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 ...

GRADING THE PHENOM
The Card: Baby Yoda ("The Child") 2019 Star Wars Living Set #58
The Reason Graded: I picked up a few of these since I knew they'd be hot -- it set a record with 9,663 copies sold that shows how it definitely was in demand. However, that volume is significantly higher than anything else in the set and that  can also lead to lower re-sale prices as those who bought in bulk want to move them. (They have more competition.) Grading-wise, this one is the big leader, too, but I still wanted to chase a 10.
The Grade: BGS 9.5

Reality Check: I came close but ultimately checked in where most cards here do. Nearly 50 cards from the set have been graded and this guy is on 29 of them. Only two other copies have five or more graded copies and that leaves the rest as population-one cards. I didn't get a 10 but I'm fine with this mark as the stock does seem like it might be a tougher grade than other types.

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

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Derek Jeter's Hall of Fame enshrinement may have to wait until next year, but the new cardboard push is coming from Topps.

Up first? A new Topps Now line launching this Saturday with Jeter’s autograph attached on cards noting "his biggest moments and milestones" among projects that will "bring his perspective to life through one-of-a-kind collections."

It's part of plans in a multi-year deal that will include "experiential, one-of-a-kind events and limited products and Jeter will collaborate with Topps in many new ways across its physical, digital and e-commerce products." It will include the former Yankees shortstop as part of the creative process. There will be the Captain’s Collection and Jeter also take part in the One of One Club, which will give "fans the ability to create their own unique 1/1 Jeter Topps card, which will then be signed by Jeter at a One of One Club event."

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What: 2020 Break King Baseball Premium Edition
Arrives: May 1
Box basics: Two graded buyback cards and one encased card per box (three boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Fans of MLB stars' prospect cards and Rookie Cards (and other rookie-year releases) have a new buyback option in the works that will include two graded cards in every box.

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What: 2020 Bowman Transcendent Collection baseball cards
Arrives: Aug. 26
Box basics: 33 autographs and more per box
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Transcendent turns to the prospecting realm with the familiar formula of inclusions with 1955 Bowman getting the Superfactor nod and the players including Yankees prospect Jasson Dominguez for starters.

Keep reading for more as well as 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 Today: Getting back into collecting and then a number of breaks -- including cases of Ginter and Heritage -- that are worth a look.

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This one is a quick idea for 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 something to think about.

This time? Five players (and cards) I'd want to see in the next rendition of Topps Project 2020. (Would it be Project 2021?)

BAT DOWN, HANDS DOWN
Ronald Acuña Jr.'s bat-down SP variation in 2018 Topps Series 2 is perhaps the most-iconic of all of the Rookie Cards in basic Topps sets in recent years, and I think it would be a no-brainer as a card to bat lead-off on a second project like Topps Project 2020 -- an effort where artists re-create memorable cards from the past for 20 players. The list is one that skews old -- just five players are from 1990 and beyond and only two who debuted in the 2000s -- while the top sellers (so far) have skewed young and that makes me wonder what/who might be popular the next time around. They have to do this again, right? (For the purposes of this list, I'm ignoring the realities of licensing -- some players are potentially not available to Topps or licensing could impose other limitations. (That's what I don't know.) What I do know is a collection of 20 takes on this Acuña would probably get me every time as it's such a good starting point.

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

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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: 2019 Panini Diamond Kings baseball cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby & FOTL)

Keep reading to see a breakdown and gallery of what's 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 Today: Unpopular collecting opinions, Project 2020, MLB Rookie Card sleepers and big pulls to round things out in today's edition.

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Update (April 28): More info and a preview video has been added.

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With 2020 Bowman awaiting release but in COVID-19 limbo sitting in its near-final stages down in Texas at closed printing facilities, Topps has looked another direction in an effort to get some new prospects' baseball cards into collectors hands sooner.

It's a First Edition 2020 Bowman that will be found in 10-card packs soon and was teased by the company on Wednesday.

