And other times it's a lot -- a group of things -- and that has happened enough lately I figured I'd try something different as a regularly appearing item. Sometimes my lots will be wins, sometimes they won't be ... but I'll let you decide. 

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AN UNDISPUTED STEAL?
The Lot: A lot of nine numbered Orange parallel cards from Topps Undisputed WWE
The Price: $15

Keep reading for more on this one ...

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Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals is to rip a little less and talk more about cardboard that I -- and you -- might like. One way to do that? Simple show and tell -- present a few pick-ups and say why they captured my attention.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... and this time around it's perhaps a little heavy on wrestling (but then again so am I) and some pick-ups that have simply piled up waiting for a spot. (Call it some spring cleaning.)

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A MONÉ MYSTERY ... 
The Card: Sasha Banks 2021 Topps Transcendent WWE Green Autograph (/15)
The Price: Way less than most new WWE boxes ...
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: When the final Transcendent set was teased, this card with its striking image (a real photo from one of her laser show entrances) was immediately on my radar from this ultra-pricey release. However, how I was going to actually land one wasn't something I had to worry about upon arrival ... her cards simply were not packed out in the boxes and she wasn't alone. Why? There's some chatter about that, but one WWE insider believed her boxes of cards may have mistakenly left at a venue. Then some popped up on the open market, forcing Topps to go track them down legally and then get the signing done. All that is stuff I don't really care about, but I'm 100-percent confident that this is a legit auto of The Legit Boss and the card is perfectly fine. A number of the other Banks autos from this one have some steep asking prices but I ponied up to land this one not that long ago, knowing it will be a few more years before we might even see Transcendent again. And who knows what the wrestling future for Mercedes Moné might hold -- Mercedes Varnado is no longer in WWE -- or if we'll even see Sasha Banks again.
Grab a box right here: None for this one but ... WWE boxes are here.

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Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals is to rip a little less and talk more about cardboard that I -- and you -- might like. One way to do that? Simple show and tell -- present a few pick-ups and say why they captured my attention.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... 

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A STRATUSFACTORY ADDITION 
The Card: Trish Stratus 2014 Topps WWE Road to WrestleMania Trish Stratus Pants Relic
The Price: Less than a typical low-end hobby box
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This WWE Hall of Famer got her own tribute set in this Topps release and part of the project also included a small batch of jumbo memorabilia cards that, unlike most Topps WWE stuff, wasn't loaded with pieces of shirts or mat pieces. Instead, these jumbos were massive swatches of some match-worn pants from the multi-time champ and they're also seen on the cards themselves in at least one instance. (This one.) These weren't impossible pulls back then -- I just never found one and they were pricey for Relics -- but I latched onto one when it surfaced to have it in my stash almost a decade later. With so many new boxes being pricey or less enticing at times because of that in all sports, I've found myself being more selective and playing the waiting game on some ... and buying up selected singles perhaps for more than I typically do. Though at the same time, the markets are starting to feel a little more normal here and there. This is an example of that.
Grab a box right here: None for this one ... find WWE boxes here.

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Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals is to rip a little less and talk more about cardboard that I -- and you -- might like. One way to do that? Simple show and tell -- present a few pick-ups and say why they captured my attention.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... and this time around it's a little bit of everything.

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ALREADY A STAR ... 
The Item: Jahmyr Gibbs autographed 16-by-20 photo (Fanatics Authentic)
The Price: Under $40
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This guy has a number of autographed cards already thanks to NIL deals, but to me they're often on the wrong team as he transferred to the Alabama Crimson Tide just this season after two years at Georgia Tech. Atop that, his autograph isn't the flashiest thing out there so that's one reason sticker autos might not appeal ... but when I saw this signed photo for the size and price? Well, I bit -- and it's a really good photo for college merch. He's rushed for 850 yards and seven TDs so far this year and added 42 catches for 378 yards and three more TDs on a team where, well, at times he's been the beast on the ground this year. His next stop? Likely the NFL -- he's popped up as a late first-round or early second-round guy in some quick searches -- though I'm not buying to scout. I just wanted his ink in my stash and this one will go alongside a few other larger-format college photos I've stacked up in the last few years. Depending on where he goes, autographed Rookie Cards should easily top this price. It also helped that I had some sales discount rewards in play, so I paid less than the $40 it had been going for. For me, this one was a win ... and, again, I really like this photo.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... but football boxes are here

