Minor league baseball cards from the past can include some weird stuff ... stuff you wouldn't imagine to be found on a baseball card. Here are some some new oddities in this latest edition of MiLB Madness. 

MANNY BEING MANNY ... ADMITTEDLY BEFORE MILB
The Card: Manny Ramirez 1991 Little Sun High School Prospects
The Buzz On This: OK, OK ... this isn't MiLB cardboard but it's thisclose to it as this card comes from a small set of players who were quickly on their way to pro ball when this one arrived from a small card company that released a number of small yet interesting sets. In this case, Ramirez was fresh out of George Washington High School in New York where he hit .650 with 41 hits, 40 runs 15 homers and 40 RBI in just 22 games as a senior. His career stats there? A mere 35 homers, 28 doubles, 17 triples, in 67 games where he hit .630. Oh and he stole 76 bases out of 78 attempts. Sure, you can look up his MLB stats -- that's easy -- but this card is all that numbers-wise and more. (Too bad I forgot to take a pic of it when I found this set in a bulk lot of MiLB sets months ago.) There are a few other MLB players in the set but none come close to Manny Being Manny.

Keep reading for more examples of some weird or fun baseball cards you can find in MiLB.

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What: 2023 Leaf Metal baseball cards
Arrives: December
Box basics: Six autos and two base cards per hobby box (10 per case) or 10 autos and four base cards per jumbo box (eight per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Metal is back for another go with two box formats and with base cards now in the mix -- and with both formats still having exclusives and encased proofs.

Keep reading for more.

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What: 2023 Topps Black & White baseball cards
Arrives: Nov. 16
Box basics: Three inserts per 30-card box -- autographs fall in every third box
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here (when available)

What's buzz-worthy: Black & White arrives for another year with a lineup of just 100 base cards and parallels where color is the chase once again.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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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: 2023 Topps Allen & Ginter X baseball cards
Checklist: N/A (base parallels regular A&G but not everything is in here)
Odds: 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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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: 2023 Topps Holiday baseball cards
Checklist: Click here
Odds: Click here
Where to buy: Click here (when available)

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery for 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: FOMO, Topps Archives, Bronny James, NFL Week 10, coins and scouting the Black November sales.

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If you hadn't noticed, there are a number of boxes with discounted prices right now right here as the new wave of Blowout Cards' Black November sales is here

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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STRIKE NOW ... BIGGEST INK IS REDEMPTION
2022 Topps Heritage High Number Hobby Box & Case
This release being in Black November sales will be one of those things we look back at years from now and wish we had loaded up on it a lot more ... and a part of that sentiment could come as soon as next year. In fact, Oct. 31, 2024, is when the redemptions for Julio Rodriguez's very-in-demand autos in this one expire. Now, you shouldn't expect his ink in every case -- that's a reason it's a $600 card for just the basic version -- but there are a few autos per case and a hit per box here for starters. Atop that, there are inserts and variations all flowing regularly that can have key names attached and easily pay for the box. Beyond that, the base set itself is small so you should land most of the set in every box (or come close) and that means you can stockpile key names here for slabbing or future deals ... or sell them off in lots as timing works for you. Among the rookies? Rodriguez, Spencer Strider, Bobby Witt Jr., Spencer Torkelson, Jeremy Peña and a ton of others. Among the auto Relics? Mike Trout, Matt Olson, Joey Votto. Among the standard autos? Bryce Harper, Witt, Carlton Fisk, Juan Marichal, Jim Palmer, Rodriguez, Juan Soto, Votto, Olson, Trout, Nolan Ryan, Ronald Acuña Jr., Steve Carlton and many others. The long-running power of the brand and the relative scarcity (difficulty to pull ink) can make some names big surprises here. There are a lot of formats to consider here but this one is, by far, the one with the biggest potential. Oh, and there are Hot Boxes, too.

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

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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 Week 10, scouting Black November, C.J. Stroud, rookie-year insert cards, Michigan cheating and new pulls in today's edition.

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What: 2023 Topps Definitive Collection baseball cards
Arrives: Nov. 22
Box basics: Six autos and two Relics per box (three boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here (when live)

What's buzz-worthy: Definitive returns for a seventh time for baseball fans with plenty of the high-end inclusions that collectors expect in this one.

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

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What: 2023 Topps Inception baseball cards
Arrives: Dec. 6
Box basics: One autograph or one autographed patch Relic per seven-card box (16 boxes per case)
Checklist: TBD
Order: Click here (when live)

What's buzz-worthy: Topps Inception will return for another colorful run this year with plenty of energy, new rookies and more all in one spot.

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: NFL Week 10, scouting Black November, LeBron-Bronny James ink, Mattingly vs. Canseco and more.

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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: 2023 Topps Update baseball cards (hanger)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby/jumbo)
First Buzz preview, odds & checklist: Click here

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

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If you hadn't noticed, there are a number of boxes with discounted prices right now right here as the new wave of Blowout Cards' Black November sales is here

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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LOW PRICE, BIG POTENTIAL
2022 Topps Star Wars Book of Boba Fett Hobby Box or Case
I'm not sure I watched a minute of this series -- can't keep up with it all -- but there's reason or two to pop the lid on some tins here. You get an autograph or sketch card in every box and on of the inked possibilities is Rosario Dawson, whose auto here has sold for $500 and up (a recent eBay high of $700 ... and $899 for a plate) with some strong asking prices, too. Now she won't be in every box, of course, but as a relative newcomer to Star Wars autos and a meaty resume elsewhere, it's not a bad auto to find in general and coming from a box (tin) this cheap would be a big win. Heck, at these prices, she could pay for the case and more. Temuera Morrison (Fett) and some of the multi-signed cards here are also of not and there are some sketches that can obviously deliver well if they are well-crafted. Atop all that, you get base cards are and a number of inserts and parallels, especially if you rip by the case.

