What: 2022 zerocool Jackass trading cards
Arrives: April 7 (dutch auction close date)
Box basics: 10 five-card packs per box (eight boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here (when available)

What's buzz-worthy: The Jackass crew gets a cardboard release via zerocool with a dutch auction happening right now for a release that takes you behind the scenes, looks back at guest appearances and past moments in the franchise.

Keep reading for the details before we do a preview Buzz Break of this one soon.

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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 ...

WOOOOOOO!
The Card: Charlotte Flair 2015 Topps WWE Undisputed NXT In Line Autographs #NA-CH
The Reason Graded: The trio of big first/first-year autos in this release for three of the four biggest homegrown women's names (aka not Ronda Rousey) in WWE in this one have been slabbed in my stash -- Flair this time, Becky Lynch last time and Sasha Banks a couple times before in the history of this series. Why? Well, I think first (or first-year) autos are way more important than what people argue about on the Rookie Card front. They're inherently rarer and this brand is one that always seems to grade well as long as there's not any back-edge damage here (the designs often have dark colors).
The Grade: CSG 9.5

Reality Check: This one checked in where I had hoped -- and thanks to their new shift to a "Gem Mint 10" scale this one would be a 10 if in a new slab. (I'm good with that, too.) Flair isn't my favorite of The Four Horsewomen of NXT but I think this is one of her better cards ... though I do wish she would have signed in blue like everybody else.

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

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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.

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, ranking NFL QBs, NBA chatter, a strong Star Trek break 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: Saturday Night Live autos, Tyreek Hill has a new QB, patch cards, Baker Mayfield 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: John Clayton, Deshaun Watson, MLB & NBA chatter and new breaks and pulls in this Saturday edition.

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What: 2022 Topps Finest Star Wars trading cards
Arrives: July 29
Box basics: Two hits -- one autograph or sketch card guaranteed -- per 12-pack box (eight boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: After some time off, Finest returns in the familiar the mini-box format allowing Star Wars fans to chase autographs, Refractor rainbows and more in a release that touches on the entire galaxy.

Keep reading for more as well as a gallery.

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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 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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BUZZ FELT RICH AGAIN ... 
The Card: Derek Jeter 2012 Panini National Treasures Prime Button (/6)
The Price: More than I'll admit.
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was a premium-priced pick-up for me but I only landed it after getting rid of a lot of smaller cards slowly but surely -- and that's something I should do more often. Sure, it's centering is off -- that's the one obvious issue -- but I always liked the simplicity and lineup of options for this first year of Panini National Treasures. I typically stick to the old guys but a button card of a new Hall of Famer wasn't a bad add and at the price it's a good long-term hold. I got this at a fraction of many Jeter game-used button cards out there. That's all I'll say for now -- I'm keeping these a little shorter than normal as this is the biggest roundup of pick-ups I've ever done.
Grab a box right here: Panini National Treasures boxes (all years)

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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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 ... another super-sized edition with some new inclusions like comic books and magazines.

FRESH OFF THE TRUCK
The Book: Captain Britain No. 1 (1976 Marvel UK magazine, with mask) -- first appearance of the character
The Reason Graded: This one arrived back in my hands from CGC on Sunday, so I'll have it lead off here as it's as fresh as it gets in my stash of slabs -- and it actually presents a question for people familiar with pressing. (Help a newb out!) First, the back story ... I picked this up probably 30 years ago via Mile High Comics for more than I would have normally spent back then -- probably around $20 -- for a NM-MT copy. For all these years, it was in its magazine bag with one of their old round condition stickers still attached before I recently decided to dig it out for slabbing. Why? It's obscure -- it's a newsprint-style, magazine-size book released only in the UK -- and it's pricey when it's in elite grade. (We'll get to that.) This debuting character is one that had evolved a lot by the time I had gotten into comics (around 1990) and he was the leader of the British X-Men group, Excalibur, which launched as a standalone title in 1988. As part of collecting key issues and artist favorites back then, I tracked down this debut that was mentioned on the back of his 1990 Impel Marvel Universe card. (That set is what drew me into comics.) I knew this copy wasn't perfect, but it was close and I figured it was best to get it slabbed despite some paper-texture funk (the vertical black lines in white areas around the nameplate and corner box). I assumed some of that might lighten up as part of CGC's pressing/cleaning process. If it helped at all, I had figured it might get it closer to one of those top grades.
The Grade: CGC 9.4 (Universal)

