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 ... 

--

BIG AUTO, BIG PHOTO ... SMALLER PRICE
The Photo: Michael Harris II autographed 16-by-20 photo (Fanatics Authentic)
The Price: Under $65 ... Note: this large-size item isn't easy to photograph all that well without a lot of glare on its top-loader, so the image above is their Photoshopped sales mock.
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I have this one batting lead-off as it's an item I wanted last year -- when he won the National League Rookie Of The Year award -- but I had my same-day order canceled by the company. Why? Perhaps it was my use of an extra sale code via a site that sells their stuff (it worked and the order was processed) but there was no reason given. I picked this up more recently -- with a rewards code atop a sale price -- from that same place, though, after he had a tough start to this season. No cancellation this time and no worries -- I just wanted his auto in my stash and I like the feel of a nice display piece (though I display nothing) with a large signature vs. a card that's likely going to cost more. In fact, the cheapest auto for him on a non-MLB card on one site where I buy singles is higher than what I paid for this. I'm probably a one-and-done on his autos unless they get cheaper over time, anyway, though. Why? His signature is a bit oversimplified as he's been in demand. It does look better than the mock but is still quite simple for my taste -- I'll start here and play the waiting game on any more.
Grab a box right here: Michael Harris RCs in 2023 releases

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

Continue reading →

 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: 2022 Panini Select WWE wrestling cards (blaster)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

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

Continue reading →

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 ...

TICKET TO HISTORY ...
The Ticket: Woodstock (Aug.15-17, 1969) -- three-day ticket ($24)
The Reason Bought: There are more than a dozen different styles of tickets for this historic event in music and pop culture history and none of them are all that rare -- and that makes for an interesting grading market. High-grade tickets can be priced like they're non-existent yet about 60 percent of the full tickets that are slabbed check in at a PSA 9 or 10 and raw tickets (assuming they are real ... but there's a chance they might not be) can be found on the cheap under $100. I knew quite awhile back that I wanted one in a slab and I was patient with my window shopping until I spotted this one. I wanted a three-day style but there are single-day tickets that are very traditional-looking and I finally spotted this one at a good price (just under $100) vs. the same thing with asking prices for 9s and 10s that are as high as $1,000. Actual sales for higher grades are typically anywhere from $200 to $700 on eBay with a lot of irregularity -- and BINs just under the $200 mark quite often. In short, they're findable.
The Grade: PSA 8

Reality Check: More than 3,750 different full tickets have been slabbed for Woodstock and this version -- one of three types in the PSA pop report for a three-day ticket -- is the easiest and the only one with more than 1,000 copies slabbed. In fact, the number of 10s for this style is higher than all but two of the entire slab totals for other styles. I didn't sweat the grade as the flaws on this one seem minor -- I'm imagining some minor black ink "snow" on there perhaps dropped it a grade but generally everything here is clean to the eye with no obvious flaws. That's good enough for me as beginner or one-time dabbler. Modern tickets for big artists can be quite pricey when slabbed as availability is often an issue, but I'm assuming a bulk "find" of these happened at some point back in the day given the high-profile event and all that went into it.

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

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: The Celtics stay alive, a LeBron question, vintage NFL Hall of Famer Rookie Cards, 2023 Topps Heritage and more in this one.

Continue reading →

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: 2023 Panini Prizm WWE wrestling cards (blaster box)
First Buzz preview: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (hobby and retail)

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery from this box.

Continue reading →

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 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 ...

Continue reading →

From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and break down 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 case: 2020 Topps WWE NXT wrestling cards
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (when available) 

Keep reading to see a full breakdown and gallery of the highlights for this one.

Continue reading →

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 ...

No. 1 GOES FIRST HERE, TOO ...
The Card: Bryce Young 2021 Onyx Vintage College Football Autographs
The Reason Graded: I collect Alabama guys but on the cheap so when a top talent arrives on NFL cardboard odds are I already found them ... if they had stuff. Generally, I try to have auto of all new big names and in the most-recent years thanks to NIL deals where active players can sign autograph deals that's been easier to do -- for both big names and guys who won't be top picks. In the case of this new Carolina Panthers QB, I pulled this one -- something I also did with Tua Tagovailoa -- so I don't have to chase new stuff after he was taken No. 1 in this year's NFL Draft. (But I will if I somehow find bargains.) This one is nice as it's on-card, has a clean retro design (I like that) and has a design/photo that doesn't showcase the fact that there are a couple small missing logos here that would come with full licensing. Atop that, his autograph on this card -- and the card itself -- is super clean and many of his autos are absolutely not clean in recent years. (In fact, I'd say that his auto is bad way more often than it's good ... and it's not that good visually to start with.) When I saw this one, I knew I needed to slab it for those reasons.
The Grade: CSG 9.5

Reality Check: I was a little worried about the surface here as the retro stock is definitely no-frills -- it doesn't even have a light gloss -- but it checked in with a grade I don't mind. I was happy with this and you'll probably see more of Young here in this series -- or at least Buzz Buys -- more once new NFL stuff starts popping up and the college colors fade away for some. Those colors won't fade away for me -- I like them a lot more than anything Carolina -- and he's always going to be the first Heisman-winning Alabama QB.

