Atlanta Braves
Buzz's Pick Six: Iconic autographs to chase down right now
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Have you seen the latest cool cards from a new release? With so many options for collectors of all kinds arriving every week it's possible you haven't. That's where Buzz comes in -- well at least on one brand you'll see here from time to time in what we're calling Buzz's Pick Six. Simply put, here are six cards from a new arrival that seemed interesting to this collector and we think they might interest you, too.
This week's six-pack: Iconic autographs to own ... I'll make my signer choices and show six examples from recent releases. (This is by no means a catch-all or top-of-them-all list ... just six on Buzz's mind.)
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PAST MEETS PRESENT
The Card: Ronald Acuña Jr. & Hank Aaron 2019 Topps Tribute Tandem Autograph Booklets Red (/10)
The Price: $1,999.99 Buy-It-Now (or best offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: OK, maybe this is a Pick Seven this week, but this card is a perfect example of get it while you can when it comes to autographs. This card is super-rare and from a high-end brand and it includes autographs of one guy who you should have these days and one guy you need to have in your collection if you do baseball. Acuña is the autograph you should have as he's an emerging MVP-caliber talent -- a guy who came up just short of being the youngest member of the super-elite 40-40 Club at age 21 ... while mostly batting leadoff. The other is an MLB legend you need to own in some fashion, the former home run king who hit more home runs than anyone in history* (save for That One Guy*). This is the elite past meeting the elite future. Aaron is 85 and his handwriting has gotten rougher over time, while Acuña will have plenty of reasons to potentially not sign new autograph deals if he becomes more and more successful on the field. Aaron was the auto that came to mind first for me, but Acuña is perhaps the autograph to own for this season. Thankfully, I've pulled both of these guys' autos out of packs in the past, so I haven't had to chase them -- but they should both be in an MLB collection.Keep reading for five more items in this week's roundup ...
Where do you start collecting Ronald Acuña Jr. Rookie Cards?
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You should know by now that Ronald Acuña Jr. is having a historic year with the 30-30 Club already set to appear on his 2020 baseball cards -- and there's a serious chance he could become the youngest member of the elite 40-40 Club before the season is over, too.
But it's The Atlanta Braves outfielder's 2018 Rookie Cards that you should be thinking about right now as there's been a serious uptick in interest -- and there's still a lot to choose from that's not priced out of many collectors' budgets.
Acuña appears on more than 3,500 unique baseball cards since he arrived in prospect and minor-league sets back in 2016 and that number has gotten there rather quickly. Amidst his arrival and National League Rookie of the Year award-winning season last year, for example, he appeared on more than 1,700 new cards and more than 1,000 of those were made by Topps just last year.
For simplicity's sake here, we have carved out all of his Topps Now and several other small-set cards sold as online releases as well as Panini America's meaty lineup of Acuña RCs (those could be their own future rundown ... and likely will be). We've also punted all autographs and Relic cards from last year to make this a starting point with the widest affordability net possible -- though ink and parallels in the sets where he has basic RCs will get mentions. That said, even with this starting point, there's still a good mix of high-end and low-end cardboard -- and even the low-end stuff can generate some good Acuña Cash when professionally graded.
Keep reading for a rundown of Ronald Acuña Jr. Rookie Cards.
Is Ronald Acuña Jr.'s 2018 Topps Holiday Rookie Card the next big scorcher? (Spoiler: It might be getting there already ... )
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If you've been shut out or just can't grab 2018 Topps Update boxes at this point, there is an alternative option for wax
that has a pretty good shot at landing a key card of a key rookie who's looking to do some big things the rest of this season and likely for years in Atlanta.
He's Ronald Acuña Jr. and the box is the 2018 Topps Holiday Box where he's one of the RCs to grab that's -- for now -- pretty easy to land and can deliver big once you get it slabbed.
