Alabama Crimson Tide
Buzz Buys (Oct.): Vintage perfection, Nick Kurtz's autograph, a few MLB names, WWE stars, oldschool oddities and more
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Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...
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MY BEAR NECESSITY
The Item: Paul "Bear" Bryant autographed & dated/inscribed (Oct. 18, 1976) 8-by-10 photo (BAS authenticated)
The Price: $219 ... high for me but it's the perfect item for me
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was a jaw-dropper of a find for me during a random search of Mill Creek Sports' superstore for autographed stuff earlier this year and I've saved it for football season, specifically this month, to present it and tell its story. It's personalized and that makes it perfect for me this time ... and to top that, the signed date -- the legendary Alabama Crimson Tide football coach and football icon who won 323 games dated everything signed like this -- might as well be on Buzz's actual birthday. (It's close ... close enough.) The odds of this existing or one being signed on my actual birthday? Well, I'm sure there were a number of things to sign on this Monday and I'm also very sure he wasn't sitting down to sign requests on a gameday when I kicked things off in the world. So, this is perhaps as close as it can get. The quality and condition of the photo are perfect and the ink is perfectly legible, too. Now, is his autograph really rare? Not particularly, but he died in January 1983 well before sit-down and paid signing sessions were en vogue for sports legends and he's still in high, historic demand despite Nick Saban equaling him and/or re-writing the Alabama record book in more recent years. It's the perfect item at a perfect price and it will always be mine.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but football cards are here.Keep reading for more interesting items ...
Making the Grade (Oct.): MLB perfection, college standouts, pre-WWE Shotzi, vintage, Bo Bichette and ... a slabbed CD?
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Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading ... so here's this month's grading diary.
A HIGH-GRADE DOMINATOR
The Card: Paul Skenes 2025 Topps Heritage
The Reason Bought: I'll fully admit I'm a sucker for high-grade Heritage Rookie Cards and, while this isn't an RC, this one captured my attention just like one as I've ripped my fair share of Heritage this year and, well, not much of the cards that matter that I pulled could have checked in at a perfect grade. All that perfection, the clean photo and the color scheme here got me to bite.
The Grade: CGC 10 (Pristine)Grade 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 P10 Total Population 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 3 2 3 1 11 Reality Check: I didn't check the pop report before grabbing it, so it was an extra bonus to see that it's the lone card in the top slot with a decent number of cards below it -- and that goes as low as a CGC 7. That reinforces that Heritage isn't the easiest grade. That makes this one even more of a win in my book.
Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.
First Buzz: 2025 Bowman Chrome University football cards
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What: 2025 Bowman Chrome University football cards
Arrives: Oct. 31
Box basics: Two autos per 20-pack hobby box (12 boxes per case) or four autos per 12-pack jumbo box (eight per case)
Order: Click here (when live)What's buzz-worthy: Topps' fourth Chrome release for the NCAA prospect ranks in pack form with full college licensing arrives soon with a mix of modern and throwback vibes inside its boxes.
Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.
Ticket Stud or Ticket Dud? You decide ... here's Chapter 49
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With these Ticket Stud or Ticket Dud stories I'm turning just a tiny bit of that energy just a few degrees away from cards (we'll still have plenty of them here) for a different kind of cardboard. What am I doing? Simple ... this is an occasional dip into some random ticket lots -- a show and tell showing something small with a story.
This time? A dominating day in college football action.
Keep reading to see the details this time ... and tell me if you think it's a Ticket Stud or a Ticket Dud.
Buzz Buys (Sept.): New oddball cards, vintage finds, Ozzy, Shotzi, Bo Bichette and plenty more of my usual suspects
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Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...
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GOING FOR THE GOLD
The Card: Shotzi Blackheart 2022 Panini Select WWE Gold Wave Prizm (/10)
The Price: Around the price of a blaster box at arrival
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This brand is my favorite of the Panini years for WWE, and in the case of this star who I collect I have seemed to found her rarities on the affordable side at times with this release. This is a perfect example of that with it being one of the rarest parallels in there but it cost me not much more than the price of a retail box. It was arguably underpriced, so I grabbed it quickly when I spotted it. Will I grade it? It's a possibility, though this release's centering issues can create some surprises (that aren't totally surprises) as I found out with a different parallel of this card. Poke around in Making The Grade last month for an example.