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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 Topps Series 1 baseball cards 
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
First Buzz preview with checklist/SPs/more: Click here

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery 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: 2013 Panini Golden Age (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (when available) -- new MLB here

Keep reading for a 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 Today: Project 2020 chatter (and artists are in on it), NBA breaks, a Stranger Things case that's turned one collector's world upside down (or something) 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 box: Baseball Power Cube baseball repack (MJ Holding)
Where to buy: Retail outlets ($19.99)

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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 Today: The Last Dance, NFL breaks, Jim Thome's best cards, remembering when, Definitive delivers and "is Babe Ruth really the greatest baseball player ever?" (Yes.)

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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 Today: New MLB pulls, Project 2020 teasers, Zion Williamson and Panini Mosaic, NXT 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 box: 2020 Topps Series 1 baseball cards 
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
First Buzz preview with checklist/SPs/more: Click here

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 Today: A big night on BlowoutTV, the NFL Draft continues, big pulls and more in today's edition.

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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 box: 2019 Donruss Optic baseball cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (this and other formats)

Keep reading for a full breakdown and a gallery of highlights from this one.

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This one is a quick idea for 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 something to think about.

This time? Five things I might be looking for right now ...

DRAFT-DAY DRAMA PICK-UPS
Here's a spoiler for tonight's NFL Draft ... no matter where Tua Tagovailoa lands -- good or bad, high pick or low pick -- I'm going to be buying something on the affordable side. Why? I don't have an NFL team and I'm not sure I really want one -- my fantasy team is fine for that -- and my seasonal collecting football habit will be satisfied by stuff like what's found in 2020 Panini Prizm Draft Picks where he's on the box yet I'm 0-for-the-year finding him in any form. I don't really have any needs for the guys not in the uniforms that match his in this release, but tonight we'll find out where all of those other guys go and their new fans will start chasing what options they have for cardboard right now. It could be warmer than usual considering that there will inevitably be delays the rest of the year in some form or fashion ...whether it's just the cardboard in the short-term or the play, which is a possibility, getting pushed later into the fall. I have my team and my players I'll be looking for -- and it's a good-looking year for football cards across the board no matter where guys end up.

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

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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: 2019 Topps Heritage High Number baseball cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)
First Buzz preview, SPs & checklist: Click here

Keep reading for a breakdown 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 Today: The NFL Draft is nearly upon us, Day 2 of 2020 Bowman 1st Edition, a free Bartolo Colon autograph (for anybody who buys his book) and more in today's edition.

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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 that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ...

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PROJECT 2020 GOT ME
The Card: Ken Griffey Jr. 2020 Topps Project 2020 -- Artist: King Saladeen (/2,504 made)
The Price: $19.99
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was my first card I picked up in the recently launched Project 2020 series from Topps, which is a higher-end premium-stock card set that takes a look back at 20 memorable players' memorable cards through the eyes of 20 different artists. They start at $19.99 with combo and volume discounts available, but I'm going to be on the boat for selected cards here and there as I don't heavily collect any of the players and all artists' styles aren't for me. That said, this card is a memorable take of a memorable Rookie Card for one of the biggest players of the last 40 years so I grabbed it. There are 400 cards in the set with each having Artist Proofs (/20) that vanish instantaneously as well as a Gold 1/1 that's randomly inserted into direct orders from Topps. You'll see more of these cards here throughout the year and you can see the ongoing gallery that updates every weekday right here on The Buzz. I have more of these incoming but this is the only one I presently have in-hand.
Grab a box right here: No boxes for this set ... see MLB boxes 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 Today: Pedro Cerrano's autograph, Project 2020, new pulls, an NFL photo-match and the new hot baseball card set is ... 2012 Panini Prizm?

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What: 2020 Topps Five Star baseball cards
Arrives: Aug. 26
Box basics: Two autographs per box (eight boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Five Star hits the field once again with some new inclusions, some fresh faces and some big, bold touches that add to the possibilities of this high-end brand.

Keep reading for more as well as a full 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 box: 2019 SportsCards A Word From ... Ty Cobb
The price: Will vary if you can find ... click here for MLB boxes

Get a full breakdown of this one after the jump.

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