What's Buzzing: New Marvel Chrome pulls, inside an "insane collection," MLB All-Stars, Caitlin Clark, The National and ... investment talk?

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1 -- Highlights from some Marvel Chrome

2 -- Showing off an "insane collection"

3 -- Still talking MLB All-Stars ... and snubs

4 -- Caitlin Clark cardboard chatter

5 -- Would you?

6 -- All your National chatter

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

What: 2025 Topps Archives Signature Series baseball cards
Arrives: Aug. 6
Box basics: One encased and numbered buyback autograph per box (20 boxes per case)
Player list: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Topps' long-running brand arrives once again with "a curated lineup of autographed buybacks — each one a piece of hobby history reimagined."

Keep reading for more.

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Ichiro Suzuki’s 2001 MLB arrival didn’t just change the game on the field — he helped feed growing international demand for baseball cards via plenty of new premium brands that helped pave the way for the ultra-deluxe stuff of today.

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A legendary career and baseball journey on two continents makes its final stop this month in Cooperstown, N.Y., and the Hall of Fame and there’s a lot that can be said about that in several directions. 

Ichiro Suzuki changed the game with his arrival in MLB, eschewing the longball in favor of speed and hits — lots and lots of hits. But, “hits” are also the story of all those years when it comes to baseball cards with the prized rarities found in packs with autographs on them — or pieces of memorabilia in them — being an unstoppable force in those years. 

Of course, hits didn’t start with the Japanese star’s arrival, but many of his cards in sets alongside another now-legendary 2001 rookie, Albert Pujols, helped change the cardboard world even faster. Demand for their stuff prompted several new brands from several companies making MLB cards back then to try new things, capitalizing on their new stars who could move packs and boxes of cards -- just like they could move players around the bases and move butts into seats to watch games. One could argue that 2001 was in part a big piece in the evolution of what we see in today’s sports card landscape -- a focus on rarities with small print runs and with premium prices that weren’t like the wax paper-wrapped pocket-change treasures of not that many years before. 

Now, what’s to come here is absolutely not a definitive list of top cards — and it’s not one purely based on volatile values or one limited solely to Rookie Cards. Why? There’s a lot to choose from for Suzuki on all fronts — there could be several ways to take on this challenge. He has more than 50 different Rookie Cards between his 1993 Nippon Professional Baseball and 2001 Major League Baseball debuts (depending on how you want to argue about RC definitions) and he had roughly 500 cards in 2001 alone. Many of them are rarer cards where it is impossible to own them all thanks to small print runs and rare serial-numbered versions. 

In all, he appears on more than 19,000 different cards made over the years between NPB and MLB -- and even though his playing career ended in 2019 his cardboard career has not. He’s got a place in the game in seemingly every new baseball card set on the way and that figures to be the story for the rest of cardboard eternity. He’s not just a Hall of Famer … he’s an international icon.

Here’s a small sampling of 25 Ichiro Suzuki cards that are both fun and notable.

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What's Buzzing: MLB All-Stars (and snubs), collecting Tom Brady, Jazz Chisholm Jr. cards, The National and more.

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1 -- Talking MLB All-Stars ... and snubs

2 -- A thread back from the dead

3 -- Collecting Jazz Chisholm Jr. 

4 -- A Luis Ortiz issue?

5 -- Showing off Tom Brady cards

6 -- All your National chatter

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

Take a minute and make some predictions and sports picks -- and if you're at the top of the mountain when it's all over then you get some free cards.

It's that simple.

YourDozen.com is back with more free cardboard up for grabs to one lucky winner -- this time it's for Sunday MLB action as well as some Majority Rules questions. Those questions are simple -- whatever gets the most votes is the winning answer -- and we've sprinkled in those along with the traditional picks. 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. on Sunday to get your picks and predictions in. (Do it now -- one of the tiebreakers is who entered first.) The prize remains a mystery item.

>>> 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 gaets 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.

What's Buzzing: Showing off rare Tom Brady cards, pondering the best year for NBA cards, wondering how many "true" collectors there are and more in this Sunday edition.

