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

TOUGH ONE?
The Card: Bo Bichette 2022 Topps Heritage image variation (found in Heritage High Number packs)
The Reason Graded: Some of you might wonder why this card is in the lead slot this month since it's a simple image variation -- but a great one -- from a brand that's not quite as pricey as it used to be. (At least for singles ... you can find this for about $2 or less.) But, finding one of these that will get a high (real) grade? Not so much. The centering can always be a bear here but that's not the constant problem spot. It's the backs of these that use full-bleed black ink where cards that may look flawless on the fronts are often demolished when it comes to those those back edges.
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: This one? It still has a some minor spotting -- that's why it's not a perfect 10 -- but it's way better than every other one I've seen and that's why I subbed this after I found it raw. Why? That front is pretty much a perfectly crafted design and I definitely don't mind retro-styled sets like this one -- I call it the old-guy flagship set as it is for me vs. basic Topps. The stuff feels more sturdy with its stock and printing -- I'm not sure I trust foilboard to age that well, either -- but the trade-off is that Heritage is harder to grade and land those higher marks. In all ways, this one is a win for me, a Bichette collector, and that's why he's batting lead-off. (It also doesn't hurt he's starting to warm up on the field this season.)

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

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What: 2025 TRISTAR Hidden Treasures Autographed Football Photos
Arrives: Aug. 27
Box basics: One autographed football photo per pack (15 packs per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: TRISTAR's Hidden Treasures line arrives for another year of signed football photos with some big-chase items, bonus upgrades and more awaiting collectors.

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What's Buzzing: Pondering the best in 2000s MLB, NBA postseason, MMA chatter, new pulls and more in this midweek edition.

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1 -- Wondering about 2025 Topps Update 

2 -- Still pondering the best MLB players of the 2000s

3 -- An upside down patch (and it happens often)

4 -- New football pulls

5 -- Some MMA topics to see

6 -- NBA postseason chatter

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What's Buzzing: NBA playoff chatter, Shohei Ohtani on the mound, new pulls, awaiting Jac Caglianone and more.

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1 -- One Prizm NFL hanger yields ... 

2 -- Diamond Kings delivers

3 -- Talking Shohei Ohtani 

4 -- NBA postseason thoughts

5 -- Awaiting Jac Caglianone ...

6 -- New MLB pulls include 2025 Bowman and more

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What's Buzzing: Pete Crow-Armstrong, Ronald Acuña Jr., Jac Caglianone, new pulls and more in this Saturday edition.

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1 -- Pete Crow-Armstrong is on their minds

2 -- Awaiting Jac ... 

3 -- Some new football pulls

4 -- Reactions aplenty

5 -- New MLB pulls

6 -- Ronald Acuña Jr. returns with a bang

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What's Buzzing: New AEW & WWE pulls, Aaron Judge, 2025 Bowman and more in this Thursday edition.

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1 -- That's a win

2 -- New NFL pulls are here

3 -- All your MLB chatter

4 -- Inside an AEW Black Diamond case

5 -- Checking in on the Aaron Judge chatter

6 -- 2025 Bowman breaks and more

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What's Buzzing: Pondering future Hall of Famers, Jacob Wilson, NFL chatter, Mookie Betts and more in this edition.

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1 -- Pondering future Hall of Famers

2 -- Jacob Wilson worth a look?

3 -- NFL off-season chatter is here

4 -- The Dodgers are on their minds ... checking in Mookie Betts chatter

5 -- 2025 Bowman breaks and more

6 -- All your MLB chatter is here

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What's Buzzing: Caitlin Clark, James Wood, NBA and WNBA chatter, new pulls and more in this Sunday edition.

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1 -- Talking 1/1 cards ...

2 -- New Bowman pulls and more here

3 -- Talking James Wood

4 -- New NFL breaks yield some star power

5 -- Checking in on the Caitlin Clark thread

6 -- WNBA begins & NBA postseason chatter here

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What's Buzzing: NBA postseason action, WNBA tips off, Brock Purdy got paid, Pete Crow-Armstrong, 2025 Bowman and more.

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1 -- WNBA begins & NBA postseason chatter here

2 -- Brock Purdy got paid

3 -- Talking vintage

4 -- All about PCA

5 -- Remember me?

6 -- New Bowman pulls and more here

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What: 2025 Pulse Stratos Football Heat Seeker Edition football cards
Arrives: July
Box basics: One encased autograph per one-card box (24 boxes per case)
Checklist: See early players list in gallery
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: A faster chase -- one auto per box and that's it -- edition of Stratos drops this summer with newly drafted NFL stars as well as legends from the past all among the possible finds.

Keep reading for more info and a gallery of images.

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What: 2025 Panini Luminance football cards
Arrives: June 25
Box basics: Three autographs and one memorabilia card per four-pack box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Luminance hits the NFL gridiron for an eighth time with its familiar photo-driven approach and with some new looks, new players and more awaiting collectors.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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What: 2025 Leaf Metal Football Blaster football cards
Arrives: May 2
Box basics: 10 base cards or parallels plus one autographed card per box (20 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Leaf Metal's simpler counterpart arrives with a mix of players on NIL deals, some past stars and even some current names all in one spot.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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What's Buzzing: MLB and NBA chatter, Cooper Flagg, new MLB pulls, inside NFL packs and more.

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1 -- NBA Postseason reactions

2 -- All your MLB chatter is here

3 -- Cooper Flagg thoughts in advance of the NBA Draft 

4 -- New MLB pulls are here

5 -- Opening NFL packs -- new and old

6 -- Still talking modern-day MLB overproduction ... talking NBA

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What's Buzzing: NBA chatter, pondering Cleveland Browns moves, Babe Ruth, Shohei Ohtani, Topps Midnight reactions and more.

