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 some of all of those.

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What: 2018-19 Topps Finest UEFA Champions League soccer
Arrives: Feb. 20
Box basics: Two autographs per 12-pack box (eight boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Topps brings Finest to the Champions League with a mini-box format that guarantees ink every time -- and that's a good thing because there's some international star power teased as being this one.

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

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What: 2018 Panini Treble soccer cards
Arrives: Dec. 5
Box basics: One jersey autograph, two other autographs or memorabilia cards per three-pack box (10 boxes per case via two inners)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Panini offers a new product for soccer fans that includes some new inclusions that could get them talking.

Keep reading for more info as well as a gallery of early images.

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Soccer fans have a lot of stars from around the world to spend their hobby dollars on, but it seems more than a few of them have high-end rarities all in one place.

That's inside a box of the ultra-high-end 2018 Panini Eminence World Cup Soccer.

Those crafted wood boxes include at least 10 cards (nine autographs) but there also are Hot Boxes that include as many as 15 cards (one in four boxes). These scorchers have included gems like the Lionel Messi 1/1 diamond autograph you see above. Earlier this month, that card collected 38 bids on eBay and sold for $4,450.

And it's not alone ... nor is it the highest sale in recent weeks.

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What: 2018 Leaf Soccer Immortal Collection
Arrives: Late September
Box basics: One autograph per four-card box (four boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Leaf celebrates soccer's biggest stars with a premium brand that packs ink in every box and some of the most-notable names from the past and present.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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The wrapper redemption programs at the National Sports Collectors Convention are a challenge, a pastime and a must-do for many attendees every year.

But there are drawbacks, too, hence that challenge part. There can be long waits -- depending on how long the lines are and, more importantly, how early you got in them -- and there's the possibility that your line could get cut off before land your treasures.

But the wait can be worth it with the surprises in your packs -- or your boxes you grab to get said packs -- and that's what Buzz opted to try a few times this year. Now up? The Panini America program.

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Leaf Trading Cards will be one place to grip and rip some packs at this year's National Sports Collectors Convention in Cleveland on Aug. 1-5 as the company will have three wrapper-redemption programs for collectors to consider.

The first is a retro Leaf set that can be chased via a box break at the company's booth. Those who open a box of 2018 Leaf In The Game-used or 2018 Leaf Pop Century will get a two-card pack of 1948 Leaf Metal cards. They'll be paralleled with cards as rare as 1/1 and the roster of names there will include Shohei Ohtani, Stephen Curry, Conor McGregor, Lionel Messi, Ken Griffey Jr., Pele, John Elway, Baker Mayfield, Shaquille O'Neal and Gordie Howe to name a few.

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What: 2018-19 Topps UEFA Champions League Match Attax soccer gaming cards
Arrives: November
Box basics: Six cards per pack and 50 packs per display box (16 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Topps unleashes a new edition of its international trading card game to the world of Champions League soccer.

Keep reading for more.

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What: 2018 Panini Eminence World Cup soccer cards
Arrives: July 18
Box basics: At least nine autographs per 10-card box (one box per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Panini takes the World Cup ultra high-end with this release, which will include at least one autographed booklet card or two extra autos per box as well as the first on-card autographs for 11 soccer legends.

Keep reading for more info as well as a gallery of early images.

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Panini America is readying its Father's Day promo packs for the seventh season and has begun teasing what's to come.

So far, we've gotten a look at the basics for the release as well as some of the inserts.

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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: 2017-18 Topps UEFA Champions League Chrome (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 18
Cards per pack: 4
Cards in this box: 72
Base set completion: 
54 of 100 (54 percent)
Duplicates: 0

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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: 2017 Topps UEFA Champions League Showcase soccer cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 5 (four standard, one Orange parallels pack)
Cards per pack: 5
Cards in this box: 25
Base set completion: 17 of 200 (9 percent)
Duplicates: 0

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What: 2018 Panini Prizm World Cup soccer cards
Arrives: April 25
Box basics: One autograph or short-printed insert per 24-pack box (seven autographs per 12-box case).

