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.)

Continue reading →

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.

What's Buzzing Today: The arrival of 2017 Topps, Hoosiers surprises, inside the Transcendent party, extra Troy Aikman ink, new comics & more.

Continue reading →

It's not baseball but it's the first surprise in packs of 2017 Topps Series 1.

What you see here is an autograph of "Norman Dale" aka Gene Hackman, who was the coach of the Hickory High School basketball team in Hoosiers.

How rare will this autograph turn out to be? It's probably one of the toughest ones, though it was on the announced checklist for those who looked closely enough to spot the name. The card has parallels and a 1/1 Birch version just like others in the set -- but those aren't on peoples' minds just yet. Why? The first copy to hit eBay already has an impressive asking price.

Hackman had never signed a certified autograph before despite appearing on plenty of Topps Superman cards from his time bringing Lex Luthor to life.

Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com. 

>> Click here to buy cards on BlowoutCards.com