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 end 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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ANOTHER BIG JORDAN
The Item: Michael Jordan Oct. 26, 1984 (NBA Debut) Chicago Bulls season-ticket stub (PSA 4)
The Price: $65,000 after 25 bids (ends Sept. 27)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Last month, a Michael Jordan (and Kobe Bryant) card sale via auction re-wrote some hobby history and, while we're confident this one won't fetch $12.9 million, this one is in some rare air. It has already hit its estimated price from the auction house and while its grade is low there are only three higher. "The most important athletic debut of the post-war era?" asked Heritage in its listing. "A strong argument could be made. Perhaps only Wayne Gretzky could challenge Michael Jordan in balloting seeking to identify the most dominant figure of his respective major sport, but once you step outside the sports arena and into the wider popular culture, M.J. leaves The Great One in his dust. He remains one of the most recognizable humans on the planet two decades after his retirement from the NBA." Jordan scored a modest 16 points in a 109-93 win over the Washington Bullets on this night and only 14 of these have been grade overall.

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

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This is a new department here on The Buzz ... Fast Five -- a quick list under a simple topic that might offer a basic starting point for a themed collection. It's a basic list of five items that could be fun for a starting collector or a new way to add to a stash that might already seemingly include everything when it comes to cardboard. For some of you, it's probably common sense. For others of you out there, it's perhaps something to ponder.

This time? Five reasons a sports card can be appealing ... beyond just value.

A STRONG PHOTO
We all know a lot of cards from any sports (or non-sports) set from the past that has a photo that's just so clean or different that it stands out from the rest of the pack every time we see it. It doesn't have to be a star, it doesn't have to be a bum ... it's just memorable. Sometimes cards like these can actually command more value than others around it (probably moreso in the years before hits and inserts) but that added appeal can't hurt. The card you see here? It's a simple portrait -- literally nothing but the image -- no design here -- and that's why I chose it. It shows the power of letting the photo have its moment. I own hundreds of Derek Jeter cards that I don't really want or need but the strong photo here makes me want and need it. It's rarer (/100) and from the 2019 Topps Transcendent VIP Party set, but this one would be a card I'd chase if it were from Opening Day. It's all about the photo.

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Fast Five is new department here on The Buzz -- a quick list under a single topic. Five items that could have a common tie, fit a theme, be fun for a starting collector, or be a new way to add to a stash that might already seemingly include everything when it comes to cardboard. For some of you, it's probably common sense. For others of you out there, it's something to think about.

This time? Five brands from the past that I'd bring back now.

SAME APPROACH, NEW FORMAT
The Brand: Panini Americana non-sports cards
There might be some groans out there -- perhaps even from Dallas -- with my having this one leading off here. Why? These kinds of releases are a lot of work to create -- there's no union deal to help line up rights for those to appear in the set and help facilitate who might appear and sign autographs. It's been five years since the last Americana non-sports release and that was one that has really dried up now wax-wise. It's a brand that, with a format tweak, I could perhaps see do better now than back then. That last release was a traditional box format with a ton of packs, a few hits at a price that I'd argue was too high for what those non-hit packs delivered. (And, at times, even beyond some of the hits, too.) But the formula of celeb autos and mem cards is one that still works. What would I change? I'd avoid a drab design -- there's a reason I show a Blue foilboard parallel here and not one of the gray base cards -- and I'd put a hit in every pack in a smaller box ... something closer to Prestige NFL or Elite Extra Edition baseball in recent years or in Americana's earlier years. Or, perhaps a brand like this might even take a hits-only approach? Either way, there are a ton of big names who have had cards in the various editions of this line that arrived way back in 2007. To me, it's time for more.

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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: Post-National chatter, a look at breaks today and pondering whether a good photo makes a good card.

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Making it to The Show takes a little bit of luck, a lot of talent, a lot of work and often help from others such as coaches and family members.

Photographer Bill Stephan with his son's dog, Wilson.

