Update: The card sold for $12,932,000 -- an all-time record for any sports card -- at 1:45 a.m. Sunday morning.

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It's already topped the $7-million mark with time to go before the auction ends tomorrow night, but there's no telling the heights this card might reach.

There's a realistic chance that the Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant 2007-08 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Dual Logoman Autographs card will become the priciest sports card of all time -- not just priciest basketball card ever -- when the dust settles at ends Heritage Auctions on Saturday and it's really only got two rivals.

Right now, with its buyer's premium attached, this card sits at $7,015,000 after 46 bids (click to view) and that already gives it the title of the biggest basketball card of all time. The previous NBA high was for a similar modern card, a 2009-10 Panini National Treasures Steph Curry Logoman auto, that sold privately for $5.9 million to an investment fund July 2021.

And there aren't too many past auctions that top that.

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Ichiro Suzuki’s 2001 MLB arrival didn’t just change the game on the field — he helped feed growing international demand for baseball cards via plenty of new premium brands that helped pave the way for the ultra-deluxe stuff of today.

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A legendary career and baseball journey on two continents makes its final stop this month in Cooperstown, N.Y., and the Hall of Fame and there’s a lot that can be said about that in several directions. 

Ichiro Suzuki changed the game with his arrival in MLB, eschewing the longball in favor of speed and hits — lots and lots of hits. But, “hits” are also the story of all those years when it comes to baseball cards with the prized rarities found in packs with autographs on them — or pieces of memorabilia in them — being an unstoppable force in those years. 

Of course, hits didn’t start with the Japanese star’s arrival, but many of his cards in sets alongside another now-legendary 2001 rookie, Albert Pujols, helped change the cardboard world even faster. Demand for their stuff prompted several new brands from several companies making MLB cards back then to try new things, capitalizing on their new stars who could move packs and boxes of cards -- just like they could move players around the bases and move butts into seats to watch games. One could argue that 2001 was in part a big piece in the evolution of what we see in today’s sports card landscape -- a focus on rarities with small print runs and with premium prices that weren’t like the wax paper-wrapped pocket-change treasures of not that many years before. 

Now, what’s to come here is absolutely not a definitive list of top cards — and it’s not one purely based on volatile values or one limited solely to Rookie Cards. Why? There’s a lot to choose from for Suzuki on all fronts — there could be several ways to take on this challenge. He has more than 50 different Rookie Cards between his 1993 Nippon Professional Baseball and 2001 Major League Baseball debuts (depending on how you want to argue about RC definitions) and he had roughly 500 cards in 2001 alone. Many of them are rarer cards where it is impossible to own them all thanks to small print runs and rare serial-numbered versions. 

In all, he appears on more than 19,000 different cards made over the years between NPB and MLB -- and even though his playing career ended in 2019 his cardboard career has not. He’s got a place in the game in seemingly every new baseball card set on the way and that figures to be the story for the rest of cardboard eternity. He’s not just a Hall of Famer … he’s an international icon.

Here’s a small sampling of 25 Ichiro Suzuki cards that are both fun and notable.

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After months of speculation, LeBron James' move to a new team is finally official.

James' career as an exclusive signee with Upper Deck ends with Fanatics now being the home of his autographed memorabilia and for his cards.

His Topps autograph debut will come in boxes of 2023-24 Bowman University Chrome where a dual-autographed card with his oldest son, Bronny James, will be among the potential finds beginning later this month.

"Our goal is to push the envelope of where the hobby can go and are excited about how our collaboration with one of the best athletes in the world will continue to ignite fan and collector passion," Fanatics Collectibles CEO Mike Mahan told CNBC.

As part of the reveal, James recorded a message as part of a video, which you can see below.

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WAPPINGERS FALLS, N.Y. — Piece of The Game Sports Cards and Collectibles, a one-of-a-kind sports cards and collectibles store, opens its flagship location today.

