The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies trading cards have arrived from Cryptozoic -- check out this box break video released by the company.

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It's February and that means that we're set for the Super Bowl and some mass-marketing from SI.com over the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

And in reality the hype for both already has begun.

The last time we saw Ronda Rousey, she was suffering the first loss of her UFC career. Up next she'll be in the annual issue for the second year in a row. More publicity won't hurt her already-in-high-demand cardboard. She's one of a long list of athletes to appear in the issue and part of an even longer list of models who appear on cards and have certified autographs and even memorabilia cards for collectors to chase.

For the traditional models, there actually were SI Swimsuit card sets released each year from 2003 to 2009 from Stellar Collectibles and then a later retrospective set. In those sets, we got autographs, memorabilia cards and even paint cards from photoshoots. Meanwhile, for many of the athletes who have appeared in the issue since, there are autograph appearances in sets like Topps' Allen & Ginter (and many other sets) where collectors can also sometimes find the models. Kate Upton and Chrissy Teigen have been found there for example, and they sell very well.

Here's a rundown of a few sports stars who we've seen in the issue.

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What: 2016 Leaf Memorabilia Treasury
Arrives: April 2016
Box basics: Five memorabilia pieces per box.

What's buzz-worthy: Leaf Trading Cards follows up its Memorabilia Vault release of last year at a lower price point while still packing the same type of surprises inside with autographed and notable items from the sports world and beyond.

Keep reading for more.

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What: 2016 Upper Deck Captain America: Civil War trading cards
Arrives: May 2016
Box basics: one sketch, auto or premium insert card and two memorabilia cards per 10-pack box (12 boxes per case)

What's buzz-worthy: The next Marvel movie, Captain America: Civil War gets documented on cardboard with a full array of inserts and hits.

Keep reading for more.

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Topps announced on Wednesday that it removed a set of presidential candidates cards from its 2016 Topps Series 1 baseball card set that is to arrive in seven days.

What are your thoughts about not finding Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump and the other hopefuls in packs of cards?

[polldaddy poll=9288375]

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The last time we had checked in on the Mystery Redemption from 2015 Topps Star Wars: The Force Awakens Series 1 it had sold for big bucks on eBay -- going for $1,700.

(Spoiler alert: It was initially revealed to be for an autograph of Daisy Ridley, who plays Rey, though Topps Marketing Communications Manager Susan Lulgjuraj said there is not yet a confirmed subject for the card.)

But now an actual sale has gone even higher.

Earlier this month, a copy of the redemption topped the $2,000 mark, selling for $2,050 via a Best Offer in this auction. That has helped inflate asking prices for the card in active auctions as cards continue to be tucked away into personal collections.

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What: 2016 Topps Star Wars: The Force Awakens stickers
Arrives: March 9
Box basics: five stickers per pack, 50 packs per box, 24 boxes per case

What's buzz-worthy: The newest Star Wars release comes with some sticking points that have nothing to do with the plot of The Force Awakens. Instead, it's all about a collecting experience that beginners -- and a few others -- might adhere to.

Keep reading for more.

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Five presidential candidates will take a few more jabs on Wednesday when Topps' newest group of Garbage Pail Kids officially arrives with a 10-card subset specifically focusing on those seeking the highest office in the land.

The 2016 Topps Garbage Kids: American As Apple Pie In Your Face set includes spoofs of Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Jeb Bush and Ben Carson. Each of them has a pair of names adorning artwork meant to evoke a laugh or two at their expense as part of an overall product that parodies American pastimes, icons and moments as only the Garbage Pail Kids can.

Its artwork on the wrappers? You can see it at right -- it's all keeping with an All-American theme. (You can click here to view a PDF of the checklist.)

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What: 2016 Upper Deck Alien Anthology trading cards
Arrives: March 30
Box basics: five cards per pack, 20 packs per box, 12 boxes per case

What's buzz-worthy: The world of the first three Alien movies will be found all in one place as Upper Deck's next non-sports release will revisit the classic science-fiction franchise during its 30th anniversary.

Keep reading for more.

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It's a week for hockey fans and non-sports/gaming collectors as that is all that's on tap this week  with just five releases on the schedule.

Set to arrive on Wednesday from Upper Deck is the latest NHL brand, 2015-16 SP Game-used, which will include five cards per box -- and all of them will be autograph or memorabilia cards. There will be a mix of rookies, patches, Stadium Series cards, gloves, pads and more in this high-end product.
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BenchWarmer has released the checklist for its update to a set from last year that includes only new cards and is on its way to hobby shops now.

The brand is 2016 BenchWarmer Daizy Dukez Update Edition and this follow-up to the previous release includes all-new content — no previously released cards — all with the short-cut denim theme we have seen before.

There are 10 cards per box and eight boxes per case in this one -- keep reading to see the entire checklist.

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ESPN announced today that it has signed Michelle Beadle to a new multi-year deal to keep her on the airwaves with SportsNation and a new national radio show.

Beadle is one of a small number of ESPN personalities who are non-athetes to appear on certified autographs as she's appeared on cards from Panini America and Topps in recent years.

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A few famous faces from television and movies are getting the Funko Pop! treatment and are on their way to stores next month.

Characters from Friends, The Hateful Eight, Pirates of the Caribbean, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and a new dose of Star Wars toys are all on their way from the Everett, Wash.-based company.

