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: 2018 Topps Holiday Box baseball cards
Where to buy: Click here

Packs per box: 10
Cards per pack: 10
Cards in this box: 98
Base set completion: 
92 of 200 (46 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Kris Bryant, Andrew Benintendi, Jose Altuve, Christian Yelich, Jose Altuve, Adrian Beltre, Anthony Rizzo, Trea Turner, Giancarlo Stanton, Gary Sanchez, Clayton Kershaw, Corey Seager

Rookie Cards (17) – Ronald Acuña Jr., Walker Buehler, Victor Robles, Mike Soroka, Tyler O'Neill, Nick Williams, Amed Rosario, Jack Flaherty, Jordan Hicks, Willie Calhoun, J.D. Davis, Brian Anderson, Chris Stratton, Fernando Romero, Tyler Mahle, Joey Lucchesi, Chance Sisco

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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 Donruss baseball cards (Target Mega Box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 14
Cards per pack: 8
Cards per box: 112
Set completion: 
35 of 150 (23 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Stephen Strasburg, Joey Votto, Rafael Devers, Justin Verlander, Javier Baez, Trevor Story, Manny Machado, Matt Chapman, Christian Yelich, Michael Conforto

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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 ... a super-sized edition this time around that's heavy on MLB and NBA but with a few surprises.

The Cards: 1991-92 SkyBox #544-546 Team USA puzzle
The Reason Graded: I picked up a box of this one for roughly $16 late last year (a bargain price) and pulled two sets of these puzzles, which was good. Why? Because grading these and the other notables from the iconic Hall of Famer-loaded Dream Team is pretty heavy and this one has been on my to-do list. I landed most of the notables more than once but just one Jordan that was noticeably off-centered. These glossed cards on the puzzle could have issues that the standard cards don't have simply because of their surfaces, but mine were clean. I will revisit my second set to see if anything stands out. I may go the PSA route on the other set for variety's sake if I see anything that would make me wonder about potential grades.
The Grades: BGS 9.5

Reality Check: This one was a stressful one as I had hoped for matching grades. Thankfully, that's what I got and that's where most cards land for all three pieces of the puzzle. This is a textbook example of the kind of cardboard that can make you some money with grading, too, as they're no more than $10 total raw, while BGS 9.5s together should top $100 in some cases and asking prices for the middle (Jordan) card alone can be steep. It's memorable cardboard from the past with nothing but iconic players involved, so there's still good demand -- and that's another reason why I slabbed. Wax boxes aren't all that plentiful, either, compared to other boxes around that time.

Keep reading for the rest of this month's new grades and additions.

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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 Panini Prizm baseball cards (Target Mega Box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 12 (10 standard, two Pink parallel packs)
Cards per pack: 4
Cards in this box: 48
Base set completion: 
20 of 100 (20 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Max Scherzer, Jose Ramirez, Felix Hernandez, Jose Altuve, Adrian Beltre

Rookie Cards (Tier One only) (5) – Rowdy Tellez, Luis Urias, Chris Shaw, Sean Reid-Foley, Cedric Mullins

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Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals just might be to rip fewer blasters this year 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. Would they capture yours? I'd be interested to know -- sometimes they might, sometimes they won't and that's fine. It's a buyer's market out there with plenty of options and bargains as well as high-end gems to chase.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... and this time around it's a super-sized edition to clear out some cardboard that's been waiting for its turn here.

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BATTING LEADOFF ... AGAIN
The Card: Ronald Acuña Jr. 2018 Panini Chronicles Score Rookie Card (SGC 10)
The Price: $10.60
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Is it really a shocker to see this guy batting leadoff here once again? If you're a regular reader you'll know this is the third straight time I've picked one of my Acuña pick-ups to start things off here -- and this time it's a high-grade copy from an affordable (for now) release that's jam-packed with Rookie Cards. I haven't ever submitted anything to SGC for grading, but I have picked off a few cards in their slabs when the price is right and the card is noticeably clean. In this case it was an affordable one picked off in a top grade just before he started heating things up this season. Boxes of many 2018 releases have picked up steam and this one is among them, especially on the hobby side where they are jam-packed with good stuff. I couldn't find this card in the pop report, but the price was right for me.
Grab a box right here: 2018 Panini Chronicles baseball cards

Keep reading for many more interesting items ...

