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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ONLY 40 MORE OUT THERE ... 
The Cards: Rhea Ripley 2020 Topps Transcendent WWE (/50) -- Rookie Card
The Price: More than I'll admit
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Not all 10 of these are totally new pick-ups -- I showed off five of them awhile back right here in this series -- but with this run of super-premium RCs I wanted to show them off all together. It's not often that I have been able to track down 20 percent of a print run -- especially in a brand that carried such a massive price tag -- or, well, really even tried except for maybe my PC player. But, last year I made an effort to start amassing them and I'm not done yet. How many more might I grab? Depends on availability and price -- I can think of four I have missed on recently but things could slow here as I'm not going to overpay more than I did to get this far. If you don't know, Ripley is the new Smackdown women's champ after a classic win over Charlotte Flair at Mania and could be the title-holder on both shows at some point ... and since she's young she's got plenty of time to do even more in WWE barring any injuries. Her 2020 Rookie Cards and autographs should be worth a look ... raw or slabbed.
Grab a box right here: BlowoutCards.com for other WWE cards

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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 pack: 2021 UD AEW All Elite Wrestling Jazwares cards (look closely)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for standard AEW hobby releases) 

Keep reading to see a full breakdown and gallery from this one.

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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: Funko Pop! toys, MLB and NFL chatter, ripping some UFC and ... all that above in half a box?

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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: Aaron Judge, Starting Lineup return reactions, iconic NBA sets, new pulls, NFL chatter and, of course, 2022 Topps Chrome.

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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 ...

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.

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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 drops in NBA card values, MLB chatter, some nice sketch card pulls, football chatter and breaks and even more post-National nuggets.

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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: Mad Max: Fury Road Funko Mystery Minis
Where to buy: Will take some looking ... BlowoutCards.com for non-sports cards

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

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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 it's once again the biggest Buzz Buys ever. (A collection of pick-ups from recent times as well as in the past year or so.)

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A RECORD-SETTER, BUT ... 
The Cards: Wander Franco 2022 Topps Living Set (/68,228)
The Price: Direct from Topps (10-pack price)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This one re-wrote the new Living Set record book with its sales volume and I did a 10-pack to hopefully land a copy without centering issues and to maybe grade one or two. It turns out 10 wasn't enough as the front card is closest to centered but it has a cardboard blotch that should nix some top marks and any immediate grading from me. I still might but not right now. With so many made, there likely will be plenty graded in the coming months ... so without an obvious gem I'll wait. This might have been my first Living Set lot direct from Topps since Vladimir Guerrero Jr., so it will probably send me back to hibernation on that brand. We'll see.
Grab a box right here: No boxes for this one ... but MLB boxes are here.

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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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COLLEGE FOOTBALL ICONS
The Card: Paul "Bear" Bryant & Knute Rockne 2010 Panini Century Collection Souvenir Stamps Sports Combos (two stamps dual material) (/100)
The Price: More than I'll admit ... but it's a keeper.
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is just the second time I've grabbed one of these key memorabilia cards with a piece of a fedora worn by Bryant and a jacket from Rockne -- two of the greatest coaches in the history of college football. Rockne has a number of memorabilia cards out there (more than 50) but Bryant only has a literal handful of cards -- and almost all of them were in this release. Why? Hats aren't all that big. As far as I know, all but a 1/1 card or two is in this release ... meanwhile, the prices for the few Bryant fedoras that may exist -- if they ever hit the market again -- won't be card-conducive in the future since they are pricey. The last two Bryant houndstooth fedoras auctioned? Together, they topped $100,000 on the auction block. These are limited to only 100 copies and I hadn't picked up one of these in a long time. Why this time? You never know when more might pop up.
Grab a box right here: 2010 Panini Century Collection (when available)

