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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A RARE ROOKIE CARD PARALLEL 
The Card: Calvin Ridley 2018 Donruss Jersey Number parallel (/18) -- Rookie Card parallel
The Price: $37.50
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was more of a premium pick-up for me yet still felt like a steal, too, as this is one of those rarer parallel type of cards where if you pass on one copy you might not see another again as it's a super-rare card in a release with a meaty, multi-format print run -- meaning some of the cards might never be found. It's relatively clean and I also had my eye on it for possible grading but there's a minor wrinkle or surface indent that could get a low mark (maybe). I probably won't risk that but it's no big deal as this one is staying in my school ties part of my stash. It doesn't hurt that he could have an even more dominating kind of season with future Hall of Famer Julio Jones on the move, though.
Grab a box right here: 2018 Donruss NFL (a few formats)

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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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.

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GIVE 'EM A HAND ...
The Piece: Calvin Ridley 2018 Panini Instant Instant Impressions autographed hand print (/10)
The Price: $60 (shipped)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I picked this one up earlier this year when Panini had a half-price sale on Panini Instant stuff and I think it was a gem of a find considering he's had some strong showings for the Falcons. (Beyond that he fits one of my collecting niches.) What is this? It's a huge card -- not a card, really but it does have a full back so it's a card that's a couple feet tall -- with his handprint and autograph worked into the mix. The signature is slightly more full than many of his cards (believe it or not) but the uniqueness of the whole package drew me in ... especially at half price.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of these ... but you can find NFL boxes 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 Today: Nothing but breaks highlights in today's stay-at-home edition.

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Fast Five is new department here on The Buzz -- a quick list under a single topic. Five items that could have a common tie, fit a theme, be fun for a starting collector, or be a new way to add to a stash that might already seemingly include everything when it comes to cardboard. For some of you, it's probably common sense. For others of you out there, it's something to think about.

This time? Five safe types of card purchases you can make as we deal with anxiety of no sports in some surreal times.

THE ONE YOU KEEP ...
The Card: One you have always wanted but hadn't grabbed yet ... a comfortable card for your collection.
A lot of newcomers might be sweating their big-money cardboard (or bulk box buys) that they bought into this year with intent on some meaty short-term big flips -- you know, because of names like Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, Mike Trout and so on. But there are other components in the hobby that are just as hot out there but perhaps over the longer term. And then there are those that aren't ... but they are still heavily collected. The first and perhaps most-important pick-up I'd recommend right now? The card you've always wanted but never chased -- for whatever your reason you are into cards. That definition and card can vary for many but it's probably not one you might regret later. One example for me landed just this week fits this bill -- it's a Nick Swisher 2016 Topps Chrome Sapphire Edition Superfractor ... a 1/1 card I landed as it was finally pulled from a break by a former Swisher teammate, Phil Hughes, over on BlowoutTV. (They both got their World Series rings as New York Yankees in 2009.) Was it cheap? Maybe, maybe not ... but, to me, it's a buy that I won't worry about over time. These might be the times to grab a card like this -- a comfortable card long as it's responsible for your budget ... no regrets.

Keep reading for four more making up the list this time.

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One of Major League Baseball's young stars is in the World Series -- and hitting .571 through two games -- and that means there should be even more people watching him and potentially thinking about buying some his baseball cards.

Where do you start when it comes to Washington Nationals outfielder Juan Soto? Well, that's what we're here for and it's not that simple -- though it is a tad simpler than when we revisited Ronald Acuña Jr.'s Rookie Cards earlier this year. The 21-year-old (as of tomorrow, the day of Game 3) appears on nearly 2,200 different baseball cards despite just arriving on cardboard in 2016 and on Rookie Cards last year -- in fact he appeared on basically 700 different cards in 2018 alone -- so that's where we'll start with the simple stuff, his RCs.

He's got around 20 Rookie Cards based on traditional definitions and set builds, but for simplicity we've punted anything that's got an autograph or memorabilia swatch as part of the package. We're looking at the simplest of those -- 15 cards of varying values and ease of finding. Some are challenges, some are not -- but now's the time to be paying more attention than ever to them.

Keep reading for a rundown of Juan Soto's Rookie Cards.

