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 MLB and non-sports pulls, Baseball Hall of Fame chatter, a new NFL weekend, Black November and vintage grading.

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What: 2022 Topps Garbage Pail Kids Chrome trading cards
Arrives: Dec. 23
Box basics: 24 packs per box (12 boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: The Kids are back on Chrome cards with this one bringing the original Series 5 kids to plastic stock with a full array of Refractor rainbows and more to chase.

Keep reading for more as well as 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: BenchWarmer Hot For Teacher Series 5 trading cards
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of everything in this box.

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From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and break down 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: 2022 Topps 206 Star Wars Wave 1 (two packs)
First Buzz preview & Checklists: 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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What: Decision 2022 trading cards
Arrives: Dec. 30
Box basics: Three hits per 20-card box (16 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Win, lose or recount they are probably in there as a new batch of Decision political cards was revealed today -- and it's a crop of pretty much everything that we've seen in past releases of the landmark brand but updated with the movers and shakers of 2022 all in one spot.

Keep reading for 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: Pondering new Allen & Ginter ink to come, sniping stats, T206 Star Wars, Black November deals, the market on wrestling cards and more.

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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 a mix of really recent pick-ups as well as stuff found over the last year.

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A NEW CLASSIC ... 
The Cards: Roger Maris 2022 Topps Living Set five-pack (/5,722)
The Price: Bundle price via Topps
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Maris' name was in the headlines quite a bit with Aaron Judge's run toward his American League record 61 home runs -- also the New York Yankees' franchise record -- and Topps responded with a new Living Set card for this legend. The Jared Kelley piece includes some Easter eggs with the obvious one being a "61" on his bat and when I saw it I knew it was an instant buy. I grabbed a five pack with an eye on grading at least one, maybe two copies. (One is on its way to CSG as I type this and depending on how that goes a second might go there, too.) I haven't bought too many Living Set cards this year with lighter stock and centering issues straight from Topps happening too often even in my limited experience, but I think my one I sent in here should do well.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... but MLB boxes are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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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: Some World Series history is made, checking on Cristian Javier cards, new pulls, new sets and celebrity autos.

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If you hadn't noticed, there are a number of boxes with discounted prices right now right here as Blowout Cards' Black November sales have arrived this year.

The second wave is here and 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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BIG POTENTIAL ... BUT PLENTY OF BASICS
2021 Panini Diamond Kings baseball cards
I know that "art sets" aren't always a big part of some collectors' tastes, but when certain boxes are cheap they are worth the look as they can either cough up good ink for a good price to keep (more than flip) or one can chase the bigs a little more easily. This hobby box -- and two case sizes -- are in the new wave and that gets it the nod from me at the price. These have a strong mix of past all-time greats and then new players with autos, memorabilia and more possible. That means your memorabilia card here could potentially be a Babe Ruth just as much as it could be an Aaron Judge, Ken Griffey Jr. or Alec Bohm. (They're all in there. Sandy Koufax, too.) The autographs have some bigs in cut form as well as standard cards here, though ink does realistically skew young most often. Koufax, Nolan Ryan, Bud Selig, Bob Gibson, Griffey Jr., Willie McCovey, Judge, Mike Piazza, Rickey Henderson, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ... there's a lot of ink from all eras of recent players here. If those don't grab you, keep in mind there are Downtown inserts here that, in graded form (check eBay) go for $300 and up and rare Blank Slate cards are also pricey in that direction, too. And they can often out-pace the ink. There's one auto and one memorabilia card here every time and these are loaded with inserts and parallels, too, to help out. I've pondered grading some of the Hall of Famers' base cards here, too, as many of them use iconic images. For the price, at worst, this a break loaded with names collectors will like. I am one, so this one is on my radar.

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

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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.