What's buzz-worthy: Prizm takes to the pitch for the World Cup with some of the biggest names in the game today and all of the color one would expect.

Keep reading for more.

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What: 2017-18 Panini Select soccer cards
Arrives: Nov. 29
Box basics: Three autographs or memorabilia cards per 12-pack box (12 boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here to view

What's buzz-worthy: There are once again three 100-card sets in one for Select soccer and each of them will have parallels from some new options. One of those? Zebra as seen above.

Keep reading for more info and a full gallery.

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What: 2017 TRISTAR Quest Top Shelf
Arrives: Oct. 11
Box basics: Four envelopes per case -- each with an autographed item or memorabilia redemption inside

What's buzz-worthy: TRISTAR's Quest once again takes things up a notch with a product that is purely high-end memorabilia -- and just 30 cases will be made.

Keep reading for more.

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What: 2017 Leaf Q sports cards
Arrives: Late October/early November
Box basics: Five autograph or memorabilia cards per box (four boxes per case)

What's buzz-worthy: Leaf Q returns with what it says "may be the single greatest effort in the history of multi-sport trading card releases" in the form of "the industry's most-comprehensive high-end multi-sport product."

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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What: 2017-18 Panini Nobility soccer cards
Arrives: Oct. 6
Box basics: Two autographs in every box (eight boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here to view

What's buzz-worthy: A new high-end brand arrives first on the pitch with an autograph in every pack and a focus on past stars of the game -- but there's a limited roster of current greats included, too.

Keep reading for more info and a full gallery.

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What: 2017 TRISTAR Quest autographs
Arrives: June 7
Box basics: Five envelopes per lockbox -- each with an autographed flat or memorabilia redemption inside (three lockboxes per case)

What's buzz-worthy: This TRISTAR line will be limited to only 50 cases of autographed items from around the sports world and beyond.

Keep reading for more.

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If you want to try a little something from everywhere in the sports world with serious high-end potential but not break the bank, then a new product line from Blowout Cards might be for you.

It's 2017 Blowout Cards Fire & Ice -- and it's delivered very well for some collectors digging in on Thursday via BlowoutTV. The four cards above? They were all found in the first eight boxes of his high-end buyback box.

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What: 2016-17 Panini Aficionado soccer cards
Arrives: March 29
Box basics: One autograph and one memorabilia card per 10-pack box (12 boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here to view

What's buzz-worthy: Aficionado's return with Panini America continues with a take on the world of soccer with an array of inserts, autographs, memorabilia and a number of Artist's Proof parallels.

Keep reading for more info and a full gallery.

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What: 2017 Super Break Heavy Hitters
Arrives: Feb. 15
Box basics: At least two items per box (four boxes per case)

What's buzz-worthy: Super Break returns with a high-end release that includes buyback cards, memorabilia and 30 Super Draft coupons for a May 6 draft of big, big names.

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

What's Buzzing Today: Big breaks and new finds from around the collecting world.

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What: 2016 Leaf Pele Immortal Collection
Arrives: October
Box basics: One autograph per five-card box (five boxes per case)

What's buzz-worthy: Leaf celebrates soccer's biggest star, Pele, with a limited premium brand that includes an autographed card in every box.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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Leaf Trading Cards' latest sports card release arrived in hobby shops on Friday and it includes one of the widest arrays of possible finds -- everything from competitive eaters to Super Bowl kings and even stars from sports movies.

Each box of 2016 Leaf Sports Heroes includes three certified autographs with some of the possible surprises inside also being a 27-autograph card of the 1972 Miami Dolphins and a parallel rainbow that includes five types and printing plates for all cards.

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What: 2016 TRISTAR Quest Discovery autographs
Arrives: May 25
Box basics: Five envelopes per box -- each with an autographed flat or memorabilia redemption inside (three boxes per case)

What's buzz-worthy: TRISTAR is creating this one solely for breakers, giving online collectors a shot at some of the biggest autographs possible in the sports world and beyond.

Keep reading for more.

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