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: PSA addresses card-trimming allegations, big NBA and MLB pulls, the end of a player collection, The National and more.

Continue reading →

What: 2019 Topps High Tek baseball cards
Arrives: Oct. 9 Nov. 13
Box basics: Three on-card autographs per 18-card box (12 boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Topps High Tek returns for another dazzling season with much smaller packs but more ink per box than last year -- and plenty of the complicated patterns for players if you want to collect 'em all.

Keep reading for more as well as a full gallery of images.

Continue reading →

What:

What's buzz-worthy: Leaf's got something ready just after the MLB Draft -- a release with nothing but autograph cards for draft-eligible players where every card inside is limited to no more than two copies.

Keep reading for more and a gallery of images.

Continue reading →

Have you seen the latest cool or interesting items on eBay? If not, you just might see some of those here every week as we're launching a weekly version of our eBay Buzz pieces that pop up from time to time. We’ll spotlight some items that have a story or just wow us with how much interest it might have — and we’re not just talking baseball cards, either.

--

DOMINATING BAT, SOFT DEMAND?
The Item: Austin Riley 2015 Bowman Chrome Draft Prospect Autographs Cyan printing plate (1/1)
The Price: $1,800 Buy-It-Now (or best offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The Atlanta Braves have a rich history of homegrown players dominating on the big stage and a crop of young players on the team now who are seemingly capable of big things on the field and selling cardboard. The latest new arrival -- a guy who has already set a team home run record -- has had a scorching start in terms of the longball and yet he's seemingly a little soft price-wise when it comes to the high-grade first Chrome parallel auto front. (See that link below.) They aren't cheap, but the prices don't compare to other notables in recent years who have arrived and played well. This particular example isn't the cheapest but it is a unique one.
Similar Pieces: Austin Riley autos on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for 2015 Bowman Draft boxes 

Keep reading for four more interesting items in this week's roundup ...

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 Today: Good baseball discussions, Bowman Mega Boxes deliver big, The National and old "Refractors won't spoil."

Continue reading →

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 Donruss baseball cards (Target Mega Box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 14
Cards per pack: 8
Cards per box: 112
Set completion: 
35 of 150 (23 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Stephen Strasburg, Joey Votto, Rafael Devers, Justin Verlander, Javier Baez, Trevor Story, Manny Machado, Matt Chapman, Christian Yelich, Michael Conforto

Continue reading →

You have opinions and Topps wants to hear them -- specifically about the best Topps MLB designs of the past.

Topps Choice is a new program where collectors can vote on their favorites and find them once again in packs of 2020 Topps Series 1. 

One vote for the best set from each decade -- beginning with the 1950s -- are the first Choice.

Make your picks right here.

--

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

>> Click here to buy cards on BlowoutCards.com

Here's a look at the top five players on this week's Baseball America Top MLB Prospects Hot Sheet and their seasons so far. It's a little something to help those who might want to dabble with prospecting -- some basics on their baseball cards alongside a highlight line from those more scouting-minded. We may not do this every week, but we'll check in on BA's top crop from time to time for the remainder of the season.

1. Wander Franco, SS, Tampa Bay Rays — Low-A Bowling Green Hot Rods
Baseball America’s highlight line: “In 108 minor league games, only one pitcher has managed to strike him out more than once. ... He has not struck out swinging since May 20, and has not struck out at all since May 24. ... Through June 2, Franco is hitting .326 in the Midwest League as an 18-year-old. Two years ago, when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was in the Midwest League as an 18-year-old, he hit … .326."
CARDBOARD BASICS
Approximate card total (so far): 300
First Chrome auto: 2019 Bowman 
One auto to consider: 2018 Elite Extra Edition
Buzz’s card take: The bad news here? If you don't know his name, you're late to the party and that will cost you way more buying his autos. The good news here? First, he's being compared to Vladdy Jr., and second he's got plenty of ink -- about half of his cards come with autos -- and there are inevitably more on the way. Simple as that. Pulling his autos are the best way to go as buy-in prices for his first Chrome ink can be on the stupid side ... well, only if he doesn't deliver. (So far, he has.)

Keep reading for the rest of the top five ...

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 Today: Bowman Mega Box bulk breaks, bargain bin heat, big Heritage pulls, The National and more in today's edition.

Continue reading →

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: Hot Corner Box baseball card repack (The Fairfield Company)
Where to buy: Target (Click here for our Bargain Breaks section)

Packs per box: One hobby pack, three retail packs and two hits per box
Cards per pack: Varies by brand

Notables on base cards – See gallery for key pulls

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 Today: Topps Definitive pulls, grading Bowman Mega Box players, MLB breaks, The National and even more important chatter today.

Continue reading →

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 Bowman baseball cards (Mega Box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 6 (four standard, two Mega Box Chrome)
Cards per pack: 10 in standard, 5 in Chrome
Cards per box: 50

Set completion: 
20 of 100 (20 percent)
Duplicates: 0
Prospect set completion: 
12 of 150 (8 percent)
Duplicates: 0
Chrome Prospect set completion: 
8 of 150 (5 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base/prospect cards – Fernando Tatis Jr., Nick Senzel, Austin Riley, Dylan Cease, Roberto Ramos, Kris Bryant, Mookie Betts, Ozzie Albies, Francisco Lindor

Rookie Cards (9) – Ramon Laureano, Ryan Borucki, Bryse Wilson, Aramis Garcia, Enyel De Los Santos, Jonathan Loaisiga, Cedtic Mullins, Justus Sheffield, Chance Adams

Continue reading →

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 ... a super-sized edition this time around that's heavy on MLB and NBA but with a few surprises.

