Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...

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'TIS THE SEASON
The Card: Rhea Ripley 2020 Topps Chrome WWE Refractor autographed Rookie Card parallel (BGS 9, 10 auto -- BAS & Fanatics Witnessed)
The Price: Less than a 2025 Topps Chrome WWE retail mega box these days
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: She's one of WWE's top stars and this was a key card at a somewhat-modest price considering it's a RC parallel with ink attached -- and it's fully graded, too. Sure, that's not the "Mami" mode/look of Ripley in the here and now -- her hair and look changed a lot while in NXT and early on -- but that different does reinforce "rookie" in a visual way along with that gear. I'm sure I have a copy of this card in my stash unsigned somewhere -- and I know I have a couple colors of her certified auto here -- but this was still an easy addition and an easy choice to lead things off this month. Why? Since it's Wrestlemania season (the big one is on April 19-20). Oh, and there might be (intentionally) a little more wrestling this time vs. my norm, too. Ripley has a lot of cardboard but is among the safest bets there is to grab bargains and stash them away. Why? She's only 28 and has been in the game more than a decade and there figures to be plenty more to come for her in WWE. Interestingly, this one is also graded and in the BGS pop report, so it could have led off Making The Grade this month. It's a pop-three card with one lower and one higher, a 9.5, with five total copies graded.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but WWE cards are here.

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What's Buzzing: Val Kilmer dies at 65, Jackson Merrill gets paid, talking Topps Heritage, autographed books and more.

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1 -- Batman, Iceman & Jim Morrison all in one: Val Kilmer dies at 65

2 -- Jackson Merrill gets paid

3 -- New pulls are here

4 -- All your MLB chatter is here

5 -- Checking in on the autographed books thread

6 -- Still talking Heritage High Number

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

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Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading ... so here's this month's grading diary.

STARTING ON A SERIOUS NOTE ...
The Card: Will Ferrell 2015 Topps Archives Will Ferrell Inserts
The Reason Graded: Back in 2015 this comedy legend took to the field for 10 MLB teams and played 10 positions in a single day of real spring training action -- you can see his stats here -- as part of a project with a charity component called Ferrell Takes The Field. Collectors ended up chasing his autographs on 10 different cards in Archives that year -- roughly one per hobby case if I remember correctly -- but, alas, I went 0-for-1 there before those boxes got too pricy and/or vanished ... but I did hit the blasters. There, the regular Ferrell inserts were found one per box -- at least until all of those boxes disappeared, too. It's been a decade since this publicity stunt took place (March 12, 2015), so I figured we could start this new MLB season here on a serious note. These aren't his only cards -- he popped up a few times that year -- but this was the first set and this was the first card -- and one for my team.
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: There's a small volume of stuff slabbed for this card -- roughly all cards here have no more than 10 slabbed copies across the entire set -- and this is among the top marks. This card has full-bleed back edges in bright blue just like in 1965 Topps and when I saw how clean this card was, well, it was a no-brainer. I previously slabbed one elsewhere years ago and this copy will go well with that and a slab of the same photo used on a magazine cover that ended up on a show promo card. A lot of those who likely weren't collecting back then seem to be interested here as asking prices can be steep -- raw or graded -- for Ferrell stuff.

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

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What: 2025 Historic Autographs Uniques Cut Signature Edition trading cards
Arrives: April 24
Box basics: Two encased 1/1 cut autographs per box (16 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Historic Autographs brings nothing but ink of the cut variety in this one every time ... and there will sometimes be more to find inside its cards, too.

Keep reading for more information.

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What's Buzzing: Heritage High Number odds and checklist prompt fresh chatter, new pulls and more in this Monday edition.

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1 -- The late-arriving Heritage High Number has 'em talking

2 -- Talking Star Trek cards

3 -- Spring Training chatter as it winds down

4 -- New pulls are piling up here

5  -- "Rookie Card"

6 -- Reactions to Cosmic Chrome football

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

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What's Buzzing: Reactions to the big Paul Skenes auction, new pulls, a wall of Bo Bichette and more.

