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 HISTORY LESSON
The Cards: Huck Betts, Joe Oeschger & Whitey Glazner 2019 Historic Autographs Triple Play Cut Signatures Triple Play Booklet ... plus 1961 Topps Leon Cadore & Joe Oeschger (Brooklyn-Boston Play 26-Inning Tie) from the Baseball Thrills subset
The Price: $21 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I'm not exactly sure what sparked my going down the rabbit hole to end up finding this one -- whether it was some trivia about the game or just a search of cut autographs I'm not sure as I found this earlier this year -- but for something different without breaking the bank this cardboard duo was worth a lead-off spot this time. As the Topps card details, on May 1, 1920, the Brooklyn Robins and Boston Braves played 26 innings to a 1-1 tie that ended due to darkness and that's still an MLB record. Cadore and Oeschger both pitched all 26 innings -- think about that a minute -- and that's their only Topps card appearance. As for the cut, Oeschger gets the center spot with an inscription for that game, while Betts was a rookie in 1920 for the Phillies and Glazner was a rookie for the Pirates later that year. Why are all three on this cut auto book? I'm not totally sure ... but all three did pitch for the Phillies at some point so it could be that beyond 1920 highlights. The center auto here is the key to me ... that's some good trivia.

Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... BlowoutCards.com for MLB

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

Continue reading →

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 10

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.

Continue reading →

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 ...

MAMI'S HOME ...
The Card: Rhea Ripley 2020 Topps Chrome WWE Gold Refractor Autographs (/50) -- rookie-year auto
The Reason Graded: I picked up this one a few years ago for a pretty modest price -- about the price of a box back then -- and since then Ripley has emerged as the top name among a newer wave of stars who, barring injuries, should be helping redefine women's wrestling for some time. I had this one in my get-graded stacks for a long time as I don't often slab up auto cards -- I don't like surprises -- but I did it on this one and a standard auto earlier this year since they looked quite clean.
The Grade: CGC 10 (Pristine) with 10 auto

Reality Check: As good as it gets and this card is a monster as it is. A raw copy pushed $500 not that long ago and a PSA 9 sold for that much as well earlier this year. A perfect 10 absolutely works for me on this one ... it's the best color here if you ask me, too.

Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.

Continue reading →

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 Buzz goes a little high-end (for him).

--

BUZZ FELT RICH ... 
The Card: Mercedes Varnado (aka Sasha Banks) 2021 Topps Star Wars Stellar Signatures autograph (/40)
The Price: Less than anybody else (so far)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is one of those rarer (but not non-existent) times where Buzz paid up for a single card from a new release. Why? It's so premium-priced that single cards are the only way I'll see it -- and this time I'm not alone. It comes from the loaded Stellar Signatures release where only 100 boxes were made with all of them including ink from everybody who's signing for Topps every time. This is Varnado's first Star Wars autograph card and it comes from her role in The Mandalorian, so I figured I'd go there if they dipped enough ... and they did ... at least around the time I grabbed this. They do seem to be drying up, though, even in the weeks since I found mine with the cheapest as I write this being a $499 ask on eBay (for a parallel) with other copies of this base card even higher. This auto (vs. her Banks auto, which I have many copies of) is a lot simpler and the one private signing she did for Star Wars before these -- where they are at least $150 per photo depending on sizes -- showed her sig quality being all over the place. So, with that in mind, I went the card route as a sure thing. This one is clean -- though some cards in this release aren't as crisp -- so I was fine going there. Varnado has had just two other Star Wars autos arrive in the newest Signature Series release but those are stickers ... so I'll wait and see how prices shake out on more. I may not do a ton of them as it's a simple sig, but I knew I needed at least one in my stash and started with the best brand in the land.
Grab a box right here: 2021 Topps Star Wars Stellar Signatures

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

Continue reading →

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 more Buzz Buys this month ... a super-sized mostly low-budget edition of items I've picked up throughout the year but hadn't found a place for just yet.

