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 Topps Gypsy Queen baseball cards (blaster box)
First Buzz preview: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

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 ...

BIG BAT LEADING OFF ...
The Card: Fernando Tatis Jr. 2019 Topps Chrome Gold Refractors #203 (/50) -- RC parallel
The Reason Graded: Buzz found this rarity of a top RC in the absolute same box as the card that batted lead-off here last month -- and when that one graded really well I knew that this one would end up in a slab, too. Easily one of the best boxes I've seen for any non-premium product in years of collecting. I figured they needed to be slabbed together and matching grades would be cool, too.
The Grade: BGS 9.5

Reality Check: A matching pair is what we ended up with here -- and this also reinforces the fact that this was one of the best boxes I've ever seen. I was a little surprised to see only six copies of this card graded, but they're all at least a 9.5 with only one topping this mark. Meanwhile, 14 of them have been graded by PSA -- five 10s -- so perhaps some of Tatis' big-spending fans are also PSA fans, too. (Looking at you, Phil Hughes.)

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: 2020 Topps Heritage baseball cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (this and hobby)
First Buzz preview, SPs & checklist: Click here

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: 2020 Donruss baseball cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

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: 2020 Topps Opening Day baseball cards (Target mega box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 17 (16 standard, one Red parallel pack)
Cards per pack: 7
Cards in this box: 119
Base set completion: 
94 of 200 (47 percent)
Duplicates: 0

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: 2020 Donruss baseball cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 11
Cards per pack: 8
Cards per box: 88
Set completion: 
61 of 264 (23 percent)
Duplicates: 0

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: Baseball Power Cube baseball repack (MJ Holding)
Where to buy: Retail outlets ($19.99)

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 Today: What-if scenarios, impressive MLB achievements, a big Kirby Puckett pull and plenty more in today's edition.

Continue reading →

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 3.

The box: 2020 Topps Series 1 baseball cards 
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
First Buzz preview with checklist/SPs/more: Click here

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

Continue reading →

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 1.

The box: 2020 Topps Heritage baseball cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
First Buzz preview, SPs & checklist: Click here

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

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: 2020 Topps Series 1 baseball cards (retail tin)
Where to buy: These are at retail;BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)
First Buzz preview with checklist/SPs/more: Click here

Packs per box: 1
Cards per pack: 75
Base set completion: 
63 of 350 (18 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Mike Trout, Christian Yelich, Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Mike Soroka, Francisco Lindor, Jacob deGrom

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was 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: 2020 Topps Heritage baseball cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
First Buzz preview, SPs & checklist: Click here

Packs per box: 25 (24 standard, one topper)
Cards per pack: 9
Cards in this box: 217
Base set completion: 
198 of 400 (50 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Continue reading →

Via @PaniniAmerica

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: Giannis, LeBron and Zion spark plenty of chatter, big breaks, scorcher brands, 2020 Topps Heritage and more in today's edition.

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 ...

BIG-TIME PULL
The Card: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 2019 Topps Chrome Orange Refractors #201 (/25) Rookie Card parallel
The Reason Graded: This one came out of one of the best Topps Chrome boxes I've ever seen -- in fact, it might have been one of the best non-high-end boxes I've ever seen for any brand -- and I knew instantly that the two big cards from it would end up slabbed. This one is up first and I actually had it graded awhile back but held it a little closer to baseball season -- and we're here. This guy could be set for a big season after a rookie campaign that was closely watched but perhaps not as lofty as was expected. With so few copies of this one made, I figured it was a no-brainer no matter how he fares this season.
The Grade: BGS 9.5

Reality Check: I was glad to see this grade, and it turns out that two of the three that were slabbed were graded on the same day -- I just missed out on "first-graded" status. The Series 2 short-print (which looks just like this) is probably going to be the long-term iconic card for Guerrero, but rare Chromes like this one figure to be very strong, too, even if in a lesser grade. Interestingly only four copies have been graded by PSA -- three 10s and one PSA 9.

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

Continue reading →

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? The big release of the week ... 2020 Topps Heritage

SUPER, MAN
The Card: 2020 Topps Heritage 1971 Topps Super Bo Bichette 
These oversized 1971 Topps Super cards are box-toppers that are not found in every box but I kind of wish they were. It's a simple 15-card set that's more postcard-size but uses all of that space and some tight crops to emphasize the photographs chosen for a mix of current stars. Just two rookies made the cut here -- Bo Bichette and Yordan Alvarez -- and I'm going with Bichette of the two this year. Meanwhile, there are a number of notables in this set on the checklist. I'm not the biggest fan of the facsimile auto that was part of the original design (Topps needs to thin out the pen strokes on any and all facsimiles used if you ask me while also scaling them down to be well-placed "accents") but the good news is that that those vanish for the players who have certified autos from this set. Those are far tougher pulls and were only made for five players. No Bo, though. (Bummer.)

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

Continue reading →

What: 2020 Onyx Vintage baseball cards
Arrives: March 31
Box basics: At least two autographed cards per four-card box (24 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Onyx takes to the baseball card field with a past design and feel for the future stars of the game with at least two autographs in every box and stars from the past, present and future all in play.

