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 ... and it's one of my biggest groupings ever.

RARER THAN RARE ...
The Book: Batman No. 457 -- second-print newsstand edition
The Reason Graded: This one is why you grade. Why? Well this book is more than obscure ... it's obscure on top of obscure with a pop report that shows that in a couple ways. I had this sitting in a junk box of books -- comics bagged in bulk with others taped shut in between a couple boards -- since the late 1990s with it having absolutely no thought in my mind for that time. When I opened up the bag, though, I remembered its cool cover -- that's why I saved it -- and in the here and now it's an example of how the grading world has changed a lot of stuff. It wasn't popular back in the day and that makes it more valuable (potentially) now. What is it? It's a second printing of a newsstand copy for an issue that had the debut of a key character, Tim Drake as Robin. The regular edition of this book has been graded almost 1,400 times -- actually still a modest number for the era -- but a newsstand copy is something else. And a second-printed newsstand copy? Nobody wanted that. How many could have even been made and how many went unsold or were trashed? There's some mystery there as with a lot of things but the pop report talks.
The Grade: CGC 9.8 (Universal)

Reality Check: Just four copies of the 78 graded have checked in at my mark -- not bad considering I got this in some Sears catalog mystery box with like 25 comics for $10 back in the early 1990s. It wasn't a really impressive buy at all at that time -- a lot of stuff that just wasn't appealing or was later printings and I'm betting some of them were pitched or given away. Nobody wanted that then. But now? The numbers game and speculation has people on eBay sellers challenging the market. A 9.6 -- with twice as many copies as this one in existence -- has an eBay asking price of ... well just see it for yourself. It's not alone, either, as a 8.5 checks in with an asking of $3,800, an 8.0 checks in at $3,500 and a 6.5 is $1,499. Other versions (first print direct and newsstand) are cheaper along with direct second prints as they've all got far higher pop reports. People like the easier versions a lot -- eBay highs as much as $255 but not for this one -- and who knows where the other three 9.8s might even be? What might mine command? I'm not sure ... but I know this is pretty solid potential for something that was pocket change from years ago. Again, this is why you grade.

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

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What: 2022 Topps Rip baseball cards
Arrives: Now via Topps.com
Box basics: Four Rip Cards per box
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here (when available)

What's buzz-worthy: Rip Cards are back with a shot at notable ink as a part of the chase -- ink you might recognize with nods to important cards from the recent past -- as well as minis that are inside the cards if you dare to tear.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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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 it's a little bit of everything.

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ALREADY A STAR ... 
The Item: Jahmyr Gibbs autographed 16-by-20 photo (Fanatics Authentic)
The Price: Under $40
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This guy has a number of autographed cards already thanks to NIL deals, but to me they're often on the wrong team as he transferred to the Alabama Crimson Tide just this season after two years at Georgia Tech. Atop that, his autograph isn't the flashiest thing out there so that's one reason sticker autos might not appeal ... but when I saw this signed photo for the size and price? Well, I bit -- and it's a really good photo for college merch. He's rushed for 850 yards and seven TDs so far this year and added 42 catches for 378 yards and three more TDs on a team where, well, at times he's been the beast on the ground this year. His next stop? Likely the NFL -- he's popped up as a late first-round or early second-round guy in some quick searches -- though I'm not buying to scout. I just wanted his ink in my stash and this one will go alongside a few other larger-format college photos I've stacked up in the last few years. Depending on where he goes, autographed Rookie Cards should easily top this price. It also helped that I had some sales discount rewards in play, so I paid less than the $40 it had been going for. For me, this one was a win ... and, again, I really like this photo.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... but football boxes are here

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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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: 582 Montgomery Club is coming back, NFL Week 13, new pulls and more.

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What: 2022 Panini Flawless baseball cards
Arrives: Dec. 30
Box basics: Seven autos, two memorabilia and one gem card per 10-card box (two boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Flawless is back for another year of high-end finds with the superstars of the past and present all in one spot and with some new touches and inclusions that add to the hits-driven approach here.

Keep reading for more info and a full gallery of images released so far.