Moving operations from an online platform, which serves some of the largest sports collectibles markets in the U.S., has been a goal of owner David Prince for the last two years. Their first location -- off bustling U.S. Route 9 in Wappingers Falls -- is the prototype for future stores already slated to open in Westchester County, N.Y., and Mahwah, N.J., over the next year. The goal is to "have a truly unique and immersive experience for avid sports cards and collectible patrons." There is a ribbon-cutting ceremony today at 4 p.m. with a public opening tomorrow at 11 a.m.

"As a card collector since I was a child, I wanted to create a space that allows the cards to be displayed as they should be," Prince said. "Cards are now considered alternative assets, similar to fine art, and my store displays cards and collectibles as such."

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We're just 40 days away from the start of the 41st National Sports Collectors Convention and there are some new details to show that the event will be a little different when things kick off at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill., on July 28.

The map for the corporate pavilion was revealed on Friday with some new additions to the row to know. Wild Card will be there as an exhibitor with new cardboard, for example, while Hybrid Grading Approach and Pro-Mold will add a new presence in the grading and supplies realms. Noticeably absent from the area? Upper Deck will not have a booth there -- a move that should impact the lineup of wrapper redemption programs for collectors to partake in while at the show.

Blowout Cards will be at the center of it all, though, nestled between Panini America, Leaf Trading Cards and Fanatics at the show -- Booth No. 854 as seen above -- with releases eligible for all wrapper redemptions available for the duration of the event.

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With the COVID-19 pandemic erasing pretty much everything in the sports world right now, ESPN's decision to launch The Last Dance early is a jolt of nostalgia that's fueling plenty of extra demand for some already legendary basketball cards from the past.

The eagerly awaited 10-part documentary arrives Sunday night at 9 p.m. Eastern and it tells the story of the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls and their final championship run -- their third title in three years and sixth of that decade. It obviously keys upon the NBA's greatest player of all time and its biggest name on cardboard, Michael Jordan. But he's far from alone as the series will present original and new footage from that season as well as interviews from the players -- both on the court and beyond -- back then. We'll also hear from others from around the league who were on the court or covering the team as it commanded attention, won it all and then was forced to go their separate ways.

For Jordan, that meant a second retirement and return with the Washington Wizards three years later -- we probably won't hear a word about that (call it a hunch) -- but we'll be hearing plenty from many involved every Sunday night (two installments per evening) from here until May 17. If you're a new collector wanting to jump on the Jordan bandwagon it's not going to be easy -- you're about 35 years and 13,000 cards too late -- and the asking prices for many a Jordan gem are though the roof more now than ever. However, if you're a fan who missed some of the historic action back then there are still plenty of ways to dabble in cardboard from The Last Dance as it's ultimately a tale that's not just about Jordan.

Keep reading for 12 ways to explore the cardboard for The Last Dance ... both for Jordan and others who we'll see often every Sunday night.

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Brick-and-mortar hobby shops -- the heart of the hobby for years and one of several options for collectors these days -- are facing some potentially uncertain times right now and in the coming weeks because of the effects that Coronavirus disease, or COVID-19, will have on their walk-in sales.

Panini America sent an email to its brick-and-mortar dealers on Wednesday, giving them notice that it's allowing them to relax their online-selling policy for the next 45 days, a move that aims to help shops bridge problems or potentially avoid short-term issues that could have taken hold -- or still could be to come -- with their businesses. They are now being allowed to sell newly released Panini products online so they can reach a wider audience beyond their shop's typical clientele.

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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? Five Kobe Bryant cardboard basics to own.

