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

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LEGENDARY INK
The Card: Ichiro Suzuki autographed 2001 Topps Rookie Card (BAS 10 auto)
The Price: Not as much as you might think ... but also not that cheap.
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Clean copies of this iconic Topps flagship Rookie Card are not easy finds in general with the boxes and sets likely bricked now if they remain unopened -- that means the gloss will be snowy if you're lucky to peel the cards apart at all -- and then the dark green border and high-gloss on soft stock here is always going to be problematic. When I spotted this card among many where Suzuki has signed for literally years (Mill Creek Sports) without a premium price, I bit on this just before his Hall of Fame results hit. (We all knew he was going in ... but I didn't know if his prices were going to rise.) This copy is super clean vs. many cards out there with some very light roughness on maybe one edge and a light touch on the bottom-left corner ... but some of what's seen in my photo is just how the light is reflecting. I generally don't do a ton of bigger buys for my collection, but this one's cost wasn't that much more than some of the hot and plentiful new release hobby boxes. I went with a safe and iconic bet for my (for me) premium spend and went with the sure thing on an iconic card for a living legend. I pulled his ink once from an unlicensed release -- and it was in one of my earliest Making The Grade posts here -- but a signed RC means I'll likely never need to sweat his stuff again. (Might window shop, though, or bite if price is right for a nice certified.) One more fun part of my card? If that label had a simple added line of Beckett/Fanatics witnessed instead of signed for Mill Creek and then slabbed, the price likely would be double what I paid. I wouldn't pay that -- and this one is a win in my book.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but MLB cards are here.

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Fast Five is a quick list that might offer a basic starting point for a themed collection or new focus -- five things that could be fun for a beginner or a new way to add something to your stash if you're a grizzled veteran.

This time? Five affordable autographs you can get at The National this year.

WHAT?
Frank Whaley, actor ($39 any item; $10 inscription)
There's only one inscription I'd add with an autograph for this veteran actor who will be signing at the show and that would be on a Pulp Fiction photo something like this one. And that inscription is "What?" -- never has a four-letter addition ever been a better buy. While I suspect he and others signing -- or show promotors -- will have photo options you should be able to buy, I'd choose my own destiny and find something like this. Sports fans might consider a Moonlight Graham photo of him from Field of Dreams or maybe one could consider something from The Doors where he played legendary guitarist Robby Kreiger. It's all about a cool item that can make the ink here and there's good potential with a long list of credits. Heck, at this price I'd try something for all three movies -- or maybe Career Opportunities. Frank Whaley signs on Friday and Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. (Times all subject to change.)

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Keep reading for four more making up the list this time.

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