Grab a box right here: WWE cards are here.Keep reading for more interesting items ...
First Buzz: 2025 Panini Prizm Draft Picks football cards
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What: 2025 Panini Prizm Draft Picks football cards
Arrives: Aug. 20
Box basics: Four autographs per four-pack box (16 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)What's buzz-worthy: Panini offers up Prizm Draft once again with some current college stars on NIL deals and greats of the recent past in their school colors with an autograph in every pack and plenty more.
Keep reading for more info and a full gallery.
MiLB Madness: A few familiar names from MLB past & present, a new Bull Durham nod & check out this obscure memorabilia
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Minor league baseball cards from the past can include some weird stuff ... sometimes stuff you wouldn't imagine to be found on a baseball card. Here are some some new fun cards and oddities in this latest edition of MiLB Madness.
ONE MORE DURHAM NOD ...
The Card: Steve Dalkowski 2009 TRISTAR Obak T212 Minis Green (/25)
The Buzz On This: This set isn't one limited to MiLB players per se -- it's more about the history and oddities around baseball at every level in every direction -- and it's not one issued in team sets, either. But, this card popped up in my digging for unique and different stuff with a story and, well, this one has it. Dalkowski is a legendary minor-leaguer whose powerful arm -- and unruly control -- inspired Bull Durham creator Ron Shelton to create Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh. How unruly was he? As an 18-year-old in Class D- Kingsport in 1957 he struck out 121 batters in 62 innings. He also walked 129 while recording a 1-8 record in 15 games. That's 17.6 Ks per nine innings and 18.7 walks per nine. The next season, he went 4-10 with a 7.63 ERA, striking out 203 batters in 118 innings and walking 245. The final stats, though not complete due to it being MiLB and being way back in the day, are impressive. You can find his only MLB card in 1963 Topps among the higher-numbers (despite never actually pitching in MLB) and basically his cards in this release are the only other option. He was slated to sign certified autos for it, too, but they were never completed. This one will always be an add for me if I see them.Keep reading for more examples of some weird or fun baseball cards (and other stuff) you can find in MiLB.
Collecting Game-used: A piece from a long road to The Show
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Detroit Tigers rookie relief pitcher Chase Lee after making his MLB debut last month. (@DETAuthentics photo)
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You probably don't know his name as he's a 26-year-old rookie in an MLB bullpen with more big-league innings in his five career games than he has big-league baseball cards. That count? Four-plus innings and zero big-league cards -- in other words, nothing Bowman at all before he got the call.
His name is Chase Lee and his nickname is "The Viper" -- that part's pretty big-league, actually -- and he made his MLB debut on April 22 with the Detroit Tigers. That day, he became the 23,429th player in league history, closing out a 2-0 loss to the Padres that was started by Jack Flaherty. Lee walked two and struck out one in just under two innings of work.
Three weeks to the day before that happened during a deep dive of game-used stuff from a major dealer in that realm, I added my latest item for this Collecting Game-used series and I added it for a few reasons -- but especially after I was intrigued by his story. Read this, I'll wait. Lee went from an average shortstop riding the bench on a club team with zero scholarship offers to being a failed walk-on who later figured out how to pitch -- he throws side-armed -- and came back to open tryouts the next year, 2019. That's when he made the Alabama Crimson Tide squad to start a three-year run that finished with a 9-0 college record and a 1.87 ERA and as a sixth-round pick of the Texas Rangers in 2021.
That sounds pretty strong, right? Well, all that was still years ago. Lee's path to Detroit and his first strikeout ball he's holding up top had more than a few twists and turns with a 7-11 record in those last five MiLB seasons with no MLB-approved baseball prospect cards (what we care about most here) but with 249 strikeouts in 182 innings -- that part's pretty big-league, too.
