For years now, autographed books coming direct from the publishers -- or direct from the authors themselves -- have been an affordable way to collect ink from notable names in all realms of pop culture.

It's not a perfect system with stamped autos, fakes and autopens sometimes in the mix -- a problem for publishers to catch as they are not authenticators -- but thanks to dedicated collectors on the Blowout Cards Forum and elsewhere, those problems often get caught and fixed ... or at least become well-known enough to avoid if it's an issue that goes uncorrected.

Getting ink in-person is always best -- book tours still happen, of course -- but landing autographed editions from publishers, online sellers or celebs themselves via their websites or other appearances are common.

Our latest subject and autograph in this ongoing series? Comedian and actor George Lopez.

Continue reading →

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 boxes: 2018 Boys of Summer (baseball) and Gunslingers (football) repacks (MJ Holding)
Where to buy: Walmart and other retail chains ($9.98 apiece)

Continue reading →

Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today's your day then as we launch 12 in 12 -- a series of a dozen breaks of past wax boxes and wax packs in a dozen hours. We'll post one every hour on the hour all day long today ... this is Hour 9.

The box: 2016 Topps Allen & Ginter baseball cards (blaster box) 
The cost: $14.99 (Click here for hobby)

What's inside this one? Keep reading ...

Continue reading →

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: National Treasures hauls, original comic sketch covers and ... how long have you left a case of cards closed?

Continue reading →

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: Let's pull two ... big breaks and plenty more.

Continue reading →

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: Some beefy mixed breaks from MLB and the NBA as well as a first 1/1 card, some In The Game hockey and an Allen & Ginter Rip Card that really delivered.

Continue reading →

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: Collectors continue to react to 2016 Topps Transcendent Collection, big breaks from other brands, Jose Fernandez reactions & more.

Continue reading →

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: Nothing but impressive rips in today's edition.

Continue reading →

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: Nothing but baseball breaks today ... check 'em out.

Continue reading →

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: Big breaks and big cards ... and that's it.

Continue reading →

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: One ridiculous 2016 Topps Allen & Ginter case ... and plenty more.

Continue reading →

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: Big finds and big rips ... and a Rip Card debate.

Continue reading →

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: 2016 Topps Allen & Ginter baseball cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 24 (plus one box-topper)
Cards per pack: 8
Cards in this box: 193
Base set completion: 
125 of 300 (42 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Kris Bryant, Miguel Cabrera, Buster Posey, Josh Donaldson, Joe Morgan, Alex Rodriguez, Andrew McCutchen, Albert Pujols, Roger Clemens

Notable non-baseball base cards – Steve Spurrier, Steve Kerr, Hannah Storm, Monica Abbott, Missy Franklin, Marlins Man

Rookie Cards (24) – Julio Urias (SP), Peter O'Brien (SP), Trevor Brown (SP), Kenta Maeda, Trevor Story, Trea Turner, Michael Conforto, Jose Berrios, Alex Dickerson, Trayce Thompson, Matt Reynolds, Byung Ho Park, Rob Refsnyder, Guido Knudson, Dustin Garneau, Zach Lee, Gary Sanchez, Max Kepler, Carl Edwards Jr. Kaleb Cowart, Jose Peraza, Luke Maile, Tyler White, Kyle Waldrop

Continue reading →

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: Allen & Ginter, Bret Saberhagen, a trip to Turner Field, inside a Rip Card, The National and dirty Ted Williams.

Continue reading →

Now that 2016 Topps Allen & Ginter has arrived, we get our second of the Kevin Costner autographed movie cards released by Topps this year.

While his Allen & Ginter card is not branded as a Field of Dreams card on the front, it does list (Ray) Kinsella as his name on the front. His 2016 Topps Archives card is clearly a Bull Durham card for the memorable Crash Davis character.

Both are memorable movies, which leads to a question of pure curiosity here ... which one would you want? Tell Buzz here on the poll or via Twitter.

--

[polldaddy poll=9483080]

--

Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com. 

>> Click here to buy baseball cards on BlowoutCards.com

A pair of Relics of ESPN personalities from 2016 Topps Allen & Ginter pulled on BlowoutTV on Tuesday seemed a bit different.

And that's so Ginter.

Continue reading →

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: Allen & Ginter, Allen & Ginter, Allen & Ginter, Aroldis Chapman, 1986-87 Fleer and The National.

Continue reading →

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: Griffey to Cooperstown, Chris Sale & his scissors, new breaks, 2016 Topps Allen & Ginter, The National & more.

Continue reading →

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: 2016 Topps Allen & Ginter baseball cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 8
Cards per pack: 6
Cards in this box: 47
Base set completion: 
26 of 300 (9 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Tom Glavine, Robinson Cano, Monica Abbott, Jacob deGrom, Michelle Steele

Rookie Cards (9) – Nomar Mazara, Stephen Piscotty, Aaron Nola, Guido Knudson, Zach Lee, Dustin Garneau, Hector Olivera, Raul Mondesi, Richie Shaffer

Continue reading →

We're just a couple of days away from the official arrival of 2016 Topps Allen & Ginter baseball cards, meaning the newest batch of surprise inclusions, World's Champions and downright unusual cardboard will be here to captivate some collectors once again.

The wall art version of the set arrived today, giving us all a glimpse at the base cards and a couple of insert sets.

Continue reading →

The annual eclectic look at baseball, unique people in pop culture and "world's champions" in several other pastimes is almost here.

It's 2016 Topps Allen & Ginter and it's just 10 days away.

As the clock counts down to the hobby release date on July 22, we've gotten our first look at the final checklist to see who's included in the 11th edition of the brand since its 2006 revival by Topps.

Continue reading →

She's a former Stanford softball All-American and a member of the U.S. Olympic team that won gold in Athens. She's a former fastpitch softball pro and a pioneer for women in the broadcast booth for ESPN as its first female analyst for MLB games.

She's Jessica Mendoza and she's going to be found in packs of 2016 Topps Allen & Ginter.

Continue reading →

It's nearly July 4, so it's time for a few hot dogs to be eaten -- and depending on where you are that could mean about 70 in 10 minutes.

Well, at least that's the goal tomorrow in Coney Island, N.Y.

At noon on ESPN3 will be the men's version of the Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest where current champ Matt Stonie will try to fend off past winners. Earlier in the morning at 10:50 is when the women compete. (Click the schedule at right to see when it re-airs.)

While competitive eating is a world of its own -- and something that doesn't often hit ESPN airwaves the other 364 days a year -- at least a half-dozen eating champs have appeared on trading cards that are available nationally. In fact, Stonie is an odds on favorite to appear as a "World's Champion" in Topps' popular 2016 Allen & Ginter baseball card set when it arrives later this month, which is fitting because that brand is where the trend first surfaced when it comes to eaters on cardboard.

Here's a rundown of the super six competitive eaters on cards so far ...

Continue reading →

She's an NFL pioneer as the league's first female coach, and she'll have her first certified autographs in an upcoming Topps baseball card set.

She's Dr. Jennifer Welter and her autographs will be found in 2016 Topps Allen & Ginter when it arrives on July 20.

Continue reading →

Topps' annual multi-sport (but still baseball) showcase, Allen & Ginter, doesn't arrive until July, but that didn't stop the company from teasing four autograph inclusions coming in the 11th edition of the retro-styled set on Tuesday.

Continue reading →