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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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 ...

GRADE LIKE A BUTTERFLY ...
The Card: Muhammad Ali 2021 Topps Muhammad Ali The People's Champ Collection Black parallel (/56)
The Reason Graded: When I spotted this card (ungraded) at about the price of a blaster, I bit as that was a good number for a parallel from this set that was released week by week for a year on Topps' site. Since it was both a rarer parallel and, if you ask me, one of the better-looking cards in this retro-styled set with that exposure photo, I also opted to slab it. Why? Well that stock and color is a grading challenge -- but it was one I was willing to take as this one looked strong.
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: I was right and it graded actually better than I had hoped (I figured a 9.5)  making this a win atop of a win.

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

Continue reading →

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 ...

No. 1 GOES FIRST HERE, TOO ...
The Card: Bryce Young 2021 Onyx Vintage College Football Autographs
The Reason Graded: I collect Alabama guys but on the cheap so when a top talent arrives on NFL cardboard odds are I already found them ... if they had stuff. Generally, I try to have auto of all new big names and in the most-recent years thanks to NIL deals where active players can sign autograph deals that's been easier to do -- for both big names and guys who won't be top picks. In the case of this new Carolina Panthers QB, I pulled this one -- something I also did with Tua Tagovailoa -- so I don't have to chase new stuff after he was taken No. 1 in this year's NFL Draft. (But I will if I somehow find bargains.) This one is nice as it's on-card, has a clean retro design (I like that) and has a design/photo that doesn't showcase the fact that there are a couple small missing logos here that would come with full licensing. Atop that, his autograph on this card -- and the card itself -- is super clean and many of his autos are absolutely not clean in recent years. (In fact, I'd say that his auto is bad way more often than it's good ... and it's not that good visually to start with.) When I saw this one, I knew I needed to slab it for those reasons.
The Grade: CSG 9.5

Reality Check: I was a little worried about the surface here as the retro stock is definitely no-frills -- it doesn't even have a light gloss -- but it checked in with a grade I don't mind. I was happy with this and you'll probably see more of Young here in this series -- or at least Buzz Buys -- more once new NFL stuff starts popping up and the college colors fade away for some. Those colors won't fade away for me -- I like them a lot more than anything Carolina -- and he's always going to be the first Heisman-winning Alabama QB.

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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END OF AN ERA
The Item: Sasha Banks autographed 11-by-14 photo (BAS Witnessed)
The Price: $60
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: She's back in the ring but not in WWE -- and she's known as Mercedes Moné now -- and those are reasons why it looks like an industry mega-dealer that did a witnessed signing is moving these at a bit lower than they might normally be over on WWE Shop. (Since she's not with WWE, they can't be sold there now.) I have her auto on a number of cards and she's typically a pricier sig, but I couldn't pass on this striking kind of photo with its size and big, bold sig. I suspect she'll be back at some point and she'll still be high-profile elsewhere, though, and all that starts later this month with her first match in New Japan Pro Wrestling. If her other past ink dips more, I'll be looking.
Grab a box right here: Click here for WWE boxes

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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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's one of the biggest months ever.

A MONSTER MONTH ...
The Card: Bo Bichette 2020 Topps Archives Snapshots Archives Autographs
The Reason Graded: I've been buying up Bo Bichette cards relatively heavily by my standards -- second perhaps only to some top favorites and people with school ties -- but of all my pick-ups only one was an autograph. These were, I believe, via a redemption and that's how I landed mine -- at least in a sealed Topps top-loader -- and I opted to slab it in a recent submission. (Even though I generally don't grade a lot of autos as I don't want to get a dreaded grade on a card I like.)
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: I'm fine with nines, but this one seemed like a slight bummer as I didn't see anything dramatically wrong with it -- so there must have been a couple of minor issues that dropped it down in tandem. The design here is one that doesn't have a lot of perfectly center-able features ... so maybe part of that was just a judgment call, too.

