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: 2022 Cryptozoic CZX Middle-earth trading cards
Arrives: Oct. 19
Box basics: One autograph, one sketch, one CZX STR PWR, one Film Cel more per six-pack box
Order: Click here (when available)

What's buzz-worthy: Cryptozoic's high-end line takes on The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies all in one premium release that includes some big autographs and plenty more.

Keep reading for more info and a gallery sampling the possibilities in this one.

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From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and break down 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: Marvel Ant-Man and The Wasp trading cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (when available) ... click here for all Marvel boxes

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

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Yes, that's a giant PEZ dispenser about to take out a villain -- and that's just one of the oddities you'll see in the newest trailer from Marvel Studios.

This one? It's Ant-Man and The Wasp and this time around Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) joins Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) in some big-scale adventures involving technology that makes everything possible.

Check out the new trailer released just this morning after the jump.

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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 Upper Deck Marvel Ant-Man cards (hobby)
Where to buy: Poke around online

Packs per box: 20
Cards per pack: 5
Cards in this box: 95
Base set completion: 
74 of 90 (82 percent)
Duplicates: 0

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We're a couple years removed from The Hobbit movie trilogy's completion on the big screen, but it's pretty clear that the story of Middle-Earth is living on.

The first way to know this is the revealing of the Middle-Earth Ultimate Collectors Edition, a 30-disc set coming soon for the small screen that collects The Hobbit trilogy along with The Lord of the Rings trilogy to create the supreme viewing experience at a premium price. It's $800 for a package loaded with extras -- click the image at right for a hint at what's included.

A second way -- and perhaps the most-important way for collectors -- to know that The Hobbit is living on is to examine the demand for autographs and sketch cards. We're just a few months removed from the third in a trilogy of The Hobbit sets from Cryptozoic and there's plenty of interest.

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A star from a few television and movie franchises has signed with Upper Deck Authenticated.

Evangeline Lilly, who has appeared in Lost, Ant-Man and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, has signed nine different photos and posters as part of the initial offering in the collection.

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