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

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RETRO RECORD-HOLDER
The Card: Roger Maris 2014 Panini Classics Home Run Heroes Jerseys (/25)
The Price: $30
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I ponied up a little bit for this one vs. my typical range for Maris mem cards since it's a rarer card, has a material (jersey/pants) swatch vs. a bat and is from a brand that packed a lot of potential for big names back in the day. Yet, at the same time, that price was a bargain. Yes, its centering is just slightly off, but otherwise it's clean -- that errant spot on the right side is part of the printed design on all cards here. It was an easy addition for a player I collect and pick off stuff for a few times a year. Those top corners are really clean on this one, which might not always be the case with those bold colors.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but MLB cards are here.

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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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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: 2019 Panini Absolute Football cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 8
Cards per pack: 8
Cards per box: 64
Base set completion: 
55 of 200 (28 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Patrick Mahomes, Richard Sherman, Andrew Luck, Eli Manning, Baker Mayfield

Rookies (32) – Daniel Jones, Nick Bosa, Damien Harris, Riley Ridley, Irv Smith Jr., Ryan Finley, Mack Wilson, L.J. Collier, Lil'Jordan Humphrey, Easton Stick, Rodney Anderson, Darwin Thompson, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Drew Sample, T.J. Hockenson, Josh Oliver, Julian Love, Noah Fant, Devin White, Emanuel Hall, Juan Thornhill, Jarrett Stidham, Marquise Blair, Gary Jennings Jr., DeAndre Baker, N'Keal Harry, Alex Barnes, Ugo Amadi, Elijah Holyfield, Bryce Love, Ryquell Armstead, Jahlani Tavai, Oshane Ximines

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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: 2019 Panini Absolute Football cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 8
Cards per pack: 8
Cards per box: 64
Base set completion: 
55 of 200 (28 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Nick Chubb, Andrew Luck, Mitchell Trubisky, Derek Carr, Mark Ingram, David Johnson, Deshaun Watson, Christian McCaffrey, Matt Ryan, Sony Michel, Sam Darnold

Rookies (32) – Daniel Jones, Damien Harris, Emanuel Hall, Juan Thornhill, Jarrett Stidham, Marquise Blair, Ryan Finley, Alex Barnes, Gary Jennings Jr., Deandre Baker, N'Keal Harry, Ugo Amadi, Elijah Holyfield, Bryce Love, Ryquell Armstead, Irv Smith Jr., Oshane Ximines, Riley Ridley, Jahlani Tavai, Easton Stick, Lil'Jordan Humphrey, Anthony Johnson, Rodney Anderson, Darwin Thompson, Mack Wilson, Julian Love, Noah Fant, Devin White, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Drew Sample, T.J. Hockenson, Josh Oliver

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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: 2019 Panini Prestige NFL cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (when available)

Packs per box: 8
Cards per pack: 8
Cards in this box: 64
Base set completion: 
47 of 200 (24 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards: Patrick Mahomes II, Dak Prescott, Jared Goff, Matthew Stafford, Mitchell Trubisky, Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Odell Beckham Jr., Larry Fitzgerald, Julian Edelman, Antonio Brown, Amari Cooper, Marlon Mack, Todd Gurley II, Sony Michel, Ezekiel Elliott, Le'Veon Bell

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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: 2019 Panini Absolute Football cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 8
Cards per pack: 8
Cards per box: 64
Base set completion: 
55 of 200 (28 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Derrick Henry, Amari Cooper, Michael Thomas, Derek Carr, James Conner, Mitchell Trubisky, Matt Ryan, Nick Chubb, Jared Goff, Sam Darnold, Von Miller, Saquon Barkley

Rookies (32) – Damien Harris, N'Keal Harry, Easton Stick, Noah Fant, Alex Barnes, Jarrett Stidham, Riley Ridley, Emmanuel Hall, T.J. Hockenden, Jahlani Tavai, Elijah Holyfield, Ugo Amadi, Gary Jennings Jr., Marquise Blair, Josh Oliver, Ryquell Armstead, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Lil'Jordan Humphrey, DeAndre Baker, Julian Love, Daniel Jones, Oshane Ximines, Irv Smith Jr., Bryce Love, Devin White, Darwin Thompson, Juan Thornhill, Nick Bosa, Mack Wilson, Ryan Finley, Rodney Anderson, Drew Sample

Continue reading →

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: 2019 Panini Prestige NFL cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (when available)

Packs per box: 8
Cards per pack: 8
Cards in this box: 64
Base set completion: 
47 of 200 (24 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards: Tom Brady, Baker Mayfield, Carson Wentz, Calvin Ridley, Jimmy Garoppolo, Sam  Darnold, Mark Ingram, Russell Wilson, Alvin Kamara, Mitchell Trubisky, J.J. Watt, Jared Goff, Derrick Henry

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