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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 five threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing Today: The Steiner Sports Cleveland Browns trade-in, Nick Saban's greatness, some Panini America NBA and baseball cases and one mighty pack of Star Wars cards.

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With the blockbuster Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice less than three months away, we're just getting warmed up when it comes to the marketing and merchandising -- and the latest reveal for the DC franchise is here with a full line of vinyl from Funko.

That means you can get Batfleck and Supes in a few ways -- and none of them bleed.

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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 five threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing Today: Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Piazza, Johnny Manziel, Steiner Sports, BGS 9.5s, Star Wars and more ...

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What: 2016 BenchWarmer Daizy Dukez Update Edition
Arrives: Jan. 15
Hobby box basics: 10 cards per box (eight boxes per case)

What's buzz-worthy: This follow-up to the previous release includes all-new content -- no previously released cards -- all with the short-cut denim theme we have seen before.

See a gallery and more ... below.

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For 2015-16 Upper Deck products that don't get a standalone story here on The Buzz when a final checklist is released, we'll place a link to a PDF of the set's checklist right here.

You'll be able to find all checklists in PDF form as released by the company and all in one spot. (If traffic stats show us you guys like this format, we'll expand in other directions. If not, Buzz will focus on other stuff.)

Keep reading to see the Upper Deck checklists posted so far.

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The Upper Deck Gallery's latest offering includes some of the most-iconic characters in recent film history as part of a montage print for a film that would carry the same gravitas.

The film is Pulp Fiction and a pair of prints by artist Dave Perillo are the latest creation from the company in a series of pieces featuring past films and comic book characters.

“I was super excited for the opportunity to work on this project for the Upper Deck Gallery, especially since Pulp Fiction is one of my all-time favorite movies," Perillo said. "It is such a fantastic story filled with so many unique characters. I love how the movie has a retro quality to it without really specifying when it takes place. My goal was to translate that into the print, hopefully doing it justice.”

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Panini America starts off the new year with not one but four new products scheduled to arrive this week -- from four different sports, too. Meanwhile, there's only one other brand on the calendar.

The biggest for most collectors is the arrival of 2015 Panini Contenders football cards with the annual chase for the Rookie Ticket autographs one that's been a mainstay for years. Which ones will be short-prints? Which ones are variations and which ones aren't? We'll find out more beginning Wednesday. Each box includes at least five autographs -- and it looks like some of them might be coaches who have never signed before. Will those be short-prints? Should be interesting to watch.

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It's a time of change, a time of high-end product exploration and a time of options for many collectors in what we call the sports card industry these days.

Tastes, products and prices continue to evolve as does the business environment that helps bring us our cardboard. For every super-pricey box being made, there are seemingly just as many buyers ready to rip or pick off singles for not-always-so-super prices (but super bargains).

The Buzz has only been around for part of 2015, but Buzz has been here all along as part of the world of collecting. Here are Buzz's picks for 15 cards that helped define 2015.

2015-16 Upper Deck #201 Connor McDavid RC
The impressive prices being paid for what's just a simple piece of cardboard with just gloss and some foil stamping shows that fundamentals never go out of style when there's a big name involved. This time, it's the No. 1 pick Connor McDavid, a Canadian phenom drafted by the Edmonton Oilers. This photo was selected by collectors and it even has a fun sign of 2015 -- the fan showing off a photo on her phone in the background.

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Another holiday week leads to another abbreviated release schedule for trading cards with just five brands on the tarmac and set to arrive beginning tomorrow.

We've got one from Leaf Trading Cards, one from Cryptozoic, one from Topps and two from Panini America and that's where we'll start off.

This week's NBA release is 2015-16 Panini Court Kings, a rookie-heavy art-style product that will include one autograph and one memorabilia card per 10-card box. It will also include box-toppers. This one will feature on-card autos as well as one Hot Box delivering extras in every 15-box case.

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There was an awakening and it's been felt on eBay as well as the box office.

Another Mystery Redemption from 2015 Topps Star Wars: The Force Awakens Series 1 has sold for big bucks on eBay, going for $1,700 on Sunday. (Spoiler alert: It's for an autograph of Daisy Ridley, who plays Rey.) Four other copies have sold for $1,200 or more on eBay since the product's release 11 days ago, while a fifth sale came in at $900 to set the low mark.

Asking prices for the card in current auctions have gotten steeper, though.

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What: 2016 Topps Doctor Who Timeless trading cards
Arrives: May 5, 2016
Box basics: Two autographs or Relics per every 24-pack hobby box

What's buzz-worthy: The multi-generational, multi-series sci-fi staple Doctor Who is back on a new set of trading cards from Topps in the spring with this one spanning all of the action with a new selection of photos, autographs, inserts and more.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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What: 2016 Topps Warcraft trading cards
Arrives: May 11, 2016
Box basics: Two autographs or Relics per every 24-pack hobby box

What's buzz-worthy: If you were at a movie theater this weekend, odds are you saw the
trailer for the next Topps trading card property -- Warcraft -- which is a movie based on the top-selling video game series. Just like other films you might have heard of (you know, Star Wars: The Force Awakens) this one will have autographs, Relics and more for a release that will be found in both hobby and retail boxes in advance of the film's June 10 release.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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