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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 Topps Big League baseball cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 24
Cards per pack: 10
Cards in this box: 240
Base set completion: 
189 of 400 (47 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Ronald Acuña Jr. (2), Ozzie Albies, J.D. Martinez (with Hank Aaron), Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, Kris Bryant, Corey Seager, Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout

Rookie Cards (13) – Notables include Ramon Laureano, Kyle Tucker, Rowdy Tellez

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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: Bowman Mega Box breaks, Austin Riley, Topps' basketball return, Panini Legacy and more in today's edition.

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Update: This card sold for $920 on eBay Tuesday night -- keep reading for the details.

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Another monster game, another monster card? Pretty much ...

Ronald Acuña Jr. torched the San Francisco Giants pitchers Monday night with a homer on the first pitch of the game, then a double and another homer -- the kind of night that gets people looking even more for the cardboard from a few key sets last year that include his Rookie Cards.

Boxes of 2018 Topps Update have quickly become a simple hot commodity, especially with other rookies and the potential for parallels of this new star, but that's not the only place to chase this popular slugger.

And that's where the card you see up top comes in.

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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: Inside a Ronald Acuña Jr. collection, a Roger Maris game-used patch, nearly 100 allegedly trimmed NBA star cards sold, six autos in seven Bowman Mega Boxes and more in today's edition.

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What: 2019 Onyx Baseball Clubhouse Collection Authentic Game-used Batting Gloves
Arrives: June 21
Box basics: One pair of game-used batting gloves per box (three boxes per mini case; 12 boxes per master case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: This MLBPA-approved product includes batting gloves from top young names as well as established veterans.

Keep reading for more info, including a full checklist.

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Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals just might be to rip fewer blasters this year 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. Would they capture yours? I'd be interested to know -- sometimes they might, sometimes they won't and that's fine. It's a buyer's market out there with plenty of options and bargains as well as high-end gems to chase.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... and this time around it's a super-sized edition.

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A CLASSIC YOU CAN FIND ... FOR NOW 
The Card: Ronald Acuña Jr. 2018 Topps Heritage High Number RC (PSA 9)
The Price: $11.20
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This Atlanta Braves slugger had a strong start in April -- enough to get people looking at his Rookie Cards from last season once again and that's why I have him leading off here once again but with a different card. I didn't pick this one up since that hot start, but the PSA 10s and other high-grade cards out there have asking prices that are definitely getting more attention and pricier than when I nabbed this one. Raw copies are going for not a lot less than what I paid on the same site and ripping a box isn't going to guarantee you a well-centered copy. (All of mine pulled  last year were a tad off.) This one is off top-to-bottom but that worries me far less than left-right centering, so I grabbed it at the price.
Grab a box right here: 2018 Topps Heritage High Number

Keep reading for nine more interesting items ...

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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 Bowman baseball cards (blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for a few formats)

Packs per box: 24
Cards per pack: 10
Cards per box: 240

Set completion: 
100 of 100 (100 percent)
Duplicates: 0
Prospect set completion: 
72 of 150 (48 percent)
Duplicates: 0
Chrome Prospect set completion: 
45 of 150 (30 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base/prospect cards – Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Ronald Acuña Jr., Jose Altuve, Kris Bryant, Mookie Betts, Ozzie Albies, Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, Mike Trout, Cody Bellinger, Giancarlo Stanton, Victor Victor Mesa, Nico Hoerner, Carter Kieboom, Alex Faedo, Brady Singer, Jo Adell, Fernando Tatis Jr., Nick Senzel, Casey Mize, Nolan Gorman, Eloy Jimenez, Ryan Costello, Edward Cabrera, Logan Webb, Ronny Mauricio, Roberto Ramos, Orelvis Hernandez, Keegan Thompson, Blaze Alexander, Noelvi Marte, Brewer Hicklen

Rookie Cards (40) – Notables include Kyle Tucker, Michael Kopech, Touki Toussaint, Jonathan Loaisiga, Ramon Laureano, Christin Stewart

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What: 2019 Topps Gold Label baseball cards
Arrives: Sept. 4
Box basics: One framed autograph per seven-pack box (16 boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Topps' Gold Label is back with some new twists -- multiple-player autos and gold nugget cards -- along with the familiar class structure from past releases.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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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: 2018 Topps Update baseball cards (Walmart blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (several formats)
Packs per box: 11 (10 plus patch pack)
Cards per pack: 10
Cards in this box: 101
Base set completion: 
73 of 300 (24 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Base cards of note – Albert Pujols, Mike Trout, Aaron Judge, Jose Altuve. Giancarlo Stanton, Chrsitian Yelich, Max Muncy, Luis Severino, Freddie Freeman

