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: 2021 Topps Opening Day baseball cards (hobby box)
First Buzz preview & Checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.

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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: 2020 Topps Update baseball cards (blaster)
First Buzz preview with checklist/SPs/more: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.

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What: 2021 Panini Absolute Baseball cards
Arrives: May 26
Box basics: Two autographs and two memorabilia cards per two-pack box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Absolute takes the field once again with fewer autos (and, in turn, a lower suggested retail price) but plenty of the past and present stars one would expect as well as plenty of memorabilia.

Keep reading for more as well as a full gallery of images.

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This one is a new department here on The Buzz ... Fast Five -- a quick list under a simple topic that might offer a basic starting point for a themed collection. It's a basic list of five items that could be fun for a starting collector or a new way to add to a stash that might already seemingly include everything when it comes to cardboard. For some of you, it's probably common sense. For others of you out there, it's perhaps something to ponder.

This time? Five Sports Illustrated covers I'd want on cardboard now in Topps' new card set ... and five more after that.

Junior goes home ... Ken Griffey Jr. | Feb. 21, 2000
It was a blockbuster kind of move, and, while Junior's first SI cover (May 7, 1990) might be in more demand, the portrait on this one would get my cardboard nod first in the new Topps set. Why? It's just a much better photo than his debut. I'm pretty sure I saved my copy of this one from back in the day ... so if there's no card I'll survive. Junior's days in a Seattle uniform seem get more attention than his time with the Reds and that's another reason I'd do this one.

Keep reading for four more making up the list this time ... and five more after that.

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We all know the power of Rookie Cards ... but what's a rookie cover card worth?

We're about to find out as Topps launched its 2021 Topps x Sports Illustrated card set today, which will arrive two cards per week for 35 weeks revisiting past covers from the magazine that launched back in 1954 with Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews on the cover ... and with sheets of paper Topps baseball cards inside the first issue, by the way.

The first card in the printed-on-demand series is Mike Trout and his first cover appearance from Aug. 27, 2012.

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What: 2021 Topps Chrome Platinum Anniversary Edition baseball cards
Arrives: June 29, 2022
Box basics: One autograph per 24-pack hobby box (12 boxes per case); No autos guaranteed per 16-pack hobby LITE box (16 boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: The famed 1952 Topps set gets a go on Chrome in this one -- a massive 700-card set -- with just four cards per pack and plenty of parallels to chase. Plenty.

Keep reading for more as well as a full gallery of images.

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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 a few threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing: Tech and baseball cards, players' values, a Tampa Bay Bucs repeat in the works, new breaks and a huge 2021 Topps pull.

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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 ... it's a bit heavier on MLB and some vintage edition as I'm still awaiting deliveries.

CLASSIC BATTING LEAD-OFF ...
The Card: Ken Griffey Jr. 1989 Topps Traded #41T -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: I'm fine with nines and when I saw this one for $17.50 with no obvious substantial flaws despite its grade I grabbed it. Why? Slabbed early cards of all-time greats like him from the 1980s and 1990s are destined to be moving as slab-hungry buyers want more and more as the obvious other bigger cards just keep rising. I, myself, am not all that interested in chasing Griffey's Upper Deck RC at a meaty price in a high-grade slab (I have a couple around/below this mark and a few raw not worth slabbing) but this one always has a little more appeal to me since it's cheap ... and I actually had a few way back then.
The Grade: BGS 9

Reality Check: This card isn't the easiest grade with weird surface roller lines, centering and back edge chipping issues always possible based on what I've seen. While a BGS 9 or 9.5 isn't all that rare, I'm fine with it for the price -- a 9.5 will definitely cost more and the most-common grade is actually lower than this. That population of 10s is surprising but I'm not that surprised there are no truly perfect copies. I don't think its possible 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: 2020 Topps Chrome Update baseball cards (mega box)
Checklist: Click here
Where to buy: Click here (when available)

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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: 2020 Topps Chrome Update baseball cards (mega box)
Checklist: Click here
Where to buy: Click here (when available)

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: 2021 Topps Series 1 baseball cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
First Buzz preview with checklist/SPs/more: Click here

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.

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What: 2021 Break King Stars & Legends
Arrives: April 30
Box basics: At least one graded buyback per three-card box (three boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Break King takes on the legends of the sports world in this one with greats from the past and present in several sports all found here.

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What: 2021 Leaf Ultimate Sports
Arrives: May
Box basics: Three hits per box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: This one arrives with "one of the strongest and most-comprehensive signature checklists in hobby history" as part of a high-end product that hits nearly all -- if not all -- areas of the sports world.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today's your day then as we launch 8 in 8 -- a series of a eight breaks of wax boxes and wax packs in as many hours today. We'll post one every hour ... this is Hour 2.

The packs: 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1994 and 1995 Bowman packs
The cost: Will vary ... get newer Bowman stuff here

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

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What: 2021 Topps Transcendent Collection Hall of Fame Edition baseball cards
Arrives: May 12
Box basics: 45 autographs and more per box
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Transcendent returns with its Hall of Fame focus and this time includes even more rare cards showcasing legends from Cooperstown's ranks as well as some new twists not seen in Transcendent releases in the past.

Keep reading for more as well as a full gallery of images.

