The Chicago Cubs World Series memorabilia isn't limited to trading cards and the typical items that collectors might chase and the Chicago Tribune already is getting in on the action beyond its day job.

In addition to its newspapers, the company already is selling poster reprints and commemorative printing plates of its front pages from the World Series (above) as well as from the Cubs' postseason run. It's also readying a book, which is up for sale now on its website.

These happen somewhat regularly for major markets and team championships but they haven't for hungry Cubs fans, who hadn't seen a World Series title since 1908.

Continue reading →

Kris Bryant has signed a million-dollar deal to sign autographs for Topps and with his Chicago Cubs ending more than a century of futility, Buzz figured it was time for a contest.

We already have given away one Bryant autograph today via Twitter but we have this 2016 Topps Triple Threads Auto Relic ... and we want it to be yours.

How? Keep reading.

Continue reading →

The biggest Chicago Cub in the hobby has the biggest autograph deal ever signed by Topps.

Kris Bryant has reportedly signed a seven-figure, exclusive autograph deal to only sign for Topps.It's the biggest deal in Topps' 65-year history of making baseball cards, which has only included certified autographs since the 1990s.

“We are beyond excited to secure this exclusive deal with Kris Bryant.” said David Leiner, VP and General Manager of North American Sports & Entertainment for Topps. “Never has The Topps Company executed such a long-term deal with any athlete. Kris is one of the elite players currently in Major League Baseball and we look forward to working with him as his career continues to flourish.”

Continue reading →

It's still real.

The Chicago Cubs are still your World Series champions -- and there is another Topps commemorative set to be had celebrating the team's dramatic extra-inning rain-delayed victory in Game 7 Thursday morning in Cleveland.

In addition to its Topps Now set teased early this morning, Topps will be making a traditional boxed set of baseball cards that will be larger than the online offering.

Continue reading →

Update: The autograph set sold 2,581 copies and the unsigned set sold 6,636.

--

Cubs. Win.

The Chicago Cubs ended more than a century of futility on Thursday morning in Cleveland, winning the seventh game of the World Series in a rain-delayed extra-inning affair.

Minutes later, Topps announced the cardboard to go with it -- the 2016 Topps Chicago Cubs World Series Championship set. There will be a standard version for $49.99 along with an autographed version that will include one randomly inserted signature card from top names on the team for $149.99.

They are presently available for pre-order on Topps.com.

Continue reading →

We're just a few hours away from Game 7 of the World Series where the Chicago Cubs will end more than a century of futility -- or the Cleveland Indians will make them once again wait for next year.

On cardboard and in the hobby, there's no comparison between the two teams as the Cubs are largely stocked with young players (several homegrown) who are well-established and readily available on cardboard -- for now -- compared to the Indians, who have a few young notables but nobody who'll truly break the bank. Among the Cubbies' notables are Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Addison Russell, Javier Baez, Jake Arrieta, Willson Contreras, Anthony Rizzo ... and that's not all on a list that's meaty and the cardboard is boldly available for nearly all of them.

That got Buzz wondering ... if the Cubs win it all, is their victory bigger than the Boston Red Sox' 2004 World Series win when it comes to the hobby and collecting? Is it bigger than Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens -- you know, all those historic super-human performances that ultimately turned out to be, well, a bit questionable? They all sold plenty of cardboard in the past -- plenty -- but that team and those players were mostly established veterans. The Cubs are largely kids with plenty of potential for future successes -- dare we say dynasty -- for years to come being a real possibility.

And that would all start with a ring tonight and pay off for collectors for years to come.

I'd argue that demand for the Cubs' key players autographs and key players could be the biggest thing seen in years once it's all said and done. Once The Curse of the Billy Goat is dead and buried alongside that of The Bambino there's all kinds of potential for now in the short-term, later in the weeks and months to come and, ultimately, for future seasons.

It could be like nothing we've ever seen before.

Agree? Disagree? Tell Buzz what you think in the poll below ...

[polldaddy poll=9568991]

--

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

>> Click here to buy cards on BlowoutCards.com

If you hadn't noticed, there are a number of boxes with discounted prices now over on the mothership as BlowoutCards.com's Black November Wave 3 hits today.

Many of the discounts were dramatic enough that Buzz had to sit down and ponder the possibilities in many of the boxes and cases -- and here are five boxes that caught this collector’s eye.