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1 -- Reactions to the $1.1M Paul Skenes card

2 -- Inside a Star Trek case

3 -- Bichette Happens on that wall

4 -- New basketball breaks here

5  -- Interesting yard sale find

6 -- Heritage High Number ... the mystery remains

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

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What's Buzzing: The Dodgers win again (in Japan), Shohei Ohtani, NFL chatter, sketch cards and more in this mid-week edition.

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1 -- All your MLB chatter as the season is here

2 -- Shohei Ohtani is still on their minds ... Roki Sasaki is, too

3 -- One for Steelers fans

4 -- Showing off sketch cards

5  -- Stranger Things reactions

6 -- Wrestling cards are the focus here

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

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What: 2024 Topps Star Wars Masterwork trading cards
Arrives: April 16, 2025
Box basics: Four hits in every four-pack hobby box with two autos guaranteed (eight boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Odds: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Topps' high-end Star Wars brand arrives once again, packing a hit in every box and stars from throughout the galaxy on both film and television.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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What: 2025 Super Break Supercharged
Arrives: April 30
Box basics: At least three items per box (three boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Super Break offers up a new memorabilia blind-box product to start the spring with a mix of some of the biggest names in the game -- all sports -- and more in pop culture possible among the finds, which include this baseball signed by Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.

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What's Buzzing: Still reacting to the 2025 Bowman design, new finds, a big Star Wars Superfractor pull and more.

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1 -- Still reacting to the 2025 Bowman design tease

2 -- Results from six boxes of Cheers cards

3 -- New MLB pulls are here

4 -- A big Star Wars Superfractor pull

5  -- Worth the wait

6 -- Ripping into some Donruss NFL

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

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What: 2025 Pieces of the Past Art & Music Edition
Arrives: April 30
Box basics: Four hits per four-pack box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Pieces of the Past once again focuses on pop culture with a celebration of artwork from the past and then the names and faces of music and more from more recent years -- but this time there's a hit in every pack.

Keep reading for more info and a selection of images.

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What: 2024 Topps Stranger Things High Tek trading cards
Arrives: April 11, 2025
Box basics: Two serial-numbered parallels per eight-card box (12 boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Odds: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Topps brings Tek to the Upside Down as the world awaits the long-delayed final season of the Netflix series that's heavy on nostalgic throwbacks.

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 Historic Autographs Flight trading cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (when available)
First Buzz preview: Click here

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 pack: 2025 Wild Card Decades "One" trading cards ... 1970s pack
Where to buy: Click here
First Buzz preview: Click here

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

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What's Buzzing: Non-sports chatter, Spring Training highlights, Deebo Samuel, Allen & Ginter X, Shohei Ohtani and "the gamble pays off."

1 -- "The gamble pays off"

2 -- Checking in on the Shohei Ohtani thread

3 -- Plenty of non-sports chatter at the moment

4 -- Talking Spring Training ...

5  -- Deebo Samuel reactions

6 -- Talking Allen & Ginter X

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

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What's Buzzing: New pulls, volume ripping, WWE chatter, buy the card not the grade, Cheers cards and more.

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1 -- Some volume ripping of Leaf Metal autos

2 -- What's next in WWE?

3 -- Some new basketball pulls

4 -- All your off-season football chatter

5  -- Buy the card, not the grade

6 -- Still talking Cheers cards ... Get your box here!

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

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What: 2025 Pieces of the Past One-time Edition Series 1
Arrives: April 16
Box basics: Two Relic cards per two-pack box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Pieces of the Past turns its the hit-per-box approach into a hit in every pack once again with document and memorabilia cuts as well as other unusual items inside cards as it celebrates its past releases all in one spot.

Keep reading for more info and a selection of images.

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What's Buzzing: Hall of Fame voting change, error cards, Gold Prizms, Cheers cards and more have them talking.

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1 -- Error cards and misprints are on their minds

2 -- Hall of Fame voting change might eliminate debate 

3 -- Gooooooooollllllllldd NBA Prizms and Refractors

4 -- Heritage High Number has 'em talking

5  -- Topps Now WWE chatter has some gems

6 -- Talking Cheers cards ... Get your box here!

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...