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 HOME RUN OF A SURPRISE
The Card: Hank Aaron 2021 Topps x Sports Illustrated five-pack ... Red (/5) parallel and standard cards (/2,057)
The Price: Direct from Topps ($29.99)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was my first grab from this year's SI set since this cover was one I was hoping to see in the release and I decided to take a shot at a five-pack for grading purposes. I was rewarded with one of the rarest parallels to find in one's order. Only the 1/1 is rarer and there are three other colors. (Just 111 parallel cards between all of them.) I've collected a number of cards that have commemorated Aaron's record-breaking home run back in 1974 but never graded any for condition reasons ... I might have two to slab now.
Grab a box right here: None for this one but MLB boxes are here

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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If you hadn't noticed, there are a number of boxes with discounted prices right now right here as Blowout Cards' Black November sales are going strong with Wave 2 just dropping.

The first wave is here and many of the discounts were dramatic enough that Buzz once again had to sit down and ponder the possibilities in many of the boxes and cases -- and here are five boxes/cases that caught this collector’s eye ... and there's far more that just might suit your tastes in the big sale.

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BLAST FROM THE PAST
2012 Topps Archives baseball hobby box
Here's one I didn't expect to see pop up ... but it's a longshot spot to chase a rare Bryce Harper Rookie Card that will pay for the box. It's not cheap now but these boxes can include all kinds of stuff. Among the basic autos? A ton of memorable (cheap) names and then guys like Don Mattingly, Gary Carter, Hank Aaron, Ken Griffey Jr., Sandy Koufax, Yu Darvish and Willie Mays. There are also rare Karate Kid box-topper autos for sensei John Kreese (aka Martin Kove) and main Cobra Kai bad guy Johnny Lawrence played by Billy Zabka. Some rarer autos also include an array of top names but there could be receptions for that set in some cases so I won't focus on it ... but there are huge names there if live. There's a lot of other creative stuff here and two autos per box.

Keep reading for a few more boxes you should consider (and are likely to end up in Buzz's cart).

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From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and break down 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: 2019 Topps WWE Women's Division wrestling cards (blaster)
First Buzz preview & Checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com for all WWE boxes in stock

Keep reading for a full breakdown of what was in this one ...

Continue reading →

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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From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and break down 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: 2019 Topps WWE Women's Division wrestling cards (blaster)
First Buzz preview & Checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com for all WWE boxes in stock

Keep reading for a full breakdown of what was in this one ...

Continue reading →

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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THE CORRECT COLOR OF PRIZM
The Card: Tua Tagovailoa 2020 Panini Prizm Draft Picks Red Prizms
The Price: $20
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I didn't pull anything for this guy in a number of retail Prizm boxes and packs so far this year, so I opted just to grab the parallel I wanted the most -- the one with the right color for his team on this card that should have been found in one of my mega boxes but wasn't. I had an eye on slabbing this one but it has a surface issue that nixed that idea ... so we'll see what happens from here on out. Once new cardboard starts flowing, I'm sure there will be more options out there. Maybe I'll grab and slab one of these ... or maybe something else.
Grab a box right here: 2020 Panini Prizm Draft Picks

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

Continue reading →

From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and break down 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: 2019 Topps WWE Women's Division wrestling cards (blaster)
First Buzz preview & Checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com for all WWE boxes in stock

Keep reading for a full breakdown of what was in this one ...

Continue reading →

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 ...

GRADING THE PHENOM
The Card: Baby Yoda ("The Child") 2019 Star Wars Living Set #58
The Reason Graded: I picked up a few of these since I knew they'd be hot -- it set a record with 9,663 copies sold that shows how it definitely was in demand. However, that volume is significantly higher than anything else in the set and that  can also lead to lower re-sale prices as those who bought in bulk want to move them. (They have more competition.) Grading-wise, this one is the big leader, too, but I still wanted to chase a 10.
The Grade: BGS 9.5

Reality Check: I came close but ultimately checked in where most cards here do. Nearly 50 cards from the set have been graded and this guy is on 29 of them. Only two other copies have five or more graded copies and that leaves the rest as population-one cards. I didn't get a 10 but I'm fine with this mark as the stock does seem like it might be a tougher grade than other types.