And there's also a parallel and hit versions for him to chase, too.
eBay Buzz: Aristides Aquino's first Superfractor autograph, Zion Williamson's draft night 1/1, one of Ronald Acuña Jr.'s key printing plates, Peter Alonso's ink and an NFL buying strategy
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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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BIG DEAL, BIG CARD
The Item: Aristides Aquino 2014 Bowman Chrome Prospects Superfractor autograph (1/1)
The Price: $29,999.99 Buy-It-Now (or best offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This guy has been demolishing baseballs at a record pace since Yasiel Puig was shipped to Cleveland and part of the reason you haven't seen a lot of him here on The Buzz is that there's simply not a lot of cardboard ink to go around for this new MLB star. His only MLB autographs are in 2014 Bowman Chrome -- that's it -- with the only other options being in 2015 Elite Extra Edition and 2015 Panini Contenders. He hasn't signed a thing since. He's pushing 60 autographed cards between the three releases but has just over 70 different baseball cards right now with Topps Now releases piling up of late. He'll be a 2020 Topps Series 1 Rookie Card
Similar Pieces: Other Aristides Aquino autos on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for 2014 Bowman Chrome boxesKeep reading for four more interesting items in this week's roundup ...
Making the Grade (August): New Vladdy, Acuña, Rally Squirrel, Undertaker, Juggernaut, Michael Jordan, Paige, Kurt Cobain, The Bad News Bears' ace ... and Keith Comstock's beanballs?
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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: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 2019 Topps Living Set #179 RC
The Reason Graded: While I own a few Topps Living Set cards the arrival of this second-generation MLB star in this weekly release sparked my first purchase from this popular brand that's clearly popular with flippers. I ponied up for 10 copies of the card --solely with potential grading in mind -- but didn't receive a single perfectly centered card in my batch, which was a bummer. After some grumbling, I picked out this one from the batch and sent it in.
The Grade: BGS 9.5Grade 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 B10 Total Population 0 0 0 0 1 1 26 29 28 2 0 87 Reality Check: It graded as well as I thought it could -- maybe better -- so I wasn't unhappy with the grade and it appears that I'm perhaps on the luckier side with just two 10s out there better than it via BGS ... for now. This is a card that will likely be graded more and more often so those won't last but but it appears that this one is arriving between 8.5 and 9.5 more often than not. I have a second one I'll submit to PSA at some point with my sights set on a 10 there. We'll see sometime later this year.
Buzz Break: 2019 Topps Archives Signature Series Active Player Edition baseball 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: 2019 Topps Archives Signature Series Active Player Edition baseball cards
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
Packs per box: 1
Cards per pack: 1
Base set completion: N/ACarding Baseball America's MLB Prospects Hot Sheet (July 15)
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Here's a look at the top five players on this week's Baseball America Top MLB Prospects Hot Sheet and their seasons so far. It's a little something to help those who might want to dabble with prospecting -- some basics on their baseball cards alongside a highlight line from those more scouting-minded. We may not do this every week, but we'll check in on BA's top crop from time to time for the remainder of the season.
1. Trevor Larnach, OF, Twins — High-A Fort Myers Miracle
Baseball America’s highlight line: “Royce Lewis and Alex Kirilloff get all the headlines in the Twins’ system, but Larnach has spent the season putting up very impressive numbers in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League. He’s continued to adjust his approach to make his big-time power play to all fields, thus helping unlock his potential as a classic big, hairy monster who profiles in a corner outfield spot."
CARDBOARD BASICS
Approximate card total (so far): 140
First Chrome auto: 2018 Bowman Draft
One auto to consider: 2018 Bowman's Best
Buzz’s card take: About half of his cards are autographs, which is good, but it's still not a big number. His stats in two MiLB seasons are pretty strong with a .311 average and 11 homers and 70 RBI in 126 games since he was taken 20th overall in last year's draft. They aren't overwhelmingly amazing stats but he went 12-for-26 last week ... so that gets him here. I don't see any "big, hairy monster" stats beyond that so I'm not all that sold on his seasons so far.Keep reading for the rest of the top five ...
The National: Whose autograph would you grab first this year?
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This year's National Sports Collectors Convention is nearly here -- it's set for July 31-Aug. 4 in Chicago with a strong roster of autograph guests ready to sign for collectors who get a ticket and get in line for their moment beyond the ballpark.
Some signers are free if you attend the VIP reception on opening day of the show or buy a VIP ticket package -- a bonus for taking the time to hit every day of the show -- but other signers will take some planning to land the ones you want.
It's tough to see everything at The National -- it's that big -- and the time it takes to work through autograph lines is valuable in that it impedes your shot at seeing it all. With that said, here are my picks -- one per day plus a bonus pick this year -- to grab off the autograph list. (Keep reading for the full signers list in a gallery ... and, remember, times are always subject to change.)
