What: 2024 Topps Stranger Things High Tek trading cards
Arrives: April 11, 2025
Box basics: Two serial-numbered parallels per eight-card box (12 boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Odds: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Topps brings Tek to the Upside Down as the world awaits the long-delayed final season of the Netflix series that's heavy on nostalgic throwbacks.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery 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 boxes: YuMe Toys Stranger Things Series 1 Upside Down Capsule Mystery Pack (two)
Where to buy: Will take some looking in toy realm ... BlowoutCards.com (for cards)

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

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What: 2023 Stranger Things Season 4 trading cards
Arrives: Aug. 9
Box basics: 22 packs per hobby box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: The kids from Stranger Things return to cardboard with an array of new inclusions -- including Relics -- this time around.

Keep reading for more info.

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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 ... a pretty deep mix with some pricey pieces (at least for Buzz) this time.

BIG BOOK LEADS OFF
The Book: The Amazing Spider-Man #361 -- first full appearance of Carnage
The Reason Graded: One of my goals this year -- something already under way -- is to grade a number of the notable comic books I have had stashed from back in the day (the early/mid 1990s) when I dabbled somewhat regularly with comics. Back then they were re-emerging in pop culture with a revolution of big-name artists taking on iconic characters and then branching out to make their own brands -- and they were also a lot cheaper to collect with cover prices like you see here. Also born in those years of polybags, gimmicked covers and many publishers? Big-name characters like the one making his full debut here, Carnage, who is one of Spider-Man's big villains like Venom and others before them. I picked up a couple copies of this one back then since I liked the cover art and it was a start of a run for the new character. Over time, he has become a favorite and that has made this a pricey book.
The Grade: CGC 9.6 (Universal)

Reality Check: My main reason for grading a lot of my books from this time is that many of them are rarer newsstand copies (UPC bar code) which are harder to find in top condition and can carry a premium vs. direct copies. I wasn't (and still am not) a big comic reader so my copies are as razor fresh as they were then. I liked the art and I was very picky about what I would and wouldn't buy when it came to condition. I didn't check the pop report here when subbing -- and I have sent a second one into be slabbed since getting this one back -- and it's (shocker!) a heavily graded book. A 9.8 isn't easy here and a newsstand copy recently sold on eBay for almost $1,700. This grade? Well, it's a $600 sale among completeds but asking prices for UPC copies are as high as $1,450 with several above $900. Over the long-term, I think newsstand copies are going to remain rare in top grade, though for some reason CGC doesn't break them out on its pop report. (I wish they did ... it would have to be a shocking divide.)

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: 2020 Leaf Metal Pop Century trading cards
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: Click here

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.

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What: 2020 Leaf Metal Pop Century trading cards
Arrives: August
Box basics: Four autograph or memorabilia cards per box (12 boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Leaf's annual celebrity release is back for another Metal go with notable names from Hollywood and standouts from other areas of pop culture, too, all in one spot.

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

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What: 2019 Leaf Metal Pop Century trading cards
Arrives: July 31
Box basics: Four autograph or memorabilia cards per box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Leaf's annual celebrity release returns on Metal stock once again with some legendary names in the mix and nothing but hits.

Keep reading for more info and a full gallery 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: 2018 Topps Stranger Things Season 1 trading cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (a few formats)

Packs per box: 24
Cards per pack: 7
Cards in this box: 165
Base set completion: 
100 of 100 (100 percent)
Duplicates: 33

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What: 2019 Topps Stranger Things Season 2
Arrives: April 3
Box basics: Two hits (one autograph or sketch) per 24-pack hobby box (12 boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: The kids are back as the hit Netflix series and Topps team up for a second helping of Stranger Things cardboard all about the second season.

Keep reading for more info.

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Have you seen the latest cool or interesting items on eBay? If not, you just might see some of those here every week as we're launching a weekly version of our eBay Buzz pieces that pop up from time to time. We’ll spotlight some items that have a story or just wow us with how much interest it might have — and we’re not just talking baseball cards, either.

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SPORTKINGS SURPRISES 
The Item: Kevin VanDam 2018 SportKings Volume 1 silver patch-auto card (/10)
The Price: $113.50 after seven bids (about nine hours remaining)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: SportKings is back with SAGE behind the wheel and this is one of the interesting inclusions that could surprise you. There's one hit per blaster box but you get multiple autos and mem cards per box and this is one of the cards that you might not think is cash but when a star has few other cards then supply and demand takes over. There are obvious legends of yesteryear here like Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown and more recent stars such as WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels. There are base cards for legendary bull (really) Bodacious and really fun stuff like paintings and patch cards that will wow you. It's worth a serious look.
Similar Pieces: Other 2018 SportKings autos on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for 2018 SportKings boxes

Keep reading for four more interesting items in this week's roundup ...

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What: 2018 Leaf Metal Pop Century trading cards
Arrives: Aug. 1
Box basics: Four autograph or memorabilia cards per box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Leaf's annual celebrity release returns but with some new touches that help widen its scope of inclusions as well as cut autos and memorabilia cards -- all with a Metal finish.

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

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The cultural phenomenon known as Stranger Things is coming to cardboard soon with the supernatural coming-of-age tale getting the Topps treatment beginning in October.

The full final details are still to come for 2018 Topps Stranger Things trading cards -- most notably how many hits per hobby box and which cast members are signing autographs for the set (see all of the early details so far right here) -- we've opted to take a look at the key cast members for the first season of the hit series from Netflix.

It might surprise you to see what some of this series' stars have already done -- and what's to come soon -- and then to ponder the power of this set in the future if the autograph list includes many of them and, atop that, there's widespread demand. (That potential is scarier than a visit from The Demogorgon or a call from Will Byers.)

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