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: Plenty of NFL chatter leads the way as we work toward Super Bowl weekend.

Reminder: Make sure to hit YourDozen for a shot at winning a 2017 Donruss NFL factory set with a Patrick Mahomes RC (and more) inside.

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This one is a new department here on The Buzz ... Fast Five -- a quick list under a simple topic that might offer a basic starting point for a themed collection. It's a basic list of five items that could be fun for a starting collector or a new way to add to a stash that might already seemingly include everything when it comes to cardboard. For some of you, it's probably common sense. For others of you out there, it's perhaps something to ponder.

This time? Five autographs I'd grab now

STARTING OFF DELUXE
Any 2017 Patrick Mahomes autograph
We'll start off with the super-pricey option here but it's not about the money with this choice ... it's about what may not be coming back ... at least for the time being. Patrick Mahomes' second Super Bowl could further launch demand for his autographs in general but if I were to chase one (with any size of pockets) it would be something from his rookie season for cardboard, 2017. Why? His handwriting and his autograph has changed a lot since then -- you can make out a "Patrk Mah" above, but that's light years above what it's now ... more of a P-line-curl-line-curl (at right from a 2020 card). Part of that change is just demand for his time -- a faster sig is inevitable and needed -- and some of this pick of mine comes from the fact that the more he wins and the higher his profile gets, the lower-volume his autos will get while the fees to sign (for his time, also in high demand) also rise. It doesn't happen often, but there's a chance this sig could intentionally revert back ... but I doubt it. Maybe in 20 years, he'll sign more and have a full sig ... maybe ... if he does signings at all. (It would be more choice than for the cash with his record contract, that's for sure.) I'd look at 2017 Elite Draft Picks autos perhaps first here even if they are college uni and stickers -- there are some fuller sigs to be found. Of course, right now everything is pricey ... eBay asking prices for premium 2017 autos are in six-figures ... but this pick is about the ink, not the card. I'd stick to cards ... and avoid all of the illegal (fake) reprints, too.

Keep reading for four more making up the list this time.

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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 chatter, making and collecting autographed non-sport custom cards, big pulls, WWE Fully Loaded breaks and more in this Monday 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: WWE Fully Loaded breaks are dominating, while other big pulls and breaks are worth a look for this Royal Rumble Sunday ... oh, and Matt Stafford is headed to the Rams.

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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: Nolan Arenado is on the move, Allen & Ginter gems, big pulls, NHL's top rookie comes up big and more.

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Update: Topps sold 13,075 of these sets, which looks like a new record for a GPK print-to-order release.

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"Did you get rich off GameStop? Why not commemorate your stock market victory with this great GPK set?"

That's the opening line -- and, really, the only one -- describing the new 2021 Topps Garbage Pail Kids Gamestonk card set that dropped from Topps today with the Kids taking on the stock market talker of this week via a set of 12 stickers.

They'll be printed to order -- meaning whatever is ordered is what is made -- after one week on Topps.com.

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It was the moment that launched many a meme ... and now it's a cardboard record-setter.

Topps revealed the print run for its 2020 USA Election Topps Now card set from Inauguration Day and the Bernie Sanders card set a new Topps Now record with 91,169 cards ordered and printed. That's dearly double the Anthony Fauci card that sold a record 51,512 copies last year after he threw out the first pitch at a Washington Nationals game.

Topps Now is a real-time card platform meaning if 12 people order a copy of an offered card, then only 12 are made. It's a realm that launched with cards for Major League Baseball but has included other sports and notable moments in the news.

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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 box: 2012 Leaf Metal Poker trading cards
Where to buy: Click here for poker cards (if/when available)

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

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It's a TV show opening scene that seems simple enough, but it spawned a lot of Internet and TV chatter with millions (and millions) amused.

(Click for a closer view.)

Hot takes arrived left and right on entertainment sites and political pundits had their thoughts, too. (Left and right, I'm sure.) It was something simple and something planned that generated some buzz and even some high-profile tweets that went out to some 20 million people. (Meanwhile, the episode itself had just 588,000 people watching per Nielsen. Go figure.)

What is it? It's the opening-credits scene for the fifth season of Ballers and it had player-turned-agent-turned-businessman Spencer Strasmore (aka Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) reading a copy of Elizabeth Warren's 2017 book This Fight is Our Fight as he sat on the beach in the first episode. It all takes place quickly and Strasmore's down-time is interrupted first by his girlfriend (Arielle Kebbel) asking him why he never goes into the ocean -- then that's interrupted by a phone call from Bossman (aka the Ballers-world owner of the Dallas Cowboys) before he walks off down the shoreline to chat. The scene isn't about a paperback with tattered edges at all, really -- it's about the mystery of the water, what Strasmore might be hiding -- but that's how the book's brief on-screen life comes to an end.

Meanwhile, that actual copy of the book? Well, it's still alive and well.

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Some Hollywood chatter could mean big things for fans of Harry Potter -- and those who might be sitting on some cardboard from the past.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, a new Potter series could be coming to HBO Max at some point, giving fans a new way to explore the universe and merchandising machine fueled by past films that was created by the books by J.K. Rowling. Part of that merch in the past included a bunch of trading card releases with both gaming and non-sports elements (autos, memorabilia, you name it) in play and it's clear that one version remains a scorcher in box form.

The Wizards of The Coast box you see above is for the trading card game that was the first to arrive coinciding in advance of the arrival of the first film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, back in August 2001. It's a box that has sold for as much as $950 in recent months on eBay but with good sales volume -- and asking prices for boxes and cases (the few that still might exist) are commanding even higher marks. There are other WOTC expansions for the game that also sell relatively well but not quite as strong -- those include Quidditch Cup (November 2001), Diagon Alley (March 2002) and Adventures at Hogwarts (June 2002).

