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: Ronald Acuña Jr., the Angels don't care, Cosmic Chrome, Jasson Dominguez, TacoFractor talk 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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IT'S FOOTBALL SEASON ... 
The Item: Paul "Bear" Bryant cut autograph (BAS authenticated)
The Price: Less than a lot of new hobby boxes.
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This pricier (for me) pick-up actually came in the last week of last year but I decided to hold onto posting it here until it's the right time -- and since football season is upon us, well, that means now's the time. In the fall of 2019, I bought a starter auto of this legendary Alabama Crimson Tide coach who before Nick Saban was easily the greatest in school history (right now, it's perhaps a toss-up) -- that one was an inscribed nickname-only auto -- for a lot less as it was a cut from a paperback book. This one? It's signed on thick, red paper (almost a light cardboard stock) and I know exactly where it came from -- a 1975 copy of his autobiography, Bear: The Hard Life and Good Times of Alabama's Coach Bryant. I have a clean-but-ratty copy of that book somewhere in my stash from an antiques store find 20-some years ago, but when this popped up from a West Coast mega-dealer of vintage (and selected modern-player) autographed stuff and plenty more I bit. I actually prefer the cut auto feel here in its case vs. the full book as it can be viewed when you find it vs. tucked behind a cover. A lot of Bryant autographs are found these days -- 40 years after his death -- are on signed copies of this book or on a style of autographed photo or two that is nearly always found inscribed and dated to fans or boosters from back in the day. While a photo (preferably slabbed) would be nice, this is a better, simpler item. Authenticated photos can cost less but look iffier depending on condition. I like this one -- and it's card-like feel -- and, heck, I might even do more. They are out there and findable.
Grab a box right here: College football boxes

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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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: Peculiar slabbed customs, Shohei Ohtani, new MLB and football pulls, lawsuit reactions and more.

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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: A charity fundraiser, new MLB pulls, lawsuit reactions, improving The National, card trimming and ... "Can Bowman U take over?"

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What: 2023 Topps Pristine baseball cards
Arrives: Aug. 23
Box basics: Two autographs and one Auto Relic per six-pack box (eight boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: The surprise return of last year -- it came back after more than a decade on the bench -- gets another run in the Topps MLB lineup using its colorful combo approach of encased hits and more in every box.

Keep reading for more as well as a full gallery of images.

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What: 2023 Onyx Authenticated Baseball Clubhouse Collection Authentic Game-used Batting Gloves
Arrives: Oct. 20
Box basics: One pair of game-used batting gloves per box (12 boxes per case via four mini-cases)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: This MLBPA-approved product returns to collectors' hands with every box including a pair of used batting gloves from top young names, established veterans or all-time greats.

Keep reading for more info, including a full checklist.

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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 ...

SHINE LIKE MINI-DIAMONDS ...
The Card: Ronald Acuña Jr. 2021 Topps Chrome Platinum Anniversary Edition Rose Gold Mini-Diamond Refractors (/75)
The Reason Graded: Generally, I only do Chrome stuff in any kind of volume when it gets cheap -- and in this case they were as I found a run of mega boxes of this one priced less than blasters and that got me to bite. (They're all Buzz Breaks so go check the archives.) One of my better finds in those boxes was this card, which is a super-sparkly take on the 1952 Topps design that, in my mind, does work while a lot of the basic Chrome takes found in this set just don't. (There were a lot of quality control issues with this release.) In this case, since it's a top name, a rare card and a crisp and cleanly centered copy I put it into a bulk sub. Why? I like it and the player ... and I felt like it had some good potential.
The Grade: CSG 9.5

Reality Check: It's the lowest of two copies graded by CSG (now CGC) with the other one checking in where I had hoped to be. No biggie ... I like this card no matter what and all of his stuff -- Rookie Cards, hits and rarities -- should be getting looks as he could become baseball's newest 40-40 Club member -- and might even push higher if he gets really hot with the bat in the second half. With him you never know.

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

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What: 2023 Leaf Baseball Memorabilia Hybrid
Arrives: June 30
Box basics: One signed custom jersey and one 2021 Leaf baseball box per box (six boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: This one meshes autographed memorabilia with boxes that are packed with autographed cards all in one spot.

Keep reading for more info and 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: 2023 Topps Heritage baseball cards (blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here

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

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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: 2023 Topps Heritage baseball cards (mega)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here

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

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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: Shohei Ohtani, Damian Lillard, a big Ohtani pull, The National and talking clubs in MLB.

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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 ... an edition heavy on MLB and WWE but with some surprises.

