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. 

THE BULL BATS LEAD-OFF
The Card: Wool E. Bull 2015 Choice Durham Bulls #30
The Buzz On This One: You may know the team and mascot from Bull Durham -- technically it's not the same bull as he has a name now and only arrived in 1992 -- but this furball's card leads off here for another reason. That Daytona 500-style grip on the wheel got me looking at mascot cards I had stockpiled and I noticed a trend ... they really like to drive. Whether it's ripping around the warning track in a Frontier-branded kart like this one, or some heavy hardware like you'll soon see, there are a lot of baseball cards in minor-league team sets out there just like this ... and it's all pocket-change stuff.

Keep reading for more examples of weird baseball cards you can (almost) only find in MiLB.

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What: 2021 Onyx Gems baseball cards
Arrives: February
Box basics: Two slabbed autographs per box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Onyx gets into the slabbed autograph game with top prospects and young stars in play for this release with ink variants and inscriptions adding extra chase.

Keep reading for more info and a gallery of images.

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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. 

MONEYBALL DOWN ON THE FARM?
The Card: Amanda Brady 2021 Choice Hudson Valley Renegades #34
The Buzz On This One: When was the last time you saw an "advanced scouting analyst" baseball card? This is a first for me and I've seen quite a bit of oddball cardboard in my time doing this series. Brady is an analyst in the Yankees organization and this card is "exactly what I always dreamed my first baseball card would be," she tweeted. There's a pretty good chance there are other analyst cards to come as the MiLB checklists continue to include the non-traditional but, right now, this is the only one I've ever seen.

Keep reading for more examples of weird baseball cards you can (almost) only find in MiLB.

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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: New NBA, Heritage and WWE pulls lead the way, but there's also Pokemon Celebrations, the "49ers are trash" says a San Fran fan and one asks "Are there MLB players without certified autos?"

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What: 2021 Pro Set Metal baseball cards
Arrives: Feb. 25
Box basics: Six autographed cards per box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Pro Set takes to the baseball diamond for the first time with this all-autograph release that will key upon prospects and load up on parallels all in one spot.

Keep reading for more details.

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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: 2021 Topps 206 Series 9 baseball cards (two boxes)
First Buzz Preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (when available)

Keep reading to see a full breakdown of what was in this one as well as a gallery.

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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: Wander Franco, NFL chatter, collecting on a budget, Brooklyn Collection pulls and more.

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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 ... it's a bit of a super-sized edition.

DOMINATING THIS YEAR
The Card: Jonathan Taylor 2020 Donruss #317 -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: If it's not my main collecting focus within the sport I'm at best a dabbler when buying football -- and this is a recent example. I grabbed this since it felt like the cheaper side of things as Taylor has had flashes of brilliance this season (and last year) -- in fact, this was less than $12 not long ago and he's put on some real shows in the weeks since. That's why I have him leading things off here over some far-pricier pick-ups and new slabs I have gotten back lately. (Keep reading for those.)
The Grade: PSA 9

Reality Check: I liked this for the price but I'm not sure I'd go higher based on the pop report -- or pay up for a 10 when they're seemingly checking in there at a heavy clip. (Yet, he seems like the real deal -- so if you're solely focused on NFL he's a must-look.) This isn't my favorite of his RCs, but the brand might be my No. 1 for the last few years. Why? The simplicity. I liked the design for this one but the images can be a little limited for the RC crop with all the COVID issues that were seen on cardboard last year. I was a little surprised to see so many copies graded for this one as cheaper cards like this shouldn't be submitted for grading with steep processing fees -- at least right now. (There were probably a lot of them sent before PSA halted submissions as he was impressive late in his rookie season.)

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

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What: 2021 Panini Prizm Draft Picks baseball cards
Arrives: Jan. 19
Box basics:  Five autographs per five-pack box (16 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Prizm Draft returns with new prospects and their autographs in the mix -- one in every pack -- along with plenty of colorful parallels to chase.

Keep reading for more info and a full gallery of images released so far.

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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: 2021 Topps Heritage Minor League baseball cards (hobby box)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Keep reading for a breakdown and gallery of highlights with this one.

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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 and here are five example of some oddities in this latest MiLB Madness series item. 

