Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading ... so here's this month's grading diary.

AS GOOD AS IT GETS
The Card: Caitlin Clark 2024-25 Panini Instant WNBA (/26,980) -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: I watched and waited for the most part with Caitlin Clark cards as Panini Instant stuff arrived regularly and her in-pack WNBA Rookie Cards arrived later in the year. But, when this award-winner card popped up with a clean and iconic studio photo? Well, I pretty much instantly (pun not intended as it's simply true) grabbed a 10-pack with an eye for a slab. It's in a past Buzz Buys (hit the archives) and this is the result a few months later.
The Grade: CGC 10 (Pristine)

Reality Check: This one is heavily made and should be heavily slabbed -- the number of Pristines has at least doubled just in the few weeks since I got these back from CGC -- but many won't be checking in at this top mark. I didn't slab to expect a perfect 10 but I thought this one had potential after going through my stack. Three of my 10 had solid centering and this one was first to make that cut ... with this mark I may not need to send in the other two. It's my lone Clark slab ... and it's strong enough it might stay that way just so I can say I went 1-for-1 grading here. We'll see.

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

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What's Buzzing: NFL Draft first-round reactions, Aaron Judge, Jac Caglianone, Topps Black, NBA postseason and more in this Friday drop.

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1 -- All your NFL Draft reactions are here

2 -- Aaron Judge is on their minds

3 -- PuddleMonkey (who collects harder than you) has a question ... (see, harder)

4 -- Checking in on the Jac Caglianone thread

5 -- Talking Topps Black

6 -- NBA postseason chatter

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading, so here's this month's grading diary.

CLOSE TO PERFECT
The Card: Shohei Ohtani 2018 Topps -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: Ohtani's historic 2024 season had me assessing all of my cards from my 2018 stash -- mostly lower-end stuff that's heavily graded -- but not graded by me. Why? I don't grade the heavily submitted stuff because a lesser mark wouldn't be as worthy of going through the process and, really, in most instances a card can always be found already graded if it's needed. But, with his 50-50 season being so big, I opted to slab a few basics and this is one that made the cut. The stock used in 2018 is almost as thin as it gets and all that dark ink definitely showcases flaws, but I picked a pair of cards I thought were perfect from my stash and sent them in.
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: I don't know where I missed a perfect mark here but I'll still take a 10 ... less than half check in there and I think it's really harder than that -- people are examining their stuff harder before sending them in. The fact that these have checked in as low as a seven show how this one isn't easy sledding when it comes to slabbing. And as for my perfect aspirations? Well, it doesn't exist.

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

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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: Shohei Ohtani, Damian Lillard, a big Ohtani pull, The National and talking clubs in MLB.

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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 ... and it might be the biggest edition ever.

BIG SEASON AHEAD?
The Card: Josh Allen 2018 Donruss Optic #154 -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: I pulled a pair of these from a number of rips -- probably deep in the archives here if you poke around -- but I never slabbed any of them back then, instead grading guys like Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield and maybe a Nick Chubb. Meanwhile, it turns out this guy might be The One over the long term from this rookie class. After this past season's successes and close finish at the end, I figured it was time to grade a pair of these and I'm still working through some of my past pulls to see if I need to grade more for this franchise QB.
The Grade: CSG 10

Reality Check: I was happy with this one (and I'll drop my other one here at some point later this season) as Optic stock can be hit and miss, particularly on the backs. Sometimes it's dents and wrinkles or minor dents but this one was clean. It looks like these do grade pretty well with nearly half of them getting this mark. An interesting comparison to make here? PSA has graded more than 2,500 of these with more than half being 10s, while BGS has graded only 160 and SGC has slabbed 320.