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

Continue reading →

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 BAT LEADING OFF ...
The Card: Fernando Tatis Jr. 2019 Topps Chrome Gold Refractors #203 (/50) -- RC parallel
The Reason Graded: Buzz found this rarity of a top RC in the absolute same box as the card that batted lead-off here last month -- and when that one graded really well I knew that this one would end up in a slab, too. Easily one of the best boxes I've seen for any non-premium product in years of collecting. I figured they needed to be slabbed together and matching grades would be cool, too.
The Grade: BGS 9.5

Reality Check: A matching pair is what we ended up with here -- and this also reinforces the fact that this was one of the best boxes I've ever seen. I was a little surprised to see only six copies of this card graded, but they're all at least a 9.5 with only one topping this mark. Meanwhile, 14 of them have been graded by PSA -- five 10s -- so perhaps some of Tatis' big-spending fans are also PSA fans, too. (Looking at you, Phil Hughes.)

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

Continue reading →

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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OFF-SEASON SLABBING
The Card: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 2019 Topps Chrome RC (PSA 9)
The Price: About $15
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The pop report on this one is flip-flopped like a lot of new modern cards -- it's got more than 1,500 PSA 10s but just over 150 PSA 9s out of nearly 1,700 graded ... not the norm, really. Nonetheless, I still didn't mind it in this grade for this price. The short-printed Series 2 card that carries the same photo as this one is a tougher grade -- those corners can be chippy -- but rather than sub my own there and hope for a PSA 9 I just decided to go this route on Chrome. I'll probably do more when they present themselves or perhaps submit others at some point. (I'll have a big submission I already made batting lead-off in a future Making The Grade, too.) My gut feeling is that this super-rookie didn't live up to the massive hype we had envisioned last year -- so 2020 could be one that is dramatic for his cardboard ... one way or another.
Grab a box right here: 2019 Topps Chrome 

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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First Buzz previews are by far our most-popular pieces here on The Buzz and they are a simple way of looking back at everything that was teased and arrived in 2019. Here's a recap of everything that was previewed -- nearly 300 products -- all in one spot.

Keep in mind that a number of 2019 releases were announced before the calendar changed -- but even those can be found by clicking here and doing some digging. And the latter portion of the listing to come are actually a preview of what's to come soon ... so even if you're not in the look-back mood you can certainly look forward to 2020 right here, too.

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JANUARY PREVIEWS (Don't mind dust on the old galleries ... still updating them after a Wordpress change.) 

First Buzz: 2019 Topps Chrome baseball cards

First Buzz: 2019 Topps WWE Transcendent Collection wrestling cards

First Buzz: 2019 Leaf Draft football cards

First Buzz: 2019 Onyx Preferred Players Baseball Collection

First Buzz: 2017-18 Leaf Pearl hockey cards

First Buzz: 2018 Panini Flawless football cards

First Buzz: 2018-19 Donruss soccer cards

First Buzz: Super Break The Bar Mementos Holiday Edition

First Buzz: 2019 The Bar Pieces of The Past Series 1

First Buzz: 2019 Panini Prizm Draft Picks football cards

First Buzz: 2019 Topps WWE Undisputed wrestling cards

First Buzz: 2019 Topps Tier One baseball cards

First Buzz: 2019 Topps Pro Debut baseball cards

First Buzz: 2019 Topps MLB Sticker Collection

First Buzz: 2019 SAGE HIT Low Series football cards

First Buzz: 2018-19 Panini Court Kings basketball cards

First Buzz: 2019 Panini Diamond Kings baseball cards

First Buzz: 2018 Panini Honors football cards

First Buzz: 2019 Topps UFC Knockout

First Buzz: 2019 Topps Museum Collection baseball cards

First Buzz: 2018-19 Topps Chrome UEFA Champions League

Alliance of American Football opts for Topps football cards

First Buzz: 2019 Topps Finest baseball cards

First Buzz: 2019 Historic Autographs Steele Engravings

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Keep reading for more ... there were plenty of releases this year.