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What: 2023 Super Glow Black Opal Edition sports cards 
Arrives: January 2023
Box basics: One Black Opal auto per box and one slabbed 1/1 auto or base per case (six boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Super Glow opens up a new year with another jam-packed multi-sport release that includes new stars on NIL deals, new draft picks, established greats and more all in one spot ... with a few surprises, too.

Keep reading for more info and a selection of images.

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Group breaks have been a game-changer for the card industry for several years now and from time to time Buzz will jump into a BlowoutTV break of some type and break down the results of what he landed by picking up a team. There are near-daily breaks right here with Matt on Blowout TV during weekday working hours and even more from Houdini and others over on the forum in the evening.

Now, it's time for this post's break breakdown -- a spot in an MLB mixer with some vintage flair.

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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: 2022 Topps 206 Star Wars Wave 1
First Buzz preview & Checklists: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (when available)

Keep reading for a full breakdown of what was in this one as well as a gallery of highlights.

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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: NFL chatter, collecting USA Football, new pulls and more in today's edition.

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What: 2022 Leaf Metal baseball cards
Arrives: Feb. 24, 2023
Box basics: Five autos and one 1/1 slabbed auto per hobby box (10 per case) or seven autos and two 1/1 slabbed autos and and one 1/1 slabbed proof auto per jumbo box (eight per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Metal is back for another go with two formats -- some exclusives in each -- and a mix of colorful autographed cards showcasing stars from the past, present and future.

Keep reading for more.

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Processing is already under way for collectors cashing in, and the Blowout Cards store credit is already flowing for those who were lucky enough to find the MVPs in packs of 2022 Topps Chrome as part of the Topps MVP Buyback Promotion that began on Saturday.

Wait, what? 

Well, in case you missed out on the big reveal last week, Topps is buying back copies of Aaron Judge and Paul Goldschmidt cards from 2022 Topps Chrome -- even base cards can get you $20 apiece and you can land more credit if you land better copies of their cards.

The cash-in is for store credit via Blowout Cards and it's good for Judge and Goldy cards from Chrome as well as its Logofractor Edition. It also will be in play when the 2022 Topps Chrome Sonic set drops in February.

How does it work? Submit cards to Blowout with the detailed instructions at this link. It will run until March 31, 2023, when a new baseball season begins.

Keep reading for even more details or if you have questions.

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YourDozen.com is back for another week with free cardboard up for grabs to one lucky winner -- but this time there's a mix of questions between Sunday NFL action, Sunday games and Majority Rules picks.

Majority Rules questions are simple -- whomever gets the most votes is the winning answer no matter what the question is -- and we've sprinkled in those along with the traditional game picks and stats predictors. The end result is still the same -- whomever has the most correct answers once the dust settles wins free cards.

You have until 1 p.m. Sunday to get your picks and predictions in. (Do it now -- one of the tiebreakers is who entered first.) This week's prize is a mystery and it could be revealed at any time between now and then. Or, it may only be known to the winner, which could be you ... if you take the minute to make 13 simple predictions at the link below.

>>> CLICK HERE TO ENTER <<< 

Did you get in on last week's action? Check the leaderboard and contact fish@blowoutcards.com to claim your prize if you're the winner.

How does it work? It's short and simple. Register and you'll get a dozen questions where your answers will be compiled and compared to others. Whomever gets the most correct gets the prize -- or at least a shot at it if there's a tie.

The goal with YourDozen.com? Have a little fun and get free stuff into some of your hands.

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

>> Click here to buy cards on BlowoutCards.com

What: 2022 Topps 1952 Topps by Naturel baseball cards
Arrives: Now via Topps.com (ships in February)
Box basics: One encased art card and one six-card pack per box ... or one encased art card and five six-card packs with one exclusive foil parallel per Collectors Edition box
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here (when available)

What's buzz-worthy: The legendary trivia of 1952 Topps being dumped to the ocean floor lives on along with some new takes on the classic old design using today's superstars all in one spot using the artistic vision of Naturel.

Keep reading for more and a full 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: Scouting Cyber Monday deals, NFL Week 13, retired MLB players who need to sign again, 2022 Bowman Chrome and more ...

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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: NFL and soccer chatter, a question for college fans, an autograph mystery and some new breaks.

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If you found the MVPs in packs of 2022 Topps Chrome, you have a buyer.