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1 -- "How many true collectors are there?"

2 -- Showing off Tom Brady cards

3 -- "What's the best year in the history of basketball cards?"

4 -- Some new old baseball breaks here

5 -- Showing off Independence Day parallels

6 -- All your National chatter

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

What's Buzzing: Old NBA boxes, Caitlin Clark cards, MLB chatter, The National and a pair of comic book topics.

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1 -- Still sitting on old NBA boxes?

2 -- All your MLB matters

3 -- Talking Caitlin Clark cards

4 -- Collecting Rogue & Gambit covers

5 -- What about the back covers of comics?

6 -- All your National chatter

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

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 Historic Autographs Famous Americans -- Employee Set (parallel edition + bonuses)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (when available ... click for all other H.A. releases)
First Buzz preview: Click here (checklist is in gallery below)

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

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You never know what you might find in a box at the big show ... and this year it's all boxes and more in store.

What box is that? It's the 2025 Blowout MegaMix (click here) 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 30 in Chicago.

What's in it?

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Simply put, this one is all about the best of the best.

Baseball's global icon and living legend Ichiro Suzuki takes his spot in the National Baseball Hall of Fame later this month in Cooperstown, N.Y., and just one piece of all that's to come with his history-making day is Baseball America's special issue that's precision-crafted with a little bit of everything inside when it comes to Japan's greatest player and an icon among the elite in MLB history.

The Ichiro Baseball America Hall of Fame Commemorative is 50 pages of full-bleed retrospective splendor that showcases all of the memorable moments, rarely seen photographs, historic analysis, other memories and stories from yesteryear, thoughts from opposing pitchers and, of course, it's even got some baseball cards inside.

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What: 2025 Pieces of the Past Wild Wild West Edition trading cards
Arrives: July 23
Box basics: Four memorabilia cards per four-pack, 16-card box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Pieces of the Past heads west with a look at the characters of yesteryear when it comes to American history.

Keep reading for more info and a selection of images.

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What's Buzzing: A Clayton Kershaw question, Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt Jr., The Miz and more in today's edition.

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1 -- Clayton Kershaw and the 3,000-K Club

2 -- All your MLB matters are here

3 -- Checking in on the Aaron Judge chatter 

4 -- Talking The Miz in MLB

5 -- Still legit

6 -- The National chatter is heating up

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

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 packs: 2024 Leaf Metal Women of Sport 1/1 Pre-Production Proofs (two)
Where to buy: Click here for regular boxes (when available)

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

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What: 2025 Onyx Rips baseball cards
Arrives: July 29
Box basics: Eight autographs per 16-pack box (four boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Onyx Rips hits the field for a sophomore season with a selection of young MLB stars and a bunch of promising prospects in the mix with autos in every other pack.

Keep reading for more info and a gallery of images.

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It started as a simple idea for some summertime filler breaks ... but this old pack turned out to be a reminder of something else to consider.

It's a 1993 Bowman jumbo with 22 cards inside -- 20 of them being shots at a Rookie Card for New York Yankees icon and Hall of Famer Derek Jeter as the big find. Jumbo packs also include a pair of foiled cards from the 708-card set that doesn't include a single thing otherwise.

It's all gas, no breaks -- at least if base cards are your thing.

There are no insert cards, no parallels, no hits ... just cards (a few with foil, but nearly all without). The only chase beyond landing your specific wanted name here are the RCs -- there are almost 200 names in the set (27.5 percent of it to be precise) being a first-year MLB card appearance.

So ... what did I find this time?

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What's Buzzing: NBA stars on collectors' minds, MLB, The National and more in this one.

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1 -- Will Giannis end up elsewhere?

2 -- All your MLB chatter is here

3 -- The Shai thread ... 

4 -- New pulls are popping here

5 -- Talking 2025 Topps Chrome

6 -- The National section is open

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...