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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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THE NEWEST NEW YORK MET
The Card: Kumar Rocker 2018 Panini USA Baseball Stars & Stripes Jumbo Nameplate (/5)
The Price: Under $40
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This Vandy star was a dominator and was perhaps going to be a top pick in this year's MLB Draft but instead he fell right into a prime spot when slid a bit and went 10th overall. Why do I say that? When it comes to cardboard, being a member of the New York Mets organization is better than being a Texas Ranger, which is where teammate Jack Leiter went at No. 2. He's the son of former NFL player Tracy Rocker and he's got a lot of cardboard thanks to USA Baseball appearances, including some cool cards like this. I don't think I ever pulled his auto -- but I tried a number of times -- but I couldn't pass up this rarity that appears to include the top halves of the "RO" from the back of his jersey. The bottom half of that duo is on eBay with a price four times what I paid. If his college dominance is any kind of a sign, we should see him in the majors quickly.
Grab a box right here: USA Baseball boxes (all years)

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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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A HOME RUN OF A SURPRISE
The Card: Hank Aaron 2021 Topps x Sports Illustrated five-pack ... Red (/5) parallel and standard cards (/2,057)
The Price: Direct from Topps ($29.99)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was my first grab from this year's SI set since this cover was one I was hoping to see in the release and I decided to take a shot at a five-pack for grading purposes. I was rewarded with one of the rarest parallels to find in one's order. Only the 1/1 is rarer and there are three other colors. (Just 111 parallel cards between all of them.) I've collected a number of cards that have commemorated Aaron's record-breaking home run back in 1974 but never graded any for condition reasons ... I might have two to slab now.
Grab a box right here: None for this one but MLB boxes are here

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NBA and NFL collectors will have new stuff to chase thanks to a new agreement between Panini America and Funko.

Funko Pop! Trading Cards will be on the way later this year beginning with basketball and football and "incorporate Panini’s globally popular Prizm trading card brand for both the NBA and NFL. Similar to the very popular Pop! Albums and Pop! Comic Covers," according to a company announcement.

"We are excited to enter into this collaboration with Funko," said Jason Howarth, Panini's VP of Marketing. "The success of our Panini trading cards in the collectible space along with the success that Funko is experiencing in the vinyl figure collectibles space makes this the ideal collaboration for sports fans and consumers."

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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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EPIC AUTO, EPIC BARGAIN
The Card: Joe Namath 2014 Topps Five Star Autograph
The Price: Under $70
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was one of my last eBay Bucks pick-ups last year -- I got it for substantially less than that bargain price -- and it's a perfect card with its auto, colors, thick stock that's not over-foiled and a retro photo that isn't perhaps perfect but works very well in conjunction with the ink. Did I need it? For this price I absolutely did ... though I have a few autos for the Hall of Famer. This is right up there as one of the nicest sigs I have and this should be an SP auto, too, though it's not numbered. I think Five Star ink is always worth a look, especially for NFL since we don't see it now. Meanwhile, Namath's place as a football icon is bigger than his place in the record book stats-wise these days, but he's a giant in pop culture of that time ... and is easily undervalued right now in a lot of instances.
Grab a box right here: Topps Five Star boxes (all sports and years)

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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 there's a little bit of everything (but a little more wrestling than usual as WrestleMania is coming soon.

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THE CHAMP IS HERE ...
The Card: John Cena 2005 Topps Heritage WWE autograph
The Price: A lot less than others out there ... whew.
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I picked this one up sometime last year when I couldn't find a lot of key WWE wax and it's definitely a solid grab and hold for the long term if you ask me. Why? Well my price was a lot cheaper than other copies of this card back then so that helped me finally pull the trigger and grab one ... and it seems that notable debut cards and first autos for a lot of wrestlers are really picking up steam of late (mostly on the guys' side as they were arguably undervalued). This is Cena's first certified auto and also from the first year of Topps' current run of WWE cardboard ... a release where ink wasn't even in every hobby box and those boxes are seemingly long, long gone in unopened form. He's been a signing machine over the years, so he's not necessarily a tough auto -- but many of those autos are on stickers and his sig has definitely devolved into more of a symbol to help him sign a ton of stuff in less time than it took for him to do these. You can see a "Joh CnA" here which is more than normal these days, though he's not signing much now. His only autos that I have seen of late are in Transcendent releases and that means he's not had traditional in-pack ink since 2018. Love 'em or hate 'em, he's been an iconic star for years now but his ring days are definitely winding down, so another thought here ... we'll see him in the next Suicide Squad movie soon. His ink makes sense to go the route of Rock, Austin and others ... though he's got a ton more out there than they do. It all starts with this card.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of this one ... but new WWE boxes are here.