A ROOKIE CARD
It's clear that a lot of people who aren't seven-day-a-week collectors have been picking up Kobe Bryant basketball cards since his death in late-January, and the easy starting point for someone -- regardless of budget -- is a Rookie Card. His best Rookie Cards are from major manufacturers and most of them show him in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform or at least use Lakers logos. He has a ton of draft picks and early cards, too, but his 16 Rookie Cards all from the 1996-97 season are the ones to consider first. Here's a rundown of the brands -- Bowman's Best, Collector's Choice, E-X 2000, Fleer, Fleer Metal, Flair Showcase, Fleer Ultra, NBA Hoops, SP, Topps, Topps Chrome, Topps Finest, Upper Deck, UD3 and Z-Force. They're all in demand but they have always been relatively findable and vary in price. Topps Chrome, Topps Finest, Bowman's Best and SP are arguably the better ones, so they'll cost more, while Collector's Choice and Hoops will be on the cheaper side. There are parallel versions for the Chrome and Finest cards, too, and there are also fakes for some of the basic cards here to be weary of. I'd grab one that's been graded by BGS, PSA or SGC only. My Favorite? Probably Finest (above) as I was actually able to find one in a pack long, long ago ... I also once had a Chrome ... but traded it. (Story for another day.)

Keep reading for four more basic cards to consider for Kobe Bryant.

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If you look closely at the Holo parallels of Scottie Pippen's 2017-18 Donruss Optic Retro Series insert cards, you will see something that's a key in a new lawsuit between Upper Deck and Panini America. 

It's a lawsuit that a lot of collectors are talking about over on the Blowout Forums and the player in the background appears to be Hall of Famer and UD-exclusive player Michael Jordan.

In its trademark infringement suit, Upper Deck alleged that "Panini deliberately altered and manipulated Jordan's image into the background of multiple Panini trading cards in two trading card releases to gratuitously lend on the tremendous international brand equity and goodwill of Michael Jordan who is not only one of the greatest NBA players of all time, but a current NBA owner."

Since Jordan is an exclusive spokesman and endorser to its company, Upper Deck said it's an issue.

"Upper Deck is the only trading card manufacturer that has ever had a license agreement for trading cards with Michael Jordan," its lawsuit states. "Yet, Panini recently willfully interfered with Upper Deck's agreement with Jordan in order to generate illicit profit from his image without Upper Deck's knowledge or consent."

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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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Let's all act surprised when The Captain gets his Cooperstown call later today -- it will make things a lot more exciting than some who-got-snubbed or who-shockingly-got-in commentary. Those are too predictable.

Since I'm feeling a tad contrarian today, here's where I'll rattle off my take on Derek Jeter and his Rookie Cards and how the one I'd want right here, right now today is the one you see above, not some big-money, elite-graded slab.

The New York Yankees shortstop appears on more than 18,000 different cards but only eight of those -- just eight! -- are classified as Rookie Cards based on the traditional definitions. (Insert cards are not RCs. Autographs are not RCs. Even RC parallels are not RCs and so on.) And technically, the card you see above didn't arrive in the most-traditional of forms, either, as it came from the 1993 Topps Stadium Club Murphy set -- a boxed set limited to just an announced 128,000 copies which is inevitably lower than anything else -- that also does get dubbed a RC from back then.

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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 nothing but football pick-ups.

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THE MOUTH OF THE SOUTH?
The Card: Paul Finebaum 2017 Topps Allen & Ginter Framed Mini Autographs
The Price: $9.25
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: When it comes to college football, Buzz is pretty much SEC or nothing. The SEC Network wasn't around with this guy at the center of a lot of things when Buzz was around there, but he was still all over the place back then. Who's Paul Finebaum a small few of you might say? He's one of ESPN's top names covering the college game on the Network, though he's been a big part of radio and newspaper scenes for years covering the SEC. Finebaum's only card appearances are limited to a literal handful of autographs in this baseball set that often includes media personalities and he has no standard cards. Podcaster James Andrew Miller said this of him: "Paul Finebaum knows the American Southeast like Jay-Z knows Brooklyn. And that's a big blast of wind at your back if your job is covering college football. His instincts as an interviewer rank him in the top tier of the sports world. And he is beyond mere savvy when it comes to speaking very virally." While I'm not the biggest fan, it's a unique autograph and one that a lot of non-collectors would want if they knew it existed. I finally grabbed one since it was cheap.
Grab a box right here: 2017 Topps Allen & Ginter

Keep reading for even more interesting items ... again, all football from here on out.

