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 (a few formats)
First Buzz preview with checklist/SPs/more: Click here

Cards per pack: 67
Base set completion: 
57 of 350 (16 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bryce Harper, Francisco Lindor, Mike Soroka, Washington Nationals team card

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

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 →

If you're a Funko Pop! collector and a baseball fan, you might be busy collecting 'em all this summer.

Nearly 20 toys were revealed for the 2020 MLB Funko Pop! lineup and they include some of the biggest young stars in the game today as well as a few established veterans.

Just three teams have players represented more than once, meaning almost half of the MLB franchises have a star found here.

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 →

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: 8 (seven standard, one medallion card pack)
Cards per pack: 14
Cards in this box: 99
Base set completion: 
82 of 350 (23 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Rafael Devers, Alex Bregman, Miguel Cabrera, Carlos Correa, Max Scherzer, Ramon Laureano, Clayton Kershaw, Mike Yastrzemski, Christian Yelich, Shohei Ohtani, Keston Hiura, Cody Bellinger

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 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 →

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)

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 →

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

--

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 ...

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 ... and this time around it's mostly stuff found on the affordable side.

--

WORKHORSE PLATES
The Card: Derrick Henry 2016 Panini Spectra Plates & Patches black printing plate (1/1)
The Price: About $9
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: We'll know soon whether this monster of the gridiron this season will be playing in the Super Bowl for the first time, but I figured I'd lead off with him since he's had a huge year. I'd also let this serve as a reminder that there are some solid bargains to be found among stuff that's not brand new and that there are types of cards that seem to be overlooked. This card fits that bill. Yes, printing plates can have less appeal depending on the color of the plate and the design of the cards, but they seem to be overlooked by many for some unknown reason to me. They are 1/1s available in four different colors/separations but people don't seem to always act like they are when selling or buying. This price works for me and for my collecting tastes, especially when you consider this is also from his rookie year.
Grab a box right here: Spectra NFL boxes (all years)

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

Continue reading →

What: 2020 Topps Stadium Club baseball cards
Arrives: Sept. 2
Box basics: Two autographs per 16-pack box (16 boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Stadium Club hits the field for another summer on the diamond with dynamic photographs leading the way and a minimalist design that lets them do just that.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

Continue reading →

What: 2020 Topps Finest baseball cards
Arrives: June 24
Box basics: One auto per six-pack mini box with two minis per master (eight masters per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Finest is back for another season on the ballfield with a familiar format but a number of new inclusions and players, too.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

Continue reading →

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 that seemed interesting to this collector and we think they might interest you, too.

This week's six-pack: Autographs on my mind right now ...

--

GRAB THEM EARLY BIRDS ...
The Card: Lamar Jackson 2018 autos (any)
The Price: They're not cheap at all right now -- this slightly damaged one is $569.99 (or best offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This isn't the best time to shop for early autographs of this game-changer, but he's a perfect example of how a ton of newcomers (or returners) to collecting with deep pockets along with people buying to hold and then sell stuff out of high-end not-readily-available boxes are helping create some crazy cardboard markets out there for hot players. And yet I'd say that this card ... with some edge damage ... is still actually priced as a bit of a steal. Jackson has put on a show this season and I'd say that any of his 2018 autos should be given a hard look but with more attention given to rarer stuff with on-card ink preferred or at least cleanly signed specimens if you're considering stickers. Why? He's got big potential right now both in what's left for this season and in future campaigns -- and somebody has to compete for the big hobby dollars once people can't grab the elite Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes cards out there. Check out the 2018 NFL boxes here for your shot to pull his ink. If you don't want to pay as much, just shop for his 2019 stuff -- it's still stiffly priced but not as tough as rookie-year cardboard.

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

Continue reading →

Making The Grade is a monthly department here on The Buzz that ran all year long in 2019 -- its first complete season so far. Its a place where newly slabbed cards and a few pick-ups get the spotlight -- a little show-and-tell to get people talking and thinking about cards beyond "What's it worth?"

Sometimes I picked cards for fun, sometimes I chased 10s, but other times I slabbed with some longer-term "investment" thought -- and I don't even do that often. (My go-to is to simply slab stuff that I like.) The card you see up top? You can firmly place it in the red-hot fun file. The card at right? You can put it in the long-term keeper stack along with the guy below him, who had plenty of appearances in the series this year.

As one of a couple of 2019 retrospective posts I have planned -- they're at least on my to-do list at least until other work pops up -- here's a look at the series where I talked about 158 new slabs this past year. You can see them all at the links below.

January -- Making the Grade: Patrick Mahomes, The Mick, Tommy Chong, Whitney Houston, botched cardboard & more

February -- Making the Grade: Patrick Mahomes, Bo Knows, Wendy Peffercorn, Tom Brady, Super Bowl stars & more

March -- Making the Grade: Young MVPs, iconic Hall of Famers, Silent Bob, March Madness, a Future Superstar & more

April -- Making the Grade: Vince McMahon, Steve Austin and WrestleMania icons plus Ronald Acuña Jr. & more MLB stars

May -- Making the Grade: Baker Mayfield, JLo's Rookie Card, Joe Cool, Nuke LaLoosh, Hailie Deegan & more past gems

June -- Making the Grade: The Dream Team, Ronald Acuña Jr., Bart Starr, Mike Trout, Deadpool, Kelly Hu's rookie & more

July -- Making the Grade: Aaron Judge, Jayson Tatum, Ric Flair, Michael Jordan, Ronald Acuña Jr., Billy Ripken's bad bat knob, Chrissy Teigen's Rookie Card, The Big Lebowski's ink & more

August -- Making the Grade: New Vladdy, Acuña, Rally Squirrel, Undertaker, Juggernaut, Michael Jordan, Paige, Kurt Cobain, The Bad News Bears' ace ... and Keith Comstock's beanballs?

