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: We're heavy on 2020 Topps Series 1 threads today with some Mookie Betts, NBA and AEW chatter, too.

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: Check out all of the handy 2020 Topps Series 1 links, a huge NBA Hoops pull and a LeBron lesson in supply and demand.

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: Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl win, new NFL and NBA breaks, Power Cubes delivering big and Kobe Bryant discussions keep on going.

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 ...

The Card: Kobe Bryant 1996-97 Upper Deck #58 Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: I actually bought this card more than a year ago and thought I had it waiting in my stash of cards to present here at some point but, after doing some searching, realized that I never took a photo of this iconic 1990s card and it had been waiting for its time to appear. Unfortunately, we know why this NBA legend has been on the minds of many sports fans out there this week so here we are. I picked up this Rookie Card back then since it was a decent grade for a decent price -- just $9 -- and I didn't ever pull one way back when. It doesn't have any obvious flaws on the front, so it looks much better than its grade, too. (Sub-grades on the back of this slab are all 9 or higher except for an 8.5 on corners and one corner shows why.) The shocking news of this week has created a frenzy of interest for Bryant's RCs and autographs -- and a card in this same grade (not an elite grade, really) sold for $200. Mine will remain in my stash.
The Grade: BGS 9

Reality Check: The pop report on this card is a lot stiffer than I had expected with this being the most-common grade and fewer than 600 checking in higher. I had expected there to be more but I suspect the pop reports on this card could change a lot in the coming months -- and it will be interesting to see if any ever reach BGS Black status. Bryant has a number of RCs -- more than 20 -- and this one is unique in that it doesn't show him in his Lakers uniform. The debate as to whether Bryant's cards will hold values in comparison to what people are paying right now is an interesting one over on the Blowout Forums where there are a number of discussions. I think this is a scenario that may defy common collecting logic -- I'd think that anything is possible in this case and there are a lot of buyers right now who will pick up cards and stash them away forever, leaving a smaller volume of stuff available for everyday collectors to grab on eBay and other market hot spots. Finding unopened boxes won't be an option for a lot of his Rookie Cards that people want to track down, either.

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

Continue reading →

If you look closely at the Holo parallels of Scottie Pippen's 2017-18 Donruss Optic Retro Series insert cards, you will see something that's a key in a new lawsuit between Upper Deck and Panini America. 

It's a lawsuit that a lot of collectors are talking about over on the Blowout Forums and the player in the background appears to be Hall of Famer and UD-exclusive player Michael Jordan.

In its trademark infringement suit, Upper Deck alleged that "Panini deliberately altered and manipulated Jordan's image into the background of multiple Panini trading cards in two trading card releases to gratuitously lend on the tremendous international brand equity and goodwill of Michael Jordan who is not only one of the greatest NBA players of all time, but a current NBA owner."

Since Jordan is an exclusive spokesman and endorser to its company, Upper Deck said it's an issue.

"Upper Deck is the only trading card manufacturer that has ever had a license agreement for trading cards with Michael Jordan," its lawsuit states. "Yet, Panini recently willfully interfered with Upper Deck's agreement with Jordan in order to generate illicit profit from his image without Upper Deck's knowledge or consent."

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: Kobe Bryant, an NBA newbie seeks advice, big breaks, Pieces of the Past, Rick & Morty and of you think Drew Brees will retire?

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: Kobe Bryant, Super Bowl LIV, undervalued NBA autographs, NFL breaks, pondering what to grade, Chris Doleman, Zion Williamson 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 Today: Kobe Bryant memories and chatter, MLB moves, Absolute delivers two big Zion Williamson cards and more in today's baseball-basketball 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 Today: Nothing but varying discussions about Kobe Bryant as collectors around the world react to the news of his death at age 41.

Continue reading →

A sports legend and a pop culture icon is gone.

One of the NBA's greatest players, former Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, died in a helicopter crash that killed eight other people on Sunday morning in Calabasas, Calif. He was just 41.