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

Continue reading →

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 ... 

--

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

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

Continue reading →

The biggest weekend in pro wrestling is here with WrestleMania 39 set for this Saturday and Sunday from Los Angeles. We'll make today a big one for wrestling collectors right here on The Buzz with #BuzzMania6, a marathon of WWE wax box/pack breaks all day long.

This 12th break of the day was almost an accidental bargain find for me ... and it ended up being a reminder of why I ripped a lot of it not all that long ago when it delivered big. 

The Brand: 2019 Topps WWE NXT (hobby box)

Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (when available)

What's inside this one? Keep reading ...

Continue reading →

The biggest weekend in pro wrestling is here with WrestleMania 39 set for this Saturday and Sunday from Los Angeles. We'll make today a big one for wrestling collectors right here on The Buzz with #BuzzMania6, a marathon of WWE wax box/pack breaks all day long.

This seventh break of the day is a half-case of a release that has the potential to deliver big ... but without breaking the bank. What will happen this time?

The Brand: A half-case of 2020 Topps WWE Women's Division wrestling cards (four hobby boxes)

Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

What's inside this one? Keep reading ...

Continue reading →

The biggest weekend in pro wrestling is here with WrestleMania 39 set for this Saturday and Sunday from Los Angeles. We'll make today a big one for wrestling collectors right here on The Buzz with #BuzzMania6, a marathon of WWE wax box/pack breaks all day long.

This second break of the day is one that many might have overlooked this year but the kids of NXT are strong in this one and elsewhere in 2022. 

The Brand: 2022 Panini NXT (hobby box)

Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (hobby boxes & cases)

What's inside this one? Keep reading ...

Continue reading →

From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and break down 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: 2019 Topps WWE NXT wrestling cards (hobby)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (when available) ... click here for all other wrestling boxes

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

Continue reading →

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 it's perhaps a little heavy on wrestling (but then again so am I) and some pick-ups that have simply piled up waiting for a spot. (Call it some spring cleaning.)

--

A MONÉ MYSTERY ... 
The Card: Sasha Banks 2021 Topps Transcendent WWE Green Autograph (/15)
The Price: Way less than most new WWE boxes ...
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: When the final Transcendent set was teased, this card with its striking image (a real photo from one of her laser show entrances) was immediately on my radar from this ultra-pricey release. However, how I was going to actually land one wasn't something I had to worry about upon arrival ... her cards simply were not packed out in the boxes and she wasn't alone. Why? There's some chatter about that, but one WWE insider believed her boxes of cards may have mistakenly left at a venue. Then some popped up on the open market, forcing Topps to go track them down legally and then get the signing done. All that is stuff I don't really care about, but I'm 100-percent confident that this is a legit auto of The Legit Boss and the card is perfectly fine. A number of the other Banks autos from this one have some steep asking prices but I ponied up to land this one not that long ago, knowing it will be a few more years before we might even see Transcendent again. And who knows what the wrestling future for Mercedes Moné might hold -- Mercedes Varnado is no longer in WWE -- or if we'll even see Sasha Banks again.
Grab a box right here: None for this one but ... WWE boxes are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

Continue reading →

What: 2023 Panini Revolution WWE wrestling cards
Arrives: June 16
Box basics: Eight packs per box (16 boxes per case via two inners)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Panini America's second year in the ring starts the same way it did as a rookie -- Prizm and then Revolution -- and this new version includes some new stuff but plenty of the familiar, too. (Kaboom! anybody?)

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

Continue reading →

From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and break down 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: 2022 Panini WWE NXT wrestling cards (blaster)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Keep reading to see a full breakdown and gallery for this one.

Continue reading →

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 ...

BAD IN BLACK!
The Card: Julio Rodriguez 2022 Topps Allen & Ginter X
The Reason Graded: I ripped a pair of these boxes and haven't even sniffed at the regular stuff -- a first for me in its run since 2006 when I used to clear everything I saw on every shelf -- but instead I opted to grade a couple of key pulls from this and other postseason releases with notable newcomers in play. Why this one? It just looked perfect even vs. others I pulled -- and since I only pulled one and have really no plans at this moment to even dabble with regular Ginter I put it into my bulk sub.
The Grade: CSG 10

Reality Check: CSG may have a flub in its system as this didn't even show in the pop report (perhaps it was tagged as a regular card) but I'll present it here* with what I know ... and that's that I know at least this one exists. He's the face of 2023 Topps, so he's on the minds of a few fans right now -- and that's why he's batting lead-off despite this pop report anomaly.