So, what is there to collect? Well, I'm sure somewhere deep in my Crimson Tide stash is a small sample of something from of his few Panini Prizm or Elite Extra Edition cards from way back in 2021 -- he's got cards in those sets and nothing since save for potential MiLB team set cards and game-used memorabilia. So, when I spotted a gamer I opted to break one of my basic rules and dip down into the minors for a game-used piece of his story to join my collection, figuring I had some time to craft this item before his possible call from a new team. Meanwhile, to my surprise, that's already happened. (Here's a newer story about his path and this one is even better.)
You can keep reading to see the details ... and the item in action.
Buzz Buys (April): Wrestlemania notables, vintage Hollywood, Bo Bichette, Alabama football icons & more stockpiled faves
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Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...
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'TIS THE SEASON
The Card: Rhea Ripley 2020 Topps Chrome WWE Refractor autographed Rookie Card parallel (BGS 9, 10 auto -- BAS & Fanatics Witnessed)
The Price: Less than a 2025 Topps Chrome WWE retail mega box these days
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: She's one of WWE's top stars and this was a key card at a somewhat-modest price considering it's a RC parallel with ink attached -- and it's fully graded, too. Sure, that's not the "Mami" mode/look of Ripley in the here and now -- her hair and look changed a lot while in NXT and early on -- but that different does reinforce "rookie" in a visual way along with that gear. I'm sure I have a copy of this card in my stash unsigned somewhere -- and I know I have a couple colors of her certified auto here -- but this was still an easy addition and an easy choice to lead things off this month. Why? Since it's Wrestlemania season (the big one is on April 19-20). Oh, and there might be (intentionally) a little more wrestling this time vs. my norm, too. Ripley has a lot of cardboard but is among the safest bets there is to grab bargains and stash them away. Why? She's only 28 and has been in the game more than a decade and there figures to be plenty more to come for her in WWE. Interestingly, this one is also graded and in the BGS pop report, so it could have led off Making The Grade this month. It's a pop-three card with one lower and one higher, a 9.5, with five total copies graded.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but WWE cards are here.Keep reading for more interesting items ...
Buzz Buys (March): Going high-end with Ichiro, Bear Bryant, Barrymore & chasing down oddballs with fun slab potential
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Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...
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LEGENDARY INK
The Card: Ichiro Suzuki autographed 2001 Topps Rookie Card (BAS 10 auto)
The Price: Not as much as you might think ... but also not that cheap.
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Clean copies of this iconic Topps flagship Rookie Card are not easy finds in general with the boxes and sets likely bricked now if they remain unopened -- that means the gloss will be snowy if you're lucky to peel the cards apart at all -- and then the dark green border and high-gloss on soft stock here is always going to be problematic. When I spotted this card among many where Suzuki has signed for literally years (Mill Creek Sports) without a premium price, I bit on this just before his Hall of Fame results hit. (We all knew he was going in ... but I didn't know if his prices were going to rise.) This copy is super clean vs. many cards out there with some very light roughness on maybe one edge and a light touch on the bottom-left corner ... but some of what's seen in my photo is just how the light is reflecting. I generally don't do a ton of bigger buys for my collection, but this one's cost wasn't that much more than some of the hot and plentiful new release hobby boxes. I went with a safe and iconic bet for my (for me) premium spend and went with the sure thing on an iconic card for a living legend. I pulled his ink once from an unlicensed release -- and it was in one of my earliest Making The Grade posts here -- but a signed RC means I'll likely never need to sweat his stuff again. (Might window shop, though, or bite if price is right for a nice certified.) One more fun part of my card? If that label had a simple added line of Beckett/Fanatics witnessed instead of signed for Mill Creek and then slabbed, the price likely would be double what I paid. I wouldn't pay that -- and this one is a win in my book.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but MLB cards are here.Keep reading for more interesting items ...
MiLB Madness: Ballpark swine, a familiar name, Millie & more
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Minor league baseball cards from the past can include some weird stuff ... stuff you wouldn't imagine to be found on a baseball card. Here are some some new oddities in this latest edition of MiLB Madness.
DIGGING ON SWINE
The Card: Parker The Rally Pig 2012 Grandstand Richmond Flying Squirrels
The Buzz On This: This guy has more than a few baseball cards, believe it or not, and this isn't the only time I've grabbed one for the ballpark star who was born in 2010 and retired by 2015. He was named after the team's previous venue, Parker Field, and "literally ate himself out of Double-A," according to this piece. Do I have all of the Parker cards now? Maybe ... I need to research this one further and then check my archives. I have to be close.Keep reading for more examples of some weird or fun baseball cards you can find in MiLB.