Carding Baseball America's MLB Prospects Hot Sheet (July 9)
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Here's a look at the top five players on this week's Baseball America Top MLB Prospects Hot Sheet and their seasons so far. It's a little something to help those who might want to dabble with prospecting -- some basics on their baseball cards alongside a highlight line from those more scouting-minded. We may not do this every week, but we'll check in on BA's top crop from time to time for the remainder of the season.
1. Joey Wentz, LHP, Braves — Double-A Mississippi Braves
Baseball America’s highlight line: “While his Mississippi rotation-mates have soared, Wentz has found Double-A to be a little more difficult. But lately there have been some very positive signs. His velocity has ticked back up to the 91-94 mph range, which helps his changeup play as the above-average and even plus pitch it can be at its best. Wentz tied his career high in strikeouts with nine on July 1 and then set a new career high with 10 strikeouts on July 6."
CARDBOARD BASICS
Approximate card total (so far): 225
First Chrome auto: 2018 Bowman
One auto to consider: 2015 Leaf Perfect Game
Buzz’s card take: That BA blurb didn't seem all that sold on him but the reason he's here might be his overall stats -- 19 strikeouts in 12-plus innings with just two runs and five walks in his last two starts. A 1.42 ERA ain't shabby, either. He doesn't have a lot of cards in general -- and just under 100 autographs -- despite arriving back in 2015 Leaf Perfect Game releases. His first Chrome autos arrived just last year so check those boxes if you were busy chasing Shohei Ohtani this time last year. The Braves are going to be getting plenty of looks from collectors with all their young talent ... so he's worth a look, too.Keep reading for the rest of the top five ...
Carding Baseball America's MLB Prospects Hot Sheet (June 17)
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Here's a look at the top five players on this week's Baseball America Top MLB Prospects Hot Sheet and their seasons so far. It's a little something to help those who might want to dabble with prospecting -- some basics on their baseball cards alongside a highlight line from those more scouting-minded. We may not do this every week, but we'll check in on BA's top crop from time to time for the remainder of the season.
1. Drew Waters, OF, Braves — Double-A Mississippi Braves
Baseball America’s highlight line: “It’s not like Waters wasn’t having an excellent season when June began. But his .416/.566/.828 June has unquestionably pushed him to the point where he is the most productive hitter in the Southern League. Waters now leads the league in nine major offensive categories including batting average (.338), slugging percentage (.535), OPS (.916), extra-base hits (36) and total bases (147). ... There are 35 Triple-A hitters slugging .550 or better. There are only three Double-A hitters slugging above .550."
CARDBOARD BASICS
Approximate card total (so far): 300
First Chrome auto: 2017 Bowman Draft
One auto to consider: 2016 Leaf Metal Perfect Game
Buzz’s card take: This isn't the first time you have seen him here and not much has changed for him on the cardboard front release-wise -- no new ink this year. As said last time, about a third of his autos can be found in the 2016 Leaf release, while his 2017 ink arrives in a number of prospect brands as a pro. He's a Top 100 prospect across the board but the Braves have plenty of talent on the roster -- so it's a good thing he's just 20.
Keep reading for the rest of the top five ...
Making the Grade (June): The Dream Team, Ronald Acuña Jr., Bart Starr, Mike Trout, Deadpool, Kelly Hu's rookie & 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 super-sized edition this time around that's heavy on MLB and NBA but with a few surprises.
The Cards: 1991-92 SkyBox #544-546 Team USA puzzle
The Reason Graded: I picked up a box of this one for roughly $16 late last year (a bargain price) and pulled two sets of these puzzles, which was good. Why? Because grading these and the other notables from the iconic Hall of Famer-loaded Dream Team is pretty heavy and this one has been on my to-do list. I landed most of the notables more than once but just one Jordan that was noticeably off-centered. These glossed cards on the puzzle could have issues that the standard cards don't have simply because of their surfaces, but mine were clean. I will revisit my second set to see if anything stands out. I may go the PSA route on the other set for variety's sake if I see anything that would make me wonder about potential grades.
