Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading ... so here's this month's grading diary.

TOUGH ONE?
The Card: Bo Bichette 2022 Topps Heritage image variation (found in Heritage High Number packs)
The Reason Graded: Some of you might wonder why this card is in the lead slot this month since it's a simple image variation -- but a great one -- from a brand that's not quite as pricey as it used to be. (At least for singles ... you can find this for about $2 or less.) But, finding one of these that will get a high (real) grade? Not so much. The centering can always be a bear here but that's not the constant problem spot. It's the backs of these that use full-bleed black ink where cards that may look flawless on the fronts are often demolished when it comes to those those back edges.
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: This one? It still has a some minor spotting -- that's why it's not a perfect 10 -- but it's way better than every other one I've seen and that's why I subbed this after I found it raw. Why? That front is pretty much a perfectly crafted design and I definitely don't mind retro-styled sets like this one -- I call it the old-guy flagship set as it is for me vs. basic Topps. The stuff feels more sturdy with its stock and printing -- I'm not sure I trust foilboard to age that well, either -- but the trade-off is that Heritage is harder to grade and land those higher marks. In all ways, this one is a win for me, a Bichette collector, and that's why he's batting lead-off. (It also doesn't hurt he's starting to warm up on the field this season.)

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

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What: 2024 TruMystery Lucky Envelope Asia Edition
Arrives: April 23
Box basics: One autograph per box (eight boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: TruCreator  focuses its attention on Asian athletes and stars throughout pop culture in a release that's all about autographed items -- and premium items also will be in play here via redemptions.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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What: 2024 Keepsake Edition Bruce Lee 50th Anniversary Edition trading cards
Arrives: April 25
Box basics: One Keepsake Relic, Bruce Lee card stand and one five-card pack per illuminated box (five boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: The newest Keepsake release is focuses on a global icon with an officially licensed presence here with autographs, handwriting samples and memorabilia sourced from his family's estate.

Keep reading for more info and a selection 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: Women of Star Trek Art & Images trading cards
Where to buy: Click here

Keep reading for a full breakdown of what was in this over-delivering box as well as a gallery.

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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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A DIFFERENT DIRECTION ... 
The Cards: Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) 2023 Topps Throwback Thursday Star Wars Wave 4 (/3,039)
The Price: About $40 for lot of nine
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: A lot of the online small-set releases from Topps have tempted me the last few years, but at times when I have bit the actual finished product isn't as appealing for my main reason I'd grab something -- issues that hurt if you're grading. This line has been tempting but instead of buying a bundle for a card that jumped out at me (like this one) I instead picked off a singles lot from a re-seller. Why? Again, grading. I was looking back at all of the 1952s for this brand and this one was by far the best of the bunch with the colors and photo. The centering here? About as flawed as the times that annoyed me in the past, but one or two here were decent enough that I'll send one in for grading at some point. They probably won't land top marks but I'd still be fine with a slabbed copy of this one as Dawson is a relative newcomer to Star Wars cards and in a lot of memorable past roles elsewhere.
Grab a box right here: No boxes for this but ... Star Wars boxes are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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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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ONLY 40 MORE OUT THERE ... 
The Cards: Rhea Ripley 2020 Topps Transcendent WWE (/50) -- Rookie Card
The Price: More than I'll admit
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Not all 10 of these are totally new pick-ups -- I showed off five of them awhile back right here in this series -- but with this run of super-premium RCs I wanted to show them off all together. It's not often that I have been able to track down 20 percent of a print run -- especially in a brand that carried such a massive price tag -- or, well, really even tried except for maybe my PC player. But, last year I made an effort to start amassing them and I'm not done yet. How many more might I grab? Depends on availability and price -- I can think of four I have missed on recently but things could slow here as I'm not going to overpay more than I did to get this far. If you don't know, Ripley is the new Smackdown women's champ after a classic win over Charlotte Flair at Mania and could be the title-holder on both shows at some point ... and since she's young she's got plenty of time to do even more in WWE barring any injuries. Her 2020 Rookie Cards and autographs should be worth a look ... raw or slabbed.
Grab a box right here: BlowoutCards.com for other WWE cards

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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: Celebrity ink and non-sports chatter, World Baseball Classic updates, hobby pet peeves, Corbin Carroll and more.

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What: 2021 Rittenhouse Women of Star Trek Art & Images trading cards
Arrives: Oct. 13
Box basics: Three autographs per 24-pack box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: The women of the long-running science fiction franchise get another run on cardboard with a rather comprehensive release that even includes autographs signed by Majel Barrett-Roddenberry back in 2008.

Keep reading for more details.

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What: Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 trading cards
Arrives: Dec. 16
Box basics: Two autographs and one Relic per 24-pack box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: The newest Trek series hits cardboard for the second time with this release including one more hit in every box compared to its debut along with some other features that add to the chase.

Keep reading for more details.

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What: 2017 Rittenhouse James Bond Archives - The Final Edition
Arrives: May 24
Box basics: Two autographs per 24-pack box (12 boxes per case)

What's buzz-worthy: James Bond gets another run on cardboard but includes something pretty big and pretty notable -- Sean Connery cut autographs -- that are a first but only found in the rare Archive Boxes.

Keep reading for more.

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