Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...

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MY BEAR NECESSITY
The Item: Paul "Bear" Bryant autographed & dated/inscribed (Oct. 18, 1976) 8-by-10 photo (BAS authenticated)
The Price: $219 ... high for me but it's the perfect item for me
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was a jaw-dropper of a find for me during a random search of Mill Creek Sports' superstore for autographed stuff earlier this year and I've saved it for football season, specifically this month, to present it and tell its story. It's personalized and that makes it perfect for me this time ... and to top that, the signed date -- the legendary Alabama Crimson Tide football coach and football icon who won 323 games dated everything signed like this -- might as well be on Buzz's actual birthday. (It's close ... close enough.) The odds of this existing or one being signed on my actual birthday? Well, I'm sure there were a number of things to sign on this Monday and I'm also very sure he wasn't sitting down to sign requests on a gameday when I kicked things off in the world. So, this is perhaps as close as it can get. The quality and condition of the photo are perfect and the ink is perfectly legible, too. Now, is his autograph really rare? Not particularly, but he died in January 1983 well before sit-down and paid signing sessions were en vogue for sports legends and he's still in high, historic demand despite Nick Saban equaling him and/or re-writing the Alabama record book in more recent years. It's the perfect item at a perfect price and it will always be mine.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but football cards are here.

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What: 2025 Panini National Treasures college football cards
Arrives: Nov. 26
Box basics: Seven autographs or memorabilia cards per eight-card box (four boxes per case)
Order: Click here (when live)

What's buzz-worthy: National Treasures goes back to school for another year with new draft picks, current college stars and past greats all in their school colors in a release that's once again nearly all about the hits -- and some cards in this will be Flawless creations, too.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading ... so here's this month's grading diary.

A HIGH-GRADE DOMINATOR
The Card: Paul Skenes 2025 Topps Heritage
The Reason Bought: I'll fully admit I'm a sucker for high-grade Heritage Rookie Cards and, while this isn't an RC, this one captured my attention just like one as I've ripped my fair share of Heritage this year and, well, not much of the cards that matter that I pulled could have checked in at a perfect grade. All that perfection, the clean photo and the color scheme here got me to bite.
The Grade: CGC 10 (Pristine)

Reality Check: I didn't check the pop report before grabbing it, so it was an extra bonus to see that it's the lone card in the top slot with a decent number of cards below it -- and that goes as low as a CGC 7. That reinforces that Heritage isn't the easiest grade. That makes this one even more of a win in my book.

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

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What: 2025 Leaf Football Nation baseball cards
Arrives: Nov. 28
Box basics: Five autos per six-card hobby box (12 per case) or 10 autos per 12-card jumbo box (eight per case)
Checklist: See gallery
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: A new name in the Leaf lineup hits the gridiron and includes a mix of past and present stars with a meaty mix of flashy signed and unsigned cards in both box formats.

Keep reading for more.

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What's Buzzing: J-Rod, Big Dumper, Russell Wilson, Phillies Karen, college football and NFL Week 4 are today's topics.

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1 -- NFL Week 4 is here

2 -- Checking in on J-Rod chatter after his 30-30 year

3 -- LOL

4 -- College football reactions

5 -- Big Dumper

6 -- Phillies Karen: The new offer stands for a few more days

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

What's Buzzing: Disney Chrome heaters, NFL chatter, Big Dumper ends regular season vs. Dodgers, Phillies Karen and more.

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1 -- All your Disney Chrome chatter

2 -- College football is on their minds

3 -- Reactions to Diamond Icons

4 -- Readying for NFL Week 4

5 -- Big Dumper chatter

6 -- Phillies Karen: The new offer stands for a few more days

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

What: 2025 Bowman Chrome University football cards
Arrives: Oct. 31
Box basics: Two autos per 20-pack hobby box (12 boxes per case) or four autos per 12-pack jumbo box (eight per case)
Order: Click here (when live)

What's buzz-worthy: Topps' fourth Chrome release for the NCAA prospect ranks in pack form with full college licensing arrives soon with a mix of modern and throwback vibes inside its boxes.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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With these Ticket Stud or Ticket Dud stories I'm turning just a tiny bit of that energy just a few degrees away from cards (we'll still have plenty of them here) for a different kind of cardboard. What am I doing? Simple ... this is an occasional dip into some random ticket lots -- a show and tell showing something small with a story.