The Grades: BGS 9.5Grade 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 B10 Total Population 0 3 0 2 3 1 7 16 30 0 0 64 Grade 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 B10 Total Population 0 0 0 1 1 2 5 24 64 1 0 98 Grade 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 B10 Total Population 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 20 39 3 0 66 Reality Check: This one was a stressful one as I had hoped for matching grades. Thankfully, that's what I got and that's where most cards land for all three pieces of the puzzle. This is a textbook example of the kind of cardboard that can make you some money with grading, too, as they're no more than $10 total raw, while BGS 9.5s together should top $100 in some cases and asking prices for the middle (Jordan) card alone can be steep. It's memorable cardboard from the past with nothing but iconic players involved, so there's still good demand -- and that's another reason why I slabbed. Wax boxes aren't all that plentiful, either, compared to other boxes around that time.
Keep reading for the rest of this month's new grades and additions.
This Hobby factory set can include a Ronald Acuña Jr. RC gem
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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.
Carding Baseball America's MLB Prospects Hot Sheet (May 20)
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Here's a look at the top five players on this week's Baseball America Top MLB Prospects Hot Sheet and their seasons so far. It's a little something to help those who might want to dabble with prospecting -- some basics on their baseball cards alongside a highlight line from those more scouting-minded. We may not do this every week, but we'll check in on BA's top crop from time to time for the remainder of the season.
1. Logan Gilbert, RHP, Seattle Mariners — High-A Modesto Nuts
Baseball America’s highlight line: “His professional debut this year was worth the wait. Gilbert overwhelmed low Class A hitters in four starts to begin the year and has been similarly dominant since his promotion to high Class A. His delivered 12 scoreless innings over two starts this week, capped by Sunday’s seven-inning, two-hit, 11-strikeout performance at Rancho Cucamonga. Overall Gilbert is 3-0, 1.75 with 53 strikeouts and nine walks in 36 innings, with opponents batting just .157 against him."
CARDBOARD BASICS
Approximate card total (so far): 200
First Chrome auto: 2018 Bowman Draft
One auto to consider: 2018 Panini Contenders Draft Picks
Buzz’s card take: He seems to be an affordable Chromw auto -- for now -- so that's a good sign. What's also a good sign is that more than half of his cards are of the certified auto variety. He doesn't have a ton of cardboard for a guy who was the 14th pick in last year's MLB Draft. These all feel like winning variables right now given those stats. You can land him in his college colors with an on-card auto on the cheap in Contenders.Keep reading for the rest of the top five ...
Atlanta's Austin Riley arrives with HR -- and modest card total
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Update: Riley has been on fire since his arrival with seven homers and 20 RBI in his first 14 games, hitting .375 (21-for-56) for the second-place Braves.
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The newest Atlanta Braves rookie to watch is here -- and he homered in his big-league debut.
He's outfielder/third baseman Austin Riley and he went 1-for-3 with a home run in his first game last night, a solo shot in just his second at-bat during a 4-0 win over the Cardinals.
Baseball America ranked him as the No. 22 prospect in baseball entering this season and he had torn things up at Triple-A Gwinnett, hitting .299 with 10 doubles, 15 homers and 39 RBI in 37 games this season.
Collecting Game-used: The life of an Atlanta Braves baseball
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Not all game-used baseballs are the same, despite the fact that they're all a pair of leather panels with 108 stitches holding it all together.
Some are hits or other big plays -- others are beanballs -- but many are fouled off or even semi-meaningless pitches in the dirt that quickly get discarded from play in favor for a cleaner ball that won't act erratically when they fly due to foreign substances.
The ball you see here? It was used for less than two minutes two summers ago by emerging Atlanta Braves star Mike Foltynewicz, who'll make his MLB debut for this season this weekend. This ball was used for just under two minutes -- just five pitches -- before it ended up in a Fanatics game-used ball mystery box.
You can keep reading to see the details ...
Carding Baseball America's MLB Prospects Hot Sheet (top five for April 22)
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Here's a look at the top five players on this week's Baseball America Top MLB Prospects Hot Sheet and their seasons so far. It's a little something to help those who might want to dabble with prospecting -- some basics on their baseball cards alongside a highlight line from those more scouting-minded. We may not do this every week, but we'll check in on BA's top crop from time to time for the remainder of the season.