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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 Donruss football cards (mega box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 8 (seven Donruss, one 2017 Panini Illusions)
Cards per box: 61
Base set completion: 
36 of 300 (12 percent)
Duplicates: 3

Notables on base cards – Barry Sanders, Carson Wentz, Brian Urlacher, Marcus Mariota, T.J. Watt, J.J. Watt, Derek Carr

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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 ...

The Card: Joe Namath 2015 Topps 60th Anniversary Rookie Reprint Autographs #T60RAJN
The Reason Graded: Buzz first met this NFL legend almost 20 years ago and landed the ink for free thanks to some luck while autograph hounding but when it comes to certified autographs of this icon I didn't have any until recent years. Why? He's always been a pricey auto but that has come down a bit as he's been a steady signer and doesn't have quite as much hobby heat as the guy at the end of this month's list. This release was how Topps burned off its Hall of Famer autographs via packs on its website once its NFL deal was done, so the influx of big-name autos helped make the supply even stronger at the time perhaps without added demand. I scouted them all where I buy and this one looked near-perfect to me in both its centering and that ink. Seriously, look at that signature ... that's a perfect Namath auto.
The Grade: BGS 9.5/10

Reality Check: I absolutely thought I had a BGS 10 contender with this one, though I submitted it before I picked up my better loupe and I probably didn't check the back as closely as I should have. Either way, it's still a very solid card in my stash. I don't grade autographs all that often -- I fear results I won't like on those -- but this one I had to. Most of them landed this grade with only one higher so I don't feel bad about not landing a 10.

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 Donruss football cards (mega box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 8 (seven Donruss, one 2017 Panini Illusions)
Cards per box: 61
Base set completion: 
36 of 300 (12 percent)
Duplicates: 3

Notables on base cards – Earl Campbell, Andrew Luck, Brett Favre, Kurt Warner, Amari Cooper, Jared Goff, Mitchell Trubisky, Odell Beckham Jr. (2)

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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 Donruss football cards (mega box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 8 (seven Donruss, one 2017 Panini Illusions)
Cards per box: 57
Base set completion: 
37 of 300 (12 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Tom Brady, Alvin Kamara, John Elway, Marshall Faulk, DeShaun Watson, Antonio Brown, Marcus Mariota, Mark Brunell, Jonatan Ogden, Adam Vinatieri, Ken Anderson

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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 Donruss NFL cards (jersey hanger box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 1
Cards per pack: 50
Base set completion: 
31 of 300 (10 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Ezekiel Elliott, Leonard Fournette, Earl Campbell, Drew Brees, Terry Bradshaw, Michael Thomas

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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 Today: The NFL season is here, big pulls from a number of brands and pondering the power of an Aaron Rodgers 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: 2018 Donruss NFL cards (jersey hanger box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 1
Cards per pack: 50
Base set completion: 
31 of 300 (10 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Alvin Kamara, John Elway, Thurman Thomas, Adam Vinatieri, Mark Brunell, Cooper Kupp, Lawrence Taylor

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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 Donruss NFL cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 11
Cards per pack: 8
Cards per box: 88
Base set completion: 
72 of 300 (24 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Ezekiel Elliott, Kenyan Drake, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Drew Brees, Terry Bradshaw, Julio Jones, Khalil Mack, Tony Dorsett, Mark Ingram, LaDainian Tomlinson, Todd Gurley, Bo Jackson, Earl Campbell, Landon Collins

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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 Today: Big pulls and other highlights to start the work week, an awaited MLB debut to come and pondering if Justin Verlander is a Hall of Famer.

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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 Donruss NFL cards (jersey hanger box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 1
Cards per pack: 50
Base set completion: 
31 of 300 (10 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Ozzie Newsome, Leonard Fournette, Tony Dorsett, Matt Ryan, Khalil Mack, Drew Brees, Julian Edelman, Terry Bradshaw, Jameis Winston, Jared Goff, Andrew Luck, Kurt Warner

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She just turned 17 last month, but she's out-selling many of the guys when it comes to NASCAR cards.

Her name is Hailie Deegan, and she's a NASCAR newcomer who is the daughter of a racer and motocross rider (one among the most-successful X Games competitors ever) and her card appearances in Panini America's first three racing sets this year are in relatively big demand.