That's because Topps is buying back copies of Aaron Judge and Paul Goldschmidt cards from the set as part of the Topps MVP Buyback Promotion that begins on Saturday.

The program lets you can cash in for store credit at your local card shop or via Blowout Cards if you don't have one and it's good for cards from standard Chrome release as well as the Logofractor Edition and the 2022 Topps Chrome Sonic set coming in February 2023.

It will run until March 31, 2023, when a new baseball season begins. It's part of a Small Business Saturday effort from the company -- a move to help out all of the card shops around the country as well as spark even more interest from collectors.

Keep reading for the full details.

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The other day we told you to be here right here, right now ... and it's time.

It's noon-ish on Black Friday here at BlowoutCards.com, and this Pokemon Sword & Shield Ultra Premium Collection box is on sale in a shocking, big-time kind of way -- click here to grab a box or four. (The price is too low for me to show without Pikachu getting riled up.)

It's one that even @PokemonTCGDrops will not believe when they see it.

This one is limit four per household -- attempts at more will get canceled, including the first order -- and it's up for grabs, of course, only while it lasts.

Note: Due to the expected volume, these will begin shipping the week of Dec. 5.

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

>> Click here to buy cards on BlowoutCards.com

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: Scouting Black Friday deals, World Cup, NFL chatter, Zach Wilson, Topps MVP Buyback Promotion and more in today's edition.

Continue reading →

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: Pro Football Hall of Fame, scouting Black November, new pulls, MLB chatter, NFL Week 12 and, of course, the Topps MVP Buyback Promotion.

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Mark your calendars so you can catch 'em all this Black Friday.

At noon on Friday at BlowoutCards.com, every Pokemon collector you know will need to visit for a big sale on one of the hottest releases of the year -- and plenty more in the world of Pikachu, Charizard and Gengar.

It's one that even @PokemonTCGDrops will not believe when they see it ... and we know you won't, either.

That's, of course, while it lasts -- be there.

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

>> Click here to buy cards on BlowoutCards.com

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 packs: 2022 Topps 206 Star Wars Wave 1 (two packs)
First Buzz preview & Checklists: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (when available)

Keep reading for a full breakdown of what was in this one as well as a gallery of highlights.

Continue reading →

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: World Cup, soccer breaks, NFL Week 12, new NBA and NLB cards and some non-sports, too.

Continue reading →

What: 2023 Pieces of the Past Art & Music Edition
Arrives: January 2023
Box basics: Two hits per four-pack box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Pieces of the Past once focuses on pop culture with a celebration of artwork from the past and then the names and faces of music and more among more recent years in both cuts, original artwork and more.

Keep reading for more info and a selection of images.

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What: 2023 Leaf Superlative Sports
Arrives: Early 2023
Box basics: Two "super-premium cards" per box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Leaf's high-end line returns with double the number of cards per box in this one with a meaty mix of big-name ink, superstar memorabilia and a range of sports including everything from the stars of the World Cup to the stars of Wrestlemania all in one spot.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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If you hadn't noticed, there are a number of boxes with discounted prices right now right here as Blowout Cards' Black November sales have arrived this year.

The latest waves are here and many of the discounts were dramatic enough that Buzz once again had to ponder the possibilities in many of the boxes and cases -- and here are five that caught this collector’s eye ... and there's far more that just might suit your tastes in the big sale.

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CHASING AARON JUDGE INK ...
2014 Bowman Inception MLB
First, I'll mention with my picks here that I do my shopping mostly on the traditional low-end to the mid-range stuff in the not-so-distant past -- so a box like this might be closer to my high-end of things when it comes to risk factor ... but a rough box here will still give you nothing but autographs. The biggest names her? Aaron Judge, Byron Buxton, Julio Urias, Kris Bryant, Xander Bogearts, Carlos Correa, Noah Syndergaard, Jose Abreu, Nick Castellanos, George Springer and many others who are still around the bigs (and some who are definitely not). There are a lot of parallels in play here, too, with some other stuff like printing plates, dual-auto cards, patch autos and even booklets. But if you land Aaron Judge he pays for the box ... and maybe more if it's a rarer version. Every box includes five cards -- five shots at him and other names here ... and they weren't short-printed signers back then, either.

Keep reading for a few more boxes you should consider (and are likely to end up in Buzz's cart).

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