This one 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 players/groups that are looking pretty good as we start the second half of the MLB season.

WATCHING THE JUNIORS ...
The big rookies of the last few years are seemingly all paying off right now in different ways ... and that is a good thing for collectors, whether they just do the raw stuff or chase slabs. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. may have ended the All-Star festivities with an MVP award and that big home run, but let's not forget that just before Shohei Ohtani took over as the primary headliner heading into the break Vladdy was putting on a big show ... the kind that will move cardboard. He's still a Triple Crown contender right now with a .332 average, 28 homers (second to Ohtani) and an MLB-leading 73 RBI. Meanwhile in the NL, Fernando Tatis Jr. has overcome those injury scares from earlier in the year and has a league-leading 28 homers, league-leading 20 SBs and is hitting .286. Could a spot in the exclusive 40-40 Club happen by year's end? Even Ronald Acuña Jr. cardboard should have some appeal right now -- he was having another strong year before it ended due to injury. This is the time to be buying hard if you are a believer and people are in sell mode, especially on rarer stuff. They all have Rookie Cards in either 2018 or 2019 releases with big stuff to chase across the board. Acuña is my favorite of the three, but there will be dips (like I said, time to buy) but I think Vladdy is the top one of the bunch -- and that's regardless of the All-Star showing. Tatis has been a top seller for some time now but I'm not sure if we have seen a Vladdy peak in terms of on-field and then cardboard.

Keep reading for four more making up the list this time.

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Minor league baseball cards from the past can include some weird stuff ... stuff you wouldn't imagine to be found on a baseball card and here are five example of some oddities in this latest MiLB Madness series item. 

ONE (OF MANY CARDS) FOR THE DOGS
The Card: Chase & Derby -- 2011 Multi-Ad Trenton Thunder No. 34
The Buzz On This One: Dogs appearing on baseball cards is way, way more common than you might think in the minors even though, well, it's not all that common in the world. So, what's the deal? Well, for years Chase was this team's bat dog -- retrieving bats and balls during various times on gameday and bringing water to umpires -- yes, a golden retriever trained to take the place of a batboy. Chase, who died in the fall of 2013, worked with the team for a decade before his son Derby took over until 2018. Derby's son Rookie is still working for the Thunder which is now a collegiate summer league team after being a New York Yankees affiliate from 2003 until last year. (See more about them all right here.) Other pups from this family have actually worked for other teams and there are many more pups in parks beyond that. (I could have done an item showing a dozen ... but you'll see them all here later.) Before his death, Chase even appeared in packs of 2013 Topps Heritage MiLB cards while the rest are found in team sets like this card -- and it's not the only one to show them together.

Keep reading for four more examples of weird baseball cards you can (almost) only find in MiLB.

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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: The National, big pulls, new Olympic cardboard, fake NBA cards and more in today's edition.

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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 pack: 2020-21 Panini Chronicles soccer cards (retail combo pack)
First Buzz preview: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of images.

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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 boxes: 2020 Topps WWE Women's Division wrestling cards (hobby)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Keep reading to see a gallery and breakdown of what was in this one.

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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: 2020-21 Topps Chrome UEFA Champions League soccer cards (blaster)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of images.

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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: MLB breaks, changing the game, Project70, The National, Vladdy Jr. and is A-Rod's group buying Panini?

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What: 2021 Leaf Superlative Collection Hockey
Arrives: Fall 2021
Box basics: Two super-premium cards per box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Leaf takes the ice with its high-end brand that's loaded with autographs and memorabilia from legends of the past and star power from recent years.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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You never know what you might find in a box at the big show ... and this year there's even more included as bonus items in the big box.

What box is that? It's the 2021 Blowout MegaMix and you can pre-order one now to have delivered at home or grab now to pick up at the show of all shows, the National Sports Collectors Convention starting on July 28 and running until Aug. 1 in Chicago.

What's in it?

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Topps has revealed its plans for The National.

First it will have a wrapper redemption program at the show with a 2021 Bowman designed National set featuring a mix of stars from the past and present as well as promising prospects. Details on which products will be eligible for this at the show will be revealed closer to the event, which begins on July 28 in Chicago and runs until Aug. 1.

