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 packs: 2024 Leaf Metal Signature Series Multi-sport 1/1 Pre-Production Proofs (two)
Where to buy: Click here for other Leaf Metal boxes

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

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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: 2024 Leaf Metal Signature Series Multi-sport 1/1 Pre-Production Proofs
Where to buy: Click here for other Leaf Metal boxes

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

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What: 2023-24 Panini Contenders Optic NBA cards
Arrives: Nov. 22, 2024
Box basics: One autograph per six-card box (20 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Contenders Optic's sixth time on the NBA court is one that includes an autograph in every box and some new inclusions for fans to collect like the nods to Hall of Famers seen above.

Keep reading for more info and a gallery of images.

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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.

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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 ...

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For years now, autographed books coming direct from the publishers -- or direct from the authors themselves -- have been an affordable way to collect ink from notable names in all realms of pop culture.

It's not a perfect system with stamps, fakes and autopens sometimes in the mix -- a problem for publishers to catch as they are not authenticators -- but thanks to dedicated collectors on the Blowout Cards Forum and elsewhere, those problems often get caught and fixed ... or at least become well-known enough to avoid if it's an issue that goes uncorrected.

Getting ink in-person is always best -- book tours still happen, of course -- but landing autographed editions from publishers, online sellers or celebs themselves via their websites or other appearances are common. So, with that said, here's the first of what just might become a monthly department here on The Buzz for this new year

Our first subject and autograph to start this series? Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

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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: NBA playoffs, Carmelo Anthony retires, MLB breaks and chatter and hunting autographed CDs.

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What: 2023 TRISTAR Hidden Treasures Autographed Basketballs
Arrives: May 24
Box basics: One autographed basketball per box (four boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: TRISTAR's Hidden Treasures brand hits the hardwood once again with some legendary ink to be found and plenty of other chases beyond just current superstars.

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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: Next year's Basketball Hall of Famers, football breaks, Project70, Xander Bogaerts and "Trout is struggling."

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Fast Five is a quick list under a simple topic that might offer a basic starting point for a themed collection. It's a basic list of items that could be fun for a starting collector or a new way to add to a stash that might already seemingly include everything when it comes to cardboard. For some of you, it's probably common sense. For others of you out there, it's perhaps something to ponder.

This time? Five autographs I'd be chasing right now ...

LEGENDARY INK
Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar -- click here to see his autos on eBay
This NBA legend is on my daily saved eBay search because, well, I've taken too long to find one of his autos and they have really, really taken off. Why I hadn't landed one yet is because I'm just too picky -- I want an on-card auto with a clean sig and a relatively good photo for the former Lakers and Bucks star who has six championship rings, 19 All-Star nods, six MVP awards and still ranks first in career scoring, third in blocks and fourth in rebounds despite having retired more than 30 years ago. (What makes his 38,387 points even more remarkable? Zero three-pointers for his career.) He also was part of the legendary UCLA program with John Wooden -- he won NCAA titles all three years he was eligible and the Bruins lost just two games in his three seasons as a player -- and he is seemingly always a wise voice on social issues today (and that's not a new development). Another plus. His autographs have really taken off in price in recent years when I could have found a quality one for around just $100 not that long ago. He's been a steady lower-volume signer for years with more than 1,200 different options out there for fans ... and there are many apparently seeking them out. He can be found in many NBA releases in recent years with his highest volume of autos in high-end brands like Flawless, National Treasures and Eminence.

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

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With the COVID-19 pandemic erasing pretty much everything in the sports world right now, ESPN's decision to launch The Last Dance early is a jolt of nostalgia that's fueling plenty of extra demand for some already legendary basketball cards from the past.

The eagerly awaited 10-part documentary arrives Sunday night at 9 p.m. Eastern and it tells the story of the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls and their final championship run -- their third title in three years and sixth of that decade. It obviously keys upon the NBA's greatest player of all time and its biggest name on cardboard, Michael Jordan. But he's far from alone as the series will present original and new footage from that season as well as interviews from the players -- both on the court and beyond -- back then. We'll also hear from others from around the league who were on the court or covering the team as it commanded attention, won it all and then was forced to go their separate ways.