1. Ty France, 2B-3B-1B, Padres — Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas
Baseball America’s highlight line: "In a loaded Padres system, it was France who led the organization in total bases, runs and RBIs last year and tied for the lead in home runs. That performance got him put on the 40-man roster in the offseason, and he’s now on the verge of mashing his way to his major league debut. France extended his hit streak to 14 games during his incredible week, capped by hitting back-to-back homers twice with Josh Naylor on Sunday."
CARDBOARD BASICS
Approximate card total (so far): Only MiLB team sets
First Chrome auto: Still to come
One auto to consider: Still to come
Buzz’s card take: He's been in the minors since 2015 after he was a 34th-round pick, but hasn't appeared on anything more than minor-league team sets despite hitting 22 homers with 96 RBI in 137 games between Double-A San Antonio and Triple A El Paso last season. The 24-year-old is on pace for a career year with nine homers in 18 games this season and that should get him a cardboard look soon.Keep reading for the rest of the top five ...
eBay Buzz: Cleveland's two biggest NFL names, Val Kilmer's ink, Ronald Acuña Jr.'s Superfractor & John Cena's Rookie Card
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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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BIG NAMES IN NEW PLACES
The Item: Odell Beckham Jr. 2014 Panini National Treasures Hats Off Signatures New Era Tag (1/1) ... plus a few more autos and cards
The Price: $7,000 Buy-It-Now (or best offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: There are a number of NFL veterans in new places this coming season -- Antonio Brown, Mark Ingram, Kareem Hunt, Nick Foles, Le'Veon Bell and Mark Ingram for starters -- but it's perhaps Odell Beckham Jr. who walks into the best position for potential cardboard hype as he's now the big target for Baker Mayfield in his sophomore campaign after a "dangerous" and record-setting rookie season. Beckham's last three seasons haven't been nearly as productive as his first two -- a big drop-off on the field and even more off of it -- but if you're a believer in the talent it's time to buy. (Right?) The complaints about future Hall of Famer Eli Manning won't be there, so the production will be. (Right?) Antonio Brown leaves a team with a solid cardboard fan base for one that's also strong -- but it's a team that's seriously underachieved. Hunt is perhaps done on cards. Foles is perhaps a push and Bell could be in for a big tumble ... or big ups if The Big Apple's underachievers are successful. Ingram? He's leaving as the Saints career rushing TD leader and almost its career yards leader (less than 100 yards short) for a team where he might get the ball more but might be off the radar card-wise vs. New Orleans. That leaves Beckham as the biggest potential gainer here ... am I right? We'll see. This is a solid card and the lot includes a few others but there are a lot of high-end options out there for one of the biggest guys in the rookie crop of five years ago.
Similar Pieces: Other Odell Beckham Jr. autos on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for 2014 NFL boxesKeep reading for four more interesting items in this week's roundup ...
Buzz Buys: A rare error card, memorable memorabilia cards, an Oscar winner and Deadpool's world travels
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Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals just might be to rip fewer blasters this year 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. Would they capture yours? I'd be interested to know -- sometimes they might, sometimes they won't and that's fine. It's a buyer's market out there with plenty of options and bargains as well as high-end gems to chase.
So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... and this time around they're varied but also pretty cheap. (The way Buzz likes it.)
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TAKING ADVANTAGE OF MINOR FLAWS
The Card: Calvin Ridley 2018 Panini Obsidian Cutting Edge Relics Electric Etch Orange #CE-14 (/35)
The Price: $7
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is a nice card of a strong rookie from a funky brand that didn't break the bank because it's got a few minor flaws that aren't that uncommon with thick-stock memorabilia cards. That's fine because they don't take away from the feel of what is a different kind of card that shows Panini is trying some things with die-cutting designs. It was that process that led to some compression wrinkling on a back edge and a spots on the top front edge, but I still liked it enough to pick up. Ridley had flashes of brilliance during his rookie season that included 64 catches for 821 yards and 10 touchdowns and I'm a buyer when they're on the cheap because I think there's some potential for more here. (Memorabilia cards can be cheap buys for football because they are often plentiful -- yet they are a fun alternative to pricey autographs in my book.) This is a brand that includes some big stuff -- far bigger than what my tastes are focused on. It's worth a look.
Grab a box right here: 2018 Panini Obsidian NFL boxesKeep reading for five more interesting items ...