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LEGENDARY INK
The Card: Ichiro Suzuki autographed 2001 Topps Rookie Card (BAS 10 auto)
The Price: Not as much as you might think ... but also not that cheap.
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Clean copies of this iconic Topps flagship Rookie Card are not easy finds in general with the boxes and sets likely bricked now if they remain unopened -- that means the gloss will be snowy if you're lucky to peel the cards apart at all -- and then the dark green border and high-gloss on soft stock here is always going to be problematic. When I spotted this card among many where Suzuki has signed for literally years (Mill Creek Sports) without a premium price, I bit on this just before his Hall of Fame results hit. (We all knew he was going in ... but I didn't know if his prices were going to rise.) This copy is super clean vs. many cards out there with some very light roughness on maybe one edge and a light touch on the bottom-left corner ... but some of what's seen in my photo is just how the light is reflecting. I generally don't do a ton of bigger buys for my collection, but this one's cost wasn't that much more than some of the hot and plentiful new release hobby boxes. I went with a safe and iconic bet for my (for me) premium spend and went with the sure thing on an iconic card for a living legend. I pulled his ink once from an unlicensed release -- and it was in one of my earliest Making The Grade posts here -- but a signed RC means I'll likely never need to sweat his stuff again. (Might window shop, though, or bite if price is right for a nice certified.) One more fun part of my card? If that label had a simple added line of Beckett/Fanatics witnessed instead of signed for Mill Creek and then slabbed, the price likely would be double what I paid. I wouldn't pay that -- and this one is a win in my book.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but MLB cards are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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What's Buzzing: Roki Sasaki arrives throwing heat, NFL Draft chatter, fake cardboard alert, predicting future NBA "bigs," Cheers cards and more.

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1 -- NFL Draft thoughts ...

2 -- Talking Spring Training ...

3 -- Fake cardboard: A thread to know

4 -- Predicting future NBA "bigs"

5  -- Chrome WWE chatter

6 -- Talking Cheers cards ...

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

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What's Buzzing: WWE has 'em talking heading to Wrestlemania, Starting Lineup, basketball chatter, Cheers cards and more in this Tuesday edition.

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1 -- MLB: The Hall of Very Good

2 -- Some international non-sports ...

3 -- Talking Cheers cards ...

4 -- All your basketball chatter is here

5  -- I'm not

6 -- WWE still has 'em talking ... about a few things

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

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Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading, so here's this month's grading diary.

CLOSE TO PERFECT
The Card: Shohei Ohtani 2018 Topps -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: Ohtani's historic 2024 season had me assessing all of my cards from my 2018 stash -- mostly lower-end stuff that's heavily graded -- but not graded by me. Why? I don't grade the heavily submitted stuff because a lesser mark wouldn't be as worthy of going through the process and, really, in most instances a card can always be found already graded if it's needed. But, with his 50-50 season being so big, I opted to slab a few basics and this is one that made the cut. The stock used in 2018 is almost as thin as it gets and all that dark ink definitely showcases flaws, but I picked a pair of cards I thought were perfect from my stash and sent them in.
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: I don't know where I missed a perfect mark here but I'll still take a 10 ... less than half check in there and I think it's really harder than that -- people are examining their stuff harder before sending them in. The fact that these have checked in as low as a seven show how this one isn't easy sledding when it comes to slabbing. And as for my perfect aspirations? Well, it doesn't exist.

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

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What: 2025 Pieces of the Past Inventors Edition trading cards
Arrives: April 8
Box basics: Four memorabilia cards per four-pack box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Pieces of the Past focuses on people who invented notable things -- one being basketball creator Dr. James Naismith as seen here -- in a release that meshes memorabilia cards with flashy and colorful modern cardboard, too.

Keep reading for more info and a selection of images.

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What: 2024 Topps Star Wars Chrome Black trading cards
Arrives: March 19, 2025
Box basics: One encased autograph in every box (12 boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Odds: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: The Topps Chrome Black formula goes intergalactic once again with Star Wars as the formula that has been previously used for Topps' dark line gets some minor tweaks.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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What: 2025 Kakawow Aura Disney trading cards
Arrives: March 2025
Box basics: One to four "limited numbered" cards per 10-pack box (10 boxes per case)
Checklist: TBD
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: This international card-maker turns its focus to everything Disney with another massive collection -- more than 1,300 cards across 20 sets this time -- as part of a release that's limited to only 4,000 cases globally.

Keep reading for more info.

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