Alabama QB Jalen Milroe inks Panini America auto exclusive
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Panini America has another new college quarterback on its team.
University of Alabama Crimson Tide star and Heisman Trophy candidate Jalen Milroe signed an exclusive autographed card deal with the company, which was formally unveiled this week.
"Jalen is one of the premiere players in college football and is another outstanding addition to our family of athletes," said Jason Howarth, Senior VP of Marketing and Athlete Relations. "He will be a great partner for us as we continue to grow our Panini College platform and product offerings."
As part of that deal, according to the company, the junior will have a inked spot in the Panini Instant lineup, Panini marketing and in, of course, in standard in-pack football releases.
Buzz Buys (Oct.): Tiffany Stratton ink, old movies, Bo, Shotzi, retro autographs, old mags, new Hall of Famer & plenty more
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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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THERE'S ALWAYS TIME FOR TIFF
The Card: Tiffany Stratton 2024 Panini Instant WWE Red-White-Blue Autograph (/10)
The Price: $49.99 via Panini Instant
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was an instant buy for me for that price and I suspect that future autos for this rising WWE star will cost more when they happen again via Instant based on asking and sale prices over on eBay that are far higher. (And because Panini has charged more for names who aren't as popular.) It's not a perfect card with the auto running off the sticker to a small degree here (though others I saw were worse with that being part of the "T") but that doesn't matter to me much with this being a personal collection addition. The only question is whether I'll slab it or not and I'm leaning toward no as I don't want any surprises on a solid card. With this victory, she got a title match anywhere and at any time, so this is a key moment upon that rocketship ride to the top as she only started wrestling in any capacity in late 2021 and already has all the skills to pay the bills. (Here's one match to see.) There will be more Strattons to come here as long as the prices don't get too crazy.
Grab a box right here: Not for this ... WWE cards are hereKeep reading for more interesting items ...
Making the Grade (Oct.): Ohtani, Judge, KISS, Clerks, WWE, vintage books, Black Panther, Shotzi, Machete, Maris & more
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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 MONSTER YEAR ...
The Card: Shohei Ohtani 2018 Topps Heritage High Number -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: Ohtani had a monster season without even pitching -- first 50-50 Club member for starters and just short of the National League Triple Crown -- and his big-time potential had me submitting some of my RCs for him earlier this year. Did people expect this kind of showing, though? Probably not -- I know I didn't -- but I know Heritage RCs are my preference, so this one made the cut. The bottom corners seem to be the most-common issue with these cards, but this one was clean and so it made my sub -- and I will have two more on the way to grading, too, so you'll see more of this card during the off-season or by next spring.
The Grade: CGC 10Grade 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 P10 Total Population 1 0 0 1 0 1 32 149 68 181 3 436 Reality Check: The graded volume is high here but perhaps still modest vs. PSA volumes -- I'm good with that -- and this one has only been topped three times. I dig that. This mark isn't that rare but it is one that would be in demand with the two slots below also where many will look.
Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.
MiLB Madness: Chico, sons of Carney, school ties & even more
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Minor league baseball cards from the past can include some weird stuff ... stuff you wouldn't imagine to be found on a baseball card. Here are some some new oddities in this latest edition of MiLB Madness.
CHICO IS THE MAN
The Card: Chico 2018 Choice El Paso Chihuahuas
The Buzz On This: This totally was going to be a Making The Grade novelty slab -- a high-mark graded card because as it's something different -- showing off a favorite mascot. Why? It's a card that showcases not only the furball on the field but the team's logo, which I think is one of the best in the game and that can't be said enough. But ... it looks like this is the back card in every set as that line you can see running down the back of the card is on all of them here and likely more. It's probably from the seal of the pack ... or machinery that handled the cards during packaging. Woof. Part of me wants to slab it anyway but maybe I'll wait until I have collected them all and them sub all of the Chicos together in a pack like a big-dog collector would. Something like that.Keep reading for more examples of some weird or fun baseball cards you can find in MiLB.