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Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals is to rip a little less and talk more about cardboard that I -- and you -- might like. One way to do that? Simple show and tell -- present a few pick-ups and say why they captured my attention.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... and this time around it's a little heavier on football as that season is here.

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AEW ORIGINALS ... AS IN ORIGINAL ARTWORK 
The Cards: Gummy Arts original T206-style drawings (1/1s) for Thunder Rosa, Orange Cassidy, MJF, Powerhouse Hobbs & Sting
The Price: Less than an AEW hobby box
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: If you don't know the work of artist Mike Noren -- aka Gummy Arts -- he's been drawing athletes or memorable pop culture characters in penciled cartoon-style reproductions of past cards or on new creations for years now. You can find constantly updating feeds of his work in timely posts over on Instagram or Twitter and then sometimes those get reproduced and sold as cards in packs. In other instances, he's let the original artwork go, too. Those vanish fast and can be pricey -- actually, his packs can vanish fast, too -- and for years now I've eyed the section of his site for original art (typically $50-80 depending on subject) that made it into cards. I had never found one that was must-have for me -- or at least found a must-have one in stock -- but one day after seeing a tweet of his I did my regular ritual and checked the site to find this set of five T206/Honus Wagner homages in one slightly pricier lot but had to grab them. I had remembered seeing the Rosa online but didn't remember any of these being made into actual cards. It turns out they weren't, so the only thing that exists f0r now (at least when I recently grabbed them) are these originals. Four are top AEW stars while one is an all-time great who has worked for every company ... really a no-brainer for me and I might have paid the typical full price for one or two of these. The Rosa card in a Tijuana jersey and others in their own Wagner-style threads made me laugh, while that Cassidy is not far from spot-on even in Noren's style. Poke around here on The Buzz and you'll see more of these ... just not in 1/1 original art form.
Grab a box right here: AEW cards are here

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Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals is to rip a little less and talk more about cardboard that I -- and you -- might like. One way to do that? Simple show and tell -- present a few pick-ups and say why they captured my attention.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... and this time around it's a bit heavy on autographs I've picked up over, say, the last year.

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TURTLE POWER!
The Card: Kevin Eastman 2019 Topps The Art of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Green Artist Autographs (/99)
The Price: Around $30
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is an autograph from one of the original creators of the TMNT franchise that has been seen in countless comic books, video games, movies and other stuff out there in the world for years now -- a franchise among franchises. I'm not sure how rare his autograph is out there in the comic book world -- typically, artists do signings somewhat regularly -- but for trading cards he signed about 30 different options in this release that included one artist auto and one sketch card along with a very nice premium-style set ... and I think that is it for his cards. Poke around here on The Buzz and you'll see how these sets look and how I did pretty well opening a couple of them in the past. Why? The prices dipped rather dramatically in the year or so after they arrived but they have picked back up price-wise and aren't the cheapest of ripping options now -- but the sketches can be nice enough to pay for it all sometimes. I figured this auto was a key one in the long run, so I added this to go with my others. And, if you want to add some more pop culture trivia here, Eastman was the editor and publisher of Heavy Metal magazine as well as married to Julie Strain, a model and "The Queen of B-movies" who has appeared in BenchWarmer sets and helped create other card sets herself.
Grab a box right here: 2019 Topps The Art of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

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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 ... it's a bit of a super-sized edition.