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What: 2021 Topps Museum Collection baseball cards
Arrives: July 7
Box basics: One on-card auto, one auto-Relic, one quad Relic and one other Relic per four-pack box (12 boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Museum Collection arrives with its familiar format of the last few years and plenty of the stars of the past and present -- but with a new crop of rookies, too.

Keep reading for more as well as a full gallery of images.

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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 ...

WORKS FOR ME
The Card: Dan Marino 1984 Topps #123 -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: I never really aspired to own a Dan Marino RC -- or a number of other notables from the past -- but this one presented itself on the cheaper side of things for this card (about $135) and considering how this one looks I grabbed it. Why? Go window-shopping for these cards raw -- it can be depressing to see how sloppy the printing and cutting can be for this set. (Want more proof of extreme possibilites? Click here.)
The Grade: BGS 9

Reality Check: I knew this was a strong grade for this card but I didn't look at the pop report for this heavily graded and iconic Hall of Famer RC. Just 415 check in at a higher mark out of nearly 9,000 graded -- less than 5 percent of the total grade higher -- and this one accounts for just seven percent of the total population for this card. My card isn't perfect -- there's a minor couple of spots in the black border line above "Dan" and some very, very minor specs here and there on the edges but at a glance there are not massive differences here vs. higher grades ... other than the fact that a BGS 10 copy of this card has sold on eBay for more than $4,500. I'll take mine all day long -- and getting a nine here is tough as it is.

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 packs: 2020 Topps x Super 70s Sports baseball cards (three)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: Initially only via Topps.com ... BlowoutCards.com when/if available

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

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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 more Buzz Buys this month ... a super-sized mostly low-budget edition of items I've picked up throughout the year but hadn't found a place for just yet.

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A PIECE OF THE GREATEST
The Card: Muhammad Ali 2011 Leaf Metal Ali Materials Event-worn Blue Prismatic (/25)
The Price: $24.25
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: There's one truly iconic globally-known athlete out there who has a relatively limited number of low-volume memorabilia cards -- and despite that they are still relatively affordable in many instances. It's Muhammad Ali and Leaf released a handful of Ali products about a decade ago and there were training-worn, event-worn and fight-worn memorabilia cards made with each of them noting the scenario behind the swatch. Cheaper cards are around this price and even sometimes lower -- all seemingly too low for an athlete who was perhaps more influential away from his workplace while being a legend within. His full memorabilia items can't be anywhere as easily found as legends from baseball, football or basketball and I'd expect that when they do hit the auction block they are getting pricier and pricier through the years. That should make, along with licensing costs, future releases financially unlikely to include such types of cards unless his estate or family somehow (not likely) has a bunch of memorabilia held in reserve. I've picked off a few cards like this in recent months and will always check them to see if they drop to certain prices. They should be an easy buy if you ask me and a card like this one, in my mind, should be at least double this price considering his place as an all-time great.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of this ... but boxing boxes will be here when available.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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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: 2020 Topps x Steve Aoki Wave 1 baseball cards
Where to buy: Initially only via Topps.com ... BlowoutCards.com when/if available

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

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What: 2021 Topps Finest baseball cards
Arrives: June 4
Box basics: One auto per six-pack mini box with two minis per master (eight masters per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Finest hits the field once again with the familiar format, some 1990s throwbacks and plenty of Refractive flash that collectors have come to expect from this one.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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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: 2020 Topps Seattle Children's Heroes card set
Where to buy: Seattle-area Bartell Drugs stores or eBay (for now) -- see MLB cards here

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.

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What: 2021 Leaf Slab-Mania sports cards
Arrives: Jan. 29
Box basics: Seven slabbed cards per box
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: A new buyback brand focuses solely on graded cards with multiple cards per box and some legendary names among the possibilities.

Keep reading for more info.

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If you hadn't noticed, there are a number of boxes with discounted prices right now right here as Blowout Cards' Black November sales are going strong with Wave 4 dropping earlier today.

Many of the discounts are dramatic enough that Buzz once again had to sit down and ponder the possibilities in many of the boxes and cases -- and here are five boxes/cases that caught this collector’s eye ... and there's far more that just might suit your tastes in the big sale.

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BEST POTENTIAL IN CHEAP BOX AWARD GOES TO ...
2013 Panini USA Baseball set
I'm not sure I've seen this one drop this low before (a doorbuster price that likely won't last long) and that only adds to the potential here. The base set includes the likes of Alex Bregman, Matt Chapman, Michael Conforto, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, Jack Flaherty and Andrew Vaughn (among others) and each of those guys have autos and mem here -- and you get nine hits per box. Also among the hits can be members of the Japanese Collegiate All-Stars team and every box includes three Blue Prizm Select cards with all of those key names in there, too. At this price, this one is an easy throw-in and it's also one I'd consider ripping into three or four times for some safety. With all of the various patch cards and auto-mem combos and all those names, there's good potential here. Yes, there are a lot of guys who didn't pan out, too, but one key name on a key card like Vaughn, the third pick in last year's draft by the White Sox, or any of those MLB guys and it should feel like a solid bargain break.

Keep reading for a few more boxes you should consider (and are likely to end up in Buzz's cart).

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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: 2020 Topps Update baseball cards (Walmart hanger)
First Buzz preview with checklist/SPs/more: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.

Continue reading →