2009 Topps Mayo football hobby box 
Buying older football boxes can be tough at times as players can come and go quite quickly, but, then again, so did this brand -- but there aren't many sets like it. It's retro-styled football in the realm of Allen & Ginter with some downright unusual inclusions. Example? It's the home of a Tim Kaine "Rookie Card" -- perhaps notable to some collectors out there since we're so close to Election Day. Mayo was only around two seasons, and it includes non-traditional autographs and Relics along with a decent mix of big football names. (The big names remain big but the rookies may not be.) For the price this one's got potential and it's bound to be very, very different than other NFL brands out there -- no matter who you pull.

Continue reading →

We've seen autos. We've seen Relics. We've seen auto Relics. We've seen double autos. But today's lineup of Topps Now cards spotlighting Game 6 of the World Series is something we have not seen before.

There are double auto Relics -- and they are cards of the Chicago Cubs' biggest bats from last night, Kris Bryant and Addison Russell.

Continue reading →

The MLBPA has approved a licensing deal for a new fantasy baseball game to arrive this spring that will utilize packs of cards as part of the action.

It's Honus Bonus Fantasy Baseball and it's being launched by Rittenhouse Archives president Steve Charendoff, who is also at the helm of Honus Bonus Partners.

"As a lifelong baseball card collector and long-time fantasy game player, it made perfect sense to combine these two overlapping passions in this unique series of cards," Charendoff said in a prepared release. "We're extremely pleased to partner with the MLBPA, particularly at this time when so many of its players are enjoying unprecedented popularity."

Continue reading →

What: 2016 Topps Limited baseball cards
Arrives: Now via Topps.com
Box basics: 700 cards in factory set

What's buzz-worthy: Topps brings back its Limited version of its flagship baseball card set for another season.

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: 2016 Topps Update baseball cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 36
Cards per pack: 10
Cards in this box: 356
Base set completion: 
300 of 300 (100 percent)
Duplicates: 19

Notables on base cards – Anthony Rizzo, Clayton Kershaw, Nolan Arenado, Francisco Lindor, Buster Posey, Jackie Bradley Jr., Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Josh Donaldson, Mike Trout, David Ortiz, Kris Bryant, Aroldis Chapman, Jake Arrieta, Ichiro Suzuki

Rookie Cards (95; includes duplicates) – Notables include Aledmys Diaz, Michael Fulmer, Julio Urias, Willson Contreras, Tyler Naquin, Kyle Schwarber, Corey Seager, Kenta Maeda, Nomar Mazara, Trevor Story

Continue reading →

David Ross' final Game at Wrigley Field came with a serenade from Eddie Vedder on Sunday night, and as he marches toward retirement there's one thing for sure about the Chicago Cubs' 39-year-old catcher.

He's easily among the toughest autographs on the team when it comes to certified cardboard.

That's something worth noting as his career comes to an end -- and potentially in the biggest way possible with a World Series win for the historically downtrodden team.

"I've had a storybook year, honestly. There are so many things I can talk about that have happened to me over this year," Ross told The Associated Press. "Everybody was looking at me like, dude, Eddie Vedder just dedicated the whole seventh-inning stretch to you and I'm like, my mind's blown. I'm thinking about being out of the game and he's a quality individual. He's just a good person, rock star, everybody knows who Eddie Vedder is. He says my name -- it's a huge compliment."

Continue reading →

The Chicago Cubs are still alive after a 3-2 victory in Game 5 of the World Series Sunday night and today we have the Topps Now cards that commemorate that first Series win in Wrigley Field since 1945.

A total of 16 cards -- with a mix of Kris Bryant autographs and Aroldis Chapman game-used base Relics -- are available today and for no more than 24 hours via Topps.com.

Continue reading →

What: 2016 National Treasures baseball cards
Arrives: Dec. 21
Box basics: Eight autographs or memorabilia cards -- including one booklet -- per box (four boxes per case)

What's buzz-worthy: National Treasures returns to the diamond for the third time with some big, big inclusions as you can see above as well as some other touches that enhance the popular high-end brand.