Click for a closer look

Reality Check: This one checked in lower than I had hoped for as I had thought a 9.6 might be realistic -- but the only dramatic difference here vs. higher marks is the dollar signs and probably some of that funk. (My back cover wasn't as clean as I remembered so my gut feeling may be moot.) A 9.8 copy of this has topped $5,000 on eBay while ones in my condition have been around $1,500 ... so it's still a good slab. (I'm sitting on it like everything else in my stash.) ... Here's where I can use some help from the pressers/slabbers out there, though. It seems like pressing may have actually added to the funk or emphasized it in spots. Some of the white areas definitely have more of that showing now, not less, particularly around the right side of the No. 1 box and the "free inside" mask circle where there's plenty of white paper. It's absolutely the same book (minor pulp spots are there as they were when I sent it) but I was surprised by the paper texture seemingly being emphasized (or not as clean) after pressing. (Click on the image above right -- ignore the color difference as that is likely due to my photography skills.) You can see more dark spots/texture of the paper visible -- perhaps it's from ink on the inside page showing through? I assume I'm not the first to press one of these -- or that they wouldn't press these if it would make its condition worse. I didn't have this on my mental list of outcomes, and naturally, I wondered whether this dropped me a grade and it will always bug me now. Perhaps this happened because the cover is newsprint and not white paper? The time it takes for pressing has had me not doing that on nearly all other submissions but this one -- my first sub I had pressed -- left me wondering if it helped at all. (If I could do this one all over again ... I would not have.) By the way, the color you see peeking out the right side? That's a perfect mask tucked inside the issue just like the cover promises from almost 50 years ago. All in all, I'm glad I graded this one and I think it's the priciest comic book in my stash ... but it definitely prompted some questions.

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

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I must have done something to make the collecting gods happy ... because The One That Got Away came back to me.

This month's Collecting Game-used item is a piece of photo-matched Sports Illustrated history and you can see it above -- well, sorta -- in all its glory on the Dec. 5, 2016, issue. If you watch Ballers at some point, you'll likely see it somewhere there, too, but that research wasn't necessary for this one this time.

So what's the deal?

In late 2020, a number of props, wardrobe pieces and other items used by cast members in Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's hit HBO series were on the block via Heritage Auctions and ScreenBid. Thanks to some dumb luck back then, I noticed something that the prop masters, the auction company and, based on the price, even the bidders didn't among the more than 500 items up for grabs. One of the suits that was sold -- and there were many in the sale as Ballers might be known for those as much as anything else in Spencer Strasmore's world -- also was worn on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The blue and black plaid custom-made jacket and pants were right there waiting for me at Heritage with a "designed for Dwayne Johnson" tag inside and an opening bid that was easily within my budget -- as long as the bidding didn't get too crazy. How did I know it was that one? I'll get to that. (Spoiler: It's just like matching other pieces in this series of memorabilia stories.)

I was beyond excited about the auction. I lost sleep over it for a couple days before the Sunday sale because this was such an interesting find -- a piece cooler than just something worn on screen. The live auction couldn't come fast enough. I scouted all of the lots, took notes on what I liked and what looked good for the price. I didn't dare mention this piece of trivia at all here on The Buzz, though, but I did tell a couple of relatives. (They looked at me like I was crazy when I mentioned the start price for something I'd never wear.) Another plus for me was that the lot was pretty deep in the auction lineup with many suits dropping before and several after.

Once the auctions started, I took notes about what other suits cost and I scouted back-up pieces I might want -- but nothing truly came close to this one. Nothing. Early on, suits sold for way less than I expected. It really could be mine I thought, though some suits in signature colors (grey/silver) potentially from key moments, posters and DVD covers did sell for more. When my lot finally came up an hour or two in, my fingers went cold. I was nervous. I might have hyperventilated a little (not really ... but maybe ... it's all a blur). I bid. So did somebody else. I bid again (my first bids in Heritage history). They did, too. Deep breaths. I bid again. Than I paused legitimately thinking it was mine as the clock ticked down in slow-motion ... and yet it was not. Things then instantaneously went into fast-forward and there was no time to react once I realized it was gone. I was done faster than Erick Rowan at WrestleMania 32. I was stunned like my chin had just met "Stone Cold." I was hotter than this 'Mania moment. I was out of it -- both the auction running and the world for a bit. It was gone and it hurt. I recovered, though, and later landed another piece with a story that was perhaps bigger so at least there was some Buzzing about the Ballers auction. (That's a classic item, too, if I do say so -- hit that link.) And this tale with The One That Got Away was over, going untold, more than a year ago.

