Prospectors have a new player to consider in the Bowman lineup this year -- 2020 Bowman Next.

It's a month-long project where Topps will profile Baseball America's Top 100 MLB prospects in a printed-to-order small-set format each week that also includes an autograph in every pack.

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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 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

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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 High Number baseball cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)
First Buzz preview, SPs & checklist: Click here

Packs per box: 8
Cards per pack: 9
Cards in this box: 72
Base set completion: 
64 of 200 (32 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Bryce Harper, Curtis Granderson, Byron Buxton

Rookie Cards (13) – Pete Alonso, Eloy Jimenez, Nick Senzel, Josh Fuentes, Connor Joe, John Means, Pedro Avila, Drew Jackson, Richie Martin, Jason Martin, Corbin Martin, Merrill Kelly, Nick Anderson, Ryan Helsley (SP)

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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: 2019 Topps WWE Money In The Bank wrestling cards (online-only retail tin)
First Buzz preview & Checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

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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: Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl win, new NFL and NBA breaks, Power Cubes delivering big and Kobe Bryant discussions keep on going.

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We're just days away from the arrival of 2020 Topps Series 1 baseball cards and its early debut at the Topps Million Card Rip Party, but BlowoutCards.com has a few more reasons you might want to visit the first installment of the hobby's flagship release looking for one thing.

The 2020 Topps Celebration of the Decades golden tickets.

These invitations to an exclusive event are at the top of the Blowout want list -- and we're paying you $5,000 if you land one during the Million Card Rip Party set for live-streaming on Tuesday from Dallas.

Keep reading for more details.

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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 ...

The Card: Kobe Bryant 1996-97 Upper Deck #58 Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: I actually bought this card more than a year ago and thought I had it waiting in my stash of cards to present here at some point but, after doing some searching, realized that I never took a photo of this iconic 1990s card and it had been waiting for its time to appear. Unfortunately, we know why this NBA legend has been on the minds of many sports fans out there this week so here we are. I picked up this Rookie Card back then since it was a decent grade for a decent price -- just $9 -- and I didn't ever pull one way back when. It doesn't have any obvious flaws on the front, so it looks much better than its grade, too. (Sub-grades on the back of this slab are all 9 or higher except for an 8.5 on corners and one corner shows why.) The shocking news of this week has created a frenzy of interest for Bryant's RCs and autographs -- and a card in this same grade (not an elite grade, really) sold for $200. Mine will remain in my stash.
The Grade: BGS 9

Reality Check: The pop report on this card is a lot stiffer than I had expected with this being the most-common grade and fewer than 600 checking in higher. I had expected there to be more but I suspect the pop reports on this card could change a lot in the coming months -- and it will be interesting to see if any ever reach BGS Black status. Bryant has a number of RCs -- more than 20 -- and this one is unique in that it doesn't show him in his Lakers uniform. The debate as to whether Bryant's cards will hold values in comparison to what people are paying right now is an interesting one over on the Blowout Forums where there are a number of discussions. I think this is a scenario that may defy common collecting logic -- I'd think that anything is possible in this case and there are a lot of buyers right now who will pick up cards and stash them away forever, leaving a smaller volume of stuff available for everyday collectors to grab on eBay and other market hot spots. Finding unopened boxes won't be an option for a lot of his Rookie Cards that people want to track down, either.

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

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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 2.

The box: 2015 Topps Finest football hobby blister pack
The cost: Click here

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

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Wade Emsley 
Also known as: Wadeasu on Blowout Forum
Email: wadeasu@hotmail.com
Location: Arizona

Main focuses: Currently only collecting WWE cards since 2015. Sold/traded all previous MLB/NFL/NBA collections.

Favorites: I am a huge fan of the WWE company as a whole, but tend to focus my collecting on the Divas -- favorites are Liv Morgan, Alexa Bliss and "The Four Horsewomen," Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch and Bayley.

Current collecting projects: I have been attempting to complete all of the WWE Kiss Card and Kiss Card auto sets released from 2016-2018. As well as the entire 2017 Topps WWE Undisputed autograph sets in all parallels. I have completed the Blue, Bronze and Silver sets. Missing only one Green, 14 Gold and seven Black from completing the set. I also have 33 auto plates from the set. Would appreciate any help in completing these.

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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: Kobe Bryant, an NBA newbie seeks advice, big breaks, Pieces of the Past, Rick & Morty and of you think Drew Brees will retire?

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The borders are back with 2020 Bowman -- and some of the biggest possible prospects are signing on, too, to make this upcoming release arguably one of the hottest pre-orders of the year already.

Yesterday's big, big behind-the-scenes reveal? New York Yankees prospect Jasson Dominguez, an international signee who will turn 17 next week and play his first season as a pro this summer, signed for 2020 Bowman with this image released by Topps. (Update: It has since confirmed it's absolutely 2020 Bowman.) He enters the minor-league ranks at No. 38 overall on Baseball America's annual Top 100 prospects list -- that's No. 1 among players in the Yankees' system. (The others are pitchers Clarke Schmidt and Deivi Garcia.)

