What: 2022 Panini Flawless football cards
Arrives: June 16, 2023
Box basics: One or two gems, six on-card autos and two or three memorabilia cards per 10-card box (two boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Flawless arrives for football collectors once again with some new looks -- the 1/1 Black Diamond parallel is seen above -- and plenty of high-end inclusions.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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: 2022 Score football cards (hanger)
First Buzz preview: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for a couple formats)

Keep reading to see a breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.

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 lot: 1990 Pro Set Series 1 football cards (five packs)
Where to buy: Check junk bins ... hit BlowoutCards.com for newer football cards

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

Continue reading →

What: 2023 TRISTAR Hidden Treasures Autographed Mini Helmets Platinum Edition
Arrives: June 7
Box basics: One autographed mini helmet per box (eight boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: A new batch of Hidden Treasures autographed minis arrives soon from TRISTAR with every box including either a Hall of Famer or an active player -- and this time there are also more guarantees in every case.

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: 2021 Panini Chronicles NFL football cards (cereal box)
First Buzz preview: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for a few formats)

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

Continue reading →

What: 2023 SAGE Aspire football cards
Arrives: June
Box basics: 26 autographs per box
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: SAGE's next wave of cardboard for this year's new NFL draft picks and other prospects is a release that's solely about getting their autographs -- and it's got more ink per box than last year.

Keep reading for more info.

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: Pondering MLB's top prospects for 2023, new pulls, Fanatics makes a move in the NHL, Mac Jones 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: New pulls, NFL and MLB chatter, bad impulse buys, new Prizm WWE and more.

Continue reading →

What: 2022 Bowman University Best football cards
Arrives: April 26
Box basics: Two autographs in every 12-pack hobby box (via two mini boxes) (eight boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Topps' second release for the NCAA prospect ranks in pack form and with school colors and logos arrives with this -- a release that uses the Finest mini-box format with an autograph in there every time.

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: New breaks, pondering the NBA's MVP, new Prizm WWE, NFL Draft chatter 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: NFL chatter and breaks as the draft nears, Topps NBA chatter, AEW reactions, talking grading companies and a fun throwback thread if you remember 1990s draft pick autos.

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: 2022 Panini Prestige NFL cards (hanger)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (in a few formats)

Keep reading for a full breakdown of what was in this one along with a 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: Big pulls, 2023 Topps slabs, Anthony Rendon, past rookies 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: Big pulls, new breaks, WrestleMania chatter and plenty more in this Monday 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: The first night of WrestleMania has 'em talking, a strong replacement box, new breaks in MLB-NFL-NASCAR and ... disc golf?

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 STRATUSFYING TEST?
The Tape: Trish Stratus 100% Stratusfaction Guaranteed (WWE, 2003)
The Reason Graded: There's a lot of talk about "alternative assets" in recent years and to a part of that audience trading cards are included. For those of us who work, live and breathe in the cardboard realm and have for a long time, it's perhaps more common sense and cards aren't necessarily an "alternative" or even an "asset." (It's a hobby for me.) But, grading of other items -- everyday stuff like magazines, video games, movies and toys -- that were used and in some ways shouldn't exist in their original form now might feel more that way. (They do to me.) I write about what I like, but this is a scenario where I dipped into a different realm of grading -- basically just to go through the process and see if I like it and then say that I did it once -- and I chose something that ties back into my collection as a whole. (That's wrestling.) Sealed VHS, video games and the like clearly have their audiences and demand is there for some things. There are some interesting sale prices out there for VHS -- everything from blockbusters from the late-1970s and early 1980s up to the oddball/culty stuff of the early 2000s before DVDs won the battle and stuff that you'd think wasn't even on VHS. Why is it a thing? Well, most stuff got used ... not saved, sealed and left untouched. (Sounds like baseball cards way back in the day, right?) With some steep discounts around the holidays here for grading fees, I grabbed this tape unopened and submitted it. VHS grading isn't cheap so doing them in serious bulk like cards ain't happening, which limits the volume available (for now) and the markets some, but this tape is one I felt comfortable with as a test. Why?The front cover is well-designed with a WWE icon and Hall of Famer front and center and having that visual appeal to start is one of the keys to demand if the grade doesn't work out.
The Grade: Beckett VHS 8.0 (Seal: A)