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

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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: Victor Wembanyama, Black November deals, Bowman U pulls, Leaf Pickleball, NFL Week 9 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: Victor Wembanyama, Allen & Ginter X, Black November deals, NFL Week 9 and more.

Continue reading →

If you hadn't noticed, there are a number of boxes with discounted prices right now right here as the first wave of Blowout Cards' Black November sales is here

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.

--

SCHOOL COLORS & MORE
2022 Bowman's Best University Football Hobby
It might be the season talking, but this box jumped out at me among the sales ranks as it's relatively new, includes a bunch of stars playing on Saturdays (thanks to NIL deals they're in here) and some notables who are now playing on Sundays right now, too. There are two Chrome autos per box here as well as quite a bit of insert and parallel potential, too, without breaking the bank. Sure, with a deeper checklist and names who won't be pros until later, there will be some leaner boxes than others -- like anything, really -- but with full logos, NIL guys, Chrome and parallels this one might have a shelf life a little longer than others in terms of popular players emerging on the fields and on collectors' minds. Among autos here? The last two Heisman Trophy winners, Bryce Young and Caleb Williams, along with Jordan Addison, Anthony Richardson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Heisman favorite J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix, Jordan Addison, C.J. Stroud and more ... and there are multi-player autos to find, too.

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

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: The Texas Rangers win it all, Corey Seager cards and Hall of Fame pondering, TacoFractors, Black November and more.

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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.

Click for a closer look.

Here's this month's grading diary here on The Buzz ...

TO SEE WHAT CONDITION MY CONDITION IS IN ...
The Album: The Big Lebowski soundtrack (Mercury, 2014 -- first pressing)
The Reason Graded: As you can probably tell, I'm a dabbler with grading in a few -- but not yet all -- directions, but the notion of having a pristine item encased for permanent protection to be appreciated as an artifact of sorts appeals in a lot of ways. Video games, Funko Pop! figures, other toys, VHS, tickets, press photos and more can be graded just like cards, comic books, magazines and coins. I've tried grading VHS and there's a chance I might do more there with a different company that I use for pretty much everything else, but vinyl is one that, well, I jettisoned most of what I had long ago. That means this was more of a first project than just a first try. (I didn't have much vinyl as my early music-buying years were where the Sony Walkman and then CDs were a thing or emerging, not records.) I spotted this soundtrack cheaper than it might have been elsewhere and it's an original, so I grabbed it with an eye for a slab with Texas-based Tuned In Grading as this one is memorable as more than just a soundtrack but a film that's a cult classic with tons of interest and action beyond a couple hours of screen time. And the total package is cool front and back with scenes and even key characters noted.
The Grade: Tuned In Grading 9.0 (sealed)

Reality Check: I did this one to basically to go through the process and see if I liked the results and then to decide how I would approach doing more. It seems based on their grading scale and description that a 10 isn't easy -- that's fine in my book and that took away some of the grade-shock here. (A nine is fine in all realms, really, but we all want perfection and in some genres a nine has a few slots above it on the scale. Not here.) There isn't really a pop report just yet (but I know of at least one copy*) and it appears that the typical overall grade is a meshing of five applicable sub-grades -- record, cover, inner sleeve, labels, shrink -- but since this is a sealed record only two of those are in play. They both clicked at nines for me -- the cover here had a small bend on the back, while the shrinkwrap has a couple minor spots on the right side but I didn't notice one of them previously. I wasn't totally surprised as I knew the small bend would hurt me but everything else seemed strong. Part of me wants to try something vintage that's not sealed next time, but that's easier said than done in terms of balancing condition, an item I like and price -- I know of a few I'd try but I'm a stickler for condition and this kind of grading isn't quite as cheap as others but still less than some so I'd want something with an appealing grade. Plus, if it's not sealed then other things get looked at ... that you can't examine unless you're buying stuff in-person. Part of me also thinks albums without shrink-wrap could look better in the sleeve but I haven't really read up on what the musical devotees prefer. I think, generally, I dig it but I think for storage and size I like the idea of slabs for CD, DVDs and stuff that's more game-sized more ... but the size here also makes all the details you see on the back of this one as well as that main art on the front pop a bit more, too.

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

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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: 2023 Topps Allen & Ginter X baseball cards
Checklist: N/A (base parallels regular A&G but not everything is in here)
Odds: 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: New WNBA cards, NFL Week 9 and trade deadline chatter, the World Series 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: A big 1/1 Prizm Draft find, World Series, NFL chatter, some collecting thoughts and inside a new Star Trek case.

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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: World Series chatter, NFL Week 8, playoff integrity, baseball cards at Costco and more.

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: It's TacoFractor Time, World Series chatter, NFL Week 8 and more in this edition.

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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: Victor Wembanyama arrives, NFL Week 8, Corbin Carroll in the World Series, TacoFractors and more.

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What: 2023 Topps Holiday baseball cards
Arrives: Today
Box basics: One hit per 10-pack box plus one oversized ornament card
Checklist: Click here
Odds: Click here
Order: Click here (when available)

What's buzz-worthy: The annual Holiday version of Topps baseball cards made its initial debut online today with it likely still to come on the retail aisle soon as well.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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