So ... what's the deal in the here and now? Fast-forward to three weeks ago today and a not-yet-caffeinated Buzz checked some Friday-morning email and saw a props-for-sale message from Attro Digital -- a name I didn't recognize but it was essentially the same mailing list for ScreenBid that I had signed up for back in the day. By chance, something caught my eye, so I clicked.

And then I saw "Ballers" ...

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What: 2022 Lost in Space Collector's Set trading cards
Arrives: April 27
Box basics: Seven autographs (at least one being a dual) per 16-card pack
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: This sci-fi franchise's Netflix reboot hits cardboard for another run with this one being a small-format release limited to a run of only 225 total packs.

Keep reading for more as well as a small selection of card images to come.

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What: 2022 Doctor Who Series 11 & 12 trading cards
Arrives: May 18 for Hobby Edition ... and also for UK Edition
Box basics: Four autographs per 24-pack box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: This sci-fi franchise's newest cardboard will arrive in two versions and fewer than 850 cases globally between them and with some exclusives only found in the UK Edition -- including unique autographs and more.

Keep reading for more as well as a small selection of card images to come.

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What: 2022 Topps Star Wars The Mandalorian Chrome Beskar Edition trading cards
Arrives: Aug. 31
Box basics: One autograph per 18-pack box (12 boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: The first two seasons of the hit series arrives on Chrome with ink in every box, two sketch cards in every case and some new signers who hadn't yet popped up in traditional-pack releases.

Keep reading for more as well as a gallery.

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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 Buzz goes a little high-end (for him).

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BUZZ FELT RICH ... 
The Card: Mercedes Varnado (aka Sasha Banks) 2021 Topps Star Wars Stellar Signatures autograph (/40)
The Price: Less than anybody else (so far)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is one of those rarer (but not non-existent) times where Buzz paid up for a single card from a new release. Why? It's so premium-priced that single cards are the only way I'll see it -- and this time I'm not alone. It comes from the loaded Stellar Signatures release where only 100 boxes were made with all of them including ink from everybody who's signing for Topps every time. This is Varnado's first Star Wars autograph card and it comes from her role in The Mandalorian, so I figured I'd go there if they dipped enough ... and they did ... at least around the time I grabbed this. They do seem to be drying up, though, even in the weeks since I found mine with the cheapest as I write this being a $499 ask on eBay (for a parallel) with other copies of this base card even higher. This auto (vs. her Banks auto, which I have many copies of) is a lot simpler and the one private signing she did for Star Wars before these -- where they are at least $150 per photo depending on sizes -- showed her sig quality being all over the place. So, with that in mind, I went the card route as a sure thing. This one is clean -- though some cards in this release aren't as crisp -- so I was fine going there. Varnado has had just two other Star Wars autos arrive in the newest Signature Series release but those are stickers ... so I'll wait and see how prices shake out on more. I may not do a ton of them as it's a simple sig, but I knew I needed at least one in my stash and started with the best brand in the land.
Grab a box right here: 2021 Topps Star Wars Stellar Signatures

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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What: 2022 Historic Autographs Supreme Rewind
Arrives: March 23
Box basics: One slabbed and authenticated autograph and six 10-card packs per box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Historic Autographs meshes buybacks, slabs and autos for both baseball and some iconic non-sports franchises all into one with this release that will be limited to only 87 cases.

Keep reading for more information.

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What: An auction for an NFT featuring Beetlejuice
Click here for the Goldin listing

Why it's Buzz-worthy: As part of its Elite Comic, Video Game and TCG Auction, Goldin is selling a 1/1 NFT of Beetlejuice – not the 1988 Tim Burton film, but the star of many internet memes and a member of the vaunted Wack Pack from The Howard Stern Show. This is just the most recent example of a celebrity selling and profiting from an NFT of their likeness.

There's something different about this auction, though. In addition to owning the NFT and receiving a video of Beetlejuice telling his own life story, the winning bidder gets a physical 1/1 Rookie Card that has been autographed by Beetlejuice. The card is stylized after T206 tobacco cards with some additional twists.

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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 super-sized edition with buys from last year as well as some from recent weeks.

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THE RAMS & PRIME TIME
The Card: Joe Namath & Sam Bradford 2011 Panini Certified Fabric of the Game Combos Prime (/25)
The Price: $27.75
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is one of only a few Joe Namath memorabilia cards from his career-capping 1977 season with the Los Angeles Rams -- and it's on the rarer side of things as a prime patch card along with another notable past QB for the team who people had tapped for Super Bowl stardom. I figured I'd have this one lead off this time as the Rams are in the Super Bowl on Sunday and, to me, this is a Super Bowl-caliber card on the cheaper side of things. It's a part of my school ties part of my stash ... Namath Rams jersey cards are always worth the look in my book.
Grab a box right here: 2011 Panini Certified NFL

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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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 ... a pretty deep mix with some pricey pieces (at least for Buzz) this time.

