The NFL's top QB will be signing in every Panini America product this season.

That's thanks to the Patrick Mahomes Autograph Collection revealed by the company on Wednesday, a project that announces his presence back in the Panini autograph lineup for the first time in four years with authority, and offers a chase beyond any brand-specific finds for the Kansas City Chiefs star.

It's "a rare 25-card, cross-brand autograph insert that will be dropped -- one card at a time -- into products, with the first three falling in 2025 Certified football, 2025 Origins football and 2025 Absolute Football, respectively," according to Panini. "Each card in the set, which thoroughly chronicles Mahomes’ spectacular career so far, is signed on-card by Mahomes and limited to 20 copies or less."

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Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...

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RETRO RECORD-HOLDER
The Card: Roger Maris 2014 Panini Classics Home Run Heroes Jerseys (/25)
The Price: $30
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I ponied up a little bit for this one vs. my typical range for Maris mem cards since it's a rarer card, has a material (jersey/pants) swatch vs. a bat and is from a brand that packed a lot of potential for big names back in the day. Yet, at the same time, that price was a bargain. Yes, its centering is just slightly off, but otherwise it's clean -- that errant spot on the right side is part of the printed design on all cards here. It was an easy addition for a player I collect and pick off stuff for a few times a year. Those top corners are really clean on this one, which might not always be the case with those bold colors.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but MLB cards are here.

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Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading ... so here's this month's grading diary.

AS GOOD AS IT GETS
The Card: Caitlin Clark 2024-25 Panini Instant WNBA (/26,980) -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: I watched and waited for the most part with Caitlin Clark cards as Panini Instant stuff arrived regularly and her in-pack WNBA Rookie Cards arrived later in the year. But, when this award-winner card popped up with a clean and iconic studio photo? Well, I pretty much instantly (pun not intended as it's simply true) grabbed a 10-pack with an eye for a slab. It's in a past Buzz Buys (hit the archives) and this is the result a few months later.
The Grade: CGC 10 (Pristine)

Reality Check: This one is heavily made and should be heavily slabbed -- the number of Pristines has at least doubled just in the few weeks since I got these back from CGC -- but many won't be checking in at this top mark. I didn't slab to expect a perfect 10 but I thought this one had potential after going through my stack. Three of my 10 had solid centering and this one was first to make that cut ... with this mark I may not need to send in the other two. It's my lone Clark slab ... and it's strong enough it might stay that way just so I can say I went 1-for-1 grading here. We'll see.

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

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USA Baseball is still on Panini America's team.

Both parties revealed on Thursday that a third extension of their licensing deal that launched in 2012 has been signed, giving Panini the exclusive rights to create baseball cards for its stable of teams. That includes the Collegiate, 18U, 15U and 12U National Teams as well as its National Team Development Programs. It will also usher in the first cards for the USA Baseball Women’s National Team.

“For 14 years, Panini America and USA Baseball have collaborated to provide unparalleled early access to cards of the game’s next generation of stars,” said USA Baseball COO David Perkins in a prepared statement. “With today’s announcement, we are pleased to continue our partnership, and now also capture and deliver USA Baseball’s national team players, gold medals and other defining moments for the organization to Panini Instant.”

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Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading ... so here's this month's grading diary here on The Buzz.

GETTING EVEN BETTER?
The Card: Victor Wembanyama 2023-24 Panini Haunted Hoops -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: I'm basically casually ripping at best when it comes to NBA these days -- just can't collect it all at today's prices (and might not want to with that) -- but the holiday-flavored version of Hoops got me to bite a few times since it's got a good volume of stuff in a box and a pair of Wemby RCs on the checklist. Is this a big card in the big scheme of things? Nah, but the printing and cutting here was so clean I knew I needed to grade it. Why?
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: Because this should be the result more often than not as long as the centering is there ... and the stats here show that to be the case roughly half the time. The phenom seems to be getting better with time and once the wax dries up for even stuff like this there could be interesting trends that buck the idea that stuff is overproduced these days -- it is ... but not when there's increased demand for a popular player. I need to scout singles more for this guy and cards I like ... I think there's more potential here over time than people might think based on soft prices for raw cards. (Even if boatloads of his cards are already graded.)

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

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What's Buzzing: Paige Bueckers to Panini reactions, NFL chatter, Pro Football Hall of Fame nominees, Bo Nix, MLB chatter and a "player breaks that don’t hit any cards question."

