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

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PARALLEL POWER?
The Card: National League Wins Leaders (Spencer Strider, Zac Gallen, Justin Steele) 2024 Topps True Photo variant & Gold Foil parallel
The Price: About $11 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The concept of this one is simple and it's striking -- knock off the border of a base card completely, using just its photo -- and I think it works. But there's also one thing here that's striking -- and not in the best way. These are arguably too rare to make that big of an impact with me and I think perhaps other collectors who might not bother to grab their players or even think about a team set or full set. How rare? They are one in 677 hobby packs and I'm confident they'd be more popular if people could reasonably collect a team run or set. Why? Because they're something dramatically different and you can compare the regular card and this version side by side. I also grabbed a Gold Foil parallel for this one this time after I bit on the variant ... just to say I had one. Even paying $10 for this was a stretch for me ... and those odds and that price might say that these aren't as popular as they could/should be. These are one in basically every third hobby case.
Grab a box right here: MLB cards are here.

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What: 2024 Keepsake Warriors & Conquerors Edition trading cards
Arrives: June 26
Box basics: One Keepsake Relic per box (five boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: The newest Keepsake release is focuses on historical figures and then icons of pop culture all in one spot with nothing but hits in the mix.

Keep reading for more info and a selection of images.

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What: 2024 TruMystery Lucky Envelope Asia Edition
Arrives: April 23
Box basics: One autograph per box (eight boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: TruCreator  focuses its attention on Asian athletes and stars throughout pop culture in a release that's all about autographed items -- and premium items also will be in play here via redemptions.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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What: 2024 Keepsake Edition Bruce Lee 50th Anniversary Edition trading cards
Arrives: April 25
Box basics: One Keepsake Relic, Bruce Lee card stand and one five-card pack per illuminated box (five boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: The newest Keepsake release is focuses on a global icon with an officially licensed presence here with autographs, handwriting samples and memorabilia sourced from his family's estate.

Keep reading for more info and a selection of images.

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What: 2023 Pieces of the Past Asia Edition
Arrives: Nov. 20
Box basics: Two relics per six-pack box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: This brand returns by "celebrating over 2,000 years of Asia's rich history with subjects from China, Japan, Korea, Indonesia" and elsewhere in a release packed with history, hits, modern-day pop culture icons and more.

Keep reading for more info and a selection of images.

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What: 2023 The Bar 1/1 Cut Autographed Edition trading cards
Arrives: May
Box basics: One autographed 1/1 graded/slabbed The Bar creation per box (three boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: The Bar is back with unique creations in every box this time with a mix of pop culture and historic figures presented with art and autographs.

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What: 2022 Break King Non-sport Premium Edition
Arrives: June 10
Box basics: Two buybacks -- two autos or one auto and one sketch/other -- per box (three boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Break King looks to the icons of the non-sports realm for a buyback release that will be nearly all about ink but work in some original artwork at times, too.

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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 lot: 2008 Donruss Americana II trading cards (25-pack retail lot)
Where to buy: Click here

Packs per lot: 25
Cards per pack: 5
Cards in this lot: 127
Base set completion: 
62 of 100 (62 percent)
Duplicates: 34
Triplicates: 17
Quadruplicates: 3

Notables on base cards – Jackie Chan, Willie Nelson, Jerry Lewis, Goldie Hawn, Quentin Tarantino, Peggy Fleming, Helen Slater, Regis Philbin, Natalie Raitano, Joyce DeWitt, Corey Feldman, Peter Mayhew, Kane Hodder, Martin Kove, Gary Coleman, Jane Russell, Brutus Beefcake, David Prowse, Stephen Toblowsky, Erik Estrada, Ed Asner, Julie Newmar, Martina Navratilova, Lee Meriweather, Mark Hamill, Willie Mays, Vicki Lawrence, George H.W. Bush, Jake LaMotta, Kathie Lee Gifford, Dan Fogler, Elijah Wood

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Younger collectors may not know it, but there was a time when Topps published comic books and magazines

And that time is back with the first issue of Garbage Pail Kids issue No. 1 -- "The Worst of 2016" -- which is being sold only initially via Topps.com. The books are $19.99 with a pair of stickers (Grim Jim and Nervous Rex) also included. A discount is available for those buying five copies of the book. It will be printed to order just like its other recent online GPK releases, according to the company's site.

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