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 ... and it's one of the biggest months ever.

A MONSTER MONTH ...
The Card: Bo Bichette 2020 Topps Archives Snapshots Archives Autographs
The Reason Graded: I've been buying up Bo Bichette cards relatively heavily by my standards -- second perhaps only to some top favorites and people with school ties -- but of all my pick-ups only one was an autograph. These were, I believe, via a redemption and that's how I landed mine -- at least in a sealed Topps top-loader -- and I opted to slab it in a recent submission. (Even though I generally don't grade a lot of autos as I don't want to get a dreaded grade on a card I like.)
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: I'm fine with nines, but this one seemed like a slight bummer as I didn't see anything dramatically wrong with it -- so there must have been a couple of minor issues that dropped it down in tandem. The design here is one that doesn't have a lot of perfectly center-able features ... so maybe part of that was just a judgment call, 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: 2011 TRISTAR Obak football cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 24 (plus one jumbo T4 box-topper)
Cards per pack: 6
Cards in this box: 144
Base set completion: 
101 of 110 (94 percent)
Duplicates: 9

Notables on base cards – Sammy Baugh, Dutch Clark, Red Grange, Mel Hein, Pete Henry, Cal Hubbard, Don Hutson, Tim Mara, Bronko Nagurski, Ernie Nevers, Johnny Unitas, Paul Hornung, Terry Bradshaw, Earl Campbell, Morten Andersen, Roger Staubach, Gale Sayers, Jim Otto, Jim Parker, Norm Van Brocklin, Vince Lombardi, John Heisman, Paul "Bear" Bryant, Doak Walker, Darrell Royal, Bo Jackson, John David Crow, Hopalong Cassady, Johnny Lattner, Charlie Ward, Tom Dempsey, Lem Barney, Dennis Byrd, Edgar Allen Poe, Bob Lilly, "Crazy Legs" Hirsch, Emlen Tunnell, Walter Camp, Fritz Pollard, Thomas Riddell, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Lyndon B. Johnson, Dwight Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Eddie LeBaron

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