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 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 FIRST FOR ME ...
The Card: Bo Bichette 2020 Topps Archives Snapshots Autographs
The Price: More than I like to admit ... but less than a lot of his autos out there
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This guy has almost become my default go-to player recently for MLB, but since he's popular, on a rising team and been on cardboard for some time I haven't really gotten in stuff on on the lower side of things. That's OK -- I don't need a third "personal collection" guy in my cardboard lifetime to do the chase-heavy approach. I'll just dabble. What is this? It's my first autograph for Bo Bichette in a small-but-growing stash that has plenty of typical raw pulls but also plenty of slabs (including a fun one of his brother) to go along with a game-used ball (a past post here) and then even a signed game-model bat for his dad somewhere in my stash. It'll be a while before I add a Bo Bichette game-used bat based on the price, but I could see it happening sometime down the line. (I dabble in a lot of directions.)
Grab a box right here: 2020 Topps Archives Snapshots

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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This one is a quick idea for a new department here on The Buzz ... Fast Five -- a quick list under a simple topic that might offer a basic starting point for a themed collection. It's a basic list of five items that could be fun for a starting collector or 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 players (and cards) I'd want to see in the next rendition of Topps Project 2020. (Would it be Project 2021?)

BAT DOWN, HANDS DOWN
Ronald Acuña Jr.'s bat-down SP variation in 2018 Topps Series 2 is perhaps the most-iconic of all of the Rookie Cards in basic Topps sets in recent years, and I think it would be a no-brainer as a card to bat lead-off on a second project like Topps Project 2020 -- an effort where artists re-create memorable cards from the past for 20 players. The list is one that skews old -- just five players are from 1990 and beyond and only two who debuted in the 2000s -- while the top sellers (so far) have skewed young and that makes me wonder what/who might be popular the next time around. They have to do this again, right? (For the purposes of this list, I'm ignoring the realities of licensing -- some players are potentially not available to Topps or licensing could impose other limitations. (That's what I don't know.) What I do know is a collection of 20 takes on this Acuña would probably get me every time as it's such a good starting point.

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

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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: Project 2020 chatter (and artists are in on it), NBA breaks, a Stranger Things case that's turned one collector's world upside down (or something) and more in today's edition.

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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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Update: This card sold for $920 on eBay Tuesday night -- keep reading for the details.

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Another monster game, another monster card? Pretty much ...

Ronald Acuña Jr. torched the San Francisco Giants pitchers Monday night with a homer on the first pitch of the game, then a double and another homer -- the kind of night that gets people looking even more for the cardboard from a few key sets last year that include his Rookie Cards.

Boxes of 2018 Topps Update have quickly become a simple hot commodity, especially with other rookies and the potential for parallels of this new star, but that's not the only place to chase this popular slugger.

And that's where the card you see up top comes in.

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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 ... it's all MLB and WWE this time with a new baseball season under way and it being WrestleMania week.

The Card: 2018 Topps WWE Then Now Forever 25 Years of Raw #RAW28 Mr. McMahon's Limousine Explodes
The Reason Graded: You don't see why? This is one of the greatest cards I've ever seen in any set, and it simply had to lead off here, too. The heat you see on the card is only rivaled by the heat that is this card. (Something like that.) So, what's the story with this? In a June 2007 episode of Raw, WWE Chairman and ultimate on-screen villain Vince McMahon had an unusual evening on the air. At the end of the show he walked through a star-laden backstage area to go to his limo at the end of his "Appreciation Night." He stepped inside, closed the door and at that exact moment it exploded on live TV. (See it happen here and read all about the fallout.) The company was bombarded with phone calls from some members of the public and it even issued a press release that McMahon was, indeed, dead. The company's stock even took a hit (seriously) as part of the story line. Somehow, it took all of these years for this epic moment to make it onto a card.
The Grade: BGS 9.5

Reality Check: I was all over this one the second I saw the checklist and knew I'd own it in a slab. The super-skinny stock and dark edges make it tough to land without a tweaked edge or corner, but mine is the first and it's nearly perfect. (The spot on the right is part of the photo, not a nicked edge.) The only thing better than a near-perfect copy of a card like this would be one signed by VKM himself ... after all, he somehow survived. This card makes me laugh and I laugh even harder with a high-grade copy.

Keep reading for the rest of this month's new grades and additions.

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With the MLB All-Star Game set for next week in Washington, D.C., that means the All-Star FanFest show is coming, too.

It starts on Friday -- and Topps will be there with exclusive cardboard for show-goers.