Deegan is in her debut season as part of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series and has a handful of top-five finishes so far this season in 14 races -- generating enough fan interest that the 2018 Donruss Next In Line Cracked Ice insert above, a relatively standard card limited to 999 copies, sold on eBay for $27.95. (Boxes don't cost much more than that.) 

But her first autographs are generating even more interest.

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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 Today: Big pulls, National chatter and is Lonzo Ball's autograph evolving again?

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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 Today: Big pulls, big games, big trades in this National Baseball Card Day edition.

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Have you seen the latest cool or interesting items on eBay? If not, you just might see some of those here every week as we're launching a weekly version of our eBay Buzz pieces that pop up from time to time. We’ll spotlight some items that have a story or just wow us with how much interest it might have — and we’re not just talking baseball cards, either.

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A NATIONAL BONUS FOR LIVING SET BUYERS
The Item: 2018 Topps National Sports Collectors Convention Francisco Lindor Topps Living Set litho signed by artist Mayumi Seto (90/100)
The Price: $94 after 20 bids with several days remaining
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This piece was a bonus item to a few lucky collectors at this year's National Sports Collectors Convention in Cleveland as the artist was on hand on the Saturday of the show to greet fans. A ticket good for one of the prints was randomly put into the three-card Living Set packs that were available at the show. The set has become a popular weekly release via Topps.com with thousands of copies of each card sold each week and Seto is the creative force fueling some of the demand with her life-like artwork that's being used as part of this 1953 Topps homage. (That year's set used paintings.) Other lithos have asking prices between $345 and $749 among active auctions, while a number of these have already sold. It will be interesting to watch this one -- asking prices on standard cards she signed at the show also have commanded some strong prices. This one is impressive.
Similar Pieces: Check out 2018 Topps Living Set cards on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for baseball boxes

Keep reading for four more interesting items in this week's roundup ...

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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 Donruss NASCAR cards (hobby)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 24
Cards per pack: 10
Cards in this box: 242
Base set completion: 172 of 175 (98 percent)
Duplicates: 16

Notables on base cards – Pretty much everybody from the past and present can be found in this one ...

Rookie Cards (6) – Bubba Wallace, Cole Custer, Spencer Gallagher, Christopher Bell, William Byron (2)

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Want a small collecting challenge that could be part of a much larger long-term project that just might be a lot tougher than you might expect?

Collect the Fans of the Game -- and their autographs.

The arrival of 2018 Donruss football cards from Panini America offers the newest chapter in an ongoing collecting saga that's been around since 2004 with some pretty notable names on its cards (both standard and signed). This year's selection? It's a simple five cards and each has two parallels -- an autographed version and a Holo version limited to just 100 copies.

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The wrapper redemption programs at the National Sports Collectors Convention are a challenge, a pastime and a must-do for many attendees every year.

But there are drawbacks, too, hence that challenge part. There can be long waits -- depending on how long the lines are and, more importantly, how early you got in them -- and there's the possibility that your line could get cut off before land your treasures.

But the wait can be worth it with the surprises in your packs -- or your boxes you grab to get said packs -- and that's what Buzz opted to try a few times this year. Now up? The Panini America program.

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Panini America's National Sports Collectors Convention experience includes plenty of ripped wax -- if you want to partake of course -- and that begins within the first hour of Day 1 at the show beginning Wednesday in Cleveland.

It's via Box Wars and there are 31 battles scheduled for the show.

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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 Donruss baseball cards (hanger box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 1
Cards per pack: 60
Set completion: 
42 of 270 (16 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – The San Diego Chicken, Giancarlo Stanton, Andrew Benintendi, Bryce Harper, Nolan Ryan, Jose Altuve, Trea Turner, George Brett, Max Scherzer, Josh Donaldson, Aaron Judge, Dave Winfield, Joey Votto, George Brett, Wade Boggs, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Jim Palmer

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What: 2018 Donruss football cards
Arrives: Aug. 1
Box basics: One autograph and one memorabilia card per 24-pack box (18 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Panini's Donruss NFL brand arrives for a new season the design we've seen for baseball  this year -- one that appears primed for Optichrome treatment -- with a new crop of Rated Rookies and a nod to 1988 Donruss baseball cards.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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