Making the Grade (Aug.): Flashy football, colorful Shotzi, vintage Bruce Lee, Barry Sanders ... and The Great Cornholio?
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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 ...
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?
The Card: Derrick Henry 2023 Panini Luminance Red (/25)
The Reason Graded: This card was an instant need for me in some form the second I saw that photo and I managed to find this rarer parallel on the cheap and in clean shape to make it a double win. It was so clean, it was one of a couple cards from this that made it into my recent submission and, well, it's another win for the school ties part of my collection.
The Grade: CGC 10 (Pristine)Grade 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 P10 Total Population 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 Reality Check: That one checks in as a good as it gets and this release grades really, really well from what I have seen -- not a lot as it's a premium-priced brand -- but enough that it will get further looks from me. (Maybe more since football season will be upon us very soon.)
Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.
Buzz Break: 2023 ONIT Athlete Campus Icons football 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: 2023 ONIT Athlete Campus Icons football cards
Where to buy: None for this one via Blowout ... click here for more college football
Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery for what was in this one.
Buzz Buys: Legendary rocker ink, even more Dogpool, Clerks, young stars, old movie stuff, WWE memorabilia & much more
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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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WELCOME TO THE COLLECTION
The Item: Slash autographed Four (2022) CD cover (PSA/DNA authenticated)
The Price: Less than a jumbo box of flagship cards ...
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is one of my recent additions in the rock autograph realm as, well, that genre can be quite pricey -- too pricey, really -- but the cost was decent here for an autograph of the iconic Guns N' Roses guitarist who's stayed busy with many a project since that band disbanded and then reloaded in recent years. While I'd prefer a signed item showing him -- I have to flip this one over to see an image -- this PSA-slabbed CD cover that was likely among those sold via Newbury Comics back in the day worked for me. It was probably $100 less than it could be at times for a similar slabbed/third-party authenticated item. Meanwhile, it was probably about $50 more than the same thing but without third-party authentication and encapsulation. A signed and authenticated photo can end up around $500 if it looks good (sometimes more, sometimes less) while signed items can soar even higher. Why? Access -- Slash isn't exactly doing signings or conventions -- so the few times he's signed for his own album releases like this in more volume they get gobbled up and become ultimately the entry point (or only addition) for many. Count me right there. I wanted to add Slash to my stash ... but not break the bank.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... hit non-sports on BlowoutCards.comKeep reading for more interesting items ...
Buzz Buys: A check, a Chuck, old Trek, Roll Tide Willie, UFC ink to grab right now, Rocky Maivia mags, JLo, Mariah May & more
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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 ... and this time around there's some traditional stuff and some odd stuff.
CHECK IT OUT ...
The Item: Pro Football Hall of Famer Deacon Jones autographed 1984 Warner Bros. payroll check
The Price: Less than a blaster box
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I haven't ever really dabbled with signed/canceled checks except for a few school ties names (Roll Tide!) who don't have a lot of stuff and where other items are pricey. One example? Former Yankees broadcaster Mel Allen ... a signed ball can be expensive but a signed check is still pricey but not as bad. In this case, I stumbled upon this check during a curiosity dive online and it seemed unique -- a Warner Bros. studio payroll check (pre-printed signatures on the front) made out to and signed by a Pro Football Hall of Famer on the back. The amount isn't massive, so I figured it was probably a royalty payment for some TV show appearance or movie re-run and he had a few in films and spots as himself on TV through the years. I wish I could figure it out, but IMDb only had an appearance on Super Bloopers and Practical Jokes in 1984 and an appearance on The Fall Guy in 1983 with other past projects also possible. (I didn't do a deep dive on figuring out who owned what for studio/network properties back then ... but it's probably do-able.) What do I know? This is something different compared to a lot of the stuff out there signed by "The Secretary of Defense."
Grab a box right here: None for this ... but NFL boxes are here.Keep reading for more interesting items ...
MiLB Madness: Looking back, looking at card backs & more
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Minor league baseball cards from the past can include some weird stuff ... stuff you wouldn't imagine to be found on a baseball card. Here are some some new oddities in this latest edition of MiLB Madness.
