Revisiting a favorite Hank Aaron baseball card on his 84th birthday

On this day in 1934 in Mobile, Ala., Henry Louis Aaron was born — and 20 years later he made his big-league debut for the Milwaukee Braves.

Twenty-two years after that? Hammerin’ Hank’s career ended — in the uniform of the Milwaukee Brewers — with him atop the all-time home run list. All of this is a simple but impressive stat-sheet reality that you can revisit here but should know.

What some younger collectors may not realize, though, is that one of his baseball cards arrived noting his new record before it actually happened and before it was on the back of his card, instead of the year after as it really should have been. (It’s actually among my favorite Aaron cards, too, making the birthday the reason you’re reading this.)

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.

eBay Buzz: This 1968 Topps Nolan Ryan Rookie Card is how much?

It’s not new and fresh from a pack, but the price tag attached?

Well, it’s a jaw-dropper.

It’s a nearly perfect copy of Nolan Ryan‘s 1968 Topps Rookie Card — a hobby classic that’s chased by both New Yorkers who remember his early days with an iconic World Series-winning team, but also the fans of a rugged Texan who struck out more players than anyone else in MLB history. (And maybe by a few Jerry Koosman fans, too.)

Is it worth that? Perhaps to the right deep-pocketed collector — but maybe not for that much, though Ryan was MLB’s first million-dollar-a-year player when he signed with the Houston Astros in 1980.

Hunting new Hall of Famers’ Rookie Cards is simple — but you’ll need to make a Burger King stop, too

The two newest members of the Baseball Hall of Fame were revealed on Sunday night and it’s a relatively easy hunt for their Rookie Cards if you want them — you’ll just need to track down a 1978 Topps baseball card set.

That’s where you can land the RCs for Detroit Tigers stars Jack Morris and Alan Trammell, who are Cooperstown-bound next summer. One won’t cost you much and even can be found in bulk, while the other will be a bit tougher (but not all that bad) due to Trammell sharing his RC with Paul Molitor, a Milwaukee Brewers star already enshrined in baseball’s most-elite club.

Since they’re on multi-player cards, Morris and Trammell didn’t appear on the O-Pee-Chee set that year — that simplifies things a bit — but there are still two other Topps cards you’ll need to collect ’em all.

SCP Auctions’ newest sale launches with new legends, vintage icons

The newest SCP Auctions event launched this week with some items that defy the imagination — items that you probably wouldn’t imagine them to still exist, let alone be up for grabs.

Some of them, such as this 2013 Fresno State Aaron Judge game-used jersey, open with more modest prices of $4,000, while college classics such as a Lew Alcindor game-used UCLA jersey is already at $44,288 after less than a day of active bidding.

But the leader in the clubhouse among the more than 900 lots? It’s a baseball card.

Board Buzz: Must-read threads on the Blowout Forums (Sept. 22)

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: Landing legendary vintage, Neshek vs. Greinke, ripping new MLB wax, shredding WWE Women’s Division boxes, new Panini XR football, Topps Chrome UFC.

Heritage breaks up a legendary set of 1933 Goudey baseball cards

If you’ve ever been interested in grabbing some high-end copies of cards from the landmark 1933 Goudey set and have the bank account that lets you do so, then a new sale from Heritage Auctions is for you.

Active until Sept. 21 is an auction breaking up one of the best PSA-graded sets of the brand that contains the traditional in-pack Rookie Cards of many legendary names.

And they’re in sometimes-untoppable conditions.

Board Buzz: Must-read threads on the Blowout Forums (July 16)

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: A big vintage find, new MLB breaks, Aaron Judge, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., The National & more …

Hot Box: 1948 Bowman baseball find fetches more than $500,000

It shouldn’t exist — and that’s why it fetched six-figures at auction.

What you see here is a near-complete box of 1948 Bowman baseball cards — packs that originally cost just a nickel apiece back in the day when kids ate the gum and, if they cared, had a shot at Yogi Berra, Stan Musial, Warren Spahn and Bob Feller Rookie Cards.

