MLB
Topps Project70 arrives as artist-fueled Project 2020 sequel
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Update (Feb.17): The Project70 cards are now live and in the gallery -- new cards will be added daily after they are revealed.
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Details are deliberately leaking out -- by some names you should know if you collected baseball cards in 2020 -- for a new artist-field baseball card line coming soon from Topps.
It's Project70 -- a new brand that will revisit past stars and designs in new ways in this year that's the 70th anniversary of Topps' start with baseball cards back in 1951.
The image above -- and then who's involved -- is all that has trickled out so far, but with the launch of 2021 Topps Series 1 coming in a matter of weeks this one should be arriving soon, too.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (Feb. 17)
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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: Project70 arrives today, pondering parameters, 2021 Topps breaks and more in today's edition.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (Feb. 16)
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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: Big players in the collecting game along with the Goldin Auctions news, big breaks, picking one MLB set and more in today's edition.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (Feb. 15)
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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: Breaking 2021 Topps, a game-used item with a different story, Optic NFL rips, a grading sub gone bad, Derek Jeter RCs and "nobody hoards Mickey Mantle cards."
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (Feb. 14)
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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 breaks -- 2021 Topps and more -- player-pumping, WWE chatter and a triple-auto Hoops box?
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (Feb. 13)
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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 breaks, old breaks, NBA and MLB chatter, market optimism and more.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (Feb. 12)
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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: Texans are dumping J.J. Watt? That and more in today's edition.
Buzz Break: 2021 Topps Series 1 baseball cards (blaster box)
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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 Series 1 baseball cards (Walmart blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
First Buzz preview with checklist/SPs/more: Click hereKeep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (Feb. 11)
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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: Day 2 of 2021 Topps, big pulls, a legendary NFL break's pics, NBA and WWE in today's edition.
Buzz Buys: Rhea Ripley, Hank Aaron, Roddy Piper, Weird Science, Bernie Sanders' mittens & a non-cataloged RC error?
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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 ... and this time around I play catch-up on some old names and school ties guys along with some new grabs.
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THE DEMOLISHER
The Card: Rhea Ripley 2020 Topps Chrome WWE Gold Refractor Autograph (/50)
The Price: About the price of a box
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This young WWE star from Australia is a strong seller in last year's releases and this is one auto I had to grab as Gold Chrome is a favorite color of mine -- at least in combination of appeal and price. They are rarer but not too rare to be way too expensive and this one was a bit underpriced compared to other copies. I sprung a bit more than I might have for this one -- but that's what happens when there's just not as much wax out there for me to buy. The cool part was that I landed a sweet surprise bonus with this one ... I'll show it off next time. Ripley appears to have arrived on the main roster during the last WWE pay-per-view and lasted about halfway through the Royal Rumble match ... finishing second. That indicates she should be primed for an interesting debut run and she has a persona that makes her feel like a six-foot-tall demolisher, though her look was still evolving at the time this card was made. Unlike some young stars, she actually has a number of autographed cards in 2020 releases and I'm pretty close to having locked down at least one from each of them ... and that's pretty strong for me as I just don't have the budget or patience to chase full rainbows. In other words, I'm sold.
Grab a box right here: 2020 Topps Chrome WWE wrestling cardsKeep reading for more interesting items ...
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (Feb. 10)
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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: 2021 Topps Series 1 is here, NBA and NASCAR breaks and more in today's edition.
Watch the 2021 Topps Series 1 Rip Party + highlights gallery
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It's time to watch the 2021 Topps Series 1 Rip Party.
Check it out above for a replay and click for more on 2021 Topps Series 1.
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Keep reading for a gallery of highlights from some MLB legends.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (Feb. 9)
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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: Waiting on 2021 Topps to arrive, tonight's Topps Rip Party with BlowoutTV, MLB players to watch, MLB players jumping next and more in today's edition.
Buzz 8 in 8: Busting 2020 Topps Holiday MLB cards (Hour 8)
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Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today's your day then as we launch 8 in 8 -- a series of a eight breaks of wax boxes and wax packs in as many hours today. We'll post one every hour ... this is the finale for today.
The box: 2020 Topps Holiday baseball cards
Checklist: Click here
The cost: BlowoutCards.com
What's inside this one? Keep reading ...
Buzz 8 in 8: Busting 1989-1995 Bowman MLB packs (Hour 2)
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Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today's your day then as we launch 8 in 8 -- a series of a eight breaks of wax boxes and wax packs in as many hours today. We'll post one every hour ... this is Hour 2.
The packs: 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1994 and 1995 Bowman packs
The cost: Will vary ... get newer Bowman stuff here
What's inside this one? Keep reading ...
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (Feb. 5)
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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: Basic questions and an ever-changing collecting game fuel today's threads.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (Feb. 3)
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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: Plenty of NFL chatter leads the way as we work toward Super Bowl weekend.
Reminder: Make sure to hit YourDozen for a shot at winning a 2017 Donruss NFL factory set with a Patrick Mahomes RC (and more) inside.