This time? A dominating day in college football action.

Keep reading to see the details this time ... and tell me if you think it's a Ticket Stud or a Ticket Dud.

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What's Buzzing: College football reactions, NFL week 2 anticipation, new pulls, the new Phillies Karen offer and more.

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1 -- All your college football chatter

2 -- NFL Week 2 talk is here

3 -- Opening some Origins NFL

4 -- Non-sports chatter 

5 -- Some new MLB pulls

6 -- Phillies Karen: The offer has been enhanced

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...

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GOING FOR THE GOLD
The Card: Shotzi Blackheart 2022 Panini Select WWE Gold Wave Prizm (/10)
The Price: Around the price of a blaster box at arrival
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This brand is my favorite of the Panini years for WWE, and in the case of this star who I collect I have seemed to found her rarities on the affordable side at times with this release. This is a perfect example of that with it being one of the rarest parallels in there but it cost me not much more than the price of a retail box. It was arguably underpriced, so I grabbed it quickly when I spotted it. Will I grade it? It's a possibility, though this release's centering issues can create some surprises (that aren't totally surprises) as I found out with a different parallel of this card. Poke around in Making The Grade last month for an example.
Grab a box right here: WWE cards are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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What's Buzzing: NFL Week 1, Shohei Ohtani keeps on homering, college football, Big Dumper, Taylor Swift and more.

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1 -- NFL Week 1 reactions

2 -- Shohei Ohtani keeps on homering

3 -- Talking college football

4 -- Looking back at the NFL-Taylor Swift thread

5 -- Checking back in on Big Dumper chatter

6 -- All your MLB chatter

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

What's Buzzing: College football reactions, NFL anticipation and a lot of MLB chatter in this Tuesday edition.

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1 -- NFL Week 1 is almost here

2 -- A Logofractor question

3 -- MLB: Hobby good vs. on-field good

4 -- College football reactions

5 -- A Luis Gonzalez question

6 -- Talkin' baseball

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading ... so here's this month's grading diary.

TOP-GRADE VARIATION
The Card: C.J. Stroud 2021-22 Bowman University Chrome Prospects -- image variation
The Reason Graded: If you poke around in the archives for the Buzz Breaks of this release, you'll likely find a break where I missed this one and just simply called it a Refractor despite it being an image variation (all are Refractors on these). It should have been obvious based on the practice photo vs. game action, but I only spotted it well after the fact -- months, if not years, later -- when going through my old boxes. When I stopped to look, this card looked absolutely flawless and since it's somewhat rarer than the others it's also still a bit pricier for a standard card. (It's no monster but it's definitely better than a few types of Refractors.) Since it was so clean and the NFL season is upon us, I put this one into a bulk submission.
The Grade: CGC 10 (Pristine)

Reality Check: This card checked in at exactly where I thought it would. Fun find and a win -- and it wasn't even tucked away in a box penny sleeved. The divide between mine and the other copies graded is also an interesting one -- perhaps there's a common flaw on copies due to position on the sheet or from machinery? No idea ...

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

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What's Buzzing: Familiar names on unfamiliar teams, awaiting NFL Week 1, inside a Flawless NFL box found in Blowout MegaMix and plenty more in this Sunday edition.

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1 -- NFL Week 1 chatter is here

2 -- Right name, wrong NFL team

3 -- All your college football thoughts 

4 -- Happy little autographs 

5 -- Inside a Flawless NFL box from Blowout MegaMix

6 -- Talkin' baseball

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

What: 2025 TRISTAR Hidden Treasures Autographed Football Jerseys Series 2
Arrives: Oct. 17
Box basics: One autographed jersey per box (five boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: The newest edition in TRISTAR's Hidden Treasures brand of autographed memorabilia includes some all-time greats as well as stars of today and tomorrow all in one spot -- and there's a "case chase" inclusion once again

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Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...