BIG BOOK LEADS OFF
The Book: The Amazing Spider-Man #361 -- first full appearance of Carnage
The Reason Graded: One of my goals this year -- something already under way -- is to grade a number of the notable comic books I have had stashed from back in the day (the early/mid 1990s) when I dabbled somewhat regularly with comics. Back then they were re-emerging in pop culture with a revolution of big-name artists taking on iconic characters and then branching out to make their own brands -- and they were also a lot cheaper to collect with cover prices like you see here. Also born in those years of polybags, gimmicked covers and many publishers? Big-name characters like the one making his full debut here, Carnage, who is one of Spider-Man's big villains like Venom and others before them. I picked up a couple copies of this one back then since I liked the cover art and it was a start of a run for the new character. Over time, he has become a favorite and that has made this a pricey book.
The Grade: CGC 9.6 (Universal)

Reality Check: My main reason for grading a lot of my books from this time is that many of them are rarer newsstand copies (UPC bar code) which are harder to find in top condition and can carry a premium vs. direct copies. I wasn't (and still am not) a big comic reader so my copies are as razor fresh as they were then. I liked the art and I was very picky about what I would and wouldn't buy when it came to condition. I didn't check the pop report here when subbing -- and I have sent a second one into be slabbed since getting this one back -- and it's (shocker!) a heavily graded book. A 9.8 isn't easy here and a newsstand copy recently sold on eBay for almost $1,700. This grade? Well, it's a $600 sale among completeds but asking prices for UPC copies are as high as $1,450 with several above $900. Over the long-term, I think newsstand copies are going to remain rare in top grade, though for some reason CGC doesn't break them out on its pop report. (I wish they did ... it would have to be a shocking divide.)

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: New pulls, breaking down cases, some original cardboard art and more in today's edition.

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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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ONE OF A KIND ...
The Piece: Shotzi Blackheart 2021 Topps WWE Undisputed Rob Schamberger original painting (plus an artist-signed copy of her card)
The Price: Less than a box of Undisputed
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was a surprise find for me that I purchased straight from the artist's store. I got it in hand before I even had opened a box of the final Topps Undisputed release that just recently arrived and it's my second original that's part of a theme for me. A couple of years ago I landed his Sasha Banks painting from his first year of making cards within the Topps release (10 cards per year for 2019, 2020 and 2021) but I missed out on the 2020 piece I would have wanted. This batch wasn't really on my mind until I saw a tweet -- these popped up on his site and a few were gone the same day but there are some notables still up for grabs like Big E and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin in their glorious 11-by-15 form. There won't be any prints of these -- just the cards, artist autos (/10) and new wrestler autos (/10) in packs -- so I'm on my way for a rainbow of collecting 'em all for the star simply now known as Shotzi. The image comes from a studio shot a little earlier in her WWE career (at right) but it still captures plenty of the energy from this star who has had a relatively consistent look (and the same name) since her time in the independent scene.
Grab a box right here: 2021 Topps WWE Undisputed

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: Cracking a few cases, Erling Haaland, MLB breaks, NFL chatter and, of course, Wander Franco's Rookie Card.

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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: 1991 Starline Hollywood Walk of Fame trading cards
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (when available)

Keep reading for a 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 this time around it's a big one to end the year.

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HIS TIME OF YEAR
The Card: Nick Frost as Santa Claus 2018 Topps Doctor Who Signature Series Autographs
The Price: About $20
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This set is a loaded one in terms of its depth for the long-running, multi-generational UK television series that has a number of stars in it where you may also know them from elsewhere. One of those names? Nick Frost, who you might know as Simon Pegg's right-hand man in hits such as Shaun of The Dead, Hot Fuzz and Paul. He's a veteran actor and star in the UK so he's got far more notable credits than those and then, of course, this smaller spot in the Who universe that got him this card. He's got about 20 total certified autos from three Doctor Who releases and this is the newest one. I grabbed it months ago -- they may have dried up since then -- to drop this right here this time of year.
Grab a box right here: None for this one ... see non-sports boxes here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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What: Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 trading cards
Arrives: Feb. 23
Box basics: Two autographs and one Relic per 24-pack box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: The newest Trek series hits cardboard for the third time with this release including three hits per box and, on the case level, four inscription autos and two auto-mem cards.

Keep reading for more details.

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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: Zion Williamson and waiting for next year, well-designed autograph sets, Urban Meyer, some impressive breaks and more.

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