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 Series 1 baseball cards (blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)
First Buzz preview with checklist/SPs/more: Click here

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

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What: 2022 Leaf Vibrance sports cards
Arrives: March 25
Box basics: Two Metal autographed cards per box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: This new and colorful brand in the Leaf lineup will include greats from around the sports world all in one spot with a number of sets to chase but ink the key to everything.

Keep reading for more info and images.

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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: Opening softball cards, Ozzie Albies, a grading question, big pulls, chasing Bo Jackson's Rookie Card and "Zion Investors are you concerned?"

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What: 2021 TRISTAR Hidden Treasures Autographed Football
Arrives: Nov. 3
Box basics: One autographed football per box (four boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: TRISTAR's Hidden Treasures blind-boxed football line returns  with nothing but autographed pigskin in play in a release that will be limited to 110 cases this year.

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Minor league cards can include some weird stuff ... stuff you wouldn't imagine to be found on a baseball card and here are five example of some oddities in this latest MiLB Madness series item. 

JUST MARVEL AT THIS ODDITY
The Card: Froggy, T-Bone & Juan Blancarte -- aka the "Team Leaders" -- 2014 Grandstand Bakersfield Blaze
The Buzz On This One: I feel like I need to make some catchy Grateful Dead reference here or something with how this trio sounds  (and the team name) but I'll play it straight and let it speak for itself -- this is a baseball card for a program salesman with an interesting story, a bus driver with a knack for landing free popcorn and a rookie clubhouse manager who makes sure his team is "well-fed, well-buttered and clean." Just read it (click for a closer view) ... it's a perfect minor-league oddity.

Keep reading for four more examples of weird baseball cards you can (almost) only find in MiLB.

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What: 2021 Pro Set Sports trading cards
Arrives: Sept. 29
Box basics: Two autographed cards per box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Pro Set's return to cardboard this year takes a wider look at the sports world with this release that's all about autographs and a multi-sports approach while revisiting past designs from the company. Among the surprises? Sports that Pro Set hadn't done in the past ... with some legendary ink in the mix.

Keep reading for more.

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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 7.

The pack: 2021 Gummy Arts trading cards
The cost: $15 (here when available)

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

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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 5.

The box: 2002 Topps American Pie Spirit of America Baseball Edition cards
The cost: About original price ... see newer MLB boxes here

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

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What: 2021 TRISTAR Hidden Treasures Game Day Greats Football Jersey Edition
Arrives: Feb. 3
Box basics: One autographed football jersey per box (five boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: TRISTAR's Hidden Treasures line takes the field for 2021 with it familiar format from the past but with some new stars (past and present) included in this one.

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What: 2020-21 Leaf Pearl hockey cards
Arrives: Feb. 5
Box basics: 11 hits per box (two boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Leaf's ultra-high-end brand is back with 10 hits and a cut autograph in every box and plenty of hockey history as well as ink from beyond the ice.

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

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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 ...

EVERYBODY LOVE EVERYBODY!
The Cards: 2008 Upper Deck Semi-Pro #1 Jackie Moon (Will Ferrell), #2 Ed Monix (Woody Harrelson), #3 Clarence “Coffee Black” Withers (Andre Benjamin)
The Reason Graded: I'm a sucker for sports cards with movie tie-ins (Or is it movie cards with sports tie-ins?) and this is a set I picked up long, long ago and then revisited again recently. The set is simple -- just these three cards that were released in a pack around a piece of wrapped gum in advance of this comedy's arrival. They weren't rare back then but they have dried up a bit now, and I always wanted to slab a set but knew that there would be challenges here if you want elite grades.
The Grades: BGS 9

Reality Check: This was my best trio out of a handful of sets I own and I'm fine with a matching set of BGS 9s as there can be centering issues galore here along with corner lifts on the soft stock, surface warping and even color blotches among those white borders on these highly glossed cards. These were my best options so I sent them in for the tougher grading company in my mind and got about what I had expected (while actually potentially fearing worse). As for the pop report, I'm not sure what's up here as all three of my cards actually show a pop of zero. That's perhaps because I'm the first or among the first to submit these, so they're not all linked up correctly in the BGS system. Or perhaps that whole is "It a sports card or non-sports card?" question in there, too.