These gaming sets all arrived around the time of Pokémon -- and we all know how that story has gone.

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In its first 10 months, The Modern Wax Fund reflected some crazy times in the sports card world.

How crazy? The Fund's valuation report of the underlying asset holdings during its rookie season shows an overall increase of 195.1 percent, fueled by an explosion of interest for the recent-year NBA assets. Basketball boxes alone jumped 301 percent in a year, while NFL also had a 164-percent jump and "other sports" (in lower total volume) jumped 194 percent.

This first-of-its-kind private-equity fund focused on trading cards is a creation of Attic Investments and Blowout Cards. It started with more than $3 million in unopened product -- some of the rarest and most-desired baseball, basketball, football and other cards from the modern era -- last February with a $25,000 minimum buy-in from investors.

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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: Matt Stafford will be leaving the Lions, pondering another Super Bowl for Patrick Mahomes, big pulls, Stranger Things 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: Collectors react to the Hank Aaron news, show off his cards and more in today's edition.

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A day of history-making moments in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday means there's some new cardboard today ... thanks to Topps Now. 

Sure, there are cards for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in a new nine-card 2020 USA Election Topps Now set from Topps -- a continuation of the set that included cards for the past debates -- but there are also some surprises and viral stars of the day making their way onto cardboard.

J.Lo? Check. Garth Brooks? Check. Lady Gaga? Check.

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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: Big pulls, big breaks, one post worth a look and some Facebook breaker drama?

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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: Collectors react to the Don Sutton news, collector pet peeves, Kevin Durant, UFC ink to grab, soccer breaks and some oldschool Marvel cardboard all in today's 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: Players buying their own cards, big pulls, Muhammad Ali, boxes that are drying up and ... "Is the current market 'forcing' some of you to sell?"

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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 an oddball edition of stuff I've picked up throughout the last year.

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BERNIE BATTING LEAD-OFF
The Card: Bernie Brewer 2018 Topps Opening Day Mascot Relics
The Price: $8
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This one isn't all that unusual if you know Opening Day's inclusions through the years, but Mascot Relics are still odd in the big picture and mostly only found in this brand that gets a "for the kids" label slapped on it often when it's really one that's "for the collectors." So, what's the catch? Stuff like this has odds so long that you don't see them pop up unless you're ripping in bulk. How rare? This one was close to one in 5,000 packs. There are mascot auto Relics in there, too, at close to one in 94,000 packs. Only seven mascots had these cards in this particular set and I'd argue that this guy might be among the better ones.
Grab a box right here: 2018 Topps Opening Day MLB

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: Big pulls, a massive Star Wars find, grading chatter, the good ol' pinhole special and more.

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Have you seen the latest cool or interesting items on eBay? If not, you just might see some of those here. 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.

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ANNUAL ARRIVALS
The Item: Jerry Jeudy 2020 Panini Playbook Vault booklet (/10)
The Price: $163.50 after 23 bids (four days remaining)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is a perfect example of some of the big stuff coming out of boxes of this brand this year. Playbook is a line where you typically get some kind of booklet in every box -- one per this year -- and I can say I've window-shopped this one hard through the years. (I've never been focused enough on any one player to commit and chase something like this, though.) Once the initial flood of cards like this hits eBay they will get a lot tougher to find for a lot of guys -- maybe not the biggest names with the biggest dollar signs -- and that's why watching what arrives right now can be important. Some crazy stuff can already be found on eBay along with this one -- hit that link below.
Similar Pieces: Other Panini Playbook booklets on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for 2020 Panini Playbook NFL

Keep reading for a few more interesting items in this roundup ...

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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 box: Marvel Ant-Man and The Wasp trading cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (when available) ... click here for all Marvel boxes

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of the highlights from this one.

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Rittenhouse Archives revealed on Monday its process for replacing autopenned cards it released of a top TV star.

The autographed cards of Seth MacFarlane in its The Orville Archives Autograph Card Edition release were autopenned (above) but the show creator has signed new cards to replace those that were machined.

The full details as announced by the company are below.

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Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today's your day then as we launch 8 in 8 -- a series of a eight breaks of wax boxes and wax packs in as many hours today. We'll post one every hour ... this is Hour 4.

The box: 2018 Super Break Pieces of The Past Hybrid Edition trading cards
The cost: Click here

What's inside this one? Keep reading ...

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What: Star Trek: Picard Season 1 trading cards
Arrives: April 21
Box basics: Two autographs per 24-pack box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: The star-studded first season of this series gets a run on cardboard with some Trek luminaries on the autograph checklist and plenty more to be found.

Keep reading for more details.

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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 ...

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TAKE A SEAT ...
The Card: Babe Ruth 2017 Leaf Babe Ruth Immortal Collection Yankee Stadium Seat Red Spectrum (/20)
The Price: About $14
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Yes, I know this is not a bat card -- that's a piece of a Yankee Stadium seat embedded into it -- but I picked this one up since it's on the rarer side of things and also on the affordable side. Beyond that, this also showcases one of a few Ruth photos that always get me to stop and look at a card when I come across it. It's as simple as that, though I do also like oddball memorabilia cards. Chasing Ruth bats will cost more, though Leaf's estate-authorized sets have made them a little more affordable in recent years thanks to a good number of low-volume cards made among a few products.
Grab a box right here: Other Babe Ruth releases

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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