BATTING LEAD-OFF ...
The Card: Double Balonironi Burger 2021 Choice West Virginia Power #30
The Buzz On This One: This edition of the series is all about food and this one is arguably a Rookie Card -- though MiLB cards don't really have RCs -- for a burger apparently a big enough deal that it made the team's annual card set. Why? Well, it's probably not tied to the set sponsor -- Thomas Health hospitals -- but this ballpark "belly buster" seems like it might be an All-Star down on the farm -- check out this video. (Oh, and note the typo on the card front ... an uncorrected error, I think.) I've seen my fair share of cardboard in my day but other than one insert set done at the MLB level a few years ago I'm not sure if I have seen specific food items get their own card before in a MiLB set where, as the point of this series goes, you can see a little bit of everything. Given how much ballpark emphasis there is about food, I'm a bit surprised there hasn't been more. The ingredients are on the back, the fact that it's two pounds is interesting and it's ironic they mask the calorie content. Perhaps the next card will have something to say about that.

Keep reading for four more examples of weird baseball cards you can (almost) only find in MiLB.

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If you hadn't noticed, there are a number of boxes with discounted prices right now right here as the sixth wave of Blowout Cards' Black November sales is here

Many of the discounts were dramatic enough that Buzz once again had to ponder the possibilities in many of the boxes and cases -- and here are five that caught this collector’s eye ... and there's far more that just might suit your tastes in the big sale.

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THE UNIQUE ONE ...
2020 Topps T206 Series 3 baseball box
Topps 206 is a throwback to the long-ago days of tobacco cards but this series is one that is even more different from the rest from last year and those from this year as well. It's the home of players in their MiLB unis and that includes super-rookie Wander Franco on the card you see here. It's a simple 50-card release with the chase being parallel backs and the crop of players includes some notables we have already seen in MLB and others who will be there soon. Among them? Adley Rutschman, Alex Kirilloff, J.J. Bleday, Marco Luciano, Andrew Vaughn, C.J. Abrams, Jo Adell, Julio Rodriguez, Ian Anderson, Joey Bart, Bobby Witt Jr. and others. These might be their most-unique cards you'll see all year and they are not a type of release that's a huge run, either. Only 28,225 10-card packs were made so once you do the math there's probably around 4,500 copies per card -- that's got to be low by prospecting standards. I just like these since they are unique -- and I think there's some good potential here long-term.

Keep reading for a few more boxes you should consider (and are likely to end up in Buzz's cart).

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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: 2021 Topps Heritage Minor League baseball cards (hobby box)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Keep reading for a breakdown and gallery of highlights with this one.

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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: New pulls, a new NBA season, ripping some Pro Set and two 1/1s in a single Prizm box? (Yep.)

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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: 2021 Topps Heritage Minor League baseball cards (hobby box)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Keep reading for a breakdown and gallery of highlights with this one.

Continue reading →

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: Buster Posey, Jonathan Taylor, Odell Beckham, Jordan Love and some new breaks in today's edition.

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What: 2021 Panini Contenders baseball cards
Arrives: Dec. 17
Box basics: Six autographs per six-pack box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Contenders drops for another run around the bases with an autograph in every pack and plenty of young stars and new draft picks all in play here.

Keep reading for more info and a full gallery of images released so far.

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What: 2021 Leaf Flash baseball cards
Arrives: Jan. 28, 2022
Box basics: Six autographs per box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: One of Leaf's most-colorful -- and flashiest -- releases drops once again with nothing but autographs from young stars -- but also with a limited number of Shohei Ohtani autos in the mix.

Keep reading for more.

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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: World Series chatter, Heritage MiLB arrives, pondering the NBA Rookie of the Year (already), a college football question, WWE and NFL Week 8 all in this one.

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Fast Five is a quick list that might offer a basic starting point for a themed collection or new focus -- five things that could be fun for a beginner or a new way to add something to your stash if you're a grizzled veteran.

This time? Five collecting options on my mind ... or at least five examples of stuff I look for.

BEFORE THE BIGS (COLLECT MINOR LEAGUES)
The Card: Wander Franco 2020 Topps 206 (Series 3)
The MiLB series of Topps 206 this year dropped recently and that one will get me to bite before it's gone from Topps' site -- unless I already missed it -- but in the case of last year's release I have gone back and forth about grabbing a pack retroactively for Series 3 to add some unique MiLB cards but ultimately only bit to grab this one for about $6. Yes, part of this buy was the name power -- though the grab was before his rookie hit streak was in play -- but that bling, that pose and the fact that he was playing for a team known as the Stone Crabs ... well that's just the perfect storm. MiLB stuff is always good for some rare or different cardboard -- even with names you know well attached -- and this one adds on the tobacco-card style to hit yet another base with my personal tastes.