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: 2020 Topps Series 2 baseball cards 
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
First Buzz preview with checklist/SPs/more: Click here

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

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This one is a new department here on The Buzz ... Fast Five -- a quick list under a simple topic that might offer a basic starting point for a themed collection. It's a basic list of five 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 cool cards simply because of their classic photos.

ALL THAT CASH THERE
The Card: Babe Ruth 2020 Topps Series 2 #562 SSP variation
Why does this Fast Five topic pop into my head on a slow Tuesday afternoon? Well, the record-setting Anthony Fauci Topps Now card over the weekend had one element of the things that can add to demand and value of a card -- a unique photo. (Fauci's card is perhaps more the moment than the actual photo frame, but here we go.) This Ruth card is one of many photo variants in basic Topps sets in recent years -- that's where you can find a lot of cool and unique images -- but this card is a fascinating one. Why? Think about all of the cash paid for all those signed baseballs today ... it should be a reminder that The Sultan of Swat's auto isn't necessarily rare -- there's just immense demand.
Check out MLB boxes here

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

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What: 2020 TRISTAR Hidden Treasures Autographed Mini Helmets
Arrives: June 24
Box basics: One autographed mini helmet per box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: TRISTAR's Hidden Treasures is back on the gridiron once again with new NFL names, some 2020 draft picks and other surprises inside.

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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: 2013 Panini Select baseball cards 
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (when available) -- click here for hotter Prizm baseball boxes

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of 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 box: Supreme Rewind Football Error Edition (repack)
Where to buy: Will take some hunting -- click here for new (better) NFL boxes

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

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Making The Grade is a monthly department here on The Buzz that ran all year long in 2019 -- its first complete season so far. Its a place where newly slabbed cards and a few pick-ups get the spotlight -- a little show-and-tell to get people talking and thinking about cards beyond "What's it worth?"

Sometimes I picked cards for fun, sometimes I chased 10s, but other times I slabbed with some longer-term "investment" thought -- and I don't even do that often. (My go-to is to simply slab stuff that I like.) The card you see up top? You can firmly place it in the red-hot fun file. The card at right? You can put it in the long-term keeper stack along with the guy below him, who had plenty of appearances in the series this year.

As one of a couple of 2019 retrospective posts I have planned -- they're at least on my to-do list at least until other work pops up -- here's a look at the series where I talked about 158 new slabs this past year. You can see them all at the links below.

January -- Making the Grade: Patrick Mahomes, The Mick, Tommy Chong, Whitney Houston, botched cardboard & more

February -- Making the Grade: Patrick Mahomes, Bo Knows, Wendy Peffercorn, Tom Brady, Super Bowl stars & more

March -- Making the Grade: Young MVPs, iconic Hall of Famers, Silent Bob, March Madness, a Future Superstar & more

April -- Making the Grade: Vince McMahon, Steve Austin and WrestleMania icons plus Ronald Acuña Jr. & more MLB stars

May -- Making the Grade: Baker Mayfield, JLo's Rookie Card, Joe Cool, Nuke LaLoosh, Hailie Deegan & more past gems

June -- Making the Grade: The Dream Team, Ronald Acuña Jr., Bart Starr, Mike Trout, Deadpool, Kelly Hu's rookie & more

July -- Making the Grade: Aaron Judge, Jayson Tatum, Ric Flair, Michael Jordan, Ronald Acuña Jr., Billy Ripken's bad bat knob, Chrissy Teigen's Rookie Card, The Big Lebowski's ink & more

August -- Making the Grade: New Vladdy, Acuña, Rally Squirrel, Undertaker, Juggernaut, Michael Jordan, Paige, Kurt Cobain, The Bad News Bears' ace ... and Keith Comstock's beanballs?

September -- Making the Grade: Joe Namath's ink, Dak & Jerry Rookie Cards, Saquon Barkley, Lonzo Ball, 1990s NFL classics, high-grade vintage, The Four Horsewomen of NXT & more

October -- Making the Grade: Ronald Acuña Jr. heaters, Clerks, Ernie Davis, hot ink, Supergirl, Catwoman & real Nuke LaLoosh

November -- Making the Grade: Dak Prescott, Luka Doncic, Magic Johnson & John Cena rookies, Robert Mueller, the first perfect Keith Comstock, Meghan Markle's MLB card & more

December -- Making the Grade: Rare Shohei Ohtani, Star Wars, Pete Alonso, Tim Duncan, vintage, several WWE stars & more

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Need even more? See previous months' Making The Grade posts by clicking here (scroll down)

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Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com. 

