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

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BATTING LEAD-OFF ... THE PITCHER
The Card: Tatum O'Neal (as Amanda Whurlitzer) 2013 Panini Golden Age Exhibit Box-topper
The Price: $14
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is a modern take on the old Exhibit postcards and this one is one of a few cards in a huge set that stands out to me. Why? It's one that shows an actor in character as she was the ace of The Bad News Bears. The key here? This is a box-topper set that had 40 cards in it ... so that's a lot of boxes to open to complete a set -- just one per box -- and the collation could be quite repetitive in my experience as I ripped a ton of these over the years. While a lot of sets from even a decade ago have dried up in wax form and gotten perhaps too steep for the typical return, these are still very affordable and include some good stuff. The only drawback? A wide array of inclusions may not be for everybody and now all these years later some of the good autograph redemption cards (only a few) can't be redeemed for that ink. (Points now as they are long-expired.) There are a lot of on-card autos in this release that have no equal -- including autos from her and other Bears.
Grab a box right here: 2013 Panini Golden Age

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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 it's a bit heavy on autographs I've picked up over, say, the last year.

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TURTLE POWER!
The Card: Kevin Eastman 2019 Topps The Art of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Green Artist Autographs (/99)
The Price: Around $30
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is an autograph from one of the original creators of the TMNT franchise that has been seen in countless comic books, video games, movies and other stuff out there in the world for years now -- a franchise among franchises. I'm not sure how rare his autograph is out there in the comic book world -- typically, artists do signings somewhat regularly -- but for trading cards he signed about 30 different options in this release that included one artist auto and one sketch card along with a very nice premium-style set ... and I think that is it for his cards. Poke around here on The Buzz and you'll see how these sets look and how I did pretty well opening a couple of them in the past. Why? The prices dipped rather dramatically in the year or so after they arrived but they have picked back up price-wise and aren't the cheapest of ripping options now -- but the sketches can be nice enough to pay for it all sometimes. I figured this auto was a key one in the long run, so I added this to go with my others. And, if you want to add some more pop culture trivia here, Eastman was the editor and publisher of Heavy Metal magazine as well as married to Julie Strain, a model and "The Queen of B-movies" who has appeared in BenchWarmer sets and helped create other card sets herself.
Grab a box right here: 2019 Topps The Art of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

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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.

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL ICONS
The Card: Paul "Bear" Bryant & Knute Rockne 2010 Panini Century Collection Souvenir Stamps Sports Combos (two stamps dual material) (/100)
The Price: More than I'll admit ... but it's a keeper.
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is just the second time I've grabbed one of these key memorabilia cards with a piece of a fedora worn by Bryant and a jacket from Rockne -- two of the greatest coaches in the history of college football. Rockne has a number of memorabilia cards out there (more than 50) but Bryant only has a literal handful of cards -- and almost all of them were in this release. Why? Hats aren't all that big. As far as I know, all but a 1/1 card or two is in this release ... meanwhile, the prices for the few Bryant fedoras that may exist -- if they ever hit the market again -- won't be card-conducive in the future since they are pricey. The last two Bryant houndstooth fedoras auctioned? Together, they topped $100,000 on the auction block. These are limited to only 100 copies and I hadn't picked up one of these in a long time. Why this time? You never know when more might pop up.
Grab a box right here: 2010 Panini Century Collection (when available)

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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.

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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

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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 ... and this time it's a few fresh slabs and a few more past pick-ups than usual as my pre-COVID grading submissions are delayed and still in graders' hands.

OH, OH DOMINO ...
The Card: Zazie Beetz 2019 Goodwin Champions Autographs
The Reason Graded: Goodwin Champions is always full of interesting and different autographs -- many super-affordable ones, too, though the years -- but this is not one of the dirt-cheap sigs that has some obscure sport's star on it. Instead, this is of the celeb variety in the brand as Beetz might be best known for her roles in Deadpool 2 (where I know her), Atlanta or Joker. Domino in the movies is different than Domino in the books, but I think it worked so this auto was firmly on my want list when I first saw she was a signer. She's got almost 40 different cards in this release, which is the home of her only certified autographs so far.
The Grade: BGS 10/10

Reality Check: This was a nice surprise to me as paper-stock autos can always have minor problems -- especially with on-card autos. This was not a pull of mine -- in fact, it was in a previous Buzz Buys item as seen here -- so I was a little surprised but I also knew it looked grading worthy with scrutiny so I opted for BGS. I was also surprised to see that it's the only one graded, but there are other versions. Three of her inscribed cards have been graded with nothing higher than a 9.5. Even more interesting? This is just one of four 10s out of 40 cards graded from this particular set for all signers.