Rookie Cards (22) – Notables include Ronald Acuña Jr., Ozzie Albies, Shohei Ohtani, Gleyber Torres

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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: 2018 Topps Holiday Box baseball cards
Where to buy: Click here

Packs per box: 10
Cards per pack: 10
Cards in this box: 98
Base set completion: 
92 of 200 (46 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Aaron Judge, Manny Machado, Giancarlo Stanton, Anthony Rizzo, Corey Seager, Blake Snell, Dansby Swanson, Jose Ramirez, Kyle Schwarber, Alex Bregman, Nolan Arenado, Joey Votto, Paul Goldschmidt, Jacob deGrom, Buster Posey, Francisco Lindor, Yu Darvish, Javier Baez, Ichiro Suzuki, Bryce Harper

Rookie Cards (23) – Ronald Acuña Jr., Shohei Ohtani, Ozzie Albies, Miles Mikolas, Fernando Romero, Tyler Mahle, Joey Lucchesi, J.P. Crawford, Gleyber Torres, Amed Rosario, Scott Kingery, Christian Villaneuva, Mike Soroka, Jordan Hicks, Willie Calhoun, Nick Kingham, Jack Flaherty, J.D. Davis, Dominic Smith, Francisco Mejia, Garrett Cooper, Chris Stratton, Tyler O'Neill

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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 Bowman baseball cards (blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for a few formats)

Packs per box: 6
Cards per pack: 12
Cards per box: 72

Set completion: 
37 of 100 (37 percent)
Duplicates: 0
Prospect set completion: 
18 of 150 (12 percent)
Duplicates: 0
Chrome Prospect set completion: 
12 of 150 (8 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base/prospect cards – Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Ronald Acuña Jr., Juan Soto, Mike Trout, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Clayton Kershaw, Nolan Arenado, Aaron Judge, Bo Bichette, Seth Beer, Adam Haseley, Cristian Javier, Edward Cabrera, Ronaldo Hernandez

Rookie Cards (14) – Kyle Tucker, Michael Kopech, Jeff McNeil, Adolis Garcia, Chris Shaw, Stevenn Duggar, Williams Astudillo, Kevin Newman, Kevin Kramer, Taylor Ward, Rowdy Tellez, Bryse Wilson, Aramis Garcia, D.J. Stewart

Continue reading →

Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals just might be to rip fewer blasters this year 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. Would they capture yours? I'd be interested to know -- sometimes they might, sometimes they won't and that's fine. It's a buyer's market out there with plenty of options and bargains as well as high-end gems to chase.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... and this time around they're all cheap finds or something with a story.

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LIVING AFFORDABLY ... 
The Card: Ronald Acuña Jr. 2018 Topps Living Set (PSA 9)
The Price: $9.75
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Have you seen this guy's stats this week? That's why he's batting lead-off today -- he just keeps Living, err, hitting. This is the most-available Topps Living Set card at a record 46,809 made and that's one of the reasons why I was able to pick this up for less than what it would cost me to find one raw and get it graded. Nearly all of the nearly 4,000 copies of this card graded by PSA check in at this grade or a 10. There are 1,522 PSA 9s and 2,309 10s. I'm fine with nines as long as they appear relatively clean and to me the key on this card is that bottom-right black corner. It's good on this one but isn't on many others in this grade. Yes, the centering is off a tad here, but that corner would be much more jarring to me if it were nicked. This card looked very good to me, especially at its price.
Grab a box right here: You won't find these in packs ... so hit MLB boxes here for something different. 

Keep reading for five more interesting items ...

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What: 2019 Topps Total baseball cards
Arrives: The first of nine 100-card waves os available now via Topps.com
Box basics: 10 cards per pack

What's buzz-worthy: Topps Total is back on the baseball field for the first time since 2005 via nine 100-card waves in pack form.

Keep reading for more info.

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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 Topps Heritage baseball cards (mega box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (a few formats)

Packs per box: 16 (15 standard, one Chrome)
Cards per pack: 9 per standard (three per Chrome)
Cards in this box: 138
Base set completion: 
122 of 400 (31 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Corey Seager, James Paxton, Noah Syndergaard, Jose Altuve, Nolan Arenado, Christian Yelich, Mookie Betts, David Price, Cody Bellinger

>>> For variation details, click here

Rookie Cards (8 cards, 18 rookies) – Francisco Arcia, Ty Buttrey, Williams Jerez, Heath Fillmyer, Brad Keller, Blake Trahan, Jesus Reyes, Jeffrey Springs, Jose Trevino, Yency Almonte, Garrett Hampson, Sam Howard, Jimmy Cordero, Austin Voth, Nick Burdi, Alex McRae, Caleb Ferguson, Dennis Santana

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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: Big pulls from MLB, NFL and WWE breaks along with WrestleMania chatter and "has Tom Brady hurt the hobby?"

