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 ...

THIS IS WHY YOU GRADE ...
The Book: The Amazing Spider-Man #361 -- first full appearance of Carnage (Marvel cards here)
The Reason Graded: As you probably read in a past piece where I previously graded my other newsstand copy of this iconic issue, I have a stash of early 1990s books that are all quite clean as I was picking off stuff from a bookstore without rack damage. I was more of an art fan/collector than a reader -- it was all about art and condition -- and this cover-price pickup came at a time where cards were starting to get too expensive to me in 1992 so I dabbled. I have had this stashed all this time and while the pop report here is heavy for sure ... how many of them can be newsstand 9.8s? I suspect it's a definite minority of that 5,000-some books.
The Grade: CGC 9.8 (Universal)

Reality Check: When I graded my other copy of this its pop was at 20,179 and there have been big gains at 9.4, 9.6 and 9.8. The eBay asking prices on this one for newsstand include $6,999 (not getting hit), $2,500 for a pair, just under $2,200, $2,000 and a bunch down to $750. Not that helpful. Actual eBay sales? Highs around $1,200 down to around $600 ... so definitely still a little all over the place. Recent sales are also still in that range for this key issue. No matter the timing or the price paid ... this is an example of why you grade good stuff. All it cost me $1.25 and grading fees.

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 ...

BIG-TIME PULL
The Card: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 2019 Topps Chrome Orange Refractors #201 (/25) Rookie Card parallel
The Reason Graded: This one came out of one of the best Topps Chrome boxes I've ever seen -- in fact, it might have been one of the best non-high-end boxes I've ever seen for any brand -- and I knew instantly that the two big cards from it would end up slabbed. This one is up first and I actually had it graded awhile back but held it a little closer to baseball season -- and we're here. This guy could be set for a big season after a rookie campaign that was closely watched but perhaps not as lofty as was expected. With so few copies of this one made, I figured it was a no-brainer no matter how he fares this season.
The Grade: BGS 9.5

Reality Check: I was glad to see this grade, and it turns out that two of the three that were slabbed were graded on the same day -- I just missed out on "first-graded" status. The Series 2 short-print (which looks just like this) is probably going to be the long-term iconic card for Guerrero, but rare Chromes like this one figure to be very strong, too, even if in a lesser grade. Interestingly only four copies have been graded by PSA -- three 10s and one PSA 9.

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 just might be to rip fewer blasters this year 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. Would they capture yours? I'd be interested to know -- sometimes they might, sometimes they won't and that's fine. It's a buyer's market out there with plenty of options and bargains as well as high-end gems to chase.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... and this time around they're (mostly) affordable finds.

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A PIECE OF THE OCTAGON
The Card: Jon Fitch 2010 Topps UFC Main Event Authentic Cage Relics
The Price: $2.45
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This card was not one bought for the fighter but rather the type of Relic -- and you should know with this series that I'm a fan of unusual memorabilia cards. Bronze, Silver and Gold parallels can be found for this set which has a piece of the Octagon embedded into every card. There are 30 fighters in this one with the likes of Anderson Silva, Brock Lesnar, Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Rashad Evans and Georges St-Pierre among them. The Bronze (/88) are the easiest of the parallels while Silvers are limited to just eight copies and the Golds are 1/1s. Even retail boxes include a hit in these every time -- a mix of autos and Relics -- and the link below includes more than one option for you to chase stuff fresh from packs without spending a ton. This basic set has a strong lineup and some good highlights and these cards are unique (I don't think there are many others like it, if any). The parallels give you a tough chase but the basic set is do-able. I'm not there yet, but with super-cheap lesser names possible the set is perhaps more do-able than you might think on the cheap.
Grab a box/lot right here: 2010 Topps UFC Main Event

Keep reading for five more interesting items ...

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Brandon Nimmo's path to Major League Baseball and a spot in the New York Mets lineup is far from a traditional one as he grew up in Wyoming where playing high school baseball isn't even an option.

He's a product of American Legion play -- and already a Hall of Famer there -- but that didn't stop him from being taken 13th in the 2011 MLB Draft and making his big-league debut three years ago at age 23. Nimmo, whose first prospect cards can be found in 2011 releases and who has just three Rookie Cards from 2016, was one of the Mets' bright spots last season with 17 homers in 140 games while hitting .263. The homers were third on the team behind Michael Conforto, Todd Frazier and Asdrubal Cabrera ... but that's not why we're here today.