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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 I play catch-up on some old names and school ties guys along with some new grabs.

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THE DEMOLISHER 
The Card: Rhea Ripley 2020 Topps Chrome WWE Gold Refractor Autograph (/50)
The Price: About the price of a box
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This young WWE star from Australia is a strong seller in last year's releases and this is one auto I had to grab as Gold Chrome is a favorite color of mine -- at least in combination of appeal and price. They are rarer but not too rare to be way too expensive and this one was a bit underpriced compared to other copies. I sprung a bit more than I might have for this one -- but that's what happens when there's just not as much wax out there for me to buy. The cool part was that I landed a sweet surprise bonus with this one ... I'll show it off next time. Ripley appears to have arrived on the main roster during the last WWE pay-per-view and lasted about halfway through the Royal Rumble match ... finishing second. That indicates she should be primed for an interesting debut run and she has a persona that makes her feel like a six-foot-tall demolisher, though her look was still evolving at the time this card was made. Unlike some young stars, she actually has a number of autographed cards in 2020 releases and I'm pretty close to having locked down at least one from each of them ... and that's pretty strong for me as I just don't have the budget or patience to chase full rainbows. In other words, I'm sold.
Grab a box right here: 2020 Topps Chrome WWE wrestling cards

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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 more Buzz Buys this month ... a super-sized mostly low-budget edition of items I've picked up throughout the year but hadn't found a place for just yet.

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A PIECE OF THE GREATEST
The Card: Muhammad Ali 2011 Leaf Metal Ali Materials Event-worn Blue Prismatic (/25)
The Price: $24.25
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: There's one truly iconic globally-known athlete out there who has a relatively limited number of low-volume memorabilia cards -- and despite that they are still relatively affordable in many instances. It's Muhammad Ali and Leaf released a handful of Ali products about a decade ago and there were training-worn, event-worn and fight-worn memorabilia cards made with each of them noting the scenario behind the swatch. Cheaper cards are around this price and even sometimes lower -- all seemingly too low for an athlete who was perhaps more influential away from his workplace while being a legend within. His full memorabilia items can't be anywhere as easily found as legends from baseball, football or basketball and I'd expect that when they do hit the auction block they are getting pricier and pricier through the years. That should make, along with licensing costs, future releases financially unlikely to include such types of cards unless his estate or family somehow (not likely) has a bunch of memorabilia held in reserve. I've picked off a few cards like this in recent months and will always check them to see if they drop to certain prices. They should be an easy buy if you ask me and a card like this one, in my mind, should be at least double this price considering his place as an all-time great.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of this ... but boxing boxes will be here when available.

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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 there are some really unique pieces and some normal stuff found over recent months.

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BETTER THAN A BOX.
The Piece: Sasha Banks 2019 Topps WWE Undisputed original art by Rob Schamberger
The Price: Same as a box of this year's Undisputed cards
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: For the last two years, Topps' Undisputed sets have included a subset showcasing the work of WWE artist Rob Schamberger whose pieces also have been found on countless prints, shirts and more as well as in WWE Canvas 2 Canvas video shorts. How popular is his work? Well, wrestler-signed prints have their own section over at WWE Auction and he also had original card-sized works in last year's Transcendent boxes -- and this year's Undisputed set has his autographs as one of its chases. One card from last year's set that got my attention upon arrival was the Banks, which I even submitted for grading and I hadn't really thought about that one until just recently with this year's new set. What popped up? Well, he launched his new website, Schamberger Labs, where collectors can find prints, original pieces and more and that's where I found this original. For months now, I had been eyeing an original watercolor/ink piece to showcase here (story perhaps to come later ... if I do grab that one) but with the new site announcement one recent morning I checked things out and was shocked to see this original. (His photo is above since it's too large for me to photograph well.) I hadn't really imagined any art from this set ever being available but I grabbed it with little hesitation. I figured these pieces might be locked away in Topps' or WWE's possession given the card presence, but, no, the Banks and a handful of other pieces were up for grabs. (Some are still there.) These 11-by-15 pieces aren't overwhelmingly large to manage -- mine is in a photo top-loader for now -- and there's a strong chance I'll display it at some point, though I never really display any of my buys. (Well, beyond showing them off here.) This was one of my favorite finds of the year ... and it's been a good year (of shopping at home).
Grab a box right here: 2020 Topps WWE Undisputed

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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 there's a bit of everything.