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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 ... it's all MLB and WWE this time with a new baseball season under way and it being WrestleMania week.

The Card: 2018 Topps WWE Then Now Forever 25 Years of Raw #RAW28 Mr. McMahon's Limousine Explodes
The Reason Graded: You don't see why? This is one of the greatest cards I've ever seen in any set, and it simply had to lead off here, too. The heat you see on the card is only rivaled by the heat that is this card. (Something like that.) So, what's the story with this? In a June 2007 episode of Raw, WWE Chairman and ultimate on-screen villain Vince McMahon had an unusual evening on the air. At the end of the show he walked through a star-laden backstage area to go to his limo at the end of his "Appreciation Night." He stepped inside, closed the door and at that exact moment it exploded on live TV. (See it happen here and read all about the fallout.) The company was bombarded with phone calls from some members of the public and it even issued a press release that McMahon was, indeed, dead. The company's stock even took a hit (seriously) as part of the story line. Somehow, it took all of these years for this epic moment to make it onto a card.
The Grade: BGS 9.5

Reality Check: I was all over this one the second I saw the checklist and knew I'd own it in a slab. The super-skinny stock and dark edges make it tough to land without a tweaked edge or corner, but mine is the first and it's nearly perfect. (The spot on the right is part of the photo, not a nicked edge.) The only thing better than a near-perfect copy of a card like this would be one signed by VKM himself ... after all, he somehow survived. This card makes me laugh and I laugh even harder with a high-grade copy.

Keep reading for the rest of this month's new grades and additions.

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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 Topps Gypsy Queen baseball cards (mega box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby and blasters)

Packs per box: 12 (10 standard, two parallel packs)
Cards per pack: 6
Cards in this box: 72
Base set completion: 
57 of 300 (19 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Ronald Acuña Jr., Juan Soto, David Price, Rhys Hoskins, Edwin Diaz, Paul Goldschmidt, Javier Baez, Byron Buxton, Joey Votto

Rookie Cards (10) – Daniel Poncedeleon, Kolby Allard, Kyle Wright, Michael Kopech, Kyle Tucker, Justus Sheffield, Josh Rogers, Aramis Garcia, Chris Shaw, Chance Adams

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Have you seen the latest cool cards from a new release? With so many options for collectors of all kinds arriving every week it's possible you haven't. That's where Buzz comes in -- well at least on one brand you'll see here from time to time in what we're calling Buzz's Pick Six. Simply put, here are six cards from a new arrival that seemed interesting to this collector and we think they might interest you, too.

This week's release: 2019 Donruss baseball cards

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A CONTINUING LEGACY
The Card: The San Diego Chicken (aka Ted Giannoulas) 2019 Donruss autographed memorabilia card (/85)
The Price: $99.99 Buy-It-Now (or best offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This fine feathered friend of baseball has had a place in Donruss packs since the early 1980s and this new set includes the latest in fowl ballcards. This particular six-piece looks to include a couple wings, a thigh and three jersey swatches plus the autograph from the man behind the beak, who has been signing meticulously for years despite having one of the longest names in cardboard history. I grabbed one of his memorabilia cards in recent years but these are always worth a look.

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

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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 Topps 582 Montgomery Club Stickers (Set No. 2 in membership)
Where to buy: Only part of membership

Base set completion: 
20 of 20 (100 percent)

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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 Topps Heritage baseball cards (mega box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (a few formats)

Packs per box: 16 (15 standard, one Chrome)
Cards per pack: 9 per standard (three per Chrome)
Cards in this box: 138
Base set completion: 
121 of 400 (30 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Freddie Freeman, J.D. Martinez, Max Scherzer, Yasiel Puig, Dansby Swanson, Felix Hernandez

>>> For variation details, click here

Rookie Cards (6 cards, 13 rookies) – Kyle Tucker, Lionel Perez, Francisco Arcia, Ty Buttrey, Williams Jerez, Heath Fillmyer, Brad Keller, Jacob Nix, Luis Urias, Blake Trahan, Jesus Reyes, Jeffrey Springs, Jose Trevino

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