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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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 ... and this time around there's some traditional stuff and some odd stuff.

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CHECK IT OUT ... 
The Item: Pro Football Hall of Famer Deacon Jones autographed 1984 Warner Bros. payroll check
The Price: Less than a blaster box
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I haven't ever really dabbled with signed/canceled checks except for a few school ties names (Roll Tide!) who don't have a lot of stuff and where other items are pricey. One example? Former Yankees broadcaster Mel Allen ... a signed ball can be expensive but a signed check is still pricey but not as bad. In this case, I stumbled upon this check during a curiosity dive online and it seemed unique -- a Warner Bros. studio payroll check (pre-printed signatures on the front) made out to and signed by a Pro Football Hall of Famer on the back. The amount isn't massive, so I figured it was probably a royalty payment for some TV show appearance or movie re-run and he had a few in films and spots as himself on TV through the years. I wish I could figure it out, but IMDb only had an appearance on Super Bloopers and Practical Jokes in 1984 and an appearance on The Fall Guy in 1983 with other past projects also possible. (I didn't do a deep dive on figuring out who owned what for studio/network properties back then ... but it's probably do-able.) What do I know? This is something different compared to a lot of the stuff out there signed by "The Secretary of Defense."
Grab a box right here: None for this ... but NFL boxes are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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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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FROM 61* TO CARDBOARD ... 
The Card: Roger Maris & Barry Pepper 2021 Leaf Ultimate Sports The Ultimate Duo (/12)
The Price: $25
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This one flew under my radar for sure until I recently spotted it and had to grab it instantly. For those who don't know, actor Berry Pepper played Roger Maris in 61* -- trailer here -- a 2001 Billy Crystal movie made for HBO. It's easily among the best baseball movies out there for accuracy as Crystal is an obsessive Yankees fan who notes it all in behind-the-scenes segments you can see on the DVD. This one pairs a piece of what is likely a Maris bat with a piece of what looks like a leather jacket for Pepper -- not the most-ideal combo of items, but it is what it is. This is the only card pairing the two and it's the easiest version to find -- the rest of the parallels and printing plates have lower numbering here -- all /6 and below ... no wonder this one was off my radar for three years. I simply hadn't seen any of them.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one but Leaf baseball boxes are here

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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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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IT'S FOOTBALL SEASON ... 
The Item: Paul "Bear" Bryant cut autograph (BAS authenticated)
The Price: Less than a lot of new hobby boxes.
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This pricier (for me) pick-up actually came in the last week of last year but I decided to hold onto posting it here until it's the right time -- and since football season is upon us, well, that means now's the time. In the fall of 2019, I bought a starter auto of this legendary Alabama Crimson Tide coach who before Nick Saban was easily the greatest in school history (right now, it's perhaps a toss-up) -- that one was an inscribed nickname-only auto -- for a lot less as it was a cut from a paperback book. This one? It's signed on thick, red paper (almost a light cardboard stock) and I know exactly where it came from -- a 1975 copy of his autobiography, Bear: The Hard Life and Good Times of Alabama's Coach Bryant. I have a clean-but-ratty copy of that book somewhere in my stash from an antiques store find 20-some years ago, but when this popped up from a West Coast mega-dealer of vintage (and selected modern-player) autographed stuff and plenty more I bit. I actually prefer the cut auto feel here in its case vs. the full book as it can be viewed when you find it vs. tucked behind a cover. A lot of Bryant autographs are found these days -- 40 years after his death -- are on signed copies of this book or on a style of autographed photo or two that is nearly always found inscribed and dated to fans or boosters from back in the day. While a photo (preferably slabbed) would be nice, this is a better, simpler item. Authenticated photos can cost less but look iffier depending on condition. I like this one -- and it's card-like feel -- and, heck, I might even do more. They are out there and findable.
Grab a box right here: College football boxes

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From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and break down 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 pack: 2021 UD AEW All Elite Wrestling Jazwares cards (look closely)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for standard AEW hobby releases) 

Keep reading to see a full breakdown and gallery from this one.

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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 ... and it's once again the biggest Buzz Buys ever. (A collection of pick-ups from recent times as well as in the past year or so.)

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A RECORD-SETTER, BUT ... 
The Cards: Wander Franco 2022 Topps Living Set (/68,228)
The Price: Direct from Topps (10-pack price)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This one re-wrote the new Living Set record book with its sales volume and I did a 10-pack to hopefully land a copy without centering issues and to maybe grade one or two. It turns out 10 wasn't enough as the front card is closest to centered but it has a cardboard blotch that should nix some top marks and any immediate grading from me. I still might but not right now. With so many made, there likely will be plenty graded in the coming months ... so without an obvious gem I'll wait. This might have been my first Living Set lot direct from Topps since Vladimir Guerrero Jr., so it will probably send me back to hibernation on that brand. We'll see.
Grab a box right here: No boxes for this one ... but MLB boxes are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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In these challenging times for hobby shops around the country and around the world, Blowout Cards is launching a new series, the Buzz Hobby Shop Spotlight -- a look at spots in the hobby that you might not know about ... in their own words.

