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 ...

SHINE LIKE MINI-DIAMONDS ...
The Card: Ronald Acuña Jr. 2021 Topps Chrome Platinum Anniversary Edition Rose Gold Mini-Diamond Refractors (/75)
The Reason Graded: Generally, I only do Chrome stuff in any kind of volume when it gets cheap -- and in this case they were as I found a run of mega boxes of this one priced less than blasters and that got me to bite. (They're all Buzz Breaks so go check the archives.) One of my better finds in those boxes was this card, which is a super-sparkly take on the 1952 Topps design that, in my mind, does work while a lot of the basic Chrome takes found in this set just don't. (There were a lot of quality control issues with this release.) In this case, since it's a top name, a rare card and a crisp and cleanly centered copy I put it into a bulk sub. Why? I like it and the player ... and I felt like it had some good potential.
The Grade: CSG 9.5

Reality Check: It's the lowest of two copies graded by CSG (now CGC) with the other one checking in where I had hoped to be. No biggie ... I like this card no matter what and all of his stuff -- Rookie Cards, hits and rarities -- should be getting looks as he could become baseball's newest 40-40 Club member -- and might even push higher if he gets really hot with the bat in the second half. With him you never know.

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

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What: Decision 2021 Cut Signature Edition trading cards
Arrives: Nov. 26
Box basics: One cut autograph card per box (15 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Collectors wanting new political cardboard can get it here with a cut autograph in every box and certain luminaries guaranteed in every case.

Keep reading for more.

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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 I play catch-up on some old names and school ties guys along with some new grabs.

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THE DEMOLISHER 
The Card: Rhea Ripley 2020 Topps Chrome WWE Gold Refractor Autograph (/50)
The Price: About the price of a box
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This young WWE star from Australia is a strong seller in last year's releases and this is one auto I had to grab as Gold Chrome is a favorite color of mine -- at least in combination of appeal and price. They are rarer but not too rare to be way too expensive and this one was a bit underpriced compared to other copies. I sprung a bit more than I might have for this one -- but that's what happens when there's just not as much wax out there for me to buy. The cool part was that I landed a sweet surprise bonus with this one ... I'll show it off next time. Ripley appears to have arrived on the main roster during the last WWE pay-per-view and lasted about halfway through the Royal Rumble match ... finishing second. That indicates she should be primed for an interesting debut run and she has a persona that makes her feel like a six-foot-tall demolisher, though her look was still evolving at the time this card was made. Unlike some young stars, she actually has a number of autographed cards in 2020 releases and I'm pretty close to having locked down at least one from each of them ... and that's pretty strong for me as I just don't have the budget or patience to chase full rainbows. In other words, I'm sold.
Grab a box right here: 2020 Topps Chrome WWE wrestling cards

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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Update: Topps sold 13,075 of these sets, which looks like a new record for a GPK print-to-order release.

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"Did you get rich off GameStop? Why not commemorate your stock market victory with this great GPK set?"

That's the opening line -- and, really, the only one -- describing the new 2021 Topps Garbage Pail Kids Gamestonk card set that dropped from Topps today with the Kids taking on the stock market talker of this week via a set of 12 stickers.

They'll be printed to order -- meaning whatever is ordered is what is made -- after one week on Topps.com.

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It was the moment that launched many a meme ... and now it's a cardboard record-setter.

Topps revealed the print run for its 2020 USA Election Topps Now card set from Inauguration Day and the Bernie Sanders card set a new Topps Now record with 91,169 cards ordered and printed. That's dearly double the Anthony Fauci card that sold a record 51,512 copies last year after he threw out the first pitch at a Washington Nationals game.

Topps Now is a real-time card platform meaning if 12 people order a copy of an offered card, then only 12 are made. It's a realm that launched with cards for Major League Baseball but has included other sports and notable moments in the news.

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A day of history-making moments in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday means there's some new cardboard today ... thanks to Topps Now. 

Sure, there are cards for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in a new nine-card 2020 USA Election Topps Now set from Topps -- a continuation of the set that included cards for the past debates -- but there are also some surprises and viral stars of the day making their way onto cardboard.

J.Lo? Check. Garth Brooks? Check. Lady Gaga? Check.

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The Garbage Pail Kids are going there ... again.

Topps has revealed the first set of 2020 Garbage Pail Kids disg-Race to the White House stickers that it will produce this year -- it all starts with the Iowa Caucus pack.

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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 Today: Iconic cards, big pulls and new brands hitting retail early.

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The second series of Decision 2016 trading cards is here with a new wave of recent highlights, new inclusions, new cardboard takes on the Clinton and Trump campaigns and there are new autographs, too.

The format is also new with a boxed pack containing 30 cards instead of everything being placed  into individual wax packs.

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The Garbage Pail Kids are back at it once again.

Another batch of Disgrace to the White House stickers are available now via Topps.com for less than 24 hours and one keys on the controversy of the week in this year's run to Election Day.

It's a "Dumpy Donald" card that features a Miss Universe (a nod to Alicia Machado) putting Donald Trump through a workout.

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If you tore into boxes of Decision 2016 trading cards, you may have a reason or two to look back at those cards for some rarer variations that may carry more value than you thought.

Why? The makers of the landmark political product have revealed the short-prints in the product and relative scarcity of the parallels for many of the cards. In addition, per-box odds for retail and hobby have now been disclosed, giving collectors a better idea of what's rarer in the product or what they should expect in a box or case of Decision 2016 trading cards via either hobby or retail.