The Cards: 1991-92 SkyBox #544-546 Team USA puzzle
The Reason Graded: I picked up a box of this one for roughly $16 late last year (a bargain price) and pulled two sets of these puzzles, which was good. Why? Because grading these and the other notables from the iconic Hall of Famer-loaded Dream Team is pretty heavy and this one has been on my to-do list. I landed most of the notables more than once but just one Jordan that was noticeably off-centered. These glossed cards on the puzzle could have issues that the standard cards don't have simply because of their surfaces, but mine were clean. I will revisit my second set to see if anything stands out. I may go the PSA route on the other set for variety's sake if I see anything that would make me wonder about potential grades.
The Grades: BGS 9.5

Reality Check: This one was a stressful one as I had hoped for matching grades. Thankfully, that's what I got and that's where most cards land for all three pieces of the puzzle. This is a textbook example of the kind of cardboard that can make you some money with grading, too, as they're no more than $10 total raw, while BGS 9.5s together should top $100 in some cases and asking prices for the middle (Jordan) card alone can be steep. It's memorable cardboard from the past with nothing but iconic players involved, so there's still good demand -- and that's another reason why I slabbed. Wax boxes aren't all that plentiful, either, compared to other boxes around that time.

Keep reading for the rest of this month's new grades and additions.

Continue reading →

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 Prizm baseball cards (Target Mega Box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 12 (10 standard, two Pink parallel packs)
Cards per pack: 4
Cards in this box: 48
Base set completion: 
20 of 100 (20 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Max Scherzer, Jose Ramirez, Felix Hernandez, Jose Altuve, Adrian Beltre

Rookie Cards (Tier One only) (5) – Rowdy Tellez, Luis Urias, Chris Shaw, Sean Reid-Foley, Cedric Mullins

Continue reading →

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: 2019 Topps Now Future Award Winners baseball (two packs)
Where to buy: Click here when available (only initially offered via Topps.com)
Cards per pack: 5

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 Today: Definitive delivers, Luka Doncic's autograph evolution, Bowman Mega Boxes, alleged card-trimming, The National and more.

Continue reading →

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: 2018 Championship Collection Shohei Ohtani baseball repack (MJ Holding)
Where to buy: Walmart  (Click here for our Bargain Breaks section)

Packs per box: 15 (five packs are bonus items) plus one Leaf Shohei Ohtani card
Cards per pack: Varies by brand

Notables on base cards – See gallery for key pulls (one hit this time)

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 Today: Peter Alonso, Bowman Mega Box breaks in bulk, Game of Thrones, NBA, The National and more.

Continue reading →

It's got four rounded corners and plenty of missing original real estate, but it's the highest-selling piece of cardboard this year.

SCP Auctions has brokered a private sale of this 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner card for $1.2 million, according to the company.

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 Today: Nothing but breaks highlights, including 50 -- yes, 50 -- Bowman Mega Boxes.

Continue reading →

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 Bowman baseball cards (Mega Box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 6 (four standard, two Mega Box Chrome)
Cards per pack: 10 in standard, 5 in Chrome
Cards per box: 50

Set completion: 
20 of 100 (20 percent)
Duplicates: 0
Prospect set completion: 
12 of 150 (8 percent)
Duplicates: 0
Chrome Prospect set completion: 
8 of 150 (5 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base/prospect cards – Victor Victor Mesa, Chris Paddack, Noelvi Marte, Anthony Siegler, J.D. Martinez, Jose Altuve, Giancarlo Stanton, Jacob deGrom, Justin Verlander, Paul Goldschmidt

Rookie Cards (9) – Touki Toussaint, Brad Keller, Kolby Allard, Dawel Lugo, Jake Bauers, Corbin Burnes, Luis Urias, Francisco Arcia, Josh James

Continue reading →

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: 2019 Topps Now Future World Series baseball cards (one pack)
Where to buy: Click here (previously only offered via Topps.com)
Cards per pack: 3

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 Today: Bill Buckner, Bowman Mega Boxes, big pulls, The National and "rare cards with little to no value."

Continue reading →

Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals just might be to rip fewer blasters this year 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. Would they capture yours? I'd be interested to know -- sometimes they might, sometimes they won't and that's fine. It's a buyer's market out there with plenty of options and bargains as well as high-end gems to chase.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... and this time around it's a super-sized edition to clear out some cardboard that's been waiting for its turn here.

--

BATTING LEADOFF ... AGAIN
The Card: Ronald Acuña Jr. 2018 Panini Chronicles Score Rookie Card (SGC 10)
The Price: $10.60
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Is it really a shocker to see this guy batting leadoff here once again? If you're a regular reader you'll know this is the third straight time I've picked one of my Acuña pick-ups to start things off here -- and this time it's a high-grade copy from an affordable (for now) release that's jam-packed with Rookie Cards. I haven't ever submitted anything to SGC for grading, but I have picked off a few cards in their slabs when the price is right and the card is noticeably clean. In this case it was an affordable one picked off in a top grade just before he started heating things up this season. Boxes of many 2018 releases have picked up steam and this one is among them, especially on the hobby side where they are jam-packed with good stuff. I couldn't find this card in the pop report, but the price was right for me.
Grab a box right here: 2018 Panini Chronicles baseball cards

Keep reading for many more interesting items ...

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 Today: Nothing but break highlights and National chatter in today's edition.

Continue reading →