Via @tristar1 ... Bo Jackson

This year's National Sports Collectors Convention is nearly here -- it's set for July 30-Aug. 3 in Chicago with a strong roster of autograph guests ready to sign for collectors who get a ticket and get in line for their moment beyond the ballpark.

Some signers are free if you attend the VIP reception on opening day of the show or buy a VIP ticket package -- a bonus for taking the time to hit every day of the show -- but landing other signers will take some planning and a few bucks.

It's tough to see everything at The National -- it's that big -- and the time it takes to work through autograph lines is valuable in that it impedes your shot at seeing it all. But, if you have wanted to meet a player and get that ink, a number of past and present stars are on the list this year. With that said, here are my picks -- skewing toward the best names for the lowest prices possible -- to grab off the autograph list during the full days of the show this year. (Keep reading for the full signers list at the end ... and, remember, times are always subject to change.)

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What: 2025 Panini UConn Huskies basketball cards
Arrives: May 23
Box basics: Two autographs per six-pack hobby box (20 boxes per case), 24 cards per six-pack blaster (20 per case)
Checklist: See gallery
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Stars from the past and present UConn Huskies basketball programs -- men's and women's teams -- hit cardboard from Panini in a release that's got plenty of stuff to chase.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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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: 2024 Panini Select WNBA cards (blaster)
First Buzz preview: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery from this one.

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What: The Monopoly Prizm WNBA Edition game
Arrives: Jan. 12, 2025
Box basics: Six four-card packs per box
Order: Click here (when available)

What's buzz-worthy: Panini Prizm WNBA cards are coming to the gaming realm for the first time with an edition of the Monopoly board game and booster packs of cards showcasing today's stars and past legends.

Keep reading for more info.

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What: 2024 TruMystery Going For Gold Buyback Edition
Arrives: Sept. 25
Box basics: One slabbed buyback card per box and one memorabilia redemption per case (eight boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: TruCreator's blind-box line keeps the Olympic spirit going next month with a buyback release that puts a slabbed card in every box and a little more once per case.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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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 Panini Prizm WNBA cards (blaster box)
First Buzz preview: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery from this one.

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What: 2023 Panini Origins WNBA basketball cards
Arrives: Oct. 25
Box basics: Two autographs and one memorabilia card per 10-card box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Origins hits the WNBA hardwood for the first time bringing with it top autographs and memorabilia cards and plenty more.

Keep reading for more info and a full gallery of images released so far.

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If you hadn't noticed, there are a number of boxes with discounted prices right now right here as Blowout Cards' Black November sales have arrived this year.

The fourth wave is here and many of the discounts were dramatic enough that Buzz once again had to ponder the possibilities in many of the boxes and cases -- and here are five that caught this collector’s eye ... and there's far more that just might suit your tastes in the big sale.

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NOW'S THE TIME ...
2022 Panini Prizm WWE wrestling cards hobby boxes
This one is an important release for wrestling card collectors since it was the first Panini America WWE set and it's one that is absolutely loaded with actual Rookie Cards for a bunch of new NXT 2.0 and NXT UK stars who didn't have any previous cardboard at all as well as most of the biggest names of the past and present -- all in one spot, all on one checklist and all with rainbows of parallels. Throw in autographs and a boatload of color and inserts and there's big potential here. The Prizm investor crowd here certainly pumped these up big-time as there is big potential here the rarest stuff ... but the box prices have dropped heavily since release. Why? There's supply for everything available here -- for now -- and that volume of singles, parallels (a deep rainbow on every card and plenty of retail and hobby boxes, too) couldn't keep up with the volume of buyers if you take away the flippers. It remains the same solid release that it was when the boxes were three times the price ... but now it's a more reasonable rip. If you land big stuff you're probably still OK -- maybe more ahead vs. the past -- but if you're a collector this might be closer to the price point where it's more do-able.

Keep reading for a few more boxes you should consider (and are likely to end up in Buzz's cart).

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What: 2022 Panini Prizm WNBA basketball cards
Arrives: July 15
Box basics: Two autographs per 12-pack box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: WNBA fans get Prizm for a third time with a familiar lineup but a larger 200-card base set this time around that includes W25 cards for the league's most-legendary players.

Keep reading for more info and a gallery of what's to come.

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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 Panini Prizm WNBA cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

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

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What: 2019 Donruss WNBA basketball cards
Arrives: June 26
Box basics: Two autographs per four-pack box (20 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: The WNBA comes to Panini America cardboard for the first time with a brand that gives collectors an Optic option as well as ink within its small but big -- 30 cards -- packs.

Keep reading for more info and a gallery of what's to come.

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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: 2006-07 Press Pass Legends basketball cards (hobby hanger box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (when available)

Packs per box: 12
Cards per pack: 4
Cards per box: 48
Base set completion: 28 of 70 (40 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notable players on base cards – Sue Bird, Sleepy Floyd, Dominique Wilkins, Hakeem Olajuwon, Isiah Thomas, Connie Hawkins, Danny Manning, JoJo White, Dan Issel, Wes Unseld, Spud Webb, Walt Frazier, Bernard King, Bill Walton, Dean Smith, Digger Phelps

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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: 2016 Topps U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Team Hopefuls cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 24
Cards per pack: 8
Cards in this box: 182
Base set completion: 
74 of 74 (100 percent)
Duplicates: 28
Triplicates: 25

Notable athletes on base cards – Michael Phelps, Claressa Shields, Brittney Griner, Diana Taurasi, Candace Parker, Missy Franklin, Justin Gatlin, Natalie Coughlin, Abby Wambach, Sue Bird, Ryan Lochte, Bob Beamon, Rulon Gardner, Jenny Thompson, Aly Raisman, Carly Patterson, Gary Hall Jr., Gabby Douglas

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