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

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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 BIG WIN
The Card: Patrick Mahomes 2017 Donruss Optic #177 Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: I came real close to letting this one go raw, but late in the season I pulled it out of my "to-go box" and put it in the "slab-it stack" figuring I might get a little more out of it if I did let it go ... then they won it all. Needless to say now, that would definitely be the case for this key RC of the Super Bowl champ and new hobby go-to for many.
The Grade: BGS 9.5

Reality Check: I didn't expect a 9.5 and that's a mark that's getting this card up close to $500 on eBay right now -- a surprise to me as I just don't watch NFL card values as much as I probably should. I only have this one but I ripped plenty back then since 2017 NFL stuff was so plentiful (back then) I'd buy and rip some boxes heavily almost by default. Those boxes are scorchers now thanks to all of the possibilities for this guy and other key rookies that year. Most copies of this card check in at this mark ... but that's clearly not scaring people off here.

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: 2013 Topps football cards (retail box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for factory sets) 

Packs per box: 16
Cards per pack: 12
Cards in this box: 192
Base set completion: 
162 of 440 (37 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notable players found on base cards: Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Tony Romo, Tim Tebow, Julio Jones, J.J. Watt, Philip Rivers, Antonio Brown, Clay Matthews, Nick Foles, Tony Gonzalez, Brian Urlacher, Rob Gronkowski, Sam Bradford, Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck, Richard Sherman

Rookie Cards (38) – Notables include Keenan Allen, Kenny Stills, Jordan Reed

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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: 2015 Panini Prizm Collegiate Draft Picks football cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 12
Cards per pack: 5
Cards in this box: 60
Base set completion: 48 of 250 (19 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Andrew Luck, LeSean McCoy, Wes Welker, Drew Brees, Charles Woodson, Andy Dalton, Larry Fitzgerald, Keenan Allen, Eddie Lacy, Derek Carr

Rookie Cards (24) – Notables include Tyler Lockett, T.J. Yeldon, Jesse James, Melvin Gordon

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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: 2017 Donruss football cards (Mega Box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 10 (three hobby, seven retail)
Cards per pack: 10 per hobby, eight per retail
Cards in this box: 86
Base set completion: 
57 of 300 (19 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Johnny Unitas, Cam Newton, Marcus Mariota, Franco Harris, David Johnson, Ezekiel Elliott, Eddie George, Todd Gurley, Peyton Manning, Derek Carr, Randy Moss, Matthew Stafford

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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: 2017 Panini Absolute Football cards (blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 8
Cards per pack: 8
Cards in this box: 64
Base set completion: 
55 of 100 (55 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Tom Brady, Julio Jones, Amari Cooper, Aaron Rodgers, A.J. Green, David Johnson, Derek Carr, Eddie Lacy, Matthew Stafford, Antonio Brown, Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston, Dez Bryant, Ezekiel Elliott, Drew Brees, Jared Goff

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Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today's your day then as we launch 12 in 12 -- a series of a dozen breaks of past wax boxes and wax packs in a dozen hours. We'll post one every hour on the hour all day long today ... this is Hour 7.

The box: 2014 Topps NFL Mega Box
The cost: BlowoutCards.com

What's inside this one? Keep reading ...

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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: 2013 Topps football cards (retail box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby) 

Packs per box: 16
Cards per pack: 12
Cards in this box: 192
Base set completion: 
162 of 440 (37 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notable players found on base cards: Andrew Luck, Adrian Peterson, Russell Wilson, Dez Bryant, Ben Roethlisberger, Peyton Manning, Larry Fitzgerald, Cam Newton

Rookie Cards (45) – Notables include Le'Veon Bell, Desmond Trufant, Tyrann Mathieu

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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 Panini football cards
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for blasters) 

Packs per box: 24
Cards per pack: 10
Cards in this box: 240
Base set completion: 
144 of 200 (72 percent)
Duplicates: 0

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The NFL's postseason kicks off with four games this weekend and it seems each of them have players to watch when it comes to collecting football cards.

Here's one player from all eight teams Buzz says could be of interest -- some obvious, some not.

J.J. Watt -- The Houston Texans' defensive dynamo and part-time tight end is basically a household name with his bloody noses and his Papa John's commercials, but when it comes to autographed Rookie Cards he might be overvalued. He's one of very few defensive stars to really get attention when it comes to cards, so it would take a monster game against the Chiefs to make those Contenders Rookie Cards even better buys. Sorry for the bad news there. (Maybe him being able to successfully complete a pizza curl in a follow-up Papa John's commercial would help?)

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Buzz-worthy or bust-worthy -- those might be the labels thrown around this week depending on what Cleveland's Johnny Bench Football does as starter for the Browns.