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (Jan. 6)
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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: Showing off Atlanta Braves cards, fan cave displays and big pulls in today's edition.
eBay Buzz Weekly Update: Ronald Acuña Jr.'s Superfractor, an insane book, Michael Jordan's gem, Juan Soto & Darth Vader
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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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ONE SUPER PULL
The Item: Ronald Acuña Jr. 2018 Topps Chrome Superfractor autograph
The Price: $3,050 after 19 bids (more than five days remaining)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is one of the biggest cards possible in this year's Rookie Card parallel lineup without the name Ohtani attached -- and even with that this should be one of the bigs -- and this one is on the auction block as an auction via an eBay seller with a heavy buyer list and a huge presence. How big will this card go? We'll find out in a few days -- and it was big enough my plans to not have an eBay Buzz this week hit the bench in favor of this Friday-night edition.
Similar Pieces: Other Ronald Acuña Jr. autos on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for 2018 MLB boxesKeep reading for four more interesting items in this week's roundup ...
First Buzz: 2019 Topps Opening Day baseball cards
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What: 2019 Topps Opening Day baseball cards
Arrives: March 13
Box basics: No hits guaranteed per 36-pack box (20 boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click hereWhat's buzz-worthy: Opening Day returns for its 20th season with an insert in every pack, autographs and Relics in the mix -- and things even get a little dirty again, too.
Keep reading for more as well as a full gallery of images.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (Sept. 27)
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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 questions about NFL stars, the "Jimmy Butler Situation," new National Treasures pulls, NFL breaks, and nothing but sketch cards of Lana Turner in a single thread.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (Sept. 23)
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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 Atlanta Braves clincher, recent rips, NFL and NBA breaks as well as big WWE pulls in today's edition.
A few autographs I'd want to see in 2019 Topps Allen & Ginter
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When it comes to baseball card brands, Topps' Allen & Ginter is one of the most-unique ones in the hobby today -- even though it's modeled after cards from the 1880s.Why? Those original tobacco cards featured all kinds of people and all kinds of things -- not just baseball players -- among many releases but it's the "World's Champions" that drive the idea of what we've gotten today since Topps re-introduced the brand back in 2006.
Kate Upton, Takeru Kobayashi, George W. Bush, Serena Williams, Axl Rose, Michelle Beadle, Anthony Bourdain, Nick Saban, Cat Osterman, Kevin Costner, Sylvester Stallone, Roger Federer, Michael Phelps, Tony Hawk, Maria Sharapova, John Wooden, Laila Ali, Snoop Dogg, Pele, Henry Rollins and so many other surprising subjects have been found in packs of baseball cards beside typical MLB inclusions such as Mike Trout, Hank Aaron, Bryce Harper, Derek Jeter, Justin Verlander, Sandy Koufax, Clayton Kershaw and Ichiro Suzuki through the years. Those surprises can be pricey later, too. Upton wasn't a super-rare autograph but you wouldn't know it based on these prices.
Planning stages for the 2019 release are clearly already beginning for the brand as Topps took to Twitter on Thursday to ask collectors who they'd want to see in Ginter for non-baseball inclusions.
That got Buzz thinking ... and here are a few signers I'd want to see in 2019 Topps Allen & Ginter -- and more than a few of them have small ties to the baseball world.
eBay Buzz Weekly Update: The Mick, Brett Favre's Senior Bowl jersey, Michael Jordan, 'Ronnie Baseball' & Bob Woodward
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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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SENIOR BOWL GAMER ... OF A HALL OF FAMER
The Item: Brett Favre 1991 Senior Bowl game-used and signed jersey
The Price: $22,000 Buy-It-Now (or best offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The Senior Bowl has a rich history and a number of college stars who went on to NFL greatness after the big game -- and there are many who didn't. While you can find players' Senior Bowl jerseys placed into cardboard in recent years, a past gamer might be much rarer than you think. And one from a player of Favre's caliber? Well, that's an elite piece. This one came directly from Favre himself after being put on the market via Hunt Auctions in 2017. These aren't team colors that we most commonly associate with this Hall of Famer, but it's a one-of-a-kind piece compared to many potential gamers for his pro teams. It's impressive.
Similar Pieces: Brett Favre items on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for NFL boxesKeep reading for four more interesting items in this week's roundup ...