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 ...

A CAREER YEAR
The Card: Dansby Swanson 2017 Topps Heritage #76B action variation SP -- Rookie Card parallel
The Reason Bought: I'm a sucker for Heritage RCs and multi-player cards from the past, but I've never really chased the SPs that have been immensely popular since around this year where a few key names went solo from their card counterparts and have cards of their own -- both signed and unsigned. I had Swanson stashed on my fantasy league all season (mostly on the bench behind a favorite of mine you see here often) and saw the career year as it was happening. I had been eyeing this card for years now -- I own plenty of the regular ones as well as a couple of the Chrome types (I might slab those) -- and grabbed this awhile back. With the Braves' World Series showing, I figured I'd have him batting lead-off here ... and he won't be alone from the ATL here this month.
The Grade: BGS 9.5

Reality Check: I wasn't really worried about the pop report but I also didn't realize there were so few cards above this one. I will stash this one away with my Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuña Jr. slabs I've picked up or slabbed on my own the last couple years like I suspect many have and will be doing. I probably need to slab some of their pitchers and you might see a Freddie Freeman Heritage card or two here in the future. (I lean toward the new guys more but have had some good Heritage pulls.)

Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.

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Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals just might be to rip fewer blasters this year 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. Would they capture yours? I'd be interested to know -- sometimes they might, sometimes they won't and that's fine. It's a buyer's market out there with plenty of options and bargains as well as high-end gems to chase.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... and this time around they're oldschool, newschool, high-end and low-end in price -- a little bit of everything.

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A PIECE OF SWEETNESS
The Card: Walter Payton 1976 Topps Rookie Card (PSA 5)
The Price: $155
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Football season is here and I decided to go big with an oldschool pick-up that presented itself with a close-to-typical price but a not-typical look for the grade on a Rookie Card of an iconic Hall of Famer. It's generally not a super-pricey card as you can still find stuff from this timeframe with some ease. This also is a card that can be found relatively clean and sharp, too. What's the deal with this one's condition? Well, that's part of the reason I grabbed it -- there are some minor spots on the top and bottom edges and perhaps a corner lift that's not obvious but it's still far stronger looking than its grade says. There are no creases but there could be a couple of minor surface spots -- still nothing that scared me off of this one. This is a card that was reasonably always on my want list -- there's not that many things out there I've wanted to grab but hadn't within realistic (easily doable) budget limits.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of this one ... but NFL boxes are right here.

Keep reading for a dozen 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: 2018 Panini Prizm NASCAR cards (blaster box)
The cost: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 7 (six standard and one Camo Prizm pack)
Cards per pack: 4 (three per Camo)
Cards in this box: 27
Base set completion: 
12 of 50 (24 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Base cards – Jimmie Johnson, Chase Elliott, Bill Elliott, Danica Patrick, Marcos Ambrose, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., Greg Biffle, Ryan Newman

Rookie Cards (3) – Hailie Deegan, William Byron, Bubba Wallace

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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: 2018 Panini Prizm NASCAR cards (blaster box)
The cost: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 7 (six standard and one Camo Prizm pack)
Cards per pack: 4 (three per Camo)
Cards in this box: 27
Base set completion: 
12 of 50 (24 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Base cards – Trevor Bayne, Kurt Busch, Paul Menard, Brad Keselowski, Harry Gant, Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson, Jeff Burton, Joey Logano, Kyle Petty

Rookie Cards (2) – Hannah Newhouse, Christopher Bell

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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: 2018 Donruss NASCAR cards (hobby)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 24
Cards per pack: 10
Cards in this box: 242
Base set completion: 172 of 175 (98 percent)
Duplicates: 16

Notables on base cards – Pretty much everybody from the past and present can be found in this one ...

Rookie Cards (6) – Bubba Wallace, Cole Custer, Spencer Gallagher, Christopher Bell, William Byron (2)

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Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today's your day then as we launch 12 in 12 -- a series of a dozen breaks of wax boxes and wax packs in a dozen hours. We'll post one every hour all day long ... this is Hour 7.

The box: 2006 Press Pass Legends NASCAR (retail blister packs box)
The cost: Will vary (click here for hobby when available)

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

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Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today's your day then as we launch 12 in 12 -- a series of a dozen breaks of wax boxes and wax packs in a dozen hours. We'll post one every hour all day long ... this is Hour 7.

The box: 1995 Classic 5-Sport retail box
The cost: $15 (will vary if you can find)

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

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Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today's your day then as we launch 12 in 12 -- a series of a dozen breaks of past wax boxes and wax packs in a dozen hours. We'll post one every hour on the hour all day long today ... this is Hour 7.

The box: 2017 Panini Absolute Racing blaster
The cost: BlowoutCards.com

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

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