From Buzz: We're looking at an auction house this time with some high-end antiquities and more that collectors might want to explore -- check it out at the link and see a gallery of six-figure sales below.

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"The best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be" won't be the only one you can look for in toy form in stores soon.

WWE Hall of Famer Bret "Hitman" Hart is headed to the toy aisle as part of the newest wave of Funko Pop! vinyl toys for wrestling fans and collectors to chase.

Who else is joining Hart? Keep reading ...

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Barring some unforeseen need for shelving in the next few days, I made one last trek to a Toys R Us on Saturday afternoon -- Store No. 8919, according to my receipt -- in advance of its closing forever.

By this time next week, the long-running toy chain will be no more as bankruptcy will be the final chapter of this story that began back in the 1940s. It will end a run that clearly had its share of successes -- and mistakes -- but one that has left an indelible mark on pop culture and kids everywhere -- and probably their parents' pocketbooks, too.

I don't wanna grow up ...

Jogging my memory a bit, I've been to Toys R Us stores in probably five states -- that's not a lot as I didn't really grow up as a true Toys R Us Kid, meaning we had to drive a couple hours to find the closest one when I was younger and most in my toy prime. But this particular store? It just might be -- actually, I can pretty much guarantee this -- it is the first Toys R Us I ever visited. When? I'm not sure when the first time happened but those same doors I walked through today were the doors I walked through long ago looking for 1988 Donruss baseball cards and other "bargain packs" all those years ago. It's definitely where I first bought a Jose Canseco Baseball Card Kit and it's where I first discovered The Conlon Collection in baseball card form. (The price was right and the history there is still priceless today.) It's where I'm sure I bought a few NASCAR diecasts in the more recent past, too, as we would visit relatives on vacation and I'd hit all the different stores in town looking for cards and whatever other interesting toy or collectable piqued my interest at the time.

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What: 2018 Hobby Solutions Amazing Action Figures: Star Wars Series 1
Arrives: Feb. 16
Box basics: One AFA graded Star Wars figure per box
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Repacks aren't just for cards as this release takes one of the most-iconic toy lines and offers collectors a shot at graded figures from the past.

Keep reading for more.

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Simplicity, portability, affordability and the chase.

This collector found himself in the toy aisle of a chain store this week and noticed something relatively new that hadn't caught my attention before. At a glance I was interested and instantly found myself scouring the pegs for something that ended up not being there.

It was a section of Jada Toys' new Nano Metalfigs that are available for a few different realms -- DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Disney/Pixar, Street Fighter, Harry Potter -- and they're tiny metal sculptures that come in packages just like the big kids' toys but they don't come with a big price.

They've probably been around for some collectible genres I don't watch all that closely, but the first wave of the new WWE figures caught my eye simply because they were so small ... and so cheap.

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The Bombshells are coming to a toy aisle near you.

Funko is readying a series of eight World War II pinup-style takes on iconic DC Comics characters that we have seen elsewhere but now they will be found as Pop! toys.

Collectively, they're known as the the DC Bombshells.

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The memorable characters from Street Fighter II are greeting another cult icon of the 1980s, M.U.S.C.L.E. toys.

The first wave includes four three-packs of figures with Ryu, M. Bison, Vega, Ken, Dhalsim, Balrog, Blanka, Guile, Sagat, Chun-Li, Zangief and E. Honda.

These toys, which are available from Super7, aren't the lone new M.U.S.C.L.E. creations available, either.

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New information has come to light, man.

Fans of The Big Lebowski and other Hollywood creations from the big and small screens may have an extra reason to visit the toy aisle or thanks to GreenLight Collectibles and its Hollywood line that has been bringing vehicles from the reel world to us all.

Ok ... these specialty toys aren't exactly new -- they've been going since roughly 2011 -- but there have been as many as 15 series so far and Walter Sobchak's van was among them and that's enough that Buzz needed to take a look.

And we've found plenty more cool stuff.

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A pair of pop culture classics are getting the Funko Pop! treatment.

A total of 15 figures for cartoon icons from Scooby-Doo and video game legends of Street Fighter are on the way soon from the Lynnwood, Wash.-based company.

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Quentin Tarantino's latest film, The Hateful Eight, may rank near the bottom of the legendary director's box-office totals, but the cast of eight memorable characters in the violent and frigid Western film just might be heating things up soon.

Where? In the collectibles realm.

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A few famous faces from television and movies are getting the Funko Pop! treatment and are on their way to stores next month.

Characters from Friends, The Hateful Eight, Pirates of the Caribbean, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and a new dose of Star Wars toys are all on their way from the Everett, Wash.-based company.

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Fans of Funko Pop! figures may not see a change in their seemingly always-arriving collectibles, but there was a change in ownership for the Everett, Wash.-based company that makes them earlier this month.

Funko, which was founded in 1998, was acquired by ACON Investments for an undisclosed sum. Its CEO, Brian Mariotti, and management team will continue to lead operations.

"We are excited to be partnering with Brian and the entire Funko team," said Ken Brotman, Founding Partner of ACON, in a prepared statement. "Funko has established itself as a fore-runner in the pop culture space and we look forward to building value in a business that is very well positioned for continued growth."

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