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 pack: 1988 Fleer baseball cello pack
Where to buy: Will take some looking ... BlowoutCards.com for other Retro Rips

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

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Minor league baseball cards from the past can include some weird stuff ... stuff you wouldn't imagine to be found on a baseball card. Here are some some new oddities in this latest edition of MiLB Madness. 

LOADED WITH TALENT ...
The Card: Peoria's Past, Chicago's Future -- 1989 Kodak Peoria Chiefs
The Buzz On This: I found this for less than 50 cents and, well, it felt like a steal with it being a fun card with some serious star power on there. Who? Hall of Famer Greg Maddux for starters along with memorable Cubbies of the era ... Mark Grace, Jerome Walton, Dwight Smith, Joe Girardi and even a few others who made it to The Show. (Click the image at right to view all of the names.)

All-star caliber team/group shots are not often the norm in MiLB sets -- you typically get everybody on a team shot or not at all -- and that makes this one feel more like a classic card. (Or even a Classic card where creative combo cards were quite normal at this time in their sets.)

Keep reading for more examples of some weird or fun baseball cards you can find in MiLB.

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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 ...

MY FIRST NEW-LABEL SLAB ...
The Card: Derrick Henry 2016 Panini Origins Rookie Autographs #112
The Reason Graded: My latest submission of stuff from CSG is already back -- in times far faster than what's posted on their site -- and this card of Tennessee Titans star (and former Alabama Crimson Tide standout as well as Heisman Trophy winner) Derrick Henry was my choice for my first fast sub under their new format. Why? I thought it looked quite flawless with a solid on-card sig with literally nothing obviously wrong with the card. With this being perhaps my best NFL auto for him I opted to slab it since thick-stock cards like this have tended to grade cleanly for me.
The Grade: CSG 9.5 (10 auto)

Reality Check: I was a little surprised this didn't check in higher as the only couple of white spots on the card appeared to be to be part of the design's specs and splats but ... I'll live with it. This one might also be reflective of CSG's tough standards, which don't appear to have gotten easier at all with their new slabs and slightly tweaked scale at its top. (Cards previously in a CSG Gem Mint 9.5 are now Gem Mint 10s.) All in all, I'm good with this card and their new scale and look -- straight-on scans don't do these slabs justice. While I liked the previous style (and own plenty) this one is tight and right ... just like their time for return, price and structure that lets you see the front and backs of the cards as they were in-house. There won't be tampering/fake slabs when you can look up the card online -- a big plus over other slabs if you ask me.

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

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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 ...

WOOOOOOO!
The Card: Charlotte Flair 2015 Topps WWE Undisputed NXT In Line Autographs #NA-CH
The Reason Graded: The trio of big first/first-year autos in this release for three of the four biggest homegrown women's names (aka not Ronda Rousey) in WWE in this one have been slabbed in my stash -- Flair this time, Becky Lynch last time and Sasha Banks a couple times before in the history of this series. Why? Well, I think first (or first-year) autos are way more important than what people argue about on the Rookie Card front. They're inherently rarer and this brand is one that always seems to grade well as long as there's not any back-edge damage here (the designs often have dark colors).
The Grade: CSG 9.5

Reality Check: This one checked in where I had hoped -- and thanks to their new shift to a "Gem Mint 10" scale this one would be a 10 if in a new slab. (I'm good with that, too.) Flair isn't my favorite of The Four Horsewomen of NXT but I think this is one of her better cards ... though I do wish she would have signed in blue like everybody else.

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: 2001 Pacific Private Stock baseball cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: Will take some looking ... Check out Retro Rips boxes here

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 (Walmart 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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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 Allen & Ginter X baseball cards
Checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Keep reading for a full breakdown of what was in this one as well as a gallery of highlights.

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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: Fairfield Baseball 20-pack retail repack (mock image above)
Where to buy: Target ($19.99)

Packs per box: 20 -- plus bonus toy pack and bonus hit
Cards per pack: Varies by brand
Cards in this box: 262
Base set completion: N/A

Notables on base cards – See gallery for better pulls

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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 packs in a dozen hours. We'll post one every hour on the hour all day long today ... this is Hour 2.

The pack: 1989 Upper Deck baseball cards
The cost: $4

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

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This year's National Sports Collectors Convention begins on Wednesday with more than 100 autograph guests signing for those who opt to get a ticket and stand in line for their "inkredible" moment.

Some of those signers are actually free if you're at the VIP reception on Wednesday or buy a VIP ticket package -- a bonus for taking the time to hit the entire show or buy the full package for all of the other bonuses -- but other signers will take some planning to land the ones you want.

>>> NSCC Want even more? Click here to see all of our past pieces previously revealing nuggets of news for the show and keep up with newer stories tagged NSCC by clicking here.

It's tough to see everything at the show -- it's that big -- and the time it takes to work through autograph lines is valuable in that it impedes your shot at seeing it all. With that said, here are my picks -- one per day -- to grab off the autograph list. (Keep reading for the full signers list in a gallery at the end.)

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There's a new big name among the first wave of autograph signers for this year's National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago.

It's Alex Rodriguez.

Once baseball's highest-paid player, he's a member of the 3,000-hit club and a player who hit 696 home runs during his at times controversial 22-year MLB career with the Mariners, Rangers and Yankees.

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What: 2017 TRISTAR Hidden Treasures Chicago North Side autographed baseballs
Arrives: March 1
Box basics: One autographed baseball of a current or former Chicago Cub per box (12 boxes per case)

What's buzz-worthy: TRISTAR's autographed baseball chase goes to the north side of Chicago with some chase baseballs and memorabilia items to be found in some boxes.

Keep reading for more.

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An early version of the 2016 Topps Series 1 baseball checklist arrived on Tuesday and that first glimpse offered a few surprises before its arrival on Feb. 3.

But there are also undoubtedly more still to come.

The First Pitch cards showing celebrities making ceremonial appearances? They're not on the checklist but are confirmed as still coming. There's no note of variations or short-printed cards for the release -- we all know those are coming. They always do.

What else? Keep reading for a rundown of what's known and notable from the checklist

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