Johnny Manziel has probably been a disappointment to many considering where his cardboard ranked among his rookie peers last year but this week's game could end up being a coming out party showing or one where the moralists and scouts say "I told you so" before they bail on his cardboard.

Love 'em or hate 'em, Manziel is one to watch against the San Francisco 49ers. Keep reading for four more ...

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The NFL's newest emerging name -- Seattle RB Thomas Rawls -- ran for 209 yards and a touchdown and added three catches for 46 yards and a score. But -- and this is a big but for collectors -- he doesn't have a single legitimate NFL card, so we're stuck with this guy. It turns out that "this guy," aka Tampa Bay Bucs QB Jameis Winston, had a record-setting day for his team with five touchdowns and 246 yards passing in a 45-17 win over the Eagles. Is he that good -- or are they that bad? Doesn't matter on cardboard as he'll continue to be one of the rookies collectors hope to find in this year's football boxes.

>> Click here to shop for 2015 football boxes on BlowoutCards.com.

Keep reading for four more guys who generated some buzz on the field this week.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers will likely be without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on Sunday when they take on the Cleveland Browns and that team's likely QB is our pick for a prime player to watch on Sunday. He's "Johnny Football," Johnny Manziel, who completed 15 of 33 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown in a 31-10 loss on Nov. 5.

Could a decent game against an AFC rival be enough to spark interest -- or at least some optimistic hype -- in a guy who was an unquestioned top rookie on cardboard last year? And what about a good game? Buzz thinks that could re-ignite some serious interest.

Keep reading for four more guys to watch on Sunday.

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The Blowout Cards Forums are where thousands of collectors converge daily to discuss, well, a little bit of everything. Here are five threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

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As one of our five players to watch this weekend, we told you to keep an eye on Tennessee Titans QB Marcus Mariota in his return to the starting lineup.

He delivered, throwing for 371 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-28 win over the New Orleans Saints -- his best performance in six games this season. In fact, that upped his touchdown total for the year to 12, which is tied for the most for a rookie QB in franchise history. (Vince Young's mark will fall this week unless the undefeated Panthers throw a shutout.)

We all know that Mariota's cardboard was going to remain expensive no matter what happened as he's one of the premiere players in this year's rookie class. With a game like that, though, any jitters people had about digging in on his cardboard likely vanished.

>> Click here to shop for 2015 football boxes on BlowoutCards.com.

Keep reading for more players who generated some buzz on the field -- and why -- this week.

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Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota will have plenty of eyes on him on Sunday when he returns as the starter after suffering an injured knee ligament that had him out of action since Oct. 18. A good game could spark more interest and that might happen if his team's game against the Saints turns into some type of shootout. A bad one could have people starting to wonder about the guy who went No. 2 overall in this year's draft. (We all know QBs get a longer shelf life than other spots, though, right?)

Keep reading for four more guys to watch on Sunday.

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From time to time, we'll spotlight a box or case that seems like a buzz-worthy bargain right here from BlowoutCards.com. 

What: 2013 Fleer Retro football cards
Present Price: $399.95 per 12-box case or $34.95 per box
Original Price: $1,199.99 and $99.99
Manufacturer: Upper Deck
Box Basics: Two autographs per 18-pack box

Notable Rookies: Eddie Lacy, Geno Smith, Montee Ball, Cordarrelle Patterson, Keenan Allen, DeAndre Hopkins, E.J. Manuel, Giovani Bernard, Le'Veon Bell, Tavon Austin
Other Notable Autos: Andrew Luck, Joe Namath, Thurman Thomas, Tim Brown, Steve Young, Jerry Rice, Bo Jackson, John Elway, Eddie George, Tedy Bruschi, Terrell Davis, Ron Dayne, Ozzie Newsome, Eric Dickerson, Roger Craig

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The showdown between the New Orleans Saints and the New York Giants turned into an old-fashioned huck-it-chuck-it shootout that fueled more than a few fantasy teams and probably more than a few searches for football cards online.

But it was St. Louis Rams rookie running back Todd Gurley who made history Sunday with an NFL-leading 133 rushing yards and a touchdown to become the first rookie to run for more than 125 yards in his first four starts. Meanwhile, the Rams are 4-3 -- and that's a team that hasn't finished a season with a winning record in 12 years.

The 10th overall pick in this year's NFL Draft can be found throughout all 2015 football products and his rarer premium cards like the Certified patch auto above from Panini America have been scorchers. That one's pushing $200 on eBay right now with plenty of time remaining. Meanwhile, there have been more than 250 sales of Gurley autographed cards to top $100 in recent times on eBay and asking prices for active auctions are even more stout.

>> Click here to shop for 2015 football boxes on BlowoutCards.com.

Keep reading for nine more players who generated some buzz on the field -- and why -- this week.

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