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 ...

STRONG SEASON ... WHAT'S NEXT?
The Card: Juan Soto 2018 Topps 582 Montgomery Club Set 1 -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: A big season that came up short of the goal ... but now it's time for a historic payday while still in his mid-20s. Soto's Rookie Cards (2018) aren't all that rare, really, but there's a lot of demand -- but they still might be good buys depending on where he goes next. (Mets? Watch out.) All those thoughts were in mind when I popped this one into a submission earlier this year along with other key names from this small set for Club members. It's not a traditional RC since it's from a small set, but it's still a good Soto to me ... so I slabbed it.
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: Top grade of a small volume works for me. I'm sure there will be more and I'm sure the pops are higher elsewhere, but the range of the grades here shows it might not be the easiest kind of card to grade thanks to that retro stock.

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

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It's not the most-expensive brand on the Panini America NBA new-release calendar, but it might be the one that generates the best returns for those collectors lucky enough to land the right rookie in the right color.

It's Panini Prizm and this year's edition, powered by No. 1 pick Zion Williamson, appears poised to be the biggest release of them all from a brand that's been around for seven years and has been known for big-money cards that don't even need autographs or memorabilia to get there -- just some shine and some shade.

Don't believe it? Consider just the final card added to the montage above -- that Luka Doncic 1/1 card topped $40,000 when it recently sold on eBay. (Click this link if you don't believe it.)

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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 ...

Continue reading →

Dwayne "Pearl" Washington played just three seasons in the NBA, scoring 1,660 points in 194 career games from 1986-89 with the New Jersey Nets and the Miami Heat.

But he was a legend -- a college legend.

"There was no better guy and there's nobody who has meant more to our basketball program than Dwayne Washington," said Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim.

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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: 2014-15 Panini Prizm basketball cards (super value rack box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 12 (each pack contains three standard Prizm packs and one three-card Red, White and Blue Prizm pack)
Cards per pack: 15
Cards in this box: 180
Base set completion: 
109 of 250 (44 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Base cards of notable players – LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Tony Parker, Kevin Durant, Kevin Garnett, Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, George Mikan, Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O'Neal, Larry Bird, Grant Hill

Rookie Cards (short-prints) pulled (23) – Jabari Parker, Joel Embiid, Aaron Gordon, Noah Vonleh, Elfrid Payton, Zach Lavine, T.J. Warren, James Young, Tyler Ennis, Gary Harris, Rodney Hood, James Ennis, Kyle Anderson, Joe Harris, Jusuf Nurkic, Glenn Robinson III, Nick Johnson, Dwight Powell, Jordan Clarkson, Russ Smith, Devyn Marble, James Michael McAdoo, Nikola Mirotic

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