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: 2021-22 Panini Prizm Draft Picks basketball cards (blaster)
First Buzz preview: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for a few formats)

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

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What: 2025 Panini UConn Huskies basketball cards
Arrives: May 23
Box basics: Two autographs per six-pack hobby box (20 boxes per case), 24 cards per six-pack blaster (20 per case)
Checklist: See gallery
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Stars from the past and present UConn Huskies basketball programs -- men's and women's teams -- hit cardboard from Panini in a release that's got plenty of stuff to chase.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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What: 2025 TRISTAR Hidden Treasures Autographed Basketballs
Arrives: April 23
Box basics: One autographed basketball per box (four boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: TRISTAR's Hidden Treasures brand hits the hardwood once again with some legendary ink to be found, a Grand Treasure ball of a legend and a second chase that's showcasing three NBA greats ... but not on basketballs.

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What: 2024-25 TRISTAR Hidden Treasures Autographed Basketball Jerseys Season Edition
Arrives: Nov. 6
Box basics: One autographed basketball jersey per box (five boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: TRISTAR's Hidden Treasures line hits the hardwood for a new season with some of the biggest stars in the history of the game involved as either standard jerseys or as the big chase and the biggest new name in the NBA is in there, too.

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What: 2023-24 Topps Chrome basketball cards
Arrives: Aug. 28
Box basics: Two autographs per 12-pack box (12 boxes per case) or two autographs per 12-card breakers box (12 boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Sapphire Checklist: Click here 
Odds: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Topps revives Chrome for the pro basketball realm with members of the NBA Players Association -- but not NBA team trademarks -- and the early basic teaser images and also the checklist and odds for that upcoming release are here.

Keep reading for more info.

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What: 2024 TRISTAR Hidden Treasures Autographed Basketballs
Arrives: April 19
Box basics: One autographed basketball per box (four boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: TRISTAR's Hidden Treasures brand hits the hardwood once again with some legendary ink to be found and plenty of other chases beyond just current superstars.

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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 ... another super-sized edition with some new inclusions like comic books and magazines.

FRESH OFF THE TRUCK
The Book: Captain Britain No. 1 (1976 Marvel UK magazine, with mask) -- first appearance of the character
The Reason Graded: This one arrived back in my hands from CGC on Sunday, so I'll have it lead off here as it's as fresh as it gets in my stash of slabs -- and it actually presents a question for people familiar with pressing. (Help a newb out!) First, the back story ... I picked this up probably 30 years ago via Mile High Comics for more than I would have normally spent back then -- probably around $20 -- for a NM-MT copy. For all these years, it was in its magazine bag with one of their old round condition stickers still attached before I recently decided to dig it out for slabbing. Why? It's obscure -- it's a newsprint-style, magazine-size book released only in the UK -- and it's pricey when it's in elite grade. (We'll get to that.) This debuting character is one that had evolved a lot by the time I had gotten into comics (around 1990) and he was the leader of the British X-Men group, Excalibur, which launched as a standalone title in 1988. As part of collecting key issues and artist favorites back then, I tracked down this debut that was mentioned on the back of his 1990 Impel Marvel Universe card. (That set is what drew me into comics.) I knew this copy wasn't perfect, but it was close and I figured it was best to get it slabbed despite some paper-texture funk (the vertical black lines in white areas around the nameplate and corner box). I assumed some of that might lighten up as part of CGC's pressing/cleaning process. If it helped at all, I had figured it might get it closer to one of those top grades.
The Grade: CGC 9.4 (Universal)

Click for a closer look

Reality Check: This one checked in lower than I had hoped for as I had thought a 9.6 might be realistic -- but the only dramatic difference here vs. higher marks is the dollar signs and probably some of that funk. (My back cover wasn't as clean as I remembered so my gut feeling may be moot.) A 9.8 copy of this has topped $5,000 on eBay while ones in my condition have been around $1,500 ... so it's still a good slab. (I'm sitting on it like everything else in my stash.) ... Here's where I can use some help from the pressers/slabbers out there, though. It seems like pressing may have actually added to the funk or emphasized it in spots. Some of the white areas definitely have more of that showing now, not less, particularly around the right side of the No. 1 box and the "free inside" mask circle where there's plenty of white paper. It's absolutely the same book (minor pulp spots are there as they were when I sent it) but I was surprised by the paper texture seemingly being emphasized (or not as clean) after pressing. (Click on the image above right -- ignore the color difference as that is likely due to my photography skills.) You can see more dark spots/texture of the paper visible -- perhaps it's from ink on the inside page showing through? I assume I'm not the first to press one of these -- or that they wouldn't press these if it would make its condition worse. I didn't have this on my mental list of outcomes, and naturally, I wondered whether this dropped me a grade and it will always bug me now. Perhaps this happened because the cover is newsprint and not white paper? The time it takes for pressing has had me not doing that on nearly all other submissions but this one -- my first sub I had pressed -- left me wondering if it helped at all. (If I could do this one all over again ... I would not have.) By the way, the color you see peeking out the right side? That's a perfect mask tucked inside the issue just like the cover promises from almost 50 years ago. All in all, I'm glad I graded this one and I think it's the priciest comic book in my stash ... but it definitely prompted some questions.