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

Continue reading →

What: 2017 Bowman baseball cards
Arrives: April 26
Box basics: One autograph per 24-pack hobby box (12 boxes per case);
Three autographs per 12-pack Jumbo box (eight boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here to view

What's buzz-worthy: Topps celebrates the 70th anniversary of Bowman with a number of throwback inclusions as well as buyback cards while offering up the newest crop of rookies and prospects with plenty of color.

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

Continue reading →

The Cleveland Indians' decisive win in Game 4 of the World Series Saturday night has prompted 11 more Topps Now baseball cards and there's something that's never been done before for the company's online real-time card platform this time.

Dual autographs.

Five of the 11 cards feature autographs from arguably the top two most-collectable players on the team, shortstop Francisco Lindor and pitching ace Corey Kluber.

Continue reading →

The Blowout Cards Forums are where thousands of collectors converge daily to discuss, well, a little bit of everything. Here are five threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing Today: Collectors continue to react to 2016 Topps Transcendent Collection, big breaks from other brands, Jose Fernandez reactions & 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: 2016 Donruss Optic baseball cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 6
Cards per pack: 5
Cards in this box: 30
Base set completion: 
18 of 165 (11 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Alex Rodriguez (DK), Albert Pujols (DK), Ichiro Suzuki, Miguel Cabrera, Clayton Kershaw

Rookie Cards (3) – Kyle Schwarber, Miguel Sano, Michael Conforto (all Rated Rookies)

Continue reading →

The Blowout Cards Forums are where thousands of collectors converge daily to discuss, well, a little bit of everything. Here are five threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing Today: Collectors react to 2016 Topps Transcendent Collection, pick Greg Maddux's Rookie Card, continue their World Series chatter and show off their big pulls.

Continue reading →

If you hadn't noticed, there are a number of boxes with discounted prices now over on the mothership as BlowoutCards.com begins its Black November sales today.

Many of the discounts were dramatic enough that Buzz had to sit down and ponder the possibilities in many of the boxes and cases -- and here are 10 boxes that caught this collector’s eye.

2010 USA National Teams (2009 Team) Baseball Box Set
There have been plenty of USA Baseball products in the last decade and this one is the one that went a bit high-end. Why? The talent. Among the autographs you can find here are Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Francisco Lindor, Trevor Bauer, Sonny Gray, Kolten Wong, Jameson Taillon and Albert Almora. This box carries a pretty hefty discount but all those key autos are still in there.

Continue reading →

What: 2017 Leaf Cut Signature Edition History of Baseball
Arrives: January
Box basics: One cut signature card per box (20 boxes per case)

What's buzz-worthy: Leaf's newest cut autograph product will be all Hall of Famers as part of a made-to-order product with all serial-numbered cards encapsulated and printed on Metal Prismatic stock.

Continue reading →

What: 2016 Topps Transcendent Collection baseball cards
Arrives: Dec. 7
Box basics:  52 autographs per 168-card briefcase (one briefcase per case)

What's buzz-worthy: Topps is unleashing the priciest box of baseball cards in history as part of its 65th Anniversary celebration -- a box loaded with ink, nods to the past, sketches and, well, plenty more in what Topps calls a "once-in-a-lifetime extremely limited release" that "will represent the most premium of trading card experiences."

So, what comes in a case? Keep reading for more info and a full gallery of images released so far.

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: 2016 Topps Triple Threads baseball cards
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 2
Cards per pack: 7
Cards in this box: 14
Base set completion: 
6 of 100 (6 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Base cards – Zack Greinke, Reggie Jackson, David Price, David Wright, Willie Mays

Rookie Cards (1) – A.J. Reed

Continue reading →

The Chicago Cubs' dominating Game 2 victory in the World Series Wednesday night was sparked by the hot bat of a returning slugger and the strong arm of an ace who held the Cleveland Indians hitless deep into the night as part of a 6-0 win.

Today, the slugger and the ace have new Topps Now cards that will only be available for 24 hours via Topps.com as part of its real-time baseball card program.

The slugger is, of course Kyle Schwarber, who will be signing six types of standard and Relic cards, while the ace is Jake Arrieta, who is among the remaining five cards as part of today's offering.

Continue reading →

The Blowout Cards Forums are where thousands of collectors converge daily to discuss, well, a little bit of everything. Here are five threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing Today: Big breaks, 28 boxes busted in one thread, big retail pulls, four 1/1s in a case and tracking a year of breaks.

Continue reading →