Keep reading for more info and a checklist.

Continue reading →

The newest Topps On Demand set of the year is here and it's one that carries with it a dramatic and nearly colorless look at Major League Baseball.

It's the 2020 Topps MLB Black & White and it includes a 75-card base set and more

Packs of this one are $60 and include a one-in-two chance at an autograph with 25 base cards and five parallels/inserts also inside when bought directly via Topps.com. The format is the same as it was for this one last year.

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.

--

BIG INK
The Card: Mark McGwire 2017 Topps Tier One Tier One Autographs (/30)
The Price: $45.75
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: For years, my only Mark McGwire autograph was one on a somewhat average-condition Oakland A's World Series team-signed ball that I found in an unusual way and got via a trade. (In short, it was sitting in a mug on co-worker's desk. He didn't know what team it was ... it was just his dad's ball that had been brought in for some reason. There it sat ... until I happened to pick it up and look. Then I picked up my jaw.) I added a similar and different item in recent years -- a bat -- and both pieces are 100-percent legit but without authentication. (That happened back in the day when teams signed items ... without merch deals and MLB Authentication around.) This time, though, I added a fresh McGwire release that's on both the rarer side and the cheaper side since the price was right (and dramatically lower than others out there for comparable cards). McGwire has always been a pricier auto -- he didn't sign much during his career except for very early on (before certified auto cards) -- and then became an Upper Deck guy after his record-setting years. Topps got him back in the fold in 2014 releases and he's also been in Panini stuff. I liked the price and the look of this one, which has him watching a homer from late in the 1998 season.
Grab a box right here: 2017 Topps Tier One baseball cards

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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 Today: When an Optic run turns into the mother lode of hot wax, computerized grading, 2020 Topps, new NBA breaks and plenty more.

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.

--

OFF-SEASON SLABBING
The Card: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 2019 Topps Chrome RC (PSA 9)
The Price: About $15
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The pop report on this one is flip-flopped like a lot of new modern cards -- it's got more than 1,500 PSA 10s but just over 150 PSA 9s out of nearly 1,700 graded ... not the norm, really. Nonetheless, I still didn't mind it in this grade for this price. The short-printed Series 2 card that carries the same photo as this one is a tougher grade -- those corners can be chippy -- but rather than sub my own there and hope for a PSA 9 I just decided to go this route on Chrome. I'll probably do more when they present themselves or perhaps submit others at some point. (I'll have a big submission I already made batting lead-off in a future Making The Grade, too.) My gut feeling is that this super-rookie didn't live up to the massive hype we had envisioned last year -- so 2020 could be one that is dramatic for his cardboard ... one way or another.
Grab a box right here: 2019 Topps Chrome 

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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 Today: Big pulls, 2020 Topps error cards, Pete Rose, Zion Williamson and who would you sell first -- Ronald Acuña Jr., Juan Soto or Gleyber Torres?

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: 2020 Topps Series 1 baseball cards 
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
First Buzz preview with checklist/SPs/more: Click here

Packs per box: 24 (plus one 1985 Chrome pack)
Cards per pack: 14 (four in Chrome)
Cards in this box: 336
Base set completion: 
310 of 350 (89 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Fernando Tatis Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Pete Alonso, Eloy Jimenez, Mike Soroka, Ramon Laureano, Austin Riley, Mike Yastrzemski, Michael Chavis, Nick Senzel, Tommy Edman, Jeff McNeil, Chris Paddack, Juan Soto, Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Masahiro Tanaka, Matt Olson, Luis Castillo, Ronald Acuña Jr., Mike Trout, Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper, Cody Bellinger, Manny Machado, Gary Sanchez, Buster Posey, Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Schwarber, Andrew Benintendi, Jacob deGrom, Clayton Kershaw, Anthony Rendon, Carlos Correa, Gleyber Torres, Shohei Ohtani, Justin Verlander, Alex Bregman, Christian Yelich

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was 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: 2020 Topps Archives Signature Series Active Player Edition baseball cards
First Buzz preview, gallery & signer list: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 1
Cards per pack: 1
Base set completion: 
N/A

Continue reading →

What: 2020 Onyx Preferred Players Baseball Collection autographed baseballs
Arrives: March 6
Box basics: One signed baseball per box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: This MLBPA-approved product hits the diamond once again with a number of notable names inside, including Mike Trout, Ronald Acuña Jr., Cody Bellinger, Juan Soto, Gleyber Torres, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Wander Franco to name a few.

Keep reading for more info and a checklist.

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: 2019 Topps Update baseball cards
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby/jumbo)

Packs per box: 8 (seven standard, one commemorative patch pack)
Cards per pack: 14
Cards in this box: 99
Base set completion: 
86 of 300 (29 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Base cards of note – Ronald Acuña Jr., Mookie Betts, Justin Verlander, Josh Donaldson

Rookie Cards (31) – Notables include Pete Alonso (2), Austin Riley, Will Smith, Cavan Biggio, Eloy Jimenez, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr., Nick Senzel, Brendan Rodgers, Michael Chavis, Carter Kieboom

Continue reading →