This was a safe pick ... keep reading for four more making up the list this time -- some weird cards in this one.

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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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COLLEGE FOOTBALL ICONS
The Card: Paul "Bear" Bryant & Knute Rockne 2010 Panini Century Collection Souvenir Stamps Sports Combos (two stamps dual material) (/100)
The Price: More than I'll admit ... but it's a keeper.
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is just the second time I've grabbed one of these key memorabilia cards with a piece of a fedora worn by Bryant and a jacket from Rockne -- two of the greatest coaches in the history of college football. Rockne has a number of memorabilia cards out there (more than 50) but Bryant only has a literal handful of cards -- and almost all of them were in this release. Why? Hats aren't all that big. As far as I know, all but a 1/1 card or two is in this release ... meanwhile, the prices for the few Bryant fedoras that may exist -- if they ever hit the market again -- won't be card-conducive in the future since they are pricey. The last two Bryant houndstooth fedoras auctioned? Together, they topped $100,000 on the auction block. These are limited to only 100 copies and I hadn't picked up one of these in a long time. Why this time? You never know when more might pop up.
Grab a box right here: 2010 Panini Century Collection (when available)

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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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 ...

GRADING MORE GOATs
The Card: Patrick Mahomes 2017 Panini The Rooks #RO-PM
The Reason Graded: Just like I've mentioned in past months, I've made it a focus to get most -- if not all -- of my Mahomes rookie-year cards slabbed up since I actually had amassed a few from that year. (That was mostly because I was hitting the retail clearance bins pretty hard.) This one is an insert from the stone cold -- at least back then -- Panini NFL set that was a relatively simple release and had a hit in every box yet really sat everywhere for a long time. (Why? The border designs felt pretty heavy to me but for others it may have just been too low-end.) Not that long ago, I slabbed his basic RC from this so I figured I needed to get this one into a case, too.
The Grade: CSG 9.5

Reality Check: It was pretty clean just like last time as it earned one of the tougher grades from CSG. I figure once a pop report comes (sometime soon*) this should look like a pretty solid card. I don't see there being a large number of 10s coming with this paper stock and I figure a lot of these cards were probably graded in BGS or PSA slabs long before I got around to doing mine.

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

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Not all gamers are alike, whether they are from the majors or the minors.

I got a reminder of that recently with a weekend grab -- on sale! -- that you see here as MiLB seasons are over and teams need to move their leftover equipment, whether it's from players who just finished their year or players who are not likely to come back as they've been promoted or traded elsewhere to play now or in the future.

In the case of this game-used 2021 Columbus Clippers cap straight from the team? Well, it's from a guy who's been in the big-leagues as well as down on the farm off and on the last few years -- and it's a cap where, admittedly, when I popped open the box I was like "Oh ... this is a little underwhelming." unlike a lot of the other items you have seen in this Collecting Game-used series.

There's plenty of mystery, too, though. Keep reading to see the details.

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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 and here are five example of some oddities in this latest MiLB Madness series item. 

BO BEFORE THE SHOW
The Card: Bo Bichette 2017 Choice Midwest League All-Stars
The Buzz On This One: I've found myself buying more cards of this guy than any other lately and some of the more-obscure stuff like this can be right up there on my radar more than second- or third-year Bowman stuff. Why? MiLB team sets and then loaded All-Star team sets like this one are inevitably a lot rarer than a lot of the basics for popular prospecting releases. Are they pricey? Oftentimes, no, but they simply have to be far more limited. (All-Star sets are likely the more plentiful of the two types as they are often sold by every team in a league.) You can find big names from the past in All-Star sets and they can be loaded with talent while standard team sets can be pricier but really only for a card or two. Now ... on to some weirder cardboard like I always have in hand for this series.

Keep reading for four more examples of weird baseball cards you can (almost) only find in MiLB.

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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: Chrome LITE, WNBA and Pro Debut breaks, caring about card values, Dark Side of The Ring and "Fred McGriff should be in the Hall of Fame."

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