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

Continue reading →

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: 2022 Panini Chronicles WWE wrestling cards (blaster)
First Buzz preview: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

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

Continue reading →

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 ...

WILD THING!
The Card: Ricky Vaughn (Charlie Sheen) 2014 Topps Archives Major League 
The Reason Graded: As you can tell by the green label, this one is an older submission of mine ... but since spring training will be upon us soon I figured I'd lead off with an oddball classic and a card that has been pretty pricey in recent years despite being from a set where they showed up one per blaster box (if I remember correctly). The challenge here? Now even finding blasters is not easy ... they got ripped. Why? There weren't just basic inserts for some of the stars of Major League who got carded ... they signed, too. (Roughly one auto per hobby case.)
The Grade: CSG 9.5 (now 10)

Reality Check: This one was clean so I knew I wanted to slab it -- the backs here have black borders that can be an issue -- and as it turns out this is the only 10 of a small bunch graded. That's a win for me.

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

Continue reading →

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: 2022 Panini Chronicles WWE wrestling cards (blaster)
First Buzz preview: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

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

Continue reading →

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 mix of recent finds and some from throughout last year.

--

LEADING OFF WITH A BARGAIN ... 
The Item: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. autographed 2019 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby 8-by-1o photo (Topps Authentics)
The Price: Around $80 (regularly $130)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This autograph is one I've never bothered with on cardboard mostly for how it typically looks (it's not the greatest sig) but also because the stock-pilers have stayed busy grabbing them up as he's one of MLB's better young hitters today and he's not cheap. I landed this with a sale combined with some discount certificates on one of the sites that Fanatics populates and went here since that price was strong and the image isn't bad -- it's from his dominating Derby showing where he didn't win but wowed many. This was cheaper than most if not all autos from where I typically buy most often ... and those were sticker autos. I'll probably go this route for ink of notables (or singles in some instances) vs. ripping to chase 'em with pack prices these days. Pro tip: Just because a box is old doesn't mean the autographs just vanish ... hunt him from 2016 prospect stuff forward and Rookie Cards/ink in 2019 forward.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one but MLB cards are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

Continue reading →

From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and break down 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 Topps WWE NXT wrestling cards (hobby)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (when available) 

Keep reading to see a full breakdown and gallery for this one.

Continue reading →

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 ...

LEADING OFF WITH THE RECORD-BREAKER
The Card: Aaron Judge 2017 Topps Archives 1960 Rookie Stars
The Reason Graded: He has been an established slugger since his 52 homers as a rookie in 2017, but to a degree he'd fallen off card-wise (and power-wise) the last few years until smacking 39 in 2021 and his Yankees team record (and American League record) 62 homers this year.  I got rid of pretty much all of my RCs in 2017 -- no regrets -- to turn them into stuff I actively wanted (I'm still working rather glacially on some of those Clerks autograph runs) but some of my late-year Judge pulls and some inserts were saved along with my lone autograph. While I haven't yet slabbed my ink -- I probably will here at some point once I figure out what box I put it in -- this insert modeled after the memorable-but-overbearing 1960 Topps design was one that jumped out at me. Why? It was soooo clean.
The Grade: CSG 10

Reality Check: I was right and that pop shows me I'm not alone -- but it is surprising given how skinny the stock is here.

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

Continue reading →

From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and break down 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: 2022 Panini WWE NXT wrestling cards (hobby box)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Keep reading to see a full breakdown and gallery for this one.

Continue reading →

Have you seen the latest cool or interesting items on eBay? If not, you just might see some of those here. 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.

--

IS HE THE ONE?
The Item: Julio Rodriguez 2022 Topps Heritage High Number Clubhouse Collection Gold Relics (/99)
The Price: $149.99 Buy-It-Now (or best offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: With the absolute deluge of December MLB releases that appear to be just the start of a busy off-season with more still to come, I've played the waiting game on opening boxes on almost all -- but not all -- of them. One I have opened was this one, Heritage High, as it impressed me on its rookie volume (some RCs, some guys who had 2021s) and the appearance of the J-Rod stuff to be found. Why Heritage? It's more my old-guy flagship release each year ... though the 1970s designs are easily my least-favorite of all of the past decades so far and even of those to come. But the images on his cards are solid ... and this is a good example. Sure, it's pricey, but this card is a needle in a haystack in terms of pulling it and it's pricey -- but not that pricey -- vs. a lot of stuff. Heritage rookies are not going to be all that expensive in High Number as you come very close to a base set in every hobby box ... but I like that. It lets you do some old-fashioned stockpiling with the challenge really being clean copies that can be graded. (I plan to already and will ... yes, on base.) This one is a solid piece for an iconic 2022 player with potential and a long-term commitment from the team. I'll probably kick myself later for not grabbing this particular card or something like it. But I'll be watching them.
Similar Pieces: Other Julio Rodriguez Heritage cards on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for 2022 Topps Heritage High Number

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

Continue reading →