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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 Series 2 (Walmart blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (a few formats)
Packs per box: 11 (10 plus patch pack)
Cards per pack: 10
Cards in this box: 101
Base set completion: 
74 of 350 (21 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Base cards of note – Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, Cubs team card, Andrew Benintendi, Aroldis Chapman,  Paul Goldschmidt, Justin Verlander, Yu Darvish, Joey Votto

Rookie Cards (6) – Shohei Ohtani, Kyle McGrath, Sandy Alcantara, A.J. Minter, Troy Scribner, Victor Arano

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Are his cards good for bargain hunters? Maybe not now on some stuff ... but there's definitely new interest and some under-the-radar cards out there.

He's Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies and power-wise he's come out of nowhere to lead the majors with 13 home runs after his latest shot on Monday night -- he's one of five players with that many longballs so far this season and it's a surprise because he's not been known as a power guy. Albies had just six homers in 57 games last season and hit just 16 in 390 games before arriving in Atlanta.

This is a change that might spark added interest in his baseball cards.

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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: Ozzie Albies arrives, Shohei Ohtani's key Rookie Cards, pondering "high-end" and big pulls to start the week.

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You won't have to wait for 2018 Topps Series 2 to get a Shohei Ohtani baseball card with the flagship design.

Topps revealed the checklists for its lineup of team sets on Thursday and the newly signed star from Japan is among the players listed for the Los Angeles Angels.

Click here to view the checklists for all teams. 

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

>> Click here to buy cards on BlowoutCards.com

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 6.

The box: 2018 Topps Series 1 baseball cards (blaster)
The cost: Click here

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

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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 Series 1 (Walmart blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (all formats)
Packs per box: 11 (10 plus patch pack)
Cards per pack: 10
Cards in this box: 101
Base set completion: 
76 of 350 (22 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Base cards of note – Cody Bellinger, Clayton Kershaw, Mookie Betts, Kyle Schwarber, Anthony Rizzo, Andrew Benintendi, George Springer (World Series)

Rookie Cards (10) – Rafael Devers, Ozzie Albies, J.P. Crawford, Miguel Andujar, Anthony Banda, Brian Anderson, Nick Williams, Erick Fedde, Dominic Smith, Luis Santos

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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 big pulls from MLB, WWE, NFL, NBA and the Olympics.

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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: Long-term projects completed, storing oversized hits and big pulls from around the collecting world.

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: 2018 Topps Series 1 baseball cards 
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
Packs per box: 36 (plus one silver Chrome pack)
Cards per pack: 10 (four in Chrome)
Cards in this box: 365
Base set completion: 
322 of 350 (92 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Base cards of note – Cody Bellinger, Aaron Judge, Alex Bregman, Bryce Harper, Jose Altuve, Dansby Swanson, Giancarlo Stanton, Clayton Kershaw, Mike Trout, Manny Machado, Miguel Cabrera, Buster Posey, Carlos Correa

Rookie Cards (40) – Rhys Hoskins, Rafael Devers, Victor Robles, Amed Rosario, Clint Frazier, Miguel Andujar, Garrett Cooper, J.P. Crawford, Max Fried, Lucas Sims, Luiz Gohara, Ozzie Albies, Jackson Stephens, Greg Allen, Richard Urena, Austin Hays, Jimmie Sherfy, Raudy Read, J.D. Davis, Andrew Stevenson, Chris Rowley, Willie Calhoun, Dillon Peters, Zack Granite, Nicky Delmonico, Harrison Bader, Luis Santos, Dominic Smith, Ryan McMahon, Cam Gallagher, Aaron Slegers, Brandon Woodruff, Alex Verdugo, Francisco Mejia, Nick Williams, Brian Anderson, Walker Buehler, Tyler Mahle, Erick Fedde, Jack Flaherty

Continue reading →

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: Collectors react to James Harden's big game, the big NFL trade and its fallout and today's arrival of 2018 Topps Series 1 baseball cards.

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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 trades (Blake Griffin), big careers (Jaromir Jagr) and big pulls.

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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: Hall of Fame chatter, looking forward to 2018 Topps and 2018 Topps Heritage arrivals, big pulls and two 1/1s in the same box.

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We're just a week away from the arrival of 2018 Topps Series 1 baseball cards and Topps has revealed the bonus promo packs' content for those buying via hobby shops and via BlowoutCards.com.

Its a Chromed 1983 Topps homage with some modern touches that will arrive along with the hobby's flagship product next Wednesday.

Keep reading for the full details.

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