Nimmo led all of MLB with 22 HBPs -- and the ball you see above connected for one last season.

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Quick, can you name one of his Rookie Cards?

More people should be able to answer that soon after Oakland A's pitcher Sean Manaea threw the first no-hitter of this young season Saturday night in Oakland. He shut down the Boston Red Sox with 10 strikeouts and just two walks in his gem, which upped his career record to 21-21 as a big-league pitcher.

Now, about that cardboard?

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Scott Schebler is this year's Adam Duvall -- a hard-hitting Cincinnati Reds outfielder who's come out of nowhere to hit a boatload of home runs.

Schebler's present stat line stands at 15 homers and 29 RBI through his first 48 games where he's hitting .247. It's a home run mark that puts him tied for fifth in the majors and tops in the National League beside Bryce Harper. (Duvall is one shot behind them on the NL list.)

Unlike Duvall, whose arrival last year was at a time where he had no certified autographs, Schebler's is one where he's got autographs -- but only in a single past release.

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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 11.

The box: 2016 Topps baseball Mega Box
The cost: Click here

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

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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 five threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing Today: First cases, big sale breaks delivering big results, busting BBM True Heart, USA Soccer, Ben Simmons hauls 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 five threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing Today: The first Board Buzz of 2017 is nothing but impressive pulls.

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The Topps Mega Box is back -- but only at Target stores.

Topps revealed its plans for a 2016 Topps Chrome Update baseball card set on Thursday and, like past years, those cards will be retail-only finds in its holiday Mega Box offering that will have a limited retail release this holiday season.

And there will be some new inclusions when they start hitting stores this week.

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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: 2016 Topps Update baseball cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 36
Cards per pack: 10
Cards in this box: 356
Base set completion: 
300 of 300 (100 percent)
Duplicates: 19

Notables on base cards – Anthony Rizzo, Clayton Kershaw, Nolan Arenado, Francisco Lindor, Buster Posey, Jackie Bradley Jr., Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Josh Donaldson, Mike Trout, David Ortiz, Kris Bryant, Aroldis Chapman, Jake Arrieta, Ichiro Suzuki

Rookie Cards (95; includes duplicates) – Notables include Aledmys Diaz, Michael Fulmer, Julio Urias, Willson Contreras, Tyler Naquin, Kyle Schwarber, Corey Seager, Kenta Maeda, Nomar Mazara, Trevor Story

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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 five threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing Today: Big breaks, 28 boxes busted in one thread, big retail pulls, four 1/1s in a case and tracking a year of breaks.

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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: 2016 Topps Update baseball cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 10 (plus one medallion pack)
Cards per pack: 10
Cards in this box: 101
Base set completion: 
81 of 300 (27 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Manny Machado, Matt Wieters, Ichiro Suzuki, Mike Trout, Aroldis Chapman

Rookie Cards (14) – Johnny Barbara/Ben Gamel, Jeimer Candelario, Tyler Goeddel, Derek Law, Joey Rickard, Julio Urias, Jose Berrios, Matt Bush, Tim Adleman, Lucas Giolito, Shawn Morimando, Luis Severino, Corey Seager, Stephen Piscotty

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The wait for Update is one step closer to finished.

Topps' final flagship-based MLB product of the year, 2016 Topps Update, arrives next Wednesday and now we know what will be found inside its packs with the release of the final checklist today.

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When 2016 Topps Update arrives in October, it will include the finale for the hobby's flagship design with the newest names in the game and some highlights still to come.

While the First Look preview came back in May (click here for that), Topps disclosed today that there will be three retail-only inserts to come in Update.

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What: 2016 Topps Update baseball cards
Arrives: Oct. 19
Box basics: One autograph or Relic per 36-pack box (12 boxes per case); One autograph and two Relics per 10-pack jumbo box (six boxes per case)

What's buzz-worthy: The formula that is Topps' flagship and then Topps Update is back with a few twists and some new inclusions -- First Pitch, First Pitch Relics and Topps Fire cards, for example -- to get collectors chasing top performers and rookies from this season.

Keep reading for more as well as a full gallery of images.

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