DOMINATING THIS YEAR
The Card: Jonathan Taylor 2020 Donruss #317 -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: If it's not my main collecting focus within the sport I'm at best a dabbler when buying football -- and this is a recent example. I grabbed this since it felt like the cheaper side of things as Taylor has had flashes of brilliance this season (and last year) -- in fact, this was less than $12 not long ago and he's put on some real shows in the weeks since. That's why I have him leading things off here over some far-pricier pick-ups and new slabs I have gotten back lately. (Keep reading for those.)
The Grade: PSA 9

Reality Check: I liked this for the price but I'm not sure I'd go higher based on the pop report -- or pay up for a 10 when they're seemingly checking in there at a heavy clip. (Yet, he seems like the real deal -- so if you're solely focused on NFL he's a must-look.) This isn't my favorite of his RCs, but the brand might be my No. 1 for the last few years. Why? The simplicity. I liked the design for this one but the images can be a little limited for the RC crop with all the COVID issues that were seen on cardboard last year. I was a little surprised to see so many copies graded for this one as cheaper cards like this shouldn't be submitted for grading with steep processing fees -- at least right now. (There were probably a lot of them sent before PSA halted submissions as he was impressive late in his rookie season.)

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

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Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals is to rip a little less and talk more about cardboard that I -- and you -- might like. One way to do that? Simple show and tell -- present a few pick-ups and say why they captured my attention.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys.

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A FIRST FOR ME ...
The Card: Bo Bichette 2020 Topps Archives Snapshots Autographs
The Price: More than I like to admit ... but less than a lot of his autos out there
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This guy has almost become my default go-to player recently for MLB, but since he's popular, on a rising team and been on cardboard for some time I haven't really gotten in stuff on on the lower side of things. That's OK -- I don't need a third "personal collection" guy in my cardboard lifetime to do the chase-heavy approach. I'll just dabble. What is this? It's my first autograph for Bo Bichette in a small-but-growing stash that has plenty of typical raw pulls but also plenty of slabs (including a fun one of his brother) to go along with a game-used ball (a past post here) and then even a signed game-model bat for his dad somewhere in my stash. It'll be a while before I add a Bo Bichette game-used bat based on the price, but I could see it happening sometime down the line. (I dabble in a lot of directions.)
Grab a box right here: 2020 Topps Archives Snapshots

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Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals is to rip a little less and talk more about cardboard that I -- and you -- might like. One way to do that? Simple show and tell -- present a few pick-ups and say why they captured my attention.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... 

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A RARE ROOKIE CARD PARALLEL 
The Card: Calvin Ridley 2018 Donruss Jersey Number parallel (/18) -- Rookie Card parallel
The Price: $37.50
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was more of a premium pick-up for me yet still felt like a steal, too, as this is one of those rarer parallel type of cards where if you pass on one copy you might not see another again as it's a super-rare card in a release with a meaty, multi-format print run -- meaning some of the cards might never be found. It's relatively clean and I also had my eye on it for possible grading but there's a minor wrinkle or surface indent that could get a low mark (maybe). I probably won't risk that but it's no big deal as this one is staying in my school ties part of my stash. It doesn't hurt that he could have an even more dominating kind of season with future Hall of Famer Julio Jones on the move, though.
Grab a box right here: 2018 Donruss NFL (a few formats)

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Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals is to rip a little less and talk more about cardboard that I -- and you -- might like. One way to do that? Simple show and tell -- present a few pick-ups and say why they captured my attention.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... and this time around there's a little bit of everything (but a little more wrestling than usual as WrestleMania is coming soon.