Reality Check: There's no posted pop report -- so this is a guess* -- and there's also not a posted grading scale yet, either, but I'll say this result bummed me out a bit. There were no substantial damage here other than a couple very minor things on one back edge of the box (where the ink was dark) so I had visions of a higher grade. But, it is what it is. My sub-grades came back 8.0 on corners, 7.5 on edges, 8.5 on flaps and 8.5 on gloss ... so the obvious flaw I knew about hurt the most. But, if we're talking about a 10-point scale, well, this piece, to me, doesn't feel closer to average or lesser. (I've seen some mangled VHS and DVD covers that were thrown around bargain bins where corners demolished surfaces ... those are lesser.) But, like I said, there's no posted scale to know what kinds of defects affect things here or there and no real cautions of what to look for. So, I did this as a test ... no regrets. Will I do it again? Probably not at present costs (I was in and out in a month, though) or without a scale to educate myself ... but, if I were to find a sealed clean and impressive copy of a couple of favorites from the past then maybe. Also, I'd be more inclined to do a different but related direction -- I think sealed DVDs and Blu-ray could actually be more popular as slabbed entities as it's way easier to find them sealed and they can have the same kind of appeal with modern packaging/designs. Plus they are smaller and lighter, too, making them easier to store and display. All in all, I like this piece and came up a bit short of what I thought it would grade at ... but it was still moderately Stratusfying.

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

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: Never-ending debates, questionable cards, new pulls, an Immaculate case delivers big, WWE and "are you happy with the hobby?"

Continue reading →

What: 2022 Panini Encased football cards
Arrives: May 24
Box basics: One encased auto, one other auto and two memorabilia cards per five-card box (eight boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Encased drops for a seventh time with the same familiar format but with some new touches, plenty of color and plenty of on-card autographs from rookies and stars of the past and present.

Keep reading for more info and a full gallery.

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: MLB chatter, Hidden Gems are hidden no more, Tom Brady ink, AEW and more in this Monday 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: 2022 Panini Prizm football cards (blaster)
First Buzz preview: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby/FOTL)

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

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: Cards that never happened, a monster pull, the Rookie Card definition, debating going to a show, Aaron Rodgers and a debate that doesn't matter ... but they'll do it anyway.

Continue reading →

What: 2023 Leaf Metal Draft football cards
Arrives: June
Box basics: Five autos per hobby box (15 boxes per case) or nine autos and one slabbed 1/1 auto proof per jumbo box (eight per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Leaf Metal Draft is back for another season on the gridiron with two box options once again but with a print run reduced by more than 50 percent and with a legendary player's autograph to chase beyond the newcomers and future stars.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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 lot: 1990 Fleer football cards (four packs)
Where to buy: Check junk bins ... hit BlowoutCards.com for newer football cards

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

Continue reading →

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 all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... and this time around it's perhaps a little heavy on wrestling (but then again so am I) and some pick-ups that have simply piled up waiting for a spot. (Call it some spring cleaning.)

--

A MONÉ MYSTERY ... 
The Card: Sasha Banks 2021 Topps Transcendent WWE Green Autograph (/15)
The Price: Way less than most new WWE boxes ...
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: When the final Transcendent set was teased, this card with its striking image (a real photo from one of her laser show entrances) was immediately on my radar from this ultra-pricey release. However, how I was going to actually land one wasn't something I had to worry about upon arrival ... her cards simply were not packed out in the boxes and she wasn't alone. Why? There's some chatter about that, but one WWE insider believed her boxes of cards may have mistakenly left at a venue. Then some popped up on the open market, forcing Topps to go track them down legally and then get the signing done. All that is stuff I don't really care about, but I'm 100-percent confident that this is a legit auto of The Legit Boss and the card is perfectly fine. A number of the other Banks autos from this one have some steep asking prices but I ponied up to land this one not that long ago, knowing it will be a few more years before we might even see Transcendent again. And who knows what the wrestling future for Mercedes Moné might hold -- Mercedes Varnado is no longer in WWE -- or if we'll even see Sasha Banks again.
Grab a box right here: None for this one but ... WWE boxes are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

Continue reading →

What: 2022 Panini National Treasures football cards
Arrives: May 10
Box basics: Six autographs or memorabilia cards per eight-card box (four boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: National Treasures hits the gridiron once again with some new inclusions like new Treasure Hunt cards (above) along with a new crop of rookies and plenty more.

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

Continue reading →