The switch-hitting outfielder was called “a teenage Mike Trout” in this piece by MLB.com and he topped its Top 30 Prospects list there, too, after he signed a $5.1 million deal with the Yankees. (Read more on him here.)

He's also not along as for who's signed on for 2020 Bowman ...

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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 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

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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: Kobe Bryant, Super Bowl LIV, undervalued NBA autographs, NFL breaks, pondering what to grade, Chris Doleman, Zion Williamson and more.

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What: 2020 Topps Museum Collection baseball cards
Arrives: July 29
Box basics: One on-card auto, one auto-Relic, one quad Relic and one other Relic per four-pack box (12 boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Museum Collection takes the field once again with a familiar format but with a look that feels a little more high-end for this new summer of baseball cards.

Keep reading for more as well as 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: 2020 Topps Garbage Pail Kids Late to School stickers (blaster box)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 6 (five standard, one three-card "Superlatives" pack)
Cards per pack: 8
Cards in this box: 43
Base set completion: 
34 of 200 (17 percent)
Duplicates: 0

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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: Kobe Bryant memories and chatter, MLB moves, Absolute delivers two big Zion Williamson cards and more in today's baseball-basketball edition.

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What: 2020 Topps Transcendent Collection Hall of Fame Edition baseball cards
Arrives: May 6
Box basics: 43 autographs and more per box
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Transcendent is back for another ultra-high-end run but this time it's all about Hall of Famers -- the greatest to play the game -- with a smaller lineup, some throwback inclusions and more in this release limited to just 50 cases.

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

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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: 2020 Topps Series 1 baseball cards

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SMALL SURPRISES AND STRONG PHOTOS 
The Card: Big Air Big Hair ... Card No. 298
The Price: Cheap but fun.
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is a textbook example of how some of the basic inclusions in this one -- either team cards or checklists -- can have fun photos that help make the simple inclusions a little more interesting. This is something that some brands do often and with deliberate appeal -- think Stadium Club -- but flagship Topps has done this more in recent years and the results are getting a little better. One touch on this card that some might notice? The new (old) logo for the Brewers will be found in this series. It also doesn't hurt that one of the strong sophomores, Keston Hiura, is here, too. This won't be an expensive card at all -- it's just a nod to remember that fun stuff adds value in other ways and we might all remember that more often ... a good photo can make a good card, too.

Keep reading for five more interesting items in this one ...

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What: 2019-20 Topps Chrome UEFA Champions League soccer cards
Arrives: Dec. 9
Box basics: One autograph per 18-pack box (12 boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Topps Chrome takes on the Champions League for a third season with big-name ink, plenty of star power and all the Refractor action collectors have come to expect.

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

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We're just 10 days away from the arrival of 2020 Topps Series 1 baseball cards and one sign that the wait is almost over is this new development released just today.

We've got the checklist.

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A sports legend and a pop culture icon is gone.

One of the NBA's greatest players, former Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, died in a helicopter crash that killed eight other people on Sunday morning in Calabasas, Calif. He was just 41.

A five-time NBA champion nicknamed "Black Mamba," Bryant was an 18-time All-Star during a 20-year career that began when he was drafted 13th in the first round of the 1996 NBA Draft as a 17-year-old. He ranks fourth on the NBA's career scoring list with 33,643 points, a mark that was passed just yesterday by Lakers star LeBron James. Both of Bryant's uniform numbers -- Nos. 8 and 24 -- were retired by the Lakers and he remains the franchise's leader in points, three-pointers, steals and free throws made.

“Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames,” Bryant tweeted last night. “Much respect my brother.”

The National Basketball Players Association offered its condolences on Sunday as tributes poured in from around the world.

"We are stunned and devastated by the news of the sudden passing of Kobe Bryant," read the NBPA statement. "Words cannot express his impact on our Players, the NBA and the game of basketball. This is a monumental loss for the entire basketball community and our hearts are quite simply broken. We send love and prayers out to his wife, Vanessa, and the entire family."

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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: Tom Brady, Super Bowl LIV, Bowman Heritage, a Gardner Minshew 1/1 RC parallel, top MLB names and "Hall of Famers we are watching in 2020."

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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: Prizm NBA is still popping up in the wild, a Super Bowl wax haul, big pulls, Astros cheating, and "what bothers you about the hobby?"

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The Captain's call to the Hall is already captured on cardboard thanks to Topps Now. 

Derek Jeter's first Hall of Fame baseball cards were revealed by Topps via its real-time, printed-to-demand platform on Friday with a lineup of six autographed cards paralleling the standard version.

Autographs will last until they sell out -- and might be gone by the time you read this.

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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 Series 2 baseball cards (Walmart hanger box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for a few formats)

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