While New York Yankees prospect Trevor Stephan hasn't gotten there just yet, he does have a taste of big-league cardboard and he had some family help there, too. How? His dad, Bill, was the photographer for several of his baseball cards made so far showing him as a member of the Yankees organization.

"I knew there was a possibility that Topps would use one of my photographs as they contacted me through my son’s agent before spring training [last year]," said the 55-year-old manufacturing executive and father of two. "For a baseball dad, it’s a pretty cool thing to have one of your photographs used as a baseball card image. I wasn’t concerned about being paid."

The 23-year-old pitcher appears on more than 150 different cards in all from three 2017 prospect releases and five products from last year -- and his dad's photos can be found on cards in at least three of them, 2018 Bowman Chrome, 2018 Bowman Draft and 2018 Bowman Platinum along with all of their various parallel versions.

Those baseball cards show the 6-foot-5 225 right-hander and former University of Arkansas standout as a member of the Staten Island Yankees but were edited to reflect the uniform of the 27-time World Series champions. In two seasons of minor-league ball, the former third-round pick is 7-10 with a 3.18 ERA and 184 strikeouts in 158-plus innings. Early last season, Baseball America noted his quick path to Double-A ball and noted he "could be closer than expected to The Bronx."

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The annual photography showcase that is Stadium Club arrived from Topps this week with a new crop of highlight-reel cards among a meaty set that are gems simply because of the image that appears on them.

It's not about the design, it's not about the player, it's not about the team -- it's about the photography in 2018 Topps Stadium Club.

The Dansby Swanson gem you see above? It was captured by photographer Patrick Duffy for Getty Images on June 9 last season when Swanson scored the winning run against the Mets. He scored off a single by Rio Ruiz and the Braves won 3-2 in the ninth -- and now that moment has a run on cardboard. (Ironically, that was the game where The Freeze dominated this guy and introduced us all to his antics.)

It's not alone when it comes to gems in the 300-card set that includes even more high-quality non-traditional images among some short-prints.

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There are a lot of cardboard discussions that happen daily over on the Blowout Forums, but there's one that's just getting going that's bound to grow into something fun.

How do we know that? It's already there.

The Poor Photo Selection Game is the subject over on the basketball board -- check it out.

Be sure to add any cards you might have that fit the bill here -- though Buzz isn't sure anything can top this Yao Ming jersey card from 2004-05 Skybox L.E.

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

>> Click here to buy NBA cards on BlowoutCards.com.

I've collected for decades -- both cardboard and beyond with plenty of autographs and game-used memorabilia in my stash -- but my biggest Black Friday find this year was one that I couldn't have topped if I had tried.

(Well, at least on my budget.)

It's my first full game-used NFL item and it comes with a pretty strong story but without my having to pay a premium price to go with it. How? It all came down to doing some research.

For a few months now I had been obsessing about finding a game-used NFL football for the heck of it -- a whim, really -- simply finding any ball on the cheap yet with some semblance of ironclad authentication. Better than that would be a ball with those attributes and also with some type of tie to what I collect, which really isn't any one particular NFL team or player but instead my school and many of its recent stars, the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Thanks to Fanatics' business deal with its hometown Jacksonville Jaguars, the ball you see above is a reality in my collection and it came on the cheap for what it really is. That's thanks in part to the Getty Images app that anyone can download on their phone -- it's a free tool that any game-used memorabilia collector must have.

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From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and post the results here. Like this and want to see more? Or maybe there's a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.

The box: 2017 Topps Stadium Club baseball cards (blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 8
Cards per pack: 5
Cards in this box: 40
Base set completion: 
32 of 300 (11 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Sandy Koufax, Francisco Lindor, Evan Longoria, Cal Ripken Jr., Greg Maddux, Johnny Bench, Gary Sanchez, Tim Raines, Ryne Sandberg, Nolan Ryan, Addison Russell

Rookie Cards (2) – Orlando Arcia, Kyle Zimmer (no logo)

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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 five threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing Today: Allen & Ginter Rip Cards, big pulls, NFL photos, The NSCC & more.

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