PSA authenticated or graded 10 of most-expensive items sold in 2017

Just 10 of the most-notable items in the sports world that were sold in 2017 totaled more than $6.7 million in sales, ranging from the $1.68 million Norman Rockwell piece you see here to high-grade copies of Mickey Mantle‘s iconic 1952 Topps card.

And they all had one thing in common — PSA or PSA/DNA authentication.

“We certified a myriad of incredible items last year, and the list is full of sports history from top to bottom,” said Professional Sports Authenticator VP Steve Sloan. “We’ll continue pushing ourselves toward another great year in 2018, and look forward to what’s in store.”

The Newport Beach, Calif.-based company recently took the time to examine the markets last year and touted its Top 10 for 2017. Keep reading to see everything on the list.

Gwen Stefani ‘Hollaback Girl’ storyboard art hits auction block

A fun and so far inexpensive piece of pop culture history has hit the auction block via Heritage Auctions and it’s a bit bananas.

B-A-N-A-N-A-S.

It’s some artwork form Dan Fraga, an artist who also has worked in comic books and television, and they’re the storyboards for the “Hollaback Girl” video from Gwen Stefani — one of the hits from her debut solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. back in 2005.

Buzz Break: 2017 Topps Gallery baseball cards (blaster box)

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 Gallery baseball cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: Initially only at Walmart

Packs per box: 8 (seven standard & Artist Proof pack)
Cards per pack: 4
Cards in this box: 33
Base set completion: 
24 of 150 (16 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Justin Verlander, Yoenis Cespedes, Jose Bautista

Rookie Cards (10) – Alex Bregman, Carson Fulmer, Jesse Winker, Alex Reyes, Hunter Renfroe, Trey Mancini, Magneuris Sierra, Ian Happ, Lewis Brinson, Orlando Arcia

Buzz Break: 2017 Topps Gallery baseball cards (blaster box)

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 Gallery baseball cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: Initially only at Walmart

Packs per box: 8 (seven standard & Artist Proof pack)
Cards per pack: 4
Cards in this box: 33
Base set completion: 
24 of 150 (16 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Paul Goldschmidt, Luis Severino, Carlos Correa, Kenta Maeda, Andrew McCutchen, Nolan Arenado, Gary Sanchez

Rookie Cards (8) – Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, Andrew Benintendi, Amir Garrett, Sean Newcomb, Dinelson Lamet, Mitch Haniger, Antonio Senzatela

With Gambit film a go, you might need a certain X-Men issue soon

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.

Board Buzz: Must-read threads on the Blowout Forums (Sept. 29)

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: Nothing but baseball breaks and other MLB posts in today’s edition.

Asking price on a set of 1983 Madonna Polaroids? Just $350,000

The old saying is that a picture’s worth a thousand words, but in the case of pop music legend Madonna and an old set of Polaroids, that price is a bit different.

They’re $5,303 apiece — but fans of the icon still might call them priceless.

The set of 66 original images is being offered for $350,000 and it comes from Richard Corman, a portrait photographer who shot Madonna in 1983 — just six weeks before the arrival of her first album and her being thrust into the international spotlight.

“She had charisma like I have never seen,” Corman said in Vogue, which is noted in a listing for the photos via The Manhattan Rare Book Company. “When you look at somebody through the camera, you either see behind somebody’s eyes or you don’t. And with her, it was ‘Wow.'”

Forever Collectibles’ caricature line offers fun nod to bobblehead fans

If you’re in the camp that sports novelties just weren’t quirky and fun enough, then Forever Collectibles has something you might like.

They’re caricature bobbleheads.

Board Buzz: Must-read threads on the Blowout Forums (Aug. 9)

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: Supplies vs. wax, NBA pulls, opening that last box, sketch card controversy, Mayweather vs. McGregor & more.

Board Buzz: Must-read threads on the Blowout Forums (July 25)

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: Big pulls, 2017 Allen & Ginter, storage tips — and real fake news hits the hobby.

Artist offers pop culture twist on Little Golden Books with “Storytime”

If you’re a certain age, you may remember Little Golden Books, which are beginning readers’ first licks at the literary world.

They’ve been around since the 1940s — and are still around today — but one illustrator has created a new take on these stories with a series of prints and a book that collects his past works all in one.

His name is Joey Spiotto and the Los Angeles-based artist is big on Storytime.

Weekend Update: Check out 14 top items on The Buzz last week

Ok, it’s not the weekend, but this further proves that Buzz’s fantasy baseball draft just took waayyyy too long yesterday. (Hear that, commish?) Here are several stories worth a look if you missed out. Check ’em out & subscribe at right if you want email updates.

This Week’s Big Hit?
We’re less than a week away from WrestleMania 33 in Orlando and Topps dropped the biggest mic of them all (“pipebomb” in WWE-Punk parlance) for collectors with the arrival of autographs from Undertaker for the first time in Topps packs — and just the third time in hobby history. Get all of the details on which brands get his legendary ink here.

Keep reading for more …

Board Buzz: Must-read threads on the Blowout Forums (March 25)

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: National Treasures hauls, original comic sketch covers and … how long have you left a case of cards closed?

Patti Lapel brings movie & sports icons to world of collectable pins

In some areas of the sports world, pin collecting is a big deal and has been that way for decades.

Olympic pins, press pins and other areas of collecting in this wearable genre — one that’s arguably bigger away from sports — can all carry some flair within their pieces, but none of them are like one artist’s line of pins showing pop culture icons and carrying nods to sports personalities.

Its name? Patti Lapel. 

Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! icons get artistic tribute via Gallery1988

We don’t have all of the details yet, but one of the most-popular video games of the 1980s is getting full artistic honors with a tribute show launching tonight via a Los Angeles gallery.

The game is Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! and the locale is Gallery1988.

It’s the latest show with ties to pop culture and the sports world at the venue and this time it’s several artists taking on the battles of Little Mac — and those are items that could be in big demand from fans and collectors.

Weekend Update: Check out 10 top items on The Buzz last week

Ok, it’s not the weekend, but this was slated to be sent last night — further proving that it was a busy one on The Buzz this past week. Here are 10 stories worth a look if you missed out. Check ’em out & hit the subscribe button at right if you want email updates.

This Week’s Big Hit?
It seems that 2017 Donruss‘ arrival has collectors talking and there’s fun to be found inside its packs. Click here to start with variations and find links to checklists & more. After that, check out a Buzz Break of a hobby box right here.

Keep reading for more …

Fictional Food prints offer second look at moments & icons

Ballpark foods on baseball cards are fun (and coming soon from Topps), but Fictional Foods can be pretty cool, too.

That’s the name of a couple collections from Baltimore-based artist Joshua Budich that can be found via Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles.

Some of the prints are sold out — sadly, his tribute to Pulp Fiction‘s Big Kahuna Burger is already among those — but other prints can still be nabbed by collectors and they’re worth a look.

Original comic art for Logan star’s debut hits auction block soon

The newest small star of the big screen world that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be a big deal once again very soon on the auction block.

How?

The original art used for the first comic book appearance of Laura Kinney, aka X-23, will be hitting the open market next month via Heritage Auctions.

X-23 is the new star played by Dafne Keen alongside Hugh Jackman in Logan, which has raked its way to more than $104 million at the box office in the United States alone since its release less than one week ago. (It’s up to $295 million world-wide.)

Four iconic Nintendo video games become canvas wall art

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.

Spider-Man’s debut commands big cash via Heritage Auctions + gallery of original art still up for grabs

A high-grade copy of an iconic comic book has commanded an impressive sum on the auction block.

It’s one of only 11 copies of Amazing Fantasy No. 15, which is the first appearance of Spider-Man, and it sold for six figures via Dallas-based Heritage Auctions on Thursday night.

How much?

Board Buzz: Must-read threads on the Blowout Forums (Feb. 19)

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: Trading Cards artwork, vintage cards, collecting Canseco & more.

Adele, Beyonce, MetalliGaga & more win Garbage Pail Kids Shammys

The Grammys had their fair share of memorable moments — and now we get the Garbage Pail Kids cards to reflect those malfunctioning mics, Beyonce‘s motherdom and all of Adele‘s blues.

Blue language that is.

A total of 19 stickers are available now as part of the 2017 GPK Shammys set, which can be had now only initially via Topps.com.

‘Trading Cards’ return on Friday with new wave of cardboard icons

The Trading Cards are back — and this time they are in packs.

Long-time readers of The Buzz probably remember California-based illustrator Cuyler Smith whose Trading Cards bring the stars of the reel world (memorable sports movies) to real life using nods to memorable sports card designs from the past.

He’s back with a new show — and a new wave of cardboard — arriving on Friday.

Board Buzz: Must-read threads on the Blowout Forums (Jan. 18)

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: Big pulls, The Big Hurt’s big-name autograph, impressive art & more.

Board Buzz: Must-read threads on the Blowout Forums (Jan. 17)

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: Big breaks and new finds from around the collecting world.

Topps is returning to the comic book business … with Garbage Pail Kids

Younger collectors may not know it, but there was a time when Topps published comic books and magazines

And that time is back with the first issue of Garbage Pail Kids issue No. 1 — “The Worst of 2016” — which is being sold only initially via Topps.com. The books are $19.99 with a pair of stickers (Grim Jim and Nervous Rex) also included. A discount is available for those buying five copies of the book. It will be printed to order just like its other recent online GPK releases, according to the company’s site.

NBA veteran Jeremy Lin stars with The Totally Awesome Hulk

If you’re a Jeremy Lin collector, you might need to find a comic book shop.

The Brooklyn Nets’ point guard from Harvard makes his second appearance in a Marvel Comics release that arrives in shops today. It’s issue 14 of The Totally Awesome Hulk.

Marvel’s U.S.Avengers arrives with a cover for every state — and beyond

It’s one part gimmick and one part patriotic but the arrival of a new comic book series and team from Marvel on Wednesday should be big — and a big challenge for those who decide to collect them all.

It’s U.S.Avengers and the first issue arrives with a variant cover for every state as well as a few more covers that all spotlight an individual star from the Marvel Universe.

WWE’s comic book push includes plenty of variant covers (gallery)

The first issue of WWE: Then. Now. Forever. recently hit comic book shops via Boom! Studios and between that arrival and upcoming issues’ incentive variants there should be plenty of options for fans of books and the action inside the ring.

The new books were first teased during San Diego Comic-Con this summer.

Can’t afford that key vintage baseball card? Consider wall art

There are many iconic baseball cards from the past that you probably can’t own — that certainly applies to this collector — but there is another option to enjoy high-grade copies of stars from the past.

That option? Wall art.

Nestled among the various photos and artwork available in poster form over on Art.com are a number of vintage baseball cards that allow fans to collect and enjoy these small creations in a big and different way.

Icons Unmasked prints offer look at memorable characters with a twist

Sometimes memorable characters inspire new ones — or new ones arrive that remind us of others but with a twist.

A series of art prints from Wisconsin-based artist Alex Solis gives us a reminder of just that.

They are “Icons Unmasked.”