Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals is to rip a little less and talk more about cardboard that I -- and you -- might like. One way to do that? Simple show and tell -- present a few pick-ups and say why they captured my attention.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... a mix of recent grabs and some older stuff, too.

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A SURPRISING SEASON
The Cards: Spencer Strider 2022 Topps Living Set (five-pack)
The Price: Bundle price via Topps.com
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The defending World Series champs didn't have the finish they'd hoped for this year, but one big highlight this season was the arrival of this rookie seemingly out of nowhere. Strider flashed record-setting potential for strikeouts when on the mound as he went 11-5 this season with a 2.69 ERA and 202 strikeouts in 172 innings He reached 200 Ks in 130 innings -- an MLB record held by Hall of Famer Randy Johnson -- and he had 16 Ks in a single game to break the team record. The year also got him a new contract that will keep him in Atlanta along with a number of other young stars for several years. Strider had RCs in this year's stuff since early on but should have more to come in the later releases that have been delayed. I grabbed this pack with an eye on grading with mixed results -- one had big, nasty surface issues, two having unusual and not-good surface problems and then two that are yes/maybe for slabbing. One is in CSG's hands as I type this.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... but MLB boxes are here.

Keep reading for 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: 2022 Gummy Arts trading cards (two packs)
Where to buy: Right here (when available)

What's this? Keep reading to see what was found in two packs of 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: 2021 Topps Athletes Unlimited Softball cards
Where to buy: Initially only via Topps.com

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of highlights from this box.

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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 CAREER YEAR
The Card: Dansby Swanson 2017 Topps Heritage #76B action variation SP -- Rookie Card parallel
The Reason Bought: I'm a sucker for Heritage RCs and multi-player cards from the past, but I've never really chased the SPs that have been immensely popular since around this year where a few key names went solo from their card counterparts and have cards of their own -- both signed and unsigned. I had Swanson stashed on my fantasy league all season (mostly on the bench behind a favorite of mine you see here often) and saw the career year as it was happening. I had been eyeing this card for years now -- I own plenty of the regular ones as well as a couple of the Chrome types (I might slab those) -- and grabbed this awhile back. With the Braves' World Series showing, I figured I'd have him batting lead-off here ... and he won't be alone from the ATL here this month.
The Grade: BGS 9.5

Reality Check: I wasn't really worried about the pop report but I also didn't realize there were so few cards above this one. I will stash this one away with my Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuña Jr. slabs I've picked up or slabbed on my own the last couple years like I suspect many have and will be doing. I probably need to slab some of their pitchers and you might see a Freddie Freeman Heritage card or two here in the future. (I lean toward the new guys more but have had some good Heritage pulls.)

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: 2021 Topps U.S. Olympic Team & Hopefuls cards (hobby)
First Buzz Preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Keep reading to see a full breakdown and gallery of highlights 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 box: 2021 Topps U.S. Olympic Team & Hopefuls cards (hobby box)
First Buzz Preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

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

Continue reading →

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: 2021 Topps U.S. Olympic Team & Hopefuls cards (hobby)
First Buzz Preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

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

Continue reading →

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: 2021 Topps U.S. Olympic Team & Hopefuls cards (hobby box)
First Buzz Preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

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

Continue reading →

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: 2021 Topps Athletes Unlimited Volleyball Set
Where to buy: Initially only via Topps.com. 

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of highlights from this box.

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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: 2020 Topps Athletes Unlimited Softball Championship Set
Where to buy: Initially only via Topps.com. 

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of highlights from this box.

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This 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 reasons a sports card can be appealing ... beyond just value.

A STRONG PHOTO
We all know a lot of cards from any sports (or non-sports) set from the past that has a photo that's just so clean or different that it stands out from the rest of the pack every time we see it. It doesn't have to be a star, it doesn't have to be a bum ... it's just memorable. Sometimes cards like these can actually command more value than others around it (probably moreso in the years before hits and inserts) but that added appeal can't hurt. The card you see here? It's a simple portrait -- literally nothing but the image -- no design here -- and that's why I chose it. It shows the power of letting the photo have its moment. I own hundreds of Derek Jeter cards that I don't really want or need but the strong photo here makes me want and need it. It's rarer (/100) and from the 2019 Topps Transcendent VIP Party set, but this one would be a card I'd chase if it were from Opening Day. It's all about the photo.

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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: 2012 Panini Americana Heroes & Legends (24-pack retail)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (this and other options)

Packs per box: 24
Cards per pack: 8
Cards in this box: 194
Base set completion: 
125 of 125 (100 percent)
Duplicates: 55

Notables on base cards – George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Abby Wambach, Alex Morgan, Barbara Bush, Kerri Strug, Carly Patterson, Lisa Fernandez, Cat Osterman, Bruce Jenner, Dan Gable, Hope Solo, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Sally Ride, Scott Carpenter and many 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: 2012 Panini Americana Heroes & Legends trading cards (100-pack lot)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (this lot and other options)

Cards per pack: 8
Cards in this lot: 800
Base set completion: 
125 of 125 (100 percent)
Duplicates: Yes -- between one and 11 extra copies per card (only one set in this particular lot)

Notables on base cards – George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Abby Wambach, Alex Morgan, Barbara Bush, Kerri Strug, Carly Patterson, Lisa Fernandez, Cat Osterman, Bruce Jenner, Dan Gable, Hope Solo, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Sally Ride, Scott Carpenter and many more

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To say that the baseball card landscape has changed in the last decade might be an understatement, but there's been one prospecting brand that has delivered many of the biggest names early and often and delivered a good amount of ink, too, thanks to Hot Boxes.

It's packed a number of surprise inclusions, a tremendous rainbow of serial-numbered parallel autos and even some pretty good bargains as many collectors have their established habits elsewhere. In recent years, it's also given us a teaser of younger USA Baseball players, too.

This mainstay -- and arguably a simultaneous sleeper -- is Elite Extra Edition. 

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