The latest might be the greatest -- so far -- but there are plenty of past VeeFriends to collect if one decides to go there ... and it appears that quite a few of you do.

This newest release, Topps VeeFriends Chrome 2025, is packed with flashy characters and sets -- we'll get to those later -- and it's been a near-instant sellout at that link. But, there are two previous sets that paved the way for this one that might be worth looking at before exploring this new one.

The O.G. was VeeFriends x zerocool Series 1, a collection that arrived in 2022 with 268 characters and 15 sketches that introduced Series 2 characters. It "was designed to bridge the gap between NFTs and real-world collectibles, allowing collectors to own physical versions of their VeeFriends Series 1 NFTs," per the company.

That first one was in a premium format and a limited release of only 1,000 boxes (250 cases) showcasing characters drawn and created by the guru behind it all, Gary Vaynerchuk, while the second series introduced them as "fully personified and colored characters" in a collection of more than 250 characters and also almost 100 additional other cards. It took on more of a modern gaming trading card game form. Both series have NFT counterparts and include rarer finds among the various tiers and autographed cards from Vaynerchuk. (You also might want to see this box in the Blowout store for a different option.)

What is VeeFriends some might ask? It "combines stories, games, events, collectibles, and technology to build a community around a movement of kindness and accountability," the company said, using their "characters and their attributes to create a better world. These characters foster a sense of community and inspire creativity, self-discovery, accountability, and personal growth."

What kind of interest and demand was there for these sets? Well, anybody who was at the National Sports Collectors Convention in recent years likely remembers their colorful and busy booth -- at a sports card show -- but don't take our word for it. Just click here for a look at eBay sales. There's big interest.

And now, this newest set introduces something into the mix that wasn't there before -- the power of Chrome. Let's take a look at what's in there this time.

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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 Buzz Buys ...

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WITH CLAWS I
The Card: Wolverine sketch card by Skip Charron -- 2017 Upper Deck Marvel Annual Sketch Cards (1/1)
The Price: $24
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: There are a boatload of quality sketch cards out there in the world that seem seriously undervalued right now despite the fact that everything is one of a kind. This one is nice -- a color piece of an iconic character -- but these types of cards are also really the kind of item where one can't say "go grab all of these" as they are one of a kind and they can all be so different between artists and subjects. Why does this one lead off this time? To make that point -- if you can't find boxes, don't like prices on new Rated Rookies who haven't even hit your store shelves yet or just want to try something different ... then you might check out stuff you might not have at this time a year or two ago. That's what I did here.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... see all Marvel boxes here

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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Update (Feb.17): The Project70 cards are now live and in the gallery -- new cards will be added daily after they are revealed.

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Details are deliberately leaking out -- by some names you should know if you collected baseball cards in 2020 -- for a new artist-field baseball card line coming soon from Topps.

It's Project70 -- a new brand that will revisit past stars and designs in new ways in this year that's the 70th anniversary of Topps' start with baseball cards back in 1951.

The image above -- and then who's involved -- is all that has trickled out so far, but with the launch of 2021 Topps Series 1 coming in a matter of weeks this one should be arriving soon, too.

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Think a lot of Project 2020 baseball cards are made digitally? Think again. (Via @kingsaladeen | Instagram)

One thing you might assume about Topps Project 2020 is that many artists do their work digitally but that's not often the case and as you can see above that's definitely not the deal here.

That's the work of King Saladeen as he bought his Willie Mays card to life for the series and he teased it via his Instagram page.

"I wanted to show some of the process behind creating my latest card," he wrote with this behind-the-scenes image. "My goal is to add to each card, add some of my swag and vision from this present time. ... This Project was unreal to bring the new-school creators to another amazing arena. Art and sports both saved my life. Blessed to show the world my vision on so many different canvas."

If you're wondering , his canvas has included plenty of things -- vinyl bears, clothing, airport murals, traditional pieces and even millions of dollars in exotic sports cars.

We touched base with this West Philadelphia-born artist for a Hobby Q&A to learn a little more about his experience in Project 2020.

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Have you seen the latest cool or interesting items on eBay? If not, you just might see some of those here every week as we're launching a weekly version of our eBay Buzz pieces that pop up from time to time. We’ll spotlight some items that have a story or just wow us with how much interest it might have — and we’re not just talking baseball cards, either.

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THE BIG ONE ... 
The Item: Jasson Dominguez 2020 Bowman Chrome Prospects Orange Shimmer Refractor autograph (/25)
The Price: $12,850 after 54 bids (two days remaining)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This guy is a huge reason why 2020 Bowman boxes are scorchers right now and people have actually seen more than one of his sigs arrive in the same box. (Imagine that for a moment ... ) There are a number of his autos out there all with new-car prices and this one is one that has both that high price and heavy bidding. How will it end? We'll find out soon ...
Similar Pieces: More Jasson Dominguez autos on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for 2020 Bowman boxes

Keep reading for a few more interesting items in this week's roundup ...

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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 that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ...

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PROJECT 2020 GOT ME
The Card: Ken Griffey Jr. 2020 Topps Project 2020 -- Artist: King Saladeen (/2,504 made)
The Price: $19.99
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was my first card I picked up in the recently launched Project 2020 series from Topps, which is a higher-end premium-stock card set that takes a look back at 20 memorable players' memorable cards through the eyes of 20 different artists. They start at $19.99 with combo and volume discounts available, but I'm going to be on the boat for selected cards here and there as I don't heavily collect any of the players and all artists' styles aren't for me. That said, this card is a memorable take of a memorable Rookie Card for one of the biggest players of the last 40 years so I grabbed it. There are 400 cards in the set with each having Artist Proofs (/20) that vanish instantaneously as well as a Gold 1/1 that's randomly inserted into direct orders from Topps. You'll see more of these cards here throughout the year and you can see the ongoing gallery that updates every weekday right here on The Buzz. I have more of these incoming but this is the only one I presently have in-hand.
Grab a box right here: No boxes for this set ... see MLB boxes here

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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What happens when Topps selects 20 artists to re-imagine 20 iconic baseball cards from the past?

A new set called Topps Project 2020. 

The first two cards arrived today with Ichiro Suzuki's 2001 Topps Rookie Card and Sandy Koufax's 1955 Topps Rookie Card getting the nod from artists Ben Baller and Jacob Rochester.

How does it work? Keep reading for the details.

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