--

A PIECE OF THE GREATEST
The Card: Muhammad Ali 2011 Leaf Metal Ali Materials Event-worn Blue Prismatic (/25)
The Price: $24.25
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: There's one truly iconic globally-known athlete out there who has a relatively limited number of low-volume memorabilia cards -- and despite that they are still relatively affordable in many instances. It's Muhammad Ali and Leaf released a handful of Ali products about a decade ago and there were training-worn, event-worn and fight-worn memorabilia cards made with each of them noting the scenario behind the swatch. Cheaper cards are around this price and even sometimes lower -- all seemingly too low for an athlete who was perhaps more influential away from his workplace while being a legend within. His full memorabilia items can't be anywhere as easily found as legends from baseball, football or basketball and I'd expect that when they do hit the auction block they are getting pricier and pricier through the years. That should make, along with licensing costs, future releases financially unlikely to include such types of cards unless his estate or family somehow (not likely) has a bunch of memorabilia held in reserve. I've picked off a few cards like this in recent months and will always check them to see if they drop to certain prices. They should be an easy buy if you ask me and a card like this one, in my mind, should be at least double this price considering his place as an all-time great.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of this ... but boxing boxes will be here when available.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

Continue reading →

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 a bit of everything.

--

A SLEEPER NO MORE
The Card: Rhea Ripley 2020 Topps WWE Transcendent Collection -- Rookie Card (/50)
The Price: More than I want to admit ... but less than a Chrome box
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was a card I was watching for intently when the second edition of Topps' WWE super-premium brand arrived, and this one was on my radar before any autograph in the super-rare release -- well at least within my typical budget. Why? She's pretty much the only newcomer of note in the base set -- I spy at least one other who is no longer with WWE and one other lesser name -- amidst a sea of past greats and some notables from today. It's an odd set as it's not the typical lineup but also not a full lineup. (I think the checklist-maker tried to cover all the main bases between the base set and the auto set.) Nobody got an RC logo here and this card's thunder may be stolen a bit with the delays resulting in her Undisputed and Chrome cards arriving close together -- and with her first certified autos -- just recently. This card has topped the $100 mark and is bolstering some of the base set prices out there. (On the cheapest side, these were around $60 in terms of sales but asking prices are now far higher.) I'm somewhere in between but I ponied up as this Aussie badass should be a major player soon. I'll grab ink and other cards eventually.
Grab a box: 2020 Topps WWE Transcendent Collection

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

Continue reading →

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.

--

OFF-SEASON GRAB
The Card: Calvin Ridley 2018 Donruss Optic Aqua (/299) -- Rookie Card parallel
The Price: $2.25
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This card is a perfect example of an off-season pick-up that can show you some volatility and gains when in-season. The price above is a "then" price. The asking price now where I grabbed it? Basically add a zero and then a few bucks. Now, I'm not sure it'll sell for that much right now, but that's the kind of stuff that can easily happen when a player has a hot start to a season and is among the league leaders. Ridley had at least 109 yards in all but one game (that one a big fat zero) and he's a go-to for his struggling team right now. His auto isn't much to look at so I don't grab them as often, but I don't mind his RCs and memorabilia cards when I can land them cheaply.
Grab a box right here: 2018 Donruss Optic football cards

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

Continue reading →

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: Collectors remember Chadwick Boseman, showing off unopened NBA box stashes, collecting just jersey cards, new MLB pulls & more in this midnight-drop edition.

Continue reading →

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.

--

THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL STAR
The Item: Andrew Luck 2018 Panini Gold Standard Good as Gold patch auto (/5)
The Price: 99 cents (no bids) with six-plus days remaining
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Remember when this guy was the hottest thing in the NFL? Injuries have derailed those Canton plans but he gets the spotlight tonight across from Tom Brady and the New England Patriots -- and that got me thinking about the autographs from a guy who once was a top dog in the hobby. Since his arrival in 2012, Luck has had more than 6,600 different football cards and he's closing in on 1,800 different certified autos. The lull in interest is probably behind us but there are still likely some bargains to be found -- and they could start with 99-cent auctions like this one.
Similar Pieces: Other Andrew Luck autos on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for NFL boxes

Keep reading for four more interesting items in this week's roundup ...

Continue reading →

Captain America: Civil War arrives in theaters tomorrow, but Marvel fans don't have to wait to see more of the blockbuster film thanks to the newest trading card release from Upper Deck.

Each box of 2016 Upper Deck Captain America: Civil War includes one autograph, sketch or "premium insert" as well as two memorabilia cards.

Continue reading →