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 ...

BAD IN BLACK!
The Card: Julio Rodriguez 2022 Topps Allen & Ginter X
The Reason Graded: I ripped a pair of these boxes and haven't even sniffed at the regular stuff -- a first for me in its run since 2006 when I used to clear everything I saw on every shelf -- but instead I opted to grade a couple of key pulls from this and other postseason releases with notable newcomers in play. Why this one? It just looked perfect even vs. others I pulled -- and since I only pulled one and have really no plans at this moment to even dabble with regular Ginter I put it into my bulk sub.
The Grade: CSG 10

Reality Check: CSG may have a flub in its system as this didn't even show in the pop report (perhaps it was tagged as a regular card) but I'll present it here* with what I know ... and that's that I know at least this one exists. He's the face of 2023 Topps, so he's on the minds of a few fans right now -- and that's why he's batting lead-off despite this pop report anomaly.

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

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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 ... 

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END OF AN ERA
The Item: Sasha Banks autographed 11-by-14 photo (BAS Witnessed)
The Price: $60
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: She's back in the ring but not in WWE -- and she's known as Mercedes Moné now -- and those are reasons why it looks like an industry mega-dealer that did a witnessed signing is moving these at a bit lower than they might normally be over on WWE Shop. (Since she's not with WWE, they can't be sold there now.) I have her auto on a number of cards and she's typically a pricier sig, but I couldn't pass on this striking kind of photo with its size and big, bold sig. I suspect she'll be back at some point and she'll still be high-profile elsewhere, though, and all that starts later this month with her first match in New Japan Pro Wrestling. If her other past ink dips more, I'll be looking.
Grab a box right here: Click here for WWE boxes

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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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 ...

GRADING MORE GOATs
The Card: Patrick Mahomes 2017 Panini The Rooks #RO-PM
The Reason Graded: Just like I've mentioned in past months, I've made it a focus to get most -- if not all -- of my Mahomes rookie-year cards slabbed up since I actually had amassed a few from that year. (That was mostly because I was hitting the retail clearance bins pretty hard.) This one is an insert from the stone cold -- at least back then -- Panini NFL set that was a relatively simple release and had a hit in every box yet really sat everywhere for a long time. (Why? The border designs felt pretty heavy to me but for others it may have just been too low-end.) Not that long ago, I slabbed his basic RC from this so I figured I needed to get this one into a case, too.
The Grade: CSG 9.5

Reality Check: It was pretty clean just like last time as it earned one of the tougher grades from CSG. I figure once a pop report comes (sometime soon*) this should look like a pretty solid card. I don't see there being a large number of 10s coming with this paper stock and I figure a lot of these cards were probably graded in BGS or PSA slabs long before I got around to doing mine.

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

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The last of eight seasons of Game of Thrones will be upon us next month, but the cardboard for the hit series keeps on coming with the newest set announced earlier this week from Rittenhouse Archives. 

That one is Game of Thrones Inflexions -- and it includes new autographs from top stars who haven't had ink in years and have gone on to added fame in other TV and film roles.

That roster? It includes Emilia Clarke, Jason Momoa, Gwendoline Christie and many others who are all set to have new ink when it arrives on May 22.

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The cultural phenomenon known as Stranger Things is coming to cardboard soon with the supernatural coming-of-age tale getting the Topps treatment beginning in October.

The full final details are still to come for 2018 Topps Stranger Things trading cards -- most notably how many hits per hobby box and which cast members are signing autographs for the set (see all of the early details so far right here) -- we've opted to take a look at the key cast members for the first season of the hit series from Netflix.

It might surprise you to see what some of this series' stars have already done -- and what's to come soon -- and then to ponder the power of this set in the future if the autograph list includes many of them and, atop that, there's widespread demand. (That potential is scarier than a visit from The Demogorgon or a call from Will Byers.)

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The first trailer for The New Mutants has arrived in advance of its arrival in April, and it's pretty clear that this one won't be spawning from the latter days of the 100-issue series that evolved into a full-on super-team called X-Force.

This one's going to be darker -- apparently with a lot less spandex -- taking on a horror-film feel while introducing fans to a whole new crop of mutants known relatively well from the comic books.

Check out the new trailer after the jump.

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Hollywood news can have an impact on the collectibles world and comic book movies are the perfect example of what an influx of mainstream pop culture focus can do.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, a Gambit film starring Channing Tatum is a go for Valentine's Day 2019, bringing the card-throwing, slick-talking member of the X-Men to the screen solo for the first time.

Just like Deadpool, certain characters pick up steam with fans and news like this prompts added interest in first appearances of the characters and the one-of-a-kind original comic art that helped bring those books to life. A movie with Tatum in the main role? With apologies to Yogi Berra, it could be déjà vu all over again.

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She's one of the comic book world's biggest icons and a ferocious superheroine vampire — and her first story ever published back in 1969 is now in the hands of one of the world's biggest comic art collectors.

She's Vampirella and the original art — the complete seven-page story — from Vampirella No. 1 is in the hands of Thomas Fish, the owner of BlowoutCards.com. The artwork previously sold in May 2009 after it had been in the collection of its creator, Forrest J. Ackerman all these years.

"During the last comic art con in Secaucus, N.J., I had an opportunity to meet the previous owner and discuss this historic first appearance piece of comic book and horror memorabilia," Fish said. "After some negotiation, we were able to come to a deal we were both happy with and the artwork is now part of my collection."

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Deadpool's $150 million showing at the box office this past weekend was a landmark moment for both R-rated movies and a potential game-changer for comic book films, too.

It set box-office records for its rating, records for its studio, records for its time of year and a few other fronts ... and it all started for the character 15 years ago this month as The New Mutants was a Marvel Comics series that was winding down. Deadpool debuted in issue 98, which was called "The Beginning of the End Part 1" -- the title's final issue was just two months away.

The duo that created Deadpool was artist-writer Rob Liefeld and writer Fabian Nicieza -- and their work was seen by many readers that month but many, many more when X-Force No. 1 arrived a few months later. One of those books is one of the hottest in collecting today --  Mutants No. 98 -- while the other is one that collectors of the Polybag Era have stashed away in bulk. (Buzz is right there with a few dozen in a box somewhere.)

But what's got to be hotter than the hot book for the hottest movie of the moment?

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Up next on the comic book movie hit list is Deadpool, a Marvel-inspired creation arriving on Feb. 12 that you've already probably seen a commercial for a few times here and there. (As long as you have a pulse ... or a TV.)

Deadpool is a wise-ass who arrived in the Marvel universe in February 1991 via The New Mutants No. 98. That $1 book will cost you more now but the Rob Liefeld creation has many other appearances out there for fans to chase in all those years since.

His second appearance comes in X-Force No. 2 -- everybody has X-Force, right? (Even Buzz has at least a dozen No. 2's in storage somewhere to go with 30-some first issues ... )

Since we're close to the arrival, Buzz figured it was time for a vote -- check out the latest trailer below and then tell us what you'll do.

[polldaddy poll=9294078]

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

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