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RETRO RECORD-HOLDER
The Card: Roger Maris 2014 Panini Classics Home Run Heroes Jerseys (/25)
The Price: $30
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I ponied up a little bit for this one vs. my typical range for Maris mem cards since it's a rarer card, has a material (jersey/pants) swatch vs. a bat and is from a brand that packed a lot of potential for big names back in the day. Yet, at the same time, that price was a bargain. Yes, its centering is just slightly off, but otherwise it's clean -- that errant spot on the right side is part of the printed design on all cards here. It was an easy addition for a player I collect and pick off stuff for a few times a year. Those top corners are really clean on this one, which might not always be the case with those bold colors.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but MLB cards are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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What: 2025 Leaf History Book Sports Edition Chapter 2 sports cards
Arrives: Sept. 29
Box basics: Two "premium" booklet cards per box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Leaf offers up a second chapter for one of its newest high-end multi-sport brands -- a mix of multi-player autograph and memorabilia groupings from around the sports world all in one spot -- and it's once again nothing but booklet cards.

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

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What's Buzzing: Chrome, Dave Parker, NFL collusion, new wrestling cards, The National and signed books are today's topics.

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1 -- Talking 2025 Topps Chrome

2 -- An NFL issue?

3 -- Collectors remember Dave Parker

4 -- Wrestling cards are on their minds

5 -- Checking in on the signed books section

6 -- The National section is open as the show nears

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

One of the sports collecting universe's biggest conversation hubs has a new sponsor.

Heritage Auctions will now have an advertising display presence and regularly appearing spotlight items on the Blowout Cards Forums beginning on July 1.

Heritage is the largest collectibles auctioneer and third-largest auction house in the world with more than 2 million registered bidder-members on HA.com from 195 countries and annual sales exceeding $1.87 billion. Based in Dallas, Heritage was established in 1976 and regularly offers a wide range of auction genres beyond just sports collectibles, sports cards, and trading/game cards. Those include rare coins, currency, art, comic books and comic art, movie posters, entertainment and music memorabilia, timepieces and jewelry, handbags, historical/political memorabilia, books and manuscripts, photographs, nature and scientific relics, wine, real estate, American, European & Asian fine art, and much more. Membership is free to Forum members and allows free, searchable access to almost 8 million Heritage auction records (including over 400,000 sports lots) with images, full descriptions and price realized. Join at www.ha.com/blowout.

BlowoutCards.com, the leading online retailer of sports and other trading cards in the hobby today, was founded in 1999 and has more than 40,000 registered users on the forum -- an always-open community in support of the website, which also is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week with more than a million boxes in stock with a particular focus on modern cards — sports, non-sports, gaming and more. Atop that, Blowout has a hobby blog updated daily, live online box breaks, active social media channels and creative promotions to help collectors enjoy their hobby for less.

Collectors in the Northern Virginia area can also visit The Fantastic Store — Blowout’s brick-and-mortar storefront. If you have any questions, send them to support@blowoutcards.com.

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

>> Click here to buy cards on BlowoutCards.com.

Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading ... so here's this month's grading diary.

AS GOOD AS IT GETS
The Card: Caitlin Clark 2024-25 Panini Instant WNBA (/26,980) -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: I watched and waited for the most part with Caitlin Clark cards as Panini Instant stuff arrived regularly and her in-pack WNBA Rookie Cards arrived later in the year. But, when this award-winner card popped up with a clean and iconic studio photo? Well, I pretty much instantly (pun not intended as it's simply true) grabbed a 10-pack with an eye for a slab. It's in a past Buzz Buys (hit the archives) and this is the result a few months later.
The Grade: CGC 10 (Pristine)

Reality Check: This one is heavily made and should be heavily slabbed -- the number of Pristines has at least doubled just in the few weeks since I got these back from CGC -- but many won't be checking in at this top mark. I didn't slab to expect a perfect 10 but I thought this one had potential after going through my stack. Three of my 10 had solid centering and this one was first to make that cut ... with this mark I may not need to send in the other two. It's my lone Clark slab ... and it's strong enough it might stay that way just so I can say I went 1-for-1 grading here. We'll see.

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

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