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1 -- All your basketball takes are here

2 -- Pondering possibilities in Cleveland?

3 -- Checking in on the Shohei Ohtani chatter

4 -- I got you, Babe

5 -- Reactions to Topps Midnight football cards

6 -- Going oldschool ... 

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What's Buzzing: NBA Playoffs, a long-time project completed, a card to avoid, VeeFriends Chrome, 2025 Bowman and more.

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1 -- All your postseason NBA chatter is here

2 -- A project completed 

3 -- Talking Topps Now

4 -- One to avoid

5 -- Chewing on VeeFriends Chrome

6 -- Still talking 2025 Bowman

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What's Buzzing: Pete Crow-Armstrong emerges, Luka Doncic's title-winning ability, 2025 Bowman, WWE releases, NFL favorites and more in this Saturday edition.

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1 -- Will Luka Doncic ever win the big one?

2 -- More 2025 Bowman thoughts

3 -- WWE releases have 'em talking

4 -- Talking past NFL favorites

5 -- Pete Crow-Armstrong is on their minds

6 -- MLB over-reactions are here

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

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IT'S ALWAYS TIFFY TIME
The Card: Tiffany Stratton 2023 Panini Immaculate Collection WWE Ruby Memorabilia Autographs (/25)
The Price: A meaty amount (for me)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Much like Rhea Ripley rookie autos in 2020, I've focused on trying to find one card from each of the lineups for Stratton's first year of ink in 2023 (RCs in 2022) with cleaner/full sigs on them and this brand was one of my targets for a while. I finally found one that looked good for a price I could pull off. Why chase? Stratton has delivered and figures to do so for some time with her latest big landmark moment being a bruiser of a win over Charlotte Flair at Wrestlemania. "Buff Barbie" is an informal nickname here so far -- they're avoiding trademark claims -- but they're also playing into that more and more with her Wrestlemania debut entrance having a Barbie Dreamhouse/packaging feel before a brawl that left her, in her own words, "looking like a broke down Barbie." That spectacle of an entrance and the match were both proof that the meteoric arrival and win over an all-time great at the biggest event of the year is just the start and the WWE is still fueling that rocket. I've been buying (this was a pre-Mania pick-up) and will keep looking for more somewhat selectively -- since stuff is at times pricey.
Grab a box: WWE cards are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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What's Buzzing: Aaron Judge, multi-player autos, NBA chatter, a really funky Heritage blaster, 2025 Bowman and more in today's edition.

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1 -- Judge.

2 -- Showing off multi-player NFL autos

3 -- NBA chatter as the postseason continues

4 -- Something really funky brewing?

5 -- All your MLB chatter is here

6 -- Bowman Red Rookie Redemption reactions

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What's Buzzing: MLB chatter, predicting rookie QB success, Luka Doncic, non-sports cards, Bowman Red and vintage baseball players.

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1 -- All your MLB chatter is here

2 -- Predicting 2025 rookie QB success

3 -- Talking Luka

4 -- Non-sports cards are on their minds

5 -- Focusing on vintage MLB players

6 -- Bowman Red Rookie Redemption reactions

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What's Buzzing: Reactions to Bowman Red Rookie Redemptions, 2025 Score NFL, Shedeur Sanders, a cautionary grading tale and more in this midweek edition.

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1 -- Bowman Red Rookie Redemption reactions

2 -- A grading tale ... (please learn some things here)

3 -- Still talking Shedeur Sanders

4 -- Reactions to 2025 Score NFL

5 -- Still talking Topps Heritage

6 -- Chewing on Topps nuggets

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What's Buzzing: About Bo Jackson's football Rookie Card, offseason NFL chatter, Downtown cards, an interesting foil botch, Topps Dynasty and Topps Heritage.

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1 -- Bo Jackson's NFL Rookie Card: A lot of correct answers here

2 -- Offseason NFL chatter is here

3 -- Downtowns ... now or later?

4 -- An interesting foil botch

5 -- Awaiting Topps Dynasty

6 -- Still talking Topps Heritage

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What's Buzzing: Agustin Ramirez arrives with a bang, MLB chatter, NFL Draft, Shedeur Sanders and more.

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1 -- Agustin Ramirez arrives with a big bang

2 -- Even more MLB chatter here

3 -- Nuggets from the Topps event?

4 -- The Purples vanished, too ...

5 -- All your NFL Draft reactions are here

6 -- Pondering Shedeur Sanders card values after the fall

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What's Buzzing: Shedeur Sanders falls to Cleveland in the fifth round, NFL Draft reactions, Pop Century arrives and more in this Sunday edition.

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1 -- All your NFL Draft reactions are here

2 -- Pondering Shedeur Sanders card values after the fall

3 -- Inside a new Pop Century case ... and another one

4 -- Still talking Topps Heritage ... and Heritage High Number

5 -- NBA postseason talk

6 -- Inside some football boxes 

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What's Buzzing: NFL Draft reactions, Shedeur Sanders, Tyler Shough, Topps Heritage and plenty more.

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1 -- All your NFL Draft reactions are here

2 -- Pondering Shedeur Sanders card values now

3 -- "Old people prefer the term experienced"

4 -- Seasons In The Sun delivers

5 -- Talking Topps Heritage

6 -- NBA postseason chatter

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What's Buzzing: NFL Draft first-round reactions, Aaron Judge, Jac Caglianone, Topps Black, NBA postseason and more in this Friday drop.

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1 -- All your NFL Draft reactions are here

2 -- Aaron Judge is on their minds

3 -- PuddleMonkey (who collects harder than you) has a question ... (see, harder)

4 -- Checking in on the Jac Caglianone thread

5 -- Talking Topps Black

6 -- NBA postseason chatter

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