Via @tristar1 ... Bo Jackson

This year's National Sports Collectors Convention is nearly here -- it's set for July 30-Aug. 3 in Chicago with a strong roster of autograph guests ready to sign for collectors who get a ticket and get in line for their moment beyond the ballpark.

Some signers are free if you attend the VIP reception on opening day of the show or buy a VIP ticket package -- a bonus for taking the time to hit every day of the show -- but landing other signers will take some planning and a few bucks.

It's tough to see everything at The National -- 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. But, if you have wanted to meet a player and get that ink, a number of past and present stars are on the list this year. With that said, here are my picks -- skewing toward the best names for the lowest prices possible -- to grab off the autograph list during the full days of the show this year. (Keep reading for the full signers list at the end ... and, remember, times are always subject to change.)

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What's Buzzing: A new Michael Jordan card, ups and downs, Heritage High Number, repacks and MLB.

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1 -- Talking Michael Jordan cards ...

2 -- "What goes up, must come down"

3 -- Still talking Heritage High Number

4 -- Still talking Fanatics repacks

5  -- Even more MLB chatter is here

6 -- New MLB pulls

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

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 there's some traditional stuff and some odd stuff.

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CHECK IT OUT ... 
The Item: Pro Football Hall of Famer Deacon Jones autographed 1984 Warner Bros. payroll check
The Price: Less than a blaster box
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I haven't ever really dabbled with signed/canceled checks except for a few school ties names (Roll Tide!) who don't have a lot of stuff and where other items are pricey. One example? Former Yankees broadcaster Mel Allen ... a signed ball can be expensive but a signed check is still pricey but not as bad. In this case, I stumbled upon this check during a curiosity dive online and it seemed unique -- a Warner Bros. studio payroll check (pre-printed signatures on the front) made out to and signed by a Pro Football Hall of Famer on the back. The amount isn't massive, so I figured it was probably a royalty payment for some TV show appearance or movie re-run and he had a few in films and spots as himself on TV through the years. I wish I could figure it out, but IMDb only had an appearance on Super Bloopers and Practical Jokes in 1984 and an appearance on The Fall Guy in 1983 with other past projects also possible. (I didn't do a deep dive on figuring out who owned what for studio/network properties back then ... but it's probably do-able.) What do I know? This is something different compared to a lot of the stuff out there signed by "The Secretary of Defense."
Grab a box right here: None for this ... but NFL 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 ... a lot of my usual suspects and some early spring cleaning as I've always got plenty of stuff lined up to appear here.

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AS YOU KNOW ... I BUY BO
The Card: Bo Bichette 2023 Topps Tribute Stamp of Approval Relics (/196)
The Price: $13
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: If you're a regular reader, then you know Bichette is in heavy rotation here and I sprung a little more than I might usually for a memorabilia card to grab one of these premium-brand Relics that has a little extra attached ... just to talk about it here. As you can see at right (click for a closer look if you need it) this piece comes from a jersey worn on May 21, 2021, that was then cut up and authenticated a second time -- for this exact piece -- that got its sticker on Sept. 1, 2022 ... all for you to know which specific game, event and season it came from. (Spoiler: Other game-used Relic items were stickered, too, they're just not noted on every card as some releases will inevitably have more than one item used, creating a logistics nightmare between cards printed and pieces available.) I don't mind these, but at the same time it's not necessary on every card as the time and organization that it requires isn't worth it for the cost for the company to do it all the time, it could cause even more errors, and it doesn't add much value -- you can find these with some interestingly low prices through the years.
Grab a box right here: MLB boxes at BlowoutCards.com

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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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, non-sports and vintage chatter, AEW, something new on the way and a Michael Jordan slabbing story.

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This month's item in this Collecting Game-used series is a perhaps a bit loose in its definition of "use" but here we go ...

In January, I wrote about an item I picked up in last year's Ballers prop auction -- that one a copy of a book held by The Rock in one scene that was the subject of some viral chatter with Elizabeth Warren not all that long ago. Their tweets sparked more than a few stories online as the two went back and forth about her fandom for the show ... then, months later, that book popped up on the auction block with its feathered corners and even an odd extra item inside.

This time? A far more anonymous item that was in the auction and billed as "training-used" by a key character in one episode.

You can keep reading to see the details ...

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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 pulls, big breaks, notable WWE ink, best entrance themes and ... a cardboard thought.

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An auction of props and wardrobe pieces from HBO's hit show Ballers is entering its final week via Heritage Auctions and there are a number of interesting items that will end up in collectors' hands on Sunday.

A number of items were used by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as well as other cast members from the series that ran five seasons. Auction proceeds will benefit the Know Your Rights Camp. So far, a number of the items are dirt-cheap but action should pick up by the time things are over -- nearly 500 different items up for grabs.

Keep reading for a quick look at a few of the pieces on the auction block.

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Enterbay has been producing some amazing sculpted NBA figures for the last few years, but there's a new piece on the way that captures a moment that set the stage for much of the basketball merch and a shoe revolution that came afterward.

It's a sculpt of the iconic Jumpman pose of Michael Jordan. 

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What's rarer than the rarified air of a pair of Michael Jordan game-used shoes?

A pair of Michael Jordan game-used Converse shoes -- and the latest pair of shoes from the 1984 Olympics to sell via SCP Auctions went for nearly six-figures at auction following a record-setting sale earlier this year.  Continue reading →

Look away, Atlanta Falcons fans.

Nike revealed a new shoe on Thursday -- the only one made -- that takes us all back to Super Bowl LI. How? It's made out of game-used footballs from the New England Patriots' historic comeback win.

It's a single Nike Air Force Low SB51 Comeback and it's going to be auctioned for charity.

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Bo was one of the biggest stars of the 1980s as a college football star, a professional baseball and football star and a marketing star. Everybody knew his name and they still know why.

And then suddenly one day it was gone.

Sure, Vincent Edward Jackson played some baseball after his final NFL game -- that hip injury was 26 years ago tomorrow -- but he was never the same. And in an interview today he had a different take on his career.

"If I knew back then what I know now," he told USA TODAY Sports, "I would have never played football. Never. I wish I had known about all of those head injuries, but no one knew that. And the people that did know that, they wouldn’t tell anybody."

His career as a pro -- in both sports -- lasted less than a decade but he's easily one of the biggest icons of his time. It's a story worth checking out if you missed it and it's worth revisiting if you didn't.

Here, though, we simply have one bit of curiosity presented below.

[polldaddy poll=9634961]

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Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com. 

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Marty McFly would be proud.

Nike and the Michael J. Fox Foundation revealed on Tuesday a fund-raising drawing where 89 pairs of self-lacing Nike Mag shoes will be given away. The shoes are, of course, a reality first envisioned in Back to the Future II.

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He's the co-founder of Nike and its now-retired chairman of the board. He's a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. He's probably the only shoe tycoon many people know -- at least one who never played in the NBA.

He's Phil Knight ... and even he has a certified autograph for collectors to chase now that he's in the news.

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