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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I CAN'T LAND THE CARD, BUT ... THIS IS EVEN BETTER
The Item: Paige autographed 2012 FCW Summer Slamarama 12-by-18 promotional poster
The Price: Pricey ... but probably less than your new WWE hobby box
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: So, what is this? It's a piece of 2000s WWE history that ultimately would only surface regionally (in Florida) and is one of few collectible options for the company's developmental ranks in the years before NXT was on TV every week. Florida Championship Wrestling was NXT's predecessor with it being broadcast on regional TV only (and sometimes weeks after events happened ... not live). Meanwhile, many of today's current stars got their starts there with different names than you might know -- and the only "stuff" that might be found now for this summer in particular are a single in-demand (and counterfeited) card set, potential programs/magazines, tickets and maybe a calendar ... but FCW wasn't like NXT is now in a lot of ways. It wasn't uncommon for the stars of now to be taking money for tickets or helping the crowd members find their seats before a modest small-venue show. This is a large poster that uses a version of Paige's card from that set of the same name -- a pricey one that's eluded me due to price and the fakes (I'd only buy graded) -- and this auto is an early, full-letter signature unlike her few card autos. It came from a Florida-based collector who went to an FCW show on June 8, 2012, in Punta Gorda, Fla., and landed it at a signing to kick off the regional Summer Slamarama Tour that year ... and that was the first event. Supposedly only 300 fans per stop (while they lasted) got card sets -- that also shows why those are pricey (if they survived). This stop had six FCW stars in the set signing these posters and Paige is the biggest of them by far -- and she had only signed with WWE as an 19-year-old and made her FCW debut that January. How many of these are still around now? I have no idea ... but I've never seen another.
Grab a box right here: Land WWE stuff at BlowoutCards.com

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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 ...

WORKS FOR ME
The Card: Dan Marino 1984 Topps #123 -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: I never really aspired to own a Dan Marino RC -- or a number of other notables from the past -- but this one presented itself on the cheaper side of things for this card (about $135) and considering how this one looks I grabbed it. Why? Go window-shopping for these cards raw -- it can be depressing to see how sloppy the printing and cutting can be for this set. (Want more proof of extreme possibilites? Click here.)
The Grade: BGS 9

Reality Check: I knew this was a strong grade for this card but I didn't look at the pop report for this heavily graded and iconic Hall of Famer RC. Just 415 check in at a higher mark out of nearly 9,000 graded -- less than 5 percent of the total grade higher -- and this one accounts for just seven percent of the total population for this card. My card isn't perfect -- there's a minor couple of spots in the black border line above "Dan" and some very, very minor specs here and there on the edges but at a glance there are not massive differences here vs. higher grades ... other than the fact that a BGS 10 copy of this card has sold on eBay for more than $4,500. I'll take mine all day long -- and getting a nine here is tough as it is.

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

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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 ...

KEY CARD, KEY PLAYER
The Card: Lucas Sims & Ozzie Albies 2018 Topps Heritage 100th Anniversary -- RC parallel (announced /25)
The Reason Bought: This parallel card isn't numbered, but they are very rare and if you consider the healthy print run and various pack formats for this popular brand, it's a bit of a needle-in-a-haystack type of card to pull in general let alone for a notable or specific player. I grabbed this since I've met both of them and Albies is a key Braves player ... and this brand is one that I generally buy a lot of (and did a ton in 2018). It's funky but I like 1969 Topps, too.
The Grade: BGS 9.5

Reality Check: Why did I bite? The combo of scarcity and high grade and a price that wasn't that bad (about $80) made this one appealing to me. Also, the fact that the only other one was on eBay for $199.99 and isn't as good on subs as this one. (That price? Too high.) There are three copies of this card in PSA slabs (two 10s, one 9), too. How many might still be sitting in packs? Probably a few ... and that's also another reason I grabbed this to stash it.

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 ongoing 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 more non-sports -- perhaps a reflection of some recent binge-watching of TV and movies that came to mind without live sports happening.

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NO BASEBALL, NO MARCH MADNESS ... 
The Card: Tony Gwynn 2016-17 Panini Immaculate Collection Collegiate Jersey Prime (/25)
The Price: $22.50
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Back in December, I presented a similar card to this one and had it leading off -- but with there being no March Madness, no baseball, nothing ... I figured I might lead off with this one again as a reminder of what's not going on right now. As mentioned last time, this Hall of Famer's estate auctioned off a number of game-used pieces in 2015, generating more than $217,000 and among them was his first San Diego Aztecs basketball uniform that sold for $11,858 via SCP Auctions to Panini America. The swatches didn't go into a ton of different cards -- just a couple brands over a couple years -- so there's a chance there could be some more at some point. If not, these will remain classics.
Grab a box right here: 2016-17 Panini Immaculate Collection Collegiate

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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 BIG BLASTER PULL
The Card: Shohei Ohtani 2018 Topps #700B hand on helmet SSP photo variation
The Reason Graded: Not that long ago, I pulled this card from a Series 2 blaster box and decided that it needed a slab since these SSPs appear to be relatively rare -- and I was even more surprised to see how they didn't grade all that well on the pop report. Meanwhile, mine looked very clean ... so I had to do it.
The Grade: BGS 9.5

Reality Check: Only one card graded better than mine and four others have equaled it while eight cards have checked in at a BGS 9 or lower -- that seems pretty low for a modern card, though the skinny stock here clearly could have issues after these cards hit packaging. I'll admit that this was a pull while Ronald Acuña Jr. hunting in Series 2, but this feels like a win on top of a win with it grading so well after being pulled from a discounted box. Here's hoping his third season is as strong or better than his first two, which are remarkably similar from the batting side.

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

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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: 2018 Topps Archives baseball cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 8 (seven standard packs, one coin pack)
Cards per pack: 7
Cards in this box: 58 (56 cards and two coins)
Base set completion: 
50 of 300 (17 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Mike Trout, Johnny Bench, Derek Jeter, Sandy Koufax, Warren Spahn, Andrew Benintendi, Yasiel Puig, Manny Machado, Miguel Cabrera, Nolan Arenado, Jim Bunning, Richie Ashburn, David Ortiz, Randy Johnson, Tom Glavine, Harmon Killebrew, Willie Stargell, Rod Carew

Rookie Cards (3) – Alex Verdugo, Jesse Biddle, Tomas Nido

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