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The speculation and big business that will be Zion Williamson basketball cards this season and in the future is already apparent -- but in a negative way -- over on eBay.

How do we know? The sales of fake cards. Yes, fake cards.

Fleer, Gatorade, McDonald's, DC Comics, Marvel Comics and even Rated Rookie (on an opposing company's design) trademarks can be seen on Williamson cards not made or authorized by their respective owners -- and there's no compensation being made to owners of intellectual property of the Duke Blue Devils the NBA or the New Orleans Pelicans for the use of their logos and other legally protected intellectual property.

The memorable designs of the past like the 1986-87 Fleer set above -- owned by Upper Deck -- are also being absconded (though many designs aren't generally trademarked) and other notable athletes such as Michael Jordan and LeBron James -- guys whose image rights are also in high-dollar demand -- also are having their likenesses used without authorization (in NBA uniforms) to make money selling fake cardboard that's all over eBay. (Jordan is exclusive to Upper Deck for card appearances and his ink is also an exclusive there just like it is for James.) Photographers also aren't being compensated for the use of their work like they would be when card companies pay them or their employers to use images. Then there are "graded" cards with autographs attached, cards with facsimile autos in slabs and many cards in sealed holders emulating card companies' uncirculated efforts.

Right now, there are nearly 1,300 different active eBay auctions for "Zion Williamson" in the basketball cards category -- meanwhile just two legitimately authorized cards exist right now. Expand that search to all items and there's plenty more to be found.

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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 there are a dozen weird, cheap or interesting cards.

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BEFORE THE NBA CAREER ... 
The Card: LeBron James 2003 Sports Illustrated For Kids #264 (BGS 9)
The Price: $11
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: There was a time when this was a popular card in the hobby -- maybe not Tiger Woods SI For Kids big, but popular. What is it? It's a card pulled from a perforated sheet in an issue of the kids' magazine, something it has done since the 1980s, showcasing countless big-name athletes and many others who don't have much -- or any -- cardboard. Everybody knows how much hype there was for James back then -- and his first cardboard from SAGE was huge -- but this one was one of only a few options until his NBA cardboard arrival on Rookie Cards (and plenty more) on 2003-04 releases. Ultimately all those early cards don't command as much interest as NBA stuff, but I liked the look and price on this one for a slab -- especially when you consider higher-graded cards can push $50-100 and 10s can be quite big at auction even today ... at least for a card found in a magazine.
Grab a box right here: No boxes for this one ... click here for NBA boxes

Keep reading for five more interesting items ...

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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 they're (mostly) affordable finds.

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A PIECE OF THE OCTAGON
The Card: Jon Fitch 2010 Topps UFC Main Event Authentic Cage Relics
The Price: $2.45
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This card was not one bought for the fighter but rather the type of Relic -- and you should know with this series that I'm a fan of unusual memorabilia cards. Bronze, Silver and Gold parallels can be found for this set which has a piece of the Octagon embedded into every card. There are 30 fighters in this one with the likes of Anderson Silva, Brock Lesnar, Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Rashad Evans and Georges St-Pierre among them. The Bronze (/88) are the easiest of the parallels while Silvers are limited to just eight copies and the Golds are 1/1s. Even retail boxes include a hit in these every time -- a mix of autos and Relics -- and the link below includes more than one option for you to chase stuff fresh from packs without spending a ton. This basic set has a strong lineup and some good highlights and these cards are unique (I don't think there are many others like it, if any). The parallels give you a tough chase but the basic set is do-able. I'm not there yet, but with super-cheap lesser names possible the set is perhaps more do-able than you might think on the cheap.
Grab a box/lot right here: 2010 Topps UFC Main Event

Keep reading for five 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 Today: Nothing but big pulls, including this misplaced Alexa Bliss 1/1, in today's edition.

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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.