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

GOOD AS GOLD ...
The Card: "Stone Cold" Steve Austin 2022 Panini Select WWE Gold Flash (/10)
The Reason Graded: If you recognize this card, well, there's a reason. Just a few weeks ago, I pulled it from a blaster box and thanks to CSG's quick, budget-minded services I turned this around fast and, well, this rarity pays for itself. This retail-only card is rare -- only nine others like it exist -- and it came back with a top mark since even the horizontal centering was clean. (That's not the norm from what I have seen with this release.) This is a pricey card right now so that was my main reason for slabbing, and now it's that much better.
The Grade: CSG 10

Reality Check: It's the only one that has been slabbed so far. How many might still be sitting in packs? Generally speaking, Select is a strong release worth your look in any format -- and I have other stuff here I intend to get graded.

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

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What: 2022 Decision Vault trading cards
Arrives: Dec. 30
Box basics: One cut signature card -- and more -- per box (16 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: The Decision political cards get a Vault release that offers up some pack cards -- in box form -- as well as some bonus items and stuff only found here.

Keep reading for more.

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If you hadn't noticed, there are a number of boxes with discounted prices right now right here as Blowout Cards' Black November sales have arrived this year.

The first wave is here and 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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PLAYING IT SAFE? NAH ... THERE'S HUGE POTENTIAL HERE
2020 Topps Heritage MLB
Buzz isn't a high-roller for the most part -- even when the big sales hit -- but there are releases where the discounts can make the gamble (and this one, like many, can be a gamble) worth it. This one gets the nod from me this time as it's one that I did very well with -- check out the autograph in this break (or at right) -- that's a win that's not the norm ... but he's also not alone. You get some kind of variation in every box most of the time and a good name there can mean good things. There are also rarer Relics to go with ink here where master set collectors can pay well if it's something they need. This Ryan will end up in a slab for me at some point -- I should have slabbed it long ago no matter what but those black borders have made me push it off -- but other autos here include Bo Bichette (rookie), Austin Riley, Anthony Rizzo, Carl Yastrzemski, Fernando Tatis Jr., Hank Aaron (yep!), Johnny Bench, Mike Trout, Pete Alonso, Ronald Acuña Jr., Shohei Ohtani, Yordan Alvarez (rookie) and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. among others. They won't be in every box or even every case, of course, but they could be in there and when it's cheaper that's when it's time to open.

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

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What: 2022 Pieces of the Past One-time Edition Series 2
Arrives: Dec. 7
Box basics: At least one Pieces of the Past card per box (11 boxes per case -- 10 standard and one with at least a 5-by-7 card or 1/1 The Bar cut auto)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Pieces of the Past once again takes on a hits-only approach with some big-time ink, big memorabilia and more inside these hit-per-box creations.

Keep reading for more info and a selection of images.

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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 ... a mix of recent grabs and some older stuff, too.

--

A SURPRISING SEASON
The Cards: Spencer Strider 2022 Topps Living Set (five-pack)
The Price: Bundle price via Topps.com
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The defending World Series champs didn't have the finish they'd hoped for this year, but one big highlight this season was the arrival of this rookie seemingly out of nowhere. Strider flashed record-setting potential for strikeouts when on the mound as he went 11-5 this season with a 2.69 ERA and 202 strikeouts in 172 innings He reached 200 Ks in 130 innings -- an MLB record held by Hall of Famer Randy Johnson -- and he had 16 Ks in a single game to break the team record. The year also got him a new contract that will keep him in Atlanta along with a number of other young stars for several years. Strider had RCs in this year's stuff since early on but should have more to come in the later releases that have been delayed. I grabbed this pack with an eye on grading with mixed results -- one had big, nasty surface issues, two having unusual and not-good surface problems and then two that are yes/maybe for slabbing. One is in CSG's hands as I type this.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... but MLB boxes are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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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: The MLB postseason, Josh Allen, NBA chatter, well-timed pulls, Marvel cards and more.

Continue reading →

What: 2022 Topps Garbage Pail Kids X MLB
Arrives: Now via Topps.com
Box basics: One chase card per six-card pack ... or the same format in a five-pack box
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here (when available)

What's buzz-worthy: The Garbage Pail Kids have been taken over by the stars of Major League Baseball in a new online release that's a twist on, well, everything.