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A SLEEPER NO MORE
The Card: Rhea Ripley 2020 Topps WWE Transcendent Collection -- Rookie Card (/50)
The Price: More than I want to admit ... but less than a Chrome box
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was a card I was watching for intently when the second edition of Topps' WWE super-premium brand arrived, and this one was on my radar before any autograph in the super-rare release -- well at least within my typical budget. Why? She's pretty much the only newcomer of note in the base set -- I spy at least one other who is no longer with WWE and one other lesser name -- amidst a sea of past greats and some notables from today. It's an odd set as it's not the typical lineup but also not a full lineup. (I think the checklist-maker tried to cover all the main bases between the base set and the auto set.) Nobody got an RC logo here and this card's thunder may be stolen a bit with the delays resulting in her Undisputed and Chrome cards arriving close together -- and with her first certified autos -- just recently. This card has topped the $100 mark and is bolstering some of the base set prices out there. (On the cheapest side, these were around $60 in terms of sales but asking prices are now far higher.) I'm somewhere in between but I ponied up as this Aussie badass should be a major player soon. I'll grab ink and other cards eventually.
Grab a box: 2020 Topps WWE Transcendent Collection

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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 lot: Kidrobot WWE Vinyl Mini Figure Series (12 packs; half of display box)
Where to buy: Will take some hunting ... 

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

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It was nowhere near the strike zone, but it sparked a Topps Now baseball card sales record and spawned a bobblehead doll.

Dr. Anthony Fauci's first pitch of the season was jussssst a bit outside and will get a new premium bobble from FOCO that's set to arrive in mid-November.

"They say doctors make the worst patients, but we say they make the best bobbleheads," reads the company's description for the piece. "Adding this Dr. Anthony Fauci Washington Nationals first pitch bobblehead to your collection is just what the doctor ordered."

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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 Today: Big pulls, bricked MLB boxes, Project 2020, MiLB mystery box and pondering the potential of Starting lineup toys.

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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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THE CORRECT COLOR OF PRIZM
The Card: Tua Tagovailoa 2020 Panini Prizm Draft Picks Red Prizms
The Price: $20
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I didn't pull anything for this guy in a number of retail Prizm boxes and packs so far this year, so I opted just to grab the parallel I wanted the most -- the one with the right color for his team on this card that should have been found in one of my mega boxes but wasn't. I had an eye on slabbing this one but it has a surface issue that nixed that idea ... so we'll see what happens from here on out. Once new cardboard starts flowing, I'm sure there will be more options out there. Maybe I'll grab and slab one of these ... or maybe something else.
Grab a box right here: 2020 Panini Prizm Draft Picks

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They're toys with a cause.

Mattel has launched a line of Thank You Heroes toys that aren't action figures for some of the biggest movie or comic book characters out there. Instead, they are toys showing nurses, doctors, delivery drivers and EMTs whose rules in the world are more apparent than ever right now. They aren't alone, either, as a collection of Community Champions also is up for grabs with those same groups as well as grocery store workers represented, too.

Both of these new releases are benefiting those fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

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If you're a Funko Pop! collector and a baseball fan, you might be busy collecting 'em all this summer.

Nearly 20 toys were revealed for the 2020 MLB Funko Pop! lineup and they include some of the biggest young stars in the game today as well as a few established veterans.

Just three teams have players represented more than once, meaning almost half of the MLB franchises have a star found here.

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If your desk needs a little something for football season, there's a new option arriving this month.

They are the Big Shot Ballers, a line of nearly 5-inch vinyl figures -- slightly pose-able with head, arm and waist movement -- that includes 10 NFL stars in this first wave from Westlake, Ohio-based Party Animal.

With that home base, it's not hard to see how Cleveland Browns QB Baker Mayfield makes the cut ... but who else did?

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