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NOT A FIRST ... BUT SHE'S FINALLY ARRIVED 
The Card: Lacey Evans 2018 Topps WWE NXT Autographs
The Price: $5
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This former U.S. Marine is a newcomer to the main roster in WWE after making her debut in the No. 1 spot in this week's Royal Rumble match, but she's appeared on NXT cards since 2017 and had her first autographs back in that year, too. (The First NXT Card logo used here? Simple mistake.) I picked this one up partly because of the price (this card has sold for up to $20 ... even more for parallels) but also because of her anticipated arrival. Debut WWE ink can sell well -- I clicked and bought thinking it was her first -- but ultimately I added this one for a simple reason ... I didn't yet have any of her autos. One bonus here besides the price? This release is the home of her first on-card autos -- the previous ones have been stickers.
Grab a box right here: 2018 Topps WWE NXT wrestling cards

Keep reading for five 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 Today: Nothing but case breakdowns and big pulls as we start the week.

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Have you seen the latest cool or interesting items on eBay? If not, you just might see some of those here every week as we're launching a weekly version of our eBay Buzz pieces that pop up from time to time. We’ll spotlight some items that have a story or just wow us with how much interest it might have — and we’re not just talking baseball cards, either.

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FINALE OR LAUNCHING PAD?
The Item: Patrick Mahomes II 2017 Panini Absolute Football Rookie Premiere Triple Materials (/149)
The Price: $450 Buy-It-Now (or best offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This weekend is either the finale to a huge season or a launching pad further into the stratosphere as Patrick Mahomes' Kansas City Chiefs take on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots with the winner headed to the Super Bowl. It's the new big name against the guy who's basically the greatest of all time -- or at worst the greatest of his time -- and these are players commanding nothing but big bucks on cardboard. This card? It's on the lower side of the Buy-It-Now options out there -- see the link below for Crazy Town pricing on eBay
Similar Pieces: Patrick Mahomes autos on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for 2017 NFL boxes (he's in many of them)

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

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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 ...

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A giant in the field of comic books is gone.

Stan Lee -- one of the creators behind a number of iconic super heroes and teams such as Spider-Man, The X-Men, The Incredible Hulk, Black Panther, Daredevil, The Fantastic Four, Thor, Iron Man, Silver Surfer and so many more -- has died. He was 95.

For years, Lee was a writer, editor and the publisher at Marvel Comics and in recent years he had worked in film, TV and other pop culture realms as a creator while also being king of cameos in many of the Marvel Studios films. His comic book career began in 1939.

"I used to think what I did was not very important," Lee told the Chicago Tribune in 2014. "People are building bridges and engaging in medical research, and here I was doing stories about fictional people who do extraordinary, crazy things and wear costumes. But I suppose I have come to realize that entertainment is not easily dismissed."

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The Longest Yard, Boogie Nights, The Cannonball Run, Deliverance, Stroker Ace, Hooper.  

Those are just some of the movies that actor Burt Reynolds helped bring to life -- and he had plenty more television roles atop those in a career that began in the late-1950s -- but he'll always be known for one iconic role. He was "The Bandit" in Smokey and The Bandit, a tale of the ultimate beer run led by Bo "Bandit" Danville and his battles with the cast of characters who tried -- but failed -- to chase him down.

That chase will continue on film forever without him, though, as Reynolds died Thursday. He was 82.

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Quick, can you name the hottest wax box of the 1990s?

It's not anything from Topps, Fleer, Upper Deck, Donruss or any other creator from the sports-card world, it's one of these 1999 Pokemon First Edition (English) boxes and it commanded a solid five-figure sale on Friday via Huggins and Scott Auctions. 

How much?

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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, Sweet Spot autos, fake NBA cards, Rookie Cards missing their RC logos and more.

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The NHL and the Chicago Blackhawks have lost one of their greats.

Hall of Famer Stan Mikita lost a long-term health battle and died on Tuesday at age 78. He had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, a disease similar to Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s in its symptoms, in 2015.

“There are no words to describe our sadness over Stan’s passing,” the team said via a statement. “He meant so much to the Chicago Blackhawks, to the game of hockey, and to all of Chicago.”

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