This rarity hit the auction block not long ago and finally sold via Mile High Card Co. last week.

Board Buzz: Must-read threads on the Blowout Forums (June 2)

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 breaks as we truck into the weekend.

Board Buzz: Must-read threads on the Blowout Forums (May 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 from new boxes, vintage classics, The National & more.

Board Buzz: Must-read threads on the Blowout Forums (April 16)

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: Plenty of baseball and some impressive pulls and projects.

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 (Jan. 26)

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: Some big pulls from retail boxes, strong Star Trek packs, new vintage, Rob Dibble rainbows, great comic book reads and more.

Board Buzz: Must-read threads on the Blowout Forums (Dec. 30)

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, big Allen & Ginter controversy and discovering vintage.

BlowoutTV’s 1973 Topps box break: Who gets the Mike Schmidt spot? That gets answered tonight …

If you hadn’t heard, BlowoutTV is breaking a box of 1973 Topps baseball cards live on Friday night.

Last night, the randomization of 660 spots to determine who got each card in the set — no matter how many show up in the box — took place. The key spot, card No. 615 aka the Rookie Card of Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt, randomly went to one of five winners who retweeted a Blowout contest.

Who got the card? Nobody yet … so keep reading.

Pondering what’s possible in a 1973 Topps baseball group break — and you can win one of five free spots

What you see here is a 1973 Topps wax box — 24 packs of 10 cards — with cards inside just as they were wrapped in wax paper more than 40 years ago.

They’ll all see the light of day soon as part of an upcoming BlowoutTV group break, which will give collectors a shot at high-grade copies of Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt‘s Rookie Card along with RCs of Rich “Goose” Gossage, Dwight Evans, Davey Lopes and Bob Boone. (Oh, and keep reading to see how you can get in on a free spot in the break …)

And then, of course, there are cards of Hall of Famers and notables such as Hank Aaron, Nolan Ryan, Brooks Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Al Kaline, Willie Mays, Pete Rose, Thurman Munson, Reggie Jackson, Harmon Killebrew, Joe Morgan and many more. Perfect specimens aren’t a given with the printing, cutting and packaging of the past, but a box like this one can yield plenty of high-dollar cards in PSA 9 and 10 form. (And some strong cards in lesser grades.)

But the real power in this one beyond the Hall of Famers? The potential for PSA 10 commons — cards that are often overlooked raw but can command insane amounts when PSA Registry collectors chase a set in high grade. How about $739.76 for a PSA 10 Bobby Murcer?

There’s some Power of the Pinstripes in play there, but that card is not alone.

Board Buzz: Must-read threads on the Blowout Forums (May 12)

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 NBA breaks, new Ichiro & Trout cards, $250 on vintage + more. 

Four cards top $100,000 mark in Memory Lane Inc. auction

Memory Lane Inc.’s Spring Classics Rarities Auction ended with more than $2.9 million in sales during the weekend and four cards were of note helping the company reach that mark.

Three of them topped $100,000, while a fourth key card from the past topped $90,000 before a 20 percent premium was added.

Is your 1967 Topps baseball card set truly complete? There’s a chance it might not be with this card …

Is your 1967 Topps baseball card set complete? There’s a chance it might not be now.

A funny thing happened when Buzz was working to confirm the various errors and variations in the 1967 card set in the weeks before the arrival of this year’s homage, 2016 Topps Heritage.

There appears there could be a third version of Mike McCormick‘s card No. 86. When examining a group of 1967 cards, Buzz noticed a possible version (above) that’s not cataloged anywhere among the various error & variations lists or noted on any population reports despite this set being 49 years old. It’s a dramatically different version of the card for the Washington Senators pitcher who was traded to the San Francisco Giants, which is the reason for the variations to exist.

It turns out that this card is from the 1967 O-Pee-Chee set, though there is only one version cataloged there. Could a third version like this exist for the Topps card? Or are there two versions for O-Pee-Chee? Keep reading for the details.