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PARALLEL POWER?
The Card: National League Wins Leaders (Spencer Strider, Zac Gallen, Justin Steele) 2024 Topps True Photo variant & Gold Foil parallel
The Price: About $11 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The concept of this one is simple and it's striking -- knock off the border of a base card completely, using just its photo -- and I think it works. But there's also one thing here that's striking -- and not in the best way. These are arguably too rare to make that big of an impact with me and I think perhaps other collectors who might not bother to grab their players or even think about a team set or full set. How rare? They are one in 677 hobby packs and I'm confident they'd be more popular if people could reasonably collect a team run or set. Why? Because they're something dramatically different and you can compare the regular card and this version side by side. I also grabbed a Gold Foil parallel for this one this time after I bit on the variant ... just to say I had one. Even paying $10 for this was a stretch for me ... and those odds and that price might say that these aren't as popular as they could/should be. These are one in basically every third hobby case.
Grab a box right here: MLB cards are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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What: 2025 Panini Prizm Draft Picks football cards
Arrives: Aug. 20
Box basics: Four autographs per four-pack box (16 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Panini offers up Prizm Draft once again with some current college stars on NIL deals and greats of the recent past in their school colors with an autograph in every pack and plenty more.

Keep reading for more info and a full gallery.

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What: 2025 TRISTAR Hidden Treasures Autographed Footballs Season Edition
Arrives: Sept. 24
Box basics: One autographed football per box (four boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: TRISTAR's Hidden Treasures line of autographed footballs hits the field during the season once again with its familiar format and mix of pro and college balls in play.

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Mystery Box Buzz Break is a new series here on The Buzz -- it's essentially a Buzz Break but only for "mystery boxes" that seem to be everywhere these days -- and not just in the sports realm. Like this and want to see more? Is there a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.

The mystery box: Boston Red Sox Mystery Publications Grab Bag
Where to buy: Via Red Sox on MLB.com (find new MLB cards at BlowoutCards.com)

Keep reading for a full breakdown and a gallery of what was in this box. (Yes, it was a box and not a bag ... but that's their image.)

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What: 2025 TRISTAR Hidden Treasures Autographed Full-size Helmets 2
Arrives: Aug. 20
Box basics: One autographed full-size authentic helmet per box (three boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: This staple in TRISTAR's Hidden Treasures autographed memorabilia lineup arrives for a second time this year with a new batch of full-size signed authentic-model helmets that are inked by some of the game's greatest players of today as well as top newcomers.

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Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading ... so here's this month's grading diary.

TOUGH ONE?
The Card: Bo Bichette 2022 Topps Heritage image variation (found in Heritage High Number packs)
The Reason Graded: Some of you might wonder why this card is in the lead slot this month since it's a simple image variation -- but a great one -- from a brand that's not quite as pricey as it used to be. (At least for singles ... you can find this for about $2 or less.) But, finding one of these that will get a high (real) grade? Not so much. The centering can always be a bear here but that's not the constant problem spot. It's the backs of these that use full-bleed black ink where cards that may look flawless on the fronts are often demolished when it comes to those those back edges.
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: This one? It still has a some minor spotting -- that's why it's not a perfect 10 -- but it's way better than every other one I've seen and that's why I subbed this after I found it raw. Why? That front is pretty much a perfectly crafted design and I definitely don't mind retro-styled sets like this one -- I call it the old-guy flagship set as it is for me vs. basic Topps. The stuff feels more sturdy with its stock and printing -- I'm not sure I trust foilboard to age that well, either -- but the trade-off is that Heritage is harder to grade and land those higher marks. In all ways, this one is a win for me, a Bichette collector, and that's why he's batting lead-off. (It also doesn't hurt he's starting to warm up on the field this season.)

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

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What: 2025 Pulse Stratos Football Heat Seeker Edition football cards
Arrives: July
Box basics: One encased autograph per one-card box (24 boxes per case)
Checklist: See early players list in gallery
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: A faster chase -- one auto per box and that's it -- edition of Stratos drops this summer with newly drafted NFL stars as well as legends from the past all among the possible finds.

Keep reading for more info and a gallery of images.

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What: 2025 Leaf Metal Football Blaster football cards
Arrives: May 2
Box basics: 10 base cards or parallels plus one autographed card per box (20 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Leaf Metal's simpler counterpart arrives with a mix of players on NIL deals, some past stars and even some current names all in one spot.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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What: 2025 SAGE Aspire football cards
Arrives: May 30
Box basics: 24 autographs per box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: SAGE's newest cardboard will include nothing but ink as it's a one-pack autograph-only release with this one ... but there's still plenty to chase.

Keep reading for more info.

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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 Panini Chronicles Draft Picks football cards (blaster)
First Buzz preview: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for a few formats)

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

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