Interestingly, for example, the most-plentiful cut auto in the product is that of Donald Trump, while cuts with a red-foil frame are much rarer parallels for any subject, whether short-printed or not. (That means this Trump buyer probably got a bit of a deal.)

Also interesting? The shredded currency cards, which are now confirmed to be found one per case, have two versions with one much rarer than the other. Meanwhile, many of the inserts have rarer parallels -- with their relative scarcity now confirmed. One example? The Trump Under Fire cards with red foil like this one are the rarest finds.

Keep reading for a full breakdown of the odds and new short-print info.

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Beginning this month, Funko has several waves of new Pop! vinyl figures coming for some big franchises in film and TV from the past and the present.

The new Ghostbusters, Aliens, Flash Gordon, Mean Girls, Willy Wonka, DragonBallZ, Through the Looking Glass and Harry Potter are just some of the properties with figures coming between now and August.

Oh, and it's also got the likes of UFC stars Ronda Rousey and Connor McGregor on the way along with the fighters in the political world -- Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders -- scheduled to become toys, too.

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Politicians have appeared on cardboard since the earliest years of trading cards -- you know, in packs of cigarettes back in the 1800s -- and they've appeared in countless non-sports, war and even sports sets of the last 30-plus years as collecting emerged upon the national psyche and flourished as part of the pop culture landscape.

But the new Decision 2016 trading cards arriving this week include something that we haven't yet seen in a political release -- the chance at autographs and more advanced "hit" cards along with a healthy amount of traditional cardboard.

In the midst of one of the most-tumultous political seasons in years, this is a product that offers a promising start for a perhaps-expanding trading card genre of its own -- and the potential for something more.

It already appears to be a landmark release, but don't just take Buzz's word for it.

"The idea of a set that captures that drama of an election – that is compelling," said Rick Klein, who is ABC News' Political Director and also a long-time baseball card collector. "I feel like it’s something that could start as a novelty project but catch on. You’d be surprised by how many political junkies are also collectors. People love pins, hats, signs. I’ve seen autograph-seekers at obscure conferences for senators most people could never name."

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This year's presidential race is one that's gotten plenty of attention for arguably all the wrong reasons, but no matter which way you lean there's plenty of potential memorabilia if that's your type of thing. (Buzz isn't all that interested but knows some of you inevitably will be, so here we are.)

How?

On the candidates' official websites. That's where you'll find coloring books, ugly sweaters, barbecue gear, caps, shirts, and, of course, plenty of signs and buttons. You'll find koozies, calendars, all kinds of stuff ... and even water bottles. (Some sell anti-competitor items, too, but it might not be who you think taking that approach.) The costs are sometimes low -- but often not -- and, interestingly, only one of the five candidates, Ted Cruz, sells actual autographed items. (The poster above? That's $55, though there's no note of its size.)

Keep reading for a look at some of the odd, creative and readily available items found on official stores for Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and John Kasich.

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We're still a couple weeks away from the arrival of Decision 2016 trading cards -- a set for the fans of politics -- but there's one thing that's arrived to offer some clarity during this tumultuous season.

The final checklist.

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Topps is promising more political Garbage Pail Kids to come this year -- and it has the preliminary sketches to approve it.

Entertainment brand manager Mark Von Ohlen shared these sketches online Saturday before their arrival to come on Tuesday.

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The creator of Decision 2016 trading cards offered more details about the forthcoming product this week with a number of formats that the political product can be explored.

Why? Because it's been a tumultuous political season so far.

“There is unprecedented interest in this year’s presidential election,” said Brian Wallos, who created the set. “With Donald Trump joining the race and other non-traditional candidates campaigning, we felt that creating a high-quality collection of presidential trading cards was a natural. Not only can people learn from these cards and even make more informed decisions about whom they might support, but they will now have an opportunity to memorialize this historic election campaign."

So, what's new?

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What: Decision 2016 trading cards
Arrives: March
Box basics: No per-box details released -- but six cards per pack, 24 packs per box, 12 boxes per case.

What's buzz-worthy: The drama of the presidential race gets its first full cardboard documentation here with Decision 2016, which is being distributed by Leaf Trading Cards.

Keep reading for more and a gallery of images from the product.

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On the heels of a re-release of the politicians cards in this year's Garbage Pail Kids set for the Iowa Primary, Topps has created a set of new GPK cards only available for a limited time coinciding with the New Hampshire Primary.

Why? People love their politicians -- or ripping on them.

A new batch of nine pairs of card-size stickers, as well as a full set, are initially available for 24 hours only via Topps.com.  Who's in it? Keep reading ...

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Five presidential candidates will take a few more jabs on Wednesday when Topps' newest group of Garbage Pail Kids officially arrives with a 10-card subset specifically focusing on those seeking the highest office in the land.

The 2016 Topps Garbage Kids: American As Apple Pie In Your Face set includes spoofs of Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Jeb Bush and Ben Carson. Each of them has a pair of names adorning artwork meant to evoke a laugh or two at their expense as part of an overall product that parodies American pastimes, icons and moments as only the Garbage Pail Kids can.

Its artwork on the wrappers? You can see it at right -- it's all keeping with an All-American theme. (You can click here to view a PDF of the checklist.)

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