A five-time NBA champion nicknamed "Black Mamba," Bryant was an 18-time All-Star during a 20-year career that began when he was drafted 13th in the first round of the 1996 NBA Draft as a 17-year-old. He ranks fourth on the NBA's career scoring list with 33,643 points, a mark that was passed just yesterday by Lakers star LeBron James. Both of Bryant's uniform numbers -- Nos. 8 and 24 -- were retired by the Lakers and he remains the franchise's leader in points, three-pointers, steals and free throws made.

“Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames,” Bryant tweeted last night. “Much respect my brother.”

The National Basketball Players Association offered its condolences on Sunday as tributes poured in from around the world.

"We are stunned and devastated by the news of the sudden passing of Kobe Bryant," read the NBPA statement. "Words cannot express his impact on our Players, the NBA and the game of basketball. This is a monumental loss for the entire basketball community and our hearts are quite simply broken. We send love and prayers out to his wife, Vanessa, and the entire family."

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: Prizm NBA is still popping up in the wild, a Super Bowl wax haul, big pulls, Astros cheating, and "what bothers you about the hobby?"

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: Showing off Derek Jeter cards, Eli Manning retires and big pulls to show off among today's discussions.

Continue reading →

Zion Williamson's NBA debut Wednesday night down in New Orleans didn't start as planned -- but it ended with a dominating few minutes in the fourth quarter.

And now it's on a Panini Instant basketball card.

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: Zion Williamson arrives with a bang -- from three-point land -- and plenty more in this midnight edition.

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.

--

RED-HOT SAPPHIRES
The Item: Adley Rutschman 2019 Bowman Chrome Draft Sapphire Edition Red Refactor (/5) — BGS 9.5
The Price: $4,500 Buy-It-Now (or best offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This card of the No. 1 draft pick is just one of the monsters that can be found in boxes of this online-only released parallel version of one of the most-popular brands on the planet -- and this white-hot release is one that's quickly running its way toward the top of the parallel lists, too, as its slightly non-traditional release is one that a lot of people just don't see in their typical shop spots. Only the 1/1 Padparadscha (a type of immensely rare Sapphire) is a tougher pull than this shade and it's one of several parallel types you can find in these small but loaded boxes.
Similar Pieces: 2019 Bowman Chrome Draft Sapphire cards on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for 2019 Bowman Chrome Draft Sapphire Edition boxes

Keep reading for a few 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: It's time for Zion Williamson, meanwhile Derek Jeter and Larry Walker head to the Hall of Fame, big pulls and plenty more chatter in today's edition.

Continue reading →

What: 2019-20 Panini Noir basketball cards
Arrives: March 18
Box basics: Seven autographs or memorabilia cards per 10-card box (four boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Noir takes the court once again with the newest NBA rookies as well as notable veterans with spotlights on details such as stars' shoes and more in this release.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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: Big pulls, last-pack magic, Super Bowl chatter, Zion Williamson, Felix Hernandez and "have baseball cards fallen behind basketball and football cards?"

Continue reading →

What: 2019-20 Panini Court Kings basketball cards
Arrives: April 1
Box basics: Two autographs or memorabilia cards per 10-card box (16 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Court Kings brings Zion Williamson to its floor as well as a number of other newcomers and established NBA stars in a colorful release.

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

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: Waiting for Super Bowl LIV, Patrick Mahomes cardboard prices and show-offs, Zion Williamson madness in advance of his arrival, will Tom Brady leave the Patriots and more in today's discussions.

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: Mostly box break highlights and big pulls making up today's edition ... check 'em out.

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: Mike Trout, duplicated card photos, Keston Hiura, Odell Beckham Jr., big Prizm pulls with Zion Williamson, the Houston Astros have them buzzing and a thread that takes a serious twist.

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: Big pulls, Star Trek ink, baseball movies, Kazuo Uzuki gold 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 Today: Zion Williamson, Josh Donaldson, Luke Kuechly, Alex Cora, Ja Morant, the Topps Million Card Rip Party, fake Don Mattingly Rookie Cards and the "Best Tom Brady card to buy for $5,000?"

Continue reading →

What: 2020 Leaf Best of Basketball
Arrives: Feb. 28
Box basics: One graded buyback card or special item redemption plus one new Leaf Greek Freak Collection card per box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: This buyback brand hits the court with the reigning league MVP in every box and some notable buybacks in there, too.

Keep reading for more.

Continue reading →