Auction Buzz is a monthly look at some of the variety found out there on the auction block ... check 'em out.

It's going to be a busy second half of the year for Dallas-based Heritage Auctions with a number of regularly scheduled events as well as some showcase auctions with high-profile stuff all on the calendar. This time, we look at a few things from a few active sales this month.

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AS BIG AS IT GETS
The Item: Michael Jordan & Kobe Bryant 2007-08 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Dual Logoman Autographs (1/1) -- PSA 6
The Price: $4,150,000 after 32 bids (ends Aug. 23)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This one has plenty of time remaining but as you can tell it's already one of the biggest monsters to ever hit the auction block -- and that's with the grade that, well, would be a bummer on any other card from the modern era. But, with game-used NBA logos from two of the game's all-time greats and their ink? Well, it's all about the card, not that dinged corner. "Do you hear that rumbling? It's the sound of the standing world record price for a basketball card getting ready to fall," Heritage said in its listing. "For five years, the 2009-10 National Treasures Steph Curry logoman autograph card has enjoyed the view from the top of the heap, the $5.9 million private sale to an investment fund in July 2021 demonstrating the virtually unlimited elasticity of the market's upper edge. ... We're proud and privileged here at Heritage for the opportunity to take the title back for the auction world," Heritage continued, "providing the manner of competition and high drama that private transactions lack, and which serves as a far more fitting tribute to the iconic subjects this remarkable trading card celebrates." ... This one is estimated by Heritage to top the $6-million mark when it's sold.

Keep reading for more interesting pieces up for grabs right now.

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Auction Buzz is a monthly look at some of the variety found out there on the auction block ... check 'em out.

It's going to be a busy second half of the year for Dallas-based Heritage Auctions with a number of regularly scheduled events as well as some showcase auctions with high-profile stuff all on the calendar. This time, we look at a few things from a few active sales this month.

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DARK KNIGHT IN DEMAND
The Item: Batman tin robot with original English box (Nomura Toys, 1966)
The Price: $5,250 after 29 bids (ends July 11)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This vintage Japanese toy is a foot-tall prime piece of pop culture with an obvious 1960s feel yet with some aspirations of something more for the future -- it's a battery operated tin toy and it's complete with its Adam West-styled box and fabric cape. This one is "an iconic fusion of superhero flair and vintage tin toy charm" per Heritage and it's one of two known styles -- this one has the serious face and one with the switch button in red. Heritage calls this "a standout from the golden age of Batman collectibles, blending Japanese craftsmanship with Gotham nostalgia."

Keep reading for more interesting pieces up for grabs right now.

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BlowoutCards.com has caught another legendary Pokémon card at auction.

Tonight, when the dust settled over at Heritage Auctions, one of only two Pokémon Blastoise #009/165R Commissioned Presentation Galaxy Star Hologram cards made by Wizards of the Coast in 1998 sold for $360,000. It's graded a CGC NM/Mint+ 8.5 and "the present day existence of the other is questionable" as it may not even exist now according to the auction house. Just two of these blank-backed cards were made to present the concept of an English-market release to Nintendo executives all those years ago.

"Pokémon is the largest media franchise and this is one of the rarest collectibles," said Blowout's Thomas Fish after the sale. "I had to catch this one."

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This year's National Sports Collectors Convention is set for Aug. 1-5 in Cleveland with a meaty roster of autograph guests signing for those who opt to get a ticket and get in line for an "inkredible" moment.

Some of those signers are actually free if you're at the VIP reception on Wednesday or buy a VIP ticket package -- a bonus for taking the time to hit the entire show or buy the full package for all of the other bonuses -- but other signers will take some planning to land the ones you want.

It's tough to see everything at the show -- it's that big -- and the time it takes to work through autograph lines is valuable in that it impedes your shot at seeing it all. With that said, here are my picks -- one per day -- to grab off the autograph list. (Keep reading for the full signers list in a gallery at the end.)

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It's a simple idea that could have big-time appeal.

The idea? Video game box covers as canvas art prints -- and a selection of four iconic Nintendo  video games from the 1980s can be yours now for a relatively small price via ThinkGeek.com.

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It's all your fault, Nintendo.

The hottest (though seemingly non-existent) toy of the holiday season has been without question the NES Classic, a miniature modern-day version of the old Nintendo Entertainment System pre-loaded with 30 different games from the heyday of the 8-bit platform.

Buzz knew this would be big the day it was revealed months ago and I've checked chain stores multiple times a week in the time since its arrival last month seeking that Shangri-La Shelf where the Classic sat at its posted price of $59.99 -- not the massive amounts more allegedly being paid on eBay. (Sure, some of those "sales" aren't legit -- many of them in fact -- but some of the lesser high-priced sales wouldn't shock me since I'm sure the NES Classic has caused angst for other people out there.)

There was a side effect after all this aisle-walking and checking out video games like I hadn't done in years, if ever. It made me do something I never would have predicted months ago.

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A little-known Nintendo game then is a well-known Nintendo game now -- at least to serious collectors who are known to fork over plenty of cash for it.

It's Stadium Events, and it's a game that's so serious for collectors that in its original packaging it evokes comparisons to someone you might know if you're into baseball cards.

"I never had a Honus Wagner," said Tod Curtis, a Bedford, Ind.-based orthodontist, who seriously collects NES games and was interviewed as part of an ESPN The Magazine story on this game and its legacy. "That's what this game is to this hobby. I don't know how many Honus Wagner cards are out there compared to how many Stadium Events there are. If the game is really that rare, you can see in 20 years it coming up at Christie's, where people are going to pay $900,000."

The story is a fascinating one with plenty of parallels to the card-collecting world, and, not surprisingly, the tale has prompted the attempted sale of a high-grade copy of the game.

You probably won't believe the asking price right now on eBay. 

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Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com. 

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