A FULL SIG THAT'S TWICE AS NICE ...
The Cards: Shotzi Blackheart 2020 Topps WWE NXT Roster Autographs
The Reason Graded: If you're a regular reader then you know it's no secret that I've busted tons of these boxes and picked off tons of her cards as the WWE's Tank Girl is high on my collecting radar. Why? She's unique and fun -- and the name and character is self-made, too, so if her WWE run were to ever come to an end, well then "Shotzi" won't. In this case, I pulled both of these autos myself and since it's among her first certified sigs as well as a more of a full auto (unlike how she signs now) I'm eventually slabbing all I own ... but not all at once.
The Grade: CSG 10

Reality Check: The stock here is skinny and since there are on-card autos they are prone to having some issues at times ... so this pair of 10s was an exciting return. The pop report looks pretty good, too -- I really need to get all my stuff organized to see how many of those are mine and how many more I need to slab ... eventually they'll all get graded. Why? I'm a collector and I like this one (and it's parallels) that much. 

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

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What: 2023 Topps 206 Low Series baseball cards
Arrives: Sold out via Topps.com
Box basics: Autographs in every third box ... four 10-card packs per box
Checklist: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Topps revisits T206 tobacco cards for a fourth time but this time with a different release approach that apparently has come and gone on Topps.com.

Keep reading for more as well as a full gallery of images.

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What: TruCreator Creator Series 1 Update Jumbo trading cards
Arrives: July 26
Box basics: One 1/1 card per 24-pack box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: TruCreator's newest release once again meshes selected athletes with creators with a 1/1 of some sort -- base or insert parallel, memorabilia or autograph -- in every box and then with other autographs dropping as extras.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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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: Ronald Acuña Jr. keeps on running, Bowman U delivers big, MLB chatter, NFL pulls, The National and breaking down some Topps tennis.

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What: 2023 Leaf Exotic Baseball cards
Arrives: Aug. 30
Box basics: Three autographed cards per box (20 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Leaf's welcomes baseball collectors to the jungle with this colorful line now focusing on past and present stars of the diamond.

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

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What: 2023 Topps Heritage baseball cards
Arrives: May 31
Box basics: One autograph or Relic per 24-pack box (12 boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: It's time to turn back the clock a few years with Topps Heritage taking on 1974 ... and it's penciled in to arrive next month.

Keep reading for more as well as a full gallery of images.

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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: Bo Bichette (⬆!), Ronald Acuña Jr. (⬇?), inside an insane NBA stash, three autos in three blasters of 2023 Bowman? (Yep.) ... All that and more in today's edition.

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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: 2023 Topps Now Road To Opening Day Atlanta Braves team set
Where to buy: Sold via Topps ... BlowoutCards.com for other MLB

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

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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: 2022 Topps Stadium Club Chrome baseball cards (blaster)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

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

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Simplicity might lead to popularity -- as long as there are still some chase elements.

That might be a reason that Topps UK baseball boxes -- particularly the 2022 set but also the 2021 version -- have been among the most-popular sellers of late in the shop with some big stuff possible in some relatively affordable boxes.

There isn't a hit in every box -- instead the autographs are rarer (one in every third box or so), which helps the value of the big names when you find them -- and the overall lineup of inclusions in the product is smaller. The 2022 base set, for example, is just 220 cards with key names from Series 1, Series 2 and Update all in one spot -- also a plus given the rookies in play in that last one -- with parallels and then a modest number of inserts (three sets and that's it). Boxes are 24 packs of 10 cards, too, giving one a decent statistical shot at any one player in there if just seeking base cards.

Throw in surprises such as the mystery short-prints of the royal family ... and there can be fireworks. (There are at least nine of them by my quick searches and some can have steep asking prices.)

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What: TruCreator Stellar Jumbo Edition trading cards
Arrives: Mid May
Box basics: Two autographs (/50 max) and 10 inserts (/50 max) per box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: TruCreator's newest release will focus on athletes and creators once again with some new names only found in this edition from both realms -- and with past legends and current stars included.

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: 2023 Topps Series 1 baseball cards (retail Super Box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (other formats)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here

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

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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: 2022 Bowman Platinum baseball cards (blaster)
First Buzz preview/checklist: Click here
Where to buy: Initially at Walmart (here when/if available)

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

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What: 2023 Topps Road to Opening Day Autograph Collector baseball card packs
Arrives: Live today via Topps ... and now sold out
Pack basics: One autograph and one parallel card per 10-card pack
Signers list: Click here
Gold parallels list: Click here
Order: Via Topps.com; Click here (when available)

What's buzz-worthy: The annual Topps Now spring team sets that had versions with guaranteed autographs are no more -- instead, the ink has been seeded into packs for collectors to chase their players with the chance at getting others, too. (Standard team sets are still being made.)

Keep reading for more info and a gallery for this one.

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