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

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Goldin Auctions continues to set new sales records in each of its auctions. Your valuable items could be next.

If you're headed to the National Sports Collectors Convention, consign your high-end items with Goldin (minimum $10,000 value) for its popular Goldin Elite Auction and you will be entered into a drawing for a random group of box breaks including 1993 Upper Deck SP baseball, 2000 UD SP Authentic football and 1996-97 Topps Chrome basketball.

Goldin Auctions (booth Nos. 1100, 1102 and 648) also is offering fun and excitement with a chance to see rare trading cards and memorabilia at the show, set for July 28-Aug. 1 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill. Collectors can also meet the founder, chat with trading card and memorabilia experts and be entered into giveaways.

Collectors can also find Goldin Tickets in boxes of the 2021 Blowout MegaMix with auction credit values as high as $1,000 randomly inserted into boxes. Visit Goldin Auctions at the show for a chance to take part in these rare opportunities.

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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 4.

The box: 2020 SportKings Volume 2 sports cards
First Buzz preview: Click here
Where to buy: Click here

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

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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 SportKings Volume 2 sports cards
First Buzz preview: 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: SportKings Volume 2 sports cards
Arrives: Feb. 5
Box basics: Two autographs, one memorabilia card and one other hit per seven-card box
Pre-order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: SportKings takes the field once again in conjunction with SAGE for a few crop of retro-styled cardboard featuring greats from the past and all-time greats from around the sports world all in one place.

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

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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: 2019-20 Panini Prizm NBA cards (Walmart Mega Box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (a few formats)

Packs per box: 11 (10 standard, one Pink Ice)
Cards per pack: 4 (10 in pink)
Cards in this box: 50
Base set completion: 
24 of 200 (12 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Hakeem Olajuwon, Isiah Thomas, Kyle Lowry, C.J. McCollum, Buddy Hield, Jrue Holiday, Jimmy Butler, D'Angelo Russell

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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: 2019-20 Panini Prizm NBA cards (Target Mega Box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 6
Cards per pack: 10
Cards in this box: 60
Base set completion: 
29 of 200 (15 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Luka Doncic, Wilt Chamberlain, Paul George, Vince Carter, Kristaps Porzingis, Allen Iverson, Ray Allen, Kyle Lowry, Draymond Green, Josh Jackson, C.J. McCollum, Jrue Holiday, Lou Williams, Mike Conley

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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: 2019-20 Panini Prizm NBA cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (a few formats)

Packs per box: 6
Cards per pack: 4
Cards in this box: 24
Base set completion: 
13 of 200 (7 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Base cards – Allen Iverson, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Donovan Mitchell, Ray Allen, Alfonzo McKinnie, Brandon Ingram, Otto Porter Jr., Dion Waiters, Aaron Gordon, Spencer Dinwiddie, LaMarcus Aldridge, Courtney Lee, Wesley Matthews

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Panini America is putting Kevin Garnett autographs back in play.

The 15-time All-Star's time on the court ended back in 2016, but it's been far longer than that since basketball card collectors have had any substantial amount of ink to grab for this future Hall of Famer.

That all ends soon with his new ink coming in 2018-19 Panini Immaculate Collection, which arrives next week with three autographs in every box.

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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 5.

The box: 2010-11 Panini Season Update NBA (hobby)
The cost: Click here

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

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Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today's your day then as we launch 12 in 12 -- a series of a dozen breaks of wax boxes and wax packs in a dozen hours. We'll post one every hour all day long ... this is Hour 1.

The box: 1996 Score Board Autographed Collection
The cost: $43 (Expect to pay more ... if you can even find one.)

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

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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: 2012-13 NBA Hoops (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 11
Cards per pack: 5
Cards in this box: 55
Base set completion: 
51 of 300 (17 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notable names pulled on base cards: Tim Duncan, Gregg Popovich, Joe Johnson, Ray Allen, Kevin Durant, Gordon Hayward, Manu Ginobili, Vince Carter, Kyle Lowry

Rookie Cards (14)  – Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, Reggie Jackson, Dion Waiters, Quincy Miller, Bradley Beal, Nolan Smith, DeAndre Liggins, Charles Jenkins, Tyler Honeycutt, Kemba Walker, Klay Thompson, Shelvin Mack, Bismack Biyombo

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