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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 there's a bit of everything in there.e--

FINALLY FOUND A FISTOGRAPH ???
The Card: Otis 2021 Topps WWE Undisputed Fistographs (/25)
The Price: About two Prizm WWE blasters (plus tax)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This box-topper from Topps' best release not named Transcendent back in its WWE days was not a regular kind of find. These days some of these are expensive and some are not, but the ones I'd want tend to have more dollars attached. While this literal big star -- a power and comedy guy -- isn't really on my radar, this was as a perfect example to own one of these cards for any name when I found it on the cheap. Now, what is it? If you haven't figured that out, that's a print from his right hand balled into a fist dipped in what looks like some light black paint and then pushed onto the card. The thumb touch blends in with his hand in the photo a bit but the rest is obvious, and it's a unique kind of card for a fighter.
Grab a box right here: Click for WWE cards

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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 ...

KING OF THE RING?
The Card: Elvis Presley in Kid Galahad -- 2022 Topps Elvis Presley: The King of Rock and Roll Pink parallel (/45)
The Reason Graded: I think I only bought one card from what was a Topps Now-style weekly look back at the career of The King from just a couple years ago -- and it was because of the boxing twist you see on this card. Couldn't tell you a thing about the movie and actually don't own a single Elvis CD -- much more Beatles here -- but the visual was unique to me so I grabbed, I believe, a five-pack of this card (likely in a past Buzz Buys) and landed this parallel as a bonus. It had been in my maybe-grade pile for a long time and as part of a variety-packed submission it finally made the cut. Why? How many other Elvis boxing cards do you know of? (I know of one ... this card's photo knocks it out cold.)
The Grade: CGC 10 (pristine)

Reality Check: There's only one other card in this parallel set graded to go with this solo slab -- a regular 10 -- but that doesn't surprise me that much. I don't think this would be that popular with collectors who might grade, but Presley is popular enough to have a ton of card appearances in his prime years and a number of posthumous releases as a giant and an icon of music ... and merchandise licensing, too. I figured I'd mix things up here this month and lead off with something different vs. some new football slabs as we enter that season or the obvious hot MLB names. (There's more NFL to come for both this time and in the coming months for sure.)

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

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LIV Golf is coming to cardboard.

Panini revealed its newest licensing seal on Thursday morning with a wave of six-card team sets for the company's teams via Panini Instant -- $19.99 per regular set and $34.99 for a set with one randomly selected parallel card for each of 13 teams in the first collection.

It launches "a multi-year partnership" that will be an exclusive as Panini ventures into golf cards for the first time.

"LIV Golf is thrilled to partner with Panini, a global brand committed to connecting with fans around the world through the love of sport," said LIV Golf Commissioner and CEO Greg Norman in a prepared statement. "Just as our league continues to innovate and bring professional team golf mainstream, our partnership will introduce new products to the market for millions of passionate fans and collectors to enjoy."

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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: Victor Wembanyama, Black November deals, Bowman U pulls, Leaf Pickleball, NFL Week 9 and more.

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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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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.

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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 ...

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.

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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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A STRATUSFACTORY ADDITION 
The Card: Trish Stratus 2014 Topps WWE Road to WrestleMania Trish Stratus Pants Relic
The Price: Less than a typical low-end hobby box
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This WWE Hall of Famer got her own tribute set in this Topps release and part of the project also included a small batch of jumbo memorabilia cards that, unlike most Topps WWE stuff, wasn't loaded with pieces of shirts or mat pieces. Instead, these jumbos were massive swatches of some match-worn pants from the multi-time champ and they're also seen on the cards themselves in at least one instance. (This one.) These weren't impossible pulls back then -- I just never found one and they were pricey for Relics -- but I latched onto one when it surfaced to have it in my stash almost a decade later. With so many new boxes being pricey or less enticing at times because of that in all sports, I've found myself being more selective and playing the waiting game on some ... and buying up selected singles perhaps for more than I typically do. Though at the same time, the markets are starting to feel a little more normal here and there. This is an example of that.
Grab a box right here: None for this one ... find WWE boxes 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.

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A FIRST FOR ME ...
The Card: Bo Bichette 2020 Topps Archives Snapshots Autographs
The Price: More than I like to admit ... but less than a lot of his autos out there
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This guy has almost become my default go-to player recently for MLB, but since he's popular, on a rising team and been on cardboard for some time I haven't really gotten in stuff on on the lower side of things. That's OK -- I don't need a third "personal collection" guy in my cardboard lifetime to do the chase-heavy approach. I'll just dabble. What is this? It's my first autograph for Bo Bichette in a small-but-growing stash that has plenty of typical raw pulls but also plenty of slabs (including a fun one of his brother) to go along with a game-used ball (a past post here) and then even a signed game-model bat for his dad somewhere in my stash. It'll be a while before I add a Bo Bichette game-used bat based on the price, but I could see it happening sometime down the line. (I dabble in a lot of directions.)
Grab a box right here: 2020 Topps Archives Snapshots

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New unis and new cards, who dis?

