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 ... a lot of my usual suspects and some early spring cleaning as I've always got plenty of stuff lined up to appear here.

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AS YOU KNOW ... I BUY BO
The Card: Bo Bichette 2023 Topps Tribute Stamp of Approval Relics (/196)
The Price: $13
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: If you're a regular reader, then you know Bichette is in heavy rotation here and I sprung a little more than I might usually for a memorabilia card to grab one of these premium-brand Relics that has a little extra attached ... just to talk about it here. As you can see at right (click for a closer look if you need it) this piece comes from a jersey worn on May 21, 2021, that was then cut up and authenticated a second time -- for this exact piece -- that got its sticker on Sept. 1, 2022 ... all for you to know which specific game, event and season it came from. (Spoiler: Other game-used Relic items were stickered, too, they're just not noted on every card as some releases will inevitably have more than one item used, creating a logistics nightmare between cards printed and pieces available.) I don't mind these, but at the same time it's not necessary on every card as the time and organization that it requires isn't worth it for the cost for the company to do it all the time, it could cause even more errors, and it doesn't add much value -- you can find these with some interestingly low prices through the years.
Grab a box right here: MLB boxes at BlowoutCards.com

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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 ...

FROM THE BARGAIN BIN TO ...
The Card: Ken Griffey Jr. 1989 Topps Traded -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: I picked up this at the last minute -- literally at closing time -- at a past National Sports Collectors Convention after some digging through a bargain bin where cards were literally bouncing around inside cases in a plastic tub. For just $5 this card (as a raw copy) was mine after one thing jumped out at me -- its back with all that black ink was perfectly cut and its front was super-close to centered. It's not that I needed this card, really, as I picked up about three or four sets from the 1989 JCPenney Christmas catalog -- just $12.99 apiece -- back in the day, but I found the rough back edges to be an issue when revisiting all my copies with the the stars that survived past purges. This one made it into one of my bulk grading subs earlier this year as it was past time to grade one. Yes, it's got a very slight rough spot on the front left -- some extra fuzz as it's some light cardboard -- but everything else here (especially the back) was too clean to not send it in.
The Grade: CSG 10

Reality Check: That's definitely the kind of grade I was going for here, though a lot of them seem to check in at that mark -- about 17 percent of the current population -- which seems high for the era, but, at the same time, these were released as boxed sets and not in packs so they perhaps didn't get handled as much during packaging. Plus, inner cards in the boxes got protected pretty well. I'll take it. This one has always been one of my favorite RCs for this icon ... because I could afford this one and not the other big one that many love. I have them all now, of course (I think), but I'm pretty sure few or even none of my copies from back then would grade like this one did. Not bad for a $5 find and then $10 more to grade it.

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: 2022 Topps Gypsy Queen baseball cards (blaster box)
First Buzz preview: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

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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: New pulls, card show thoughts, number crunching, Topps Now, buying woes and ... even the vintage guys are talking about economic impacts on cardboard.

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What: 2022 Topps Gypsy Queen baseball cards
Arrives: May 18
Box basics: Two autographs per 24-pack box (10 boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Gypsy Queen's approach gets a tweaking for 2022 with an old-timey ticket machine being the aesthetic with some new inclusions that also reinforce the new look

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

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