>> Click here to buy cards on BlowoutCards.com

What: 2020 Leaf Lumber Kings baseball cards
Arrives: January
Box basics: Four premium hits per box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Leaf takes to the diamond with a new release for the new year that's high-end and hits-driven with stars of the distant and recent past all in one place.

Keep reading for more and a full 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 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 there's a mix of pricey and cheaper buys.

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I WAS SEEING GHOSTS FOR A WHILE ... 
The Card: Sam Darnold 2018 Panini Spectra Neon Blue (/75)
The Price: $15.25
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I'm generally a fan of Spectra despite its funky looks at times and I spotted this one just after his return at a price that seemed lower than the norm so I grabbed it. I was a tad worried in games after that, thinking this was a bad pick-up, but it seems he's rebounded a bit so we'll see whether this was a decent pick-up in the longer term. I like the look of these sequin-looking cards with this particular parallel, so that's probably another reason I went this route.
Grab a box right here: 2018 Panini Spectra football cards

Keep reading for many more interesting items ...

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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 Update baseball cards
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 25 (24 plus one Chrome pack)
Cards per pack: 14
Cards in this box: 336
Base set completion: 
300 of 300 (100 percent)
Duplicates: 7

Base cards of note – Josh Donaldson, Ronald Acuña Jr., Alex Bregman, Albert Pujols, Christian Yelich, Cody Bellinger, Mookie Betts, Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, Justin Verlander, Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Gleyber Torres, Gary Sanchez, Nolan Arenado, Francisco Lindor

Rookie Cards (108) – Notables include Pete Alonso, Austin Riley, Will Smith, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Nick Senzel, Cavan Biggio, Eloy Jimenez, Jeff McNeil, Keston Hiura, Chris Paddack, Fernando Tatis Jr., Michael Chavis, Carter Kieboom, Brendan Rodgers, Mike Yastrzemski, Yusei Kikuchi, Cal Quantrill

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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 6.

The box: 1991 Pro Set Series 1 football cards
The cost: Can vary a lot for this one ... see new NFL boxes here

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

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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 baseball cards (blaster box)
First Buzz preview, SPs & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 8 (seven standard packs, one coin pack)
Cards per pack: 7
Cards in this box: 58 (56 cards and two coins)
Base set completion: 
52 of 300 (17 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Bryce Harper, Frank Thomas, Jim Bunning, Sandy Koufax, Mariano Rivera, Vladimir Guerrero, Buster Posey, Carlos Correa, Bo Jackson, Justin Verlander, Duke Snider, Chipper Jones, Bob Gibson, Derek Jeter, Tris Speaker, Don Mattingly, Joe Morgan, Sammy Sosa, David Ortiz, Willie McCovey, George Brett, Tim Raines, Ralph Kiner, Rogers Hornsby, Gleyber Torres

Rookie Cards (8) – Danny Jansen, Touki Toussaint, Francisco Arcia, Chance Adams, Luis Urias, Bryse Wilson, Justus Sheffield, Ryan O'Hearn

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What: 2019 TRISTAR Hidden Treasures Game Day Greats Full-size Football Helmets
Arrives: Sept. 25
Box basics: One autographed full-size football helmet per box (three boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: TRISTAR's Hidden Treasures hits the gridiron with full-size helmets for the first time with a number of past and present stars to be found.

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What: 2019 Leaf Autographed Football Helmets
Arrives: Late October/early November
Box basics: One autographed mini-helmet per box (three boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Leaf brings a new batch of autographed helmets to the masses with a mix of past and present stars as well as a celebrity presence.

Keep reading for more.

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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 Tribute baseball cards
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here

Packs per box: 6
Cards per pack: 3
Cards in this box: 19
Base set completion: 
11 of 90 (12 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Base cards – Roger Maris, Giancarlo Stanton, Bo Jackson, Mookie Betts, Bob Feller, Aaron Judge, Roberto Clemente, Justin Verlander, Edwin Diaz, Rhys Hoskins, Freddie Freeman

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