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THE CHAMP IS HERE ...
The Card: John Cena 2005 Topps Heritage WWE autograph
The Price: A lot less than others out there ... whew.
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I picked this one up sometime last year when I couldn't find a lot of key WWE wax and it's definitely a solid grab and hold for the long term if you ask me. Why? Well my price was a lot cheaper than other copies of this card back then so that helped me finally pull the trigger and grab one ... and it seems that notable debut cards and first autos for a lot of wrestlers are really picking up steam of late (mostly on the guys' side as they were arguably undervalued). This is Cena's first certified auto and also from the first year of Topps' current run of WWE cardboard ... a release where ink wasn't even in every hobby box and those boxes are seemingly long, long gone in unopened form. He's been a signing machine over the years, so he's not necessarily a tough auto -- but many of those autos are on stickers and his sig has definitely devolved into more of a symbol to help him sign a ton of stuff in less time than it took for him to do these. You can see a "Joh CnA" here which is more than normal these days, though he's not signing much now. His only autos that I have seen of late are in Transcendent releases and that means he's not had traditional in-pack ink since 2018. Love 'em or hate 'em, he's been an iconic star for years now but his ring days are definitely winding down, so another thought here ... we'll see him in the next Suicide Squad movie soon. His ink makes sense to go the route of Rock, Austin and others ... though he's got a ton more out there than they do. It all starts with this card.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of this one ... but new WWE boxes are here.

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The Blowout Cards Forums are where thousands of collectors converge daily to discuss, well, a little bit of everything. Here are a few threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing: Corey Seager and the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, big pulls and more in today's edition.

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The Blowout Cards Forums are where thousands of collectors converge daily to discuss, well, a little bit of everything. Here are a few threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing: Nothing but big pulls and breaks from around the collecting world in today's edition.

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The Blowout Cards Forums are where thousands of collectors converge daily to discuss, well, a little bit of everything. Here are a few threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing: Nothing but big pulls and breaks in today's edition -- plenty of Ginter X for starters.

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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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PREMIUM PREMIERE
The Item: Cody Bellinger 2017 Topps Transcendent Collection Silver variant autograph (/15)
The Price: $397.79 Buy-It-Now (or best offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: With the World Series starting tonight and this guy the one who made sure the Dodgers got there, I figured it would be fitting that this one leads off. It's a bit of a homer pick for me (I have a regular version of this card) but the prices on his stuff now are a fraction of what they used to be a couple of years ago. Why does this one matter in my mind? It's his best rookie ink in terms of a premium brand and it's possible that a number of them may not be in circulation compared to what that serial-numbering says as these were issued as redemption. The sticker covering a top-loader should make the redemption part obvious but that was the best pic here. (I didn't remove mine from the top-loader, either.) There might be a couple of concern spots here on the frame but that could also be on the holder in the scan, but I'd not be super-worried about that due to the scarcity and if you're not grading. I'm not sure who might command the most gains on the team if the Dodgers win it all, but in general you can't lose on premium stuff from early years if you get in on the lower side. This one, while somewhat pricey, feels like a bargain compared to other stuff out there -- see the link below. A card like this can reasonably sell for more later compared to those prices.
Similar Pieces: Cody Bellinger autos on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for Transcendent boxes (all years and sports)

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

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The Blowout Cards Forums are where thousands of collectors converge daily to discuss, well, a little bit of everything. Here are a few threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing: It's Tua Time and that has them talking, big pulls from several sports and some "grail mail" for Michael Jordan fans.

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The Blowout Cards Forums are where thousands of collectors converge daily to discuss, well, a little bit of everything. Here are a few threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing: Randy Arozarena and the Tampa Bay Rays are headed to the World Series ... all that and more in this midnight-drop edition.

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The Blowout Cards Forums are where thousands of collectors converge daily to discuss, well, a little bit of everything. Here are a few threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing: MLB playoff stars, Project 2020, new WWE cards and some Michael Jordan love in today's edition.

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What: 2020 Topps WWE Undisputed wrestling cards
Arrives: Oct. 16
Box basics: Eight autographs and two Relics in every 10-pack box (eight boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: The sixth edition of Topps' high-end WWE brand hits in the fall with a cleaner and crisper design than the last couple years and with some new touches that could spark some added interest for this hit-per-pack brand.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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