Panini Instant has the answer for 42 NFL rookies who took part in the 2021 Rated Rookie Showcase with their new cards available now over on the Panini Instant site.

Each player has a standard card available and printed to order after their window closes via Panini America. Parallels include Blue (/25), Versicolor (/5) and 1/1 Black and those are available while they last -- and many are gone after last night's launch.

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Panini America has a new team member.

Likely top-five pick and NBA G League standout Jalen Green has signed an exclusive card and autographed card deal with the company, according to an announcement released on Thursday.

“Jalen is the kind of exciting, offensively gifted young player that fans and collectors alike clamor for and we’re excited to partner with him for such a meaningful relationship,” said Panini CEO Mark Warsop in a prepared release. “He will absolutely be a key figure in our products not just during his rookie season, but for years to come. He’s a bright part of our future and the future of licensed trading cards.”

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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 Draft chatter, reacting to Aaron Rodgers, big pulls, 2021 Bowman and more.

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The Club opens on Friday.

To be more accurate, it's the Panini Instant Access Club for UFC fans -- well, 325 UFC fans that is ... and that's it.

Beginning at 5 p.m. Eastern on Friday, memberships (price not revealed) will be available until they are gone. Members receive "a year’s worth of exclusive trading card content honoring the biggest superstars and personalities in the UFC."

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What: 2020 Panini Super Bowl LV Champion box set
Arrives: April 7
Box basics: 36 cards per box (20 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- this year's Super Bowl champs -- are getting a commemorative card set from Panini after their 31-9 dominating win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. There will be 36 cards per set in this one showcasing in-game moments and noting the game's MVP, Brady, all in one spot. The release will be branded as a Panini Instant set and be printed to order with the number of sets ordering being the number of sets made.

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

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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.

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The question above says it all and I need to know what others think on this Wednesday afternoon.

Why? Well, one player inside this set has a unique career and has had a dominating season so far, too. And, his enigmatic journey is one that has just as odd of a cardboard résumé ... one that sparks said question.

This is the 2018-19 Panini Instant NBA Finals box set -- a relatively plentiful release with 49,286 sets ordered in the wake of the Toronto Raptors' first championship. A number of those sets are found in this colorful team-adorned box -- it's a cheap set, too, by the way, when you can find it -- while other copies that were ordered directly on the Instant site arrived without the packaging but every card in a sealed top-loader as you can see here.

I grabbed the set back in the day and recently landed one still in the box -- I have no intent to open it because it's the super-rare instance where I wanted one sealed since even the box shows the player I collect.

So what's the deal? Keep reading.

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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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GIVE 'EM A HAND ...
The Piece: Calvin Ridley 2018 Panini Instant Instant Impressions autographed hand print (/10)
The Price: $60 (shipped)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I picked this one up earlier this year when Panini had a half-price sale on Panini Instant stuff and I think it was a gem of a find considering he's had some strong showings for the Falcons. (Beyond that he fits one of my collecting niches.) What is this? It's a huge card -- not a card, really but it does have a full back so it's a card that's a couple feet tall -- with his handprint and autograph worked into the mix. The signature is slightly more full than many of his cards (believe it or not) but the uniqueness of the whole package drew me in ... especially at half price.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of these ... but you can find NFL boxes here.

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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 Today: A big night on BlowoutTV, the NFL Draft continues, big pulls and more in today's edition.

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This one is a quick idea for 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 something to think about.

This time? First-rounders I'd be watching on cardboard ...

THE SURPRISE?
Jordan Love, QB, Packers
Remember last year when the Giants picked Daniel Jones sixth overall in the draft out of Duke and plenty of people had plenty to say about it? Remember how Jones played last year? Those things may not really apply here, but beyond the obvious big names I think the Packers' trade up to get this Utah State QB might have stole the show chatter-wise and that should translate into attention for his football cards. The obstacle that is future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers might scare some people off of his cards, but we may have a while before game action determines anything this year.

Keep reading for four more making up the list this time.

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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 Today: The NFL Draft is nearly upon us, Day 2 of 2020 Bowman 1st Edition, a free Bartolo Colon autograph (for anybody who buys his book) and more in today's edition.

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