IF YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW ... AGAIN
The Cards: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 2020 Choice Lansing Lugnuts 25th Anniversary set (nine)
The Buzz On This: The second MLB All-Star to be found in this one is Vladdy 2.0 (after Bichette 2.0 last month). This one is a cheap set I found on sale in the official MiLB Store ... so I did a bulk buy. Why? I want to slab some stuff in this one and the price was right for doing some cherry-picking. As I noted last time, if you don't dabble in the MiLB realm, there are some affordable ways to find top names in old unis without breaking the bank and this set shows off notables from this team's past -- a solid alumni set. Another type of cheap MiLB team set that can be loaded are the league "top prospects" sets and similar all-star team sets that can be sold by all teams in a league. My nine sets here were cheaper than pretty much all MLB hobby boxes so far this year.Keep reading for more examples of some weird or fun baseball cards you can find in MiLB.
Buzz Break: 2023 ONIT Athlete Alabama football 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 pack: 2023 ONIT Athlete University of Alabama NIL football cards
Checklist: Click here
Where to buy: None for this one ... click here for more college football
Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery for what was in this one.
Buzz Buys: Early autographs, cheap Rookie Cards, oddball memorabilia, vintage, some of my favorite names & more
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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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I CAN'T LAND THE CARD, BUT ... THIS IS EVEN BETTER
The Item: Paige autographed 2012 FCW Summer Slamarama 12-by-18 promotional poster
The Price: Pricey ... but probably less than your new WWE hobby box
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: So, what is this? It's a piece of 2000s WWE history that ultimately would only surface regionally (in Florida) and is one of few collectible options for the company's developmental ranks in the years before NXT was on TV every week. Florida Championship Wrestling was NXT's predecessor with it being broadcast on regional TV only (and sometimes weeks after events happened ... not live). Meanwhile, many of today's current stars got their starts there with different names than you might know -- and the only "stuff" that might be found now for this summer in particular are a single in-demand (and counterfeited) card set, potential programs/magazines, tickets and maybe a calendar ... but FCW wasn't like NXT is now in a lot of ways. It wasn't uncommon for the stars of now to be taking money for tickets or helping the crowd members find their seats before a modest small-venue show. This is a large poster that uses a version of Paige's card from that set of the same name -- a pricey one that's eluded me due to price and the fakes (I'd only buy graded) -- and this auto is an early, full-letter signature unlike her few card autos. It came from a Florida-based collector who went to an FCW show on June 8, 2012, in Punta Gorda, Fla., and landed it at a signing to kick off the regional Summer Slamarama Tour that year ... and that was the first event. Supposedly only 300 fans per stop (while they lasted) got card sets -- that also shows why those are pricey (if they survived). This stop had six FCW stars in the set signing these posters and Paige is the biggest of them by far -- and she had only signed with WWE as an 19-year-old and made her FCW debut that January. How many of these are still around now? I have no idea ... but I've never seen another.
Grab a box right here: Land WWE stuff at BlowoutCards.comKeep reading for more interesting items ...
Buzz Break: 2023 ONIT Athlete Alabama football 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 pack: 2023 ONIT Athlete University of Alabama NIL football cards
Checklist: Click here
Where to buy: None for this one ... click here for more college football
Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery for what was in this one.
Collecting Game-used: Absolute first MLB home jersey? Maybe
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It's always about the details -- and this time they spoke to me.
My newest item in this Collecting Game-used series is admittedly not game-used as in game action but it's pretty definitely used in its documented details and is unique ... as in I think it's perhaps the only one of its kind and a first.
It's an MLB Authenticated Alex Avila Detroit Tigers home jersey -- one that's tagged from back in 2009 but didn't get itself an MLBA sticker until after the 2022 season. How did that happen? Well, that's a mystery of its own -- and I can't solve that one -- but what struck me as interesting beyond that year, his first of 13 in MLB, was that uniform number for starters.
Keep reading to see the details this time ... and oddly enough it was documented in a different way for the first time tomorrow back in 2009.
Buzz Break: 2023 Bowman University Alabama Football 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: 2023 Bowman University Alabama Football cards
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (when available)
First Buzz preview with checklist/odds: Click hereKeep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.