Fast Five: Autographs -- or auto types -- I'd grab right now
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This one is a new department here on The Buzz ... Fast Five -- a quick list under a simple topic that might offer a basic starting point for a themed collection. It's a basic list of five items that could be fun for a starting collector or a new way to add to a stash that might already seemingly include everything when it comes to cardboard. For some of you, it's probably common sense. For others of you out there, it's perhaps something to ponder.
This time? Five autographs I'd grab now
STARTING OFF DELUXE
Any 2017 Patrick Mahomes autograph
We'll start off with the super-pricey option here but it's not about the money with this choice ... it's about what may not be coming back ... at least for the time being. Patrick Mahomes' second Super Bowl could further launch demand for his autographs in general but if I were to chase one (with any size of pockets) it would be something from his rookie season for cardboard, 2017. Why? His handwriting and his autograph has changed a lot since then -- you can make out a "Patrk Mah" above, but that's light years above what it's now ... more of a P-line-curl-line-curl (at right from a 2020 card). Part of that change is just demand for his time -- a faster sig is inevitable and needed -- and some of this pick of mine comes from the fact that the more he wins and the higher his profile gets, the lower-volume his autos will get while the fees to sign (for his time, also in high demand) also rise. It doesn't happen often, but there's a chance this sig could intentionally revert back ... but I doubt it. Maybe in 20 years, he'll sign more and have a full sig ... maybe ... if he does signings at all. (It would be more choice than for the cash with his record contract, that's for sure.) I'd look at 2017 Elite Draft Picks autos perhaps first here even if they are college uni and stickers -- there are some fuller sigs to be found. Of course, right now everything is pricey ... eBay asking prices for premium 2017 autos are in six-figures ... but this pick is about the ink, not the card. I'd stick to cards ... and avoid all of the illegal (fake) reprints, too.
Keep reading for four more making up the list this time.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (Feb. 2)
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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: Stashed "investment wax boxes," big pulls, BGS vs. PSA, that one guy and a fake Mike Schmidt Rookie Card.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (Feb. 1)
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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: NFL chatter, making and collecting autographed non-sport custom cards, big pulls, WWE Fully Loaded breaks and more in this Monday edition.
It wasn't only Jordan lighting it up in $33M Goldin weekend
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As you may have seen Saturday night, it was a weekend of record-setting sales over at Goldin Auctions -- and it wasn't just Michael Jordan scorching the auction block, either.
The Runnemede, N.J.-based company had sales topping $33 million in the two-day event, which it claimed to be "the largest online sports collectibles auction of all time."
"I’ve been collecting cards and memorabilia for my whole life and I’ve never seen as much interest in the hobby. Long-time collectors have seen the value of their items soar and new collectors have rushed in because they view the hobby as not only fun but also a valuable investment," said company founder Ken Goldin in a prepared release. "It’s gratifying to see the hard work of our team on behalf of our consignors lead to these record setting results."
Making the Grade (Feb.): Grabbing Rookie Cards, NFL slabs, Mickey Mantle, Trish Stratus & slabbed mem-card challenges
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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 mix of some new, some old and some football since that season is winding down fast.
NOW'S THE TIME TO BUY ...
The Card: Gleyber Torres 2018 Topps Heritage High Number #603 -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: I grabbed this one some time ago because it was on the cheaper side of things and a key Rookie Card in a key release. I own a bunch of these raw but landed this for literally less than it likely would have cost me to grade one (at least if I wanted to get it back in hand this year). The cost? Just $10. So, why do I have this one batting lead-off? A reminder that now is the time to be buying up younger baseball guys ... not when there's hype from spring training (even if that might be delayed).
The Grade: BGS 9Grade 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 B10 Total Population 0 0 0 0 0 1 17 18 80 3 0 119 Reality Check: I'm fine with nines and I didn't check the pop report when grabbing this one, which checks in under the most-commonly landed grade. No biggie ... I'm sure the 9.5s that don't always look obviously better cost a lot more than what I paid. There are no sub-grades here, but it seems pretty obvious that the centering is slightly off on this copy but everything else looks pretty good.
Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (Jan. 31)
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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: WWE Fully Loaded breaks are dominating, while other big pulls and breaks are worth a look for this Royal Rumble Sunday ... oh, and Matt Stafford is headed to the Rams.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (Jan. 30)
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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: Nolan Arenado is on the move, Allen & Ginter gems, big pulls, NHL's top rookie comes up big and more.
Collecting Game-used: MLB Film Room has simplest of plays
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The life of this fully authenticated game-used MLB ball isn't all that impressive -- I liked it for a team clearance $10 pick-up, though given player names attached -- but the reason you see it here for this month's Collecting Game-used series item is that it's an example of how something launched online last fall might spark more interest in game-used memorabilia.
Thanks to the MLB Film Room, you can find countless memorable (and many forgettable) video clips of plays from past games all in database form. You can search by names, players, teams, plays, etc., and to a degree that should add some interest to game-used pieces like this ball ... and maybe some value beyond the authentication statements that are also in a database with every ball.
You can keep reading to see the details ... and the ball in action.