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From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and break down 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: 2019 Topps WWE Women's Division wrestling cards (Target blasters)
First Buzz preview & Checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 11 (10 packs plus one one-card hit pack)
Cards per pack: 7
Cards per box: 71
Cards per lot: 142
Base set completion: 
63 of 100 (63 percent)
Duplicates: 45

Notables on base cards: Mandy Rose, Mickie James, Elizabeth, Zelina Vega, Ruby Riott, Ember Moon, Becky Lynch, Bayley, Nia Jax, Beth Phoenix, Asuka, Carmella, Ronda Rousey, Alexa Bliss, Stephanie McMahon, Mia Yim, Sasha Banks

Rookie/First NXT Cards (17) – Toni Storm, Kacy Catanzaro, Chelsea Green, Xia Li, Io Shirai, Lacey Evans, Marina Shafir, Nikki Cross, Lacey Lane, Jessamyn Duke

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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: Panini Prizm breaks madness, big Patrick Mahomes pulls, uncut sheets, a big WWE pull and more.

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From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and break down 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: 2019 Topps WWE Women's Division wrestling cards (Walmart blaster)
First Buzz preview & Checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 11 (10 packs plus one one-card hit pack)
Cards per pack: 7
Cards in this box: 71
Base set completion: 
55 of 100 (55 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards: Becky Lynch, Bayley, Nia Jax, Beth Phoenix, Asuka, Peyton Royce, Billie Kay, Liv Morgan, Carmella, Mia Yim, Ronda Rousey, Alexa Bliss, Sonya Deville, Stephanie McMahon, Paige, Kairi Sane

Rookie/First NXT Cards (8) – Toni Storm, Kacy Catanzaro, Chelsea Green, Lacey Evans, Marina Shafir, Nikki Cross, Lacey Lane, Jessamyn Duke

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Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today's your day then as we launch 8 in 8 -- a series of a eight breaks of wax boxes and wax packs in as many hours today. We'll post one every hour ... this is Hour 2.

The box: 2019 Topps WWE Women's Division wrestling cards (hobby)
The cost: BlowoutCards.com

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

What's Buzzing Today: Gleyber Torres put on a show and breaks from WWE, MLB, NFL and college basketball to start things off today.

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From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and break down 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: 2019 Topps WWE Women's Division wrestling cards (Walmart blaster)
First Buzz preview & Checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 11 (10 packs plus one one-card hit pack)
Cards per pack: 7
Cards in this box: 71
Base set completion: 
54 of 100 (54 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards: Becky Lynch, Bayley, Nia Jax, Beth Phoenix, Ember Moon, Asuka, Peyton Royce, Billie Kay, Lita, Liv Morgan, Carmella, Mia Yim, Ronda Rousey, Alexa Bliss, Sonya Deville, Stephanie McMahon, Paige, Kairi Sane

Rookie/First NXT Cards (8) – Toni Storm, Kacy Catanzaro, Chelsea Green, Lacey Evans, Marina Shafir, Nikki Cross, Jessi Kamea, Jessamyn Duke

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: Nothing but big pulls and break highlights 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 a few threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing Today: Nothing but big pulls in today's edition -- MLB, NFL, NBA and WWE.

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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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MAN OF THE MOMENT ... AND WRONG SET NAME
The Item: Ronald Acuña Jr. 2019 Bowman Chrome Superfractor (1/1)
The Price: $1,799.99 opening bid (with best offer option)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This probably isn't what you're looking for with the arrival of 2019 Bowman Chrome -- it's all about prospect autos, especially in the HTA boxes linked below -- but there are other cards to look for, too, and this is one. If you click that link above you'll see something else peculiar beyond the price, which I'm not sure will even be hit opening that high. The seller mistakenly called this card a Gold Shimmer ... an error on a card of a guy who is on the cusp of some MLB history in the coming days as he's just three stolen bases away from being the youngest member of the very-exclusive 40-40 Club. If the price was low, I'd call this a steal scenario ... but it's not. (It also was fixed while I was writing this.)
Similar Pieces: 2019 Bowman Chrome autos on eBay 
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for 2019 Bowman Chrome

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

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