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What: 2021 Donruss football cards
Arrives: Sept. 1
Box basics: One autograph and one memorabilia card per 18-pack hobby box (18 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Donruss' format stays the same as it hits the gridiron once again with plenty of Rookie Cards, inserts and more in every box.

Keep reading for a gallery and more info.

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What: 2021 Historic Autographs Originals Triple Folders
Arrives: July 28
Box basics: One booklet card per box (eight boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Historic Autographs creates something new out of something old with the 1912 T202 Hassan Triple Folder cards serving as the inspiration.

Keep reading for more information.

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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: Pete Alonso does it again, The National, new breaks, Shohei Ohtani and collecting women's soccer.

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What: 2021 Panini Black football cards
Arrives: Aug. 25
Box basics: One rookie patch auto, one auto and one memorabilia card per five-card box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Black returns for another season on the gridiron with its familiar look but also with "new and improved content" with "more rookies and more inserts than ever before" as well as some new chase elements.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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Goldin Auctions continues to set new sales records in each of its auctions. Your valuable items could be next.

If you're headed to the National Sports Collectors Convention, consign your high-end items with Goldin (minimum $10,000 value) for its popular Goldin Elite Auction and you will be entered into a drawing for a random group of box breaks including 1993 Upper Deck SP baseball, 2000 UD SP Authentic football and 1996-97 Topps Chrome basketball.

Goldin Auctions (booth Nos. 1100, 1102 and 648) also is offering fun and excitement with a chance to see rare trading cards and memorabilia at the show, set for July 28-Aug. 1 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill. Collectors can also meet the founder, chat with trading card and memorabilia experts and be entered into giveaways.

Collectors can also find Goldin Tickets in boxes of the 2021 Blowout MegaMix with auction credit values as high as $1,000 randomly inserted into boxes. Visit Goldin Auctions at the show for a chance to take part in these rare opportunities.

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What: 2021 Panini National Treasures college football cards
Arrives: Aug. 18
Box basics: Seven autographs or memorabilia cards per eight-card box (four boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: National Treasures goes back to school for another season with some added color in the design as it showcases a new crop of stars.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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Loupe will be at The National this year with a big presence you can potentially explore in big ways with a visit to the Blowout Cards booth.

How big?

Thanks to Loupe, we revealed on Friday that a $5,000 Blowout Cards voucher will be included in one box of the 2021 Blowout MegaMix available for pre-order now and at the show. That one will be randomly inserted into a box randomly so you don't even have to be in Chicago to win big ... or someone who buys a box at the show could do some extra shopping right then and there. Those who attend the five-day show should make plans to visit the booth on Friday (July 30) to experience some of Loupe's new technology and get in on the action.

Loupe is a live-streaming e-commerce app launched late last year ... keep reading to see more of what it's all about.

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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: 2021 SAGE Low Series football cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.

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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: The NBA Finals, the MLB Futures Game, the MLB Draft, The National and more in this edition.

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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: Ronald Acuña Jr. is out for the year, a huge first-box pull, showing off Gold Refractors, new MLB breaks, The National and checking in on The Giannis Thread.

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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: Shohei Ohtani hits another, NBA Finals chatter, WWE calls up several young stars, The National, big pulls and more.

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What: 2021 Panini Prizm WNBA basketball cards
Arrives: Aug. 13
Box basics: Two autographs per 12-pack box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: WNBA gets a second run on Prizm with a familiar approach to last year but with some new touches like Color Blast within the mix.

Keep reading for more info and a gallery of what's to come.

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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: 1993 Classic Pro Line Live football cards
Where to buy: Will take some hunting ... BlowoutCards.com for newer NFL boxes

Keep reading to see a full breakdown and gallery of everything that was in this one.

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What: 2021 Pro Set Metal football cards
Arrives: Sept. 24
Box basics: Six autographed cards per 12-card box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Pro Set's football card arrival in boxes comes with some extra flash in the form of Metal with a release that's not solely about signed cards for this debut.

Keep reading for more details.

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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: The National, Shohei Ohtani Rookie Cards, MLB busts this year and big pulls in today's edition.

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