For Jordan, that meant a second retirement and return with the Washington Wizards three years later -- we probably won't hear a word about that (call it a hunch) -- but we'll be hearing plenty from many involved every Sunday night (two installments per evening) from here until May 17. If you're a new collector wanting to jump on the Jordan bandwagon it's not going to be easy -- you're about 35 years and 13,000 cards too late -- and the asking prices for many a Jordan gem are though the roof more now than ever. However, if you're a fan who missed some of the historic action back then there are still plenty of ways to dabble in cardboard from The Last Dance as it's ultimately a tale that's not just about Jordan.

Keep reading for 12 ways to explore the cardboard for The Last Dance ... both for Jordan and others who we'll see often every Sunday night.

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Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today's your day then as we launch 12 in 12 -- a series of a dozen breaks of wax boxes and wax packs in a dozen hours. We'll post one every hour all day long ... this is Hour 2.

The pack: 1971 Fleer Harlem Globetrotters
The cost: Will vary when found -- click here for new basketball

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

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One of the greatest players in Philadelphia 76ers history is gone.

Hall of Famer Hal Greer, a 10-time All-Star, member of the NBA at 50 team and guard on the team's 1966-67 NBA championship squad, has died. He was 81.

"Greer was the first player to have his number retired by the 76ers organization when the team retired his No. 15 in 1976. To further celebrate his place in team history, Greer also became the first player to be honored with a sculpture on 76ers Legends Walk," said a statement from the team. "In addition to his historic contributions on the court, Greer will forever be remembered as a true gentleman who used the tremendous platform of basketball to uplift and inspire others."

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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: Catching up on all the chatter from a big sports weekend.

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Scan through boxes of NBA cards and odds are you'll find a Reggie Miller card or two -- he's got more than 2,000 different ones -- but there's one kind of card you probably won't see.

That's one with an autograph.

That will start to change soon, though, as Panini America revealed Monday that it has landed the Indiana Pacers legend and Hall of Famer to an autograph deal to produce his first certified autographs for an NBA trading card set in more than a decade.

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The Golden State Warriors lost one of the greatest players in team history on Saturday as Hall of Famer Nate Thurmond lost his battle with leukemia. He was 74.

Named to the NBA at 50 squad and elected to the Hall of Fame in 1985, Thurmond was a seven-time All-Star in his 14 seasons spent with the Warriors, Bulls and Cavaliers. He averaged 15.0 points and 15.0 rebounds a game for his career. He still ranks 11th on the NBA's career rebounds list with 14,464, while his career average ranks fourth-highest in league history.

“We’ve lost one of the most iconic figures in the history of not only our organization, but the NBA in general,” Warriors owner Joe Lacob said in a statement. “Nate represented this franchise with class, dignity and humility as both a player and community relations ambassador for over 40 years. Without a doubt, he is one of the most-beloved figures to ever wear a Warriors uniform and both a Hall of Fame player and Hall of Fame person, hence his No. 42 jersey hanging from the rafters at Oracle Arena. On behalf of the entire Warriors organization, our thoughts and prayers go out to his entire family, including his wife, Marci. We’ll miss his presence in his customary seats at our games next season, but his legacy will live forever.”

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Dolph Schayes, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame and one of the NBA's dominating scorers in its early years, has died after a battle with cancer. He was 87.

In 15 seasons mostly with the Syracuse Nationals, Schayes averaged 18.5 points and 12.1 rebounds a game after he was picked with the fourth pick of the 1948 BAA Draft. (The Basketball Association of America merged with the National Basketball League to form the NBA in 1949.)

As a 16-year-old freshman, Schayes led New York University to a Final Four appearance in 1945 and had an NBA championship by 1955. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1973 and named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history in 1996.

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