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

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Star Wars has a rich history on Topps cardboard reaching back to the beginning in 1977 and we've seen countless releases through the years all highlighting the history and the characters of the saga from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

Star Wars Chrome Sapphire Edition, for example, revisits the original 1970s cards but in a new way -- a Chromed take on vintage and the original tale -- but there's another brand that's also generating some Lightsaber-worthy heat in a Chromed return of sorts, too. That's Star Wars Chrome Galaxy, which arrived for the first time last year and has a new edition on the way later this month -- one that's already hotter than a Tatooine summer in its pre-sale stage.

Why? Well, last year's mix included powerful stuff such as autographs and Superfractors to go with artwork that's from some past releases as well as new looks at characters throughout the universe -- all in one spot.

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What: 2022 Topps 206 Star Wars trading cards
Arrives: Wave 1 is live now via Topps.com
Box basics: 10 cards per pack (two parallels)
Checklist: Wave 1 Wave 2 Wave 3 Wave 4 

What's buzz-worthy: The saga from long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away gets a ride on tobacco-style cards with stars from throughout the franchise included in the first wave.

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

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What: 2022 Cryptozoic CZX Middle-earth trading cards
Arrives: Oct. 19
Box basics: One autograph, one sketch, one CZX STR PWR, one Film Cel more per six-pack box
Order: Click here (when available)

What's buzz-worthy: Cryptozoic's high-end line takes on The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies all in one premium release that includes some big autographs and plenty more.

Keep reading for more info and a gallery sampling the possibilities in this one.

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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.

Here's this month's grading diary here on The Buzz ... and it's one of the biggest months ever.

A MONSTER MONTH ...
The Card: Bo Bichette 2020 Topps Archives Snapshots Archives Autographs
The Reason Graded: I've been buying up Bo Bichette cards relatively heavily by my standards -- second perhaps only to some top favorites and people with school ties -- but of all my pick-ups only one was an autograph. These were, I believe, via a redemption and that's how I landed mine -- at least in a sealed Topps top-loader -- and I opted to slab it in a recent submission. (Even though I generally don't grade a lot of autos as I don't want to get a dreaded grade on a card I like.)
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: I'm fine with nines, but this one seemed like a slight bummer as I didn't see anything dramatically wrong with it -- so there must have been a couple of minor issues that dropped it down in tandem. The design here is one that doesn't have a lot of perfectly center-able features ... so maybe part of that was just a judgment call, too.

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

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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: Shohei Ohtani flirts with a no-hitter, Tua Tagovailoa takes another big hit and is out, defining vintage cards, NBA 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: Aaron Judge waits for another day, the WWE's White Rabbit mystery, NFL chatter, Star Wars, MLB and more.

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 ...

WADDLE, WADDLE, WADDLE ... 
The Piece: Jaylen Waddle autographed 16-by-20 Waddle celebration photo (Fanatics Authentic)
The Price: $75 (on sale)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I picked up this oversized auto on the cheap last week and before his big game with QB Tua Tagovailoa on Sunday as I liked the signature moment seen here and he's a school ties guy in my collection. (Last time here, I had this Tua piece lead off but I didn't even buy them at the same time.) His autograph isn't big -- and it's not that big on this oversized photo, either -- but I figured demand could be on the rise this year and, like I said, it was on sale (normally about $100 before they sold out). An inscribed "Fins Up" option also was/is available but I didn't need that as an Alabama fan. On cards, he has plenty to choose from -- more than 2,300 different autographed cards since just last year as part of the 2021 RC crop -- and a lot of them will cost more than this while many will not. I have an early Score auto with a strong college pic and added this in case they make a run, driving up prices to the point where I can't responsibly look.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but NFL boxes are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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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: 2022 Topps Star Wars The Mandalorian Chrome Beskar Edition trading cards
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

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

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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: 2021 Historic Autographs Famous Americans (factory set)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
First Buzz preview: Click here (checklist is in gallery below)

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

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