September -- Making the Grade: Joe Namath's ink, Dak & Jerry Rookie Cards, Saquon Barkley, Lonzo Ball, 1990s NFL classics, high-grade vintage, The Four Horsewomen of NXT & more

October -- Making the Grade: Ronald Acuña Jr. heaters, Clerks, Ernie Davis, hot ink, Supergirl, Catwoman & real Nuke LaLoosh

November -- Making the Grade: Dak Prescott, Luka Doncic, Magic Johnson & John Cena rookies, Robert Mueller, the first perfect Keith Comstock, Meghan Markle's MLB card & more

December -- Making the Grade: Rare Shohei Ohtani, Star Wars, Pete Alonso, Tim Duncan, vintage, several WWE stars & more

--

Need even more? See previous months' Making The Grade posts by clicking here (scroll down)

--

Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com. 

>> Click here to buy cards on BlowoutCards.com

What: 2020 Panini Diamond Kings baseball cards
Arrives: April 29 June 10
Box basics: One autograph and one memorabilia card per 12-pack box (24 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Diamond Kings will take to the field once again with an insert in every pack and plenty of notable names from the past and present inside, too.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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 Chrome Update baseball cards (mega box)
Checklist: Click here
Where to buy: Click here

Continue reading →

What: 2019 Bowman Heritage baseball cards
Arrives: Soon (online-only release via Topps' site)
Box basics: One autograph per 24-pack box
Order: Click here (when available)

What's buzz-worthy: Bowman Heritage returns as an online-only release and it currently is in a 582 Montgomery Club member pre-sale stage but with a wide availability to non-members coming soon.

Keep reading for more details.

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 Gallery baseball cards (blaster box)
Checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (when available)

Packs per box: 8 (seven standard and one Artist Proof pack)
Cards per pack: 4
Cards in this box: 32
Base set completion: 23 of 150 (15 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Shohei Ohtani, Willson Contreras, Rafael Devers, Miguel Andujar, Joey Votto

Rookie Cards (11) – Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Brendan Rodgers, Mitch Keller, Bryse Wilson, Rowdy Tellez, Elvis Luciano, Kevin Newman, Dennis Santana, David Fletcher, Bryan Reynolds, J.D. Hammer

Continue reading →

If you hadn't noticed, our third wave of Black Friday boxes with discounted prices have dropped right now right here as BlowoutCards.com is bringing a wave approach to today's sales.

There are two more waves of discounted boxes to come later in today's big sale ... so keep watching.

Here are five boxes/cases that caught this collector’s eye in this third wave.

2017 Panini Donruss Optic NFL Mega Box lot (20 boxes)
These boxes can run streaky between their heavy dose of Rated Rookies and their Red & Yellow parallels -- and with rookies like Patrick Mahomes and Christian McCaffrey in there (among others) that means you have the potential for some monster boxes. These case-size lots aren't the cheapest out there but they have some big potential for sure on the rookie front but also offer some safety with a hit and inserts, too. Check out this past Buzz Break, for example. At the time I ripped it, some of those guys weren't as big as they are now. Whether you're ripping or opting to pick up some boxes or cases to hold, this might be a safe one either way.

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 Gallery baseball cards (collector's box)
Checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (when available)

Packs per box: 21 (20 standard, one jumbo box-topper)
Cards per pack: 5
Cards in this box: 102
Base set completion: 
90 of 150 (57 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Ronald Acuña Jr., Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge, Blake Snell, Alex Bregman, Josh Donaldson, Max Scherzer, Christian Yelich, Kris Bryant, Joey Votto

Rookie Cards (40) – Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Cavan Biggio, Fernando Tatis Jr., Brad Keller, Mike Yastrzemski, J.D. Hammer, Jacob Nix, Cedric Mullins, Sean Reid-Foley, David Fletcher, Josh James, Garrett Hampson, Harold Ramirez, Jake Bauers, Michael Chavis, Josh Naylor, Brandon Lowe, Bryan Reynolds, Jalen Beeks, Dennis Santana, Kevin Newman, Elvis Luciano, Brendan Rodgers, Ryan Helsley, Bryse Wilson, Lane Thomas, Christin Stewart, Dakota Hudson, Will Smith, Kolby Allard, Ryan Borucki, Cole Tucker, Nate Lowe, Steven Duggar, Chance Adams, Willians Astudillo, Shawn Anderson, Kyle Tucker, Rowdy Tellez, Taylor Ward

Continue reading →

The latest Topps x card set arrived this week with the most-hyped rookie of the year at its start taking the cardboard field for this one.

The 2019 Topps x Vlad Jr. set is here with two versions -- a standard set for $24.99 and a Collector's Edition set that includes a guaranteed hit for $75. They are available via Topps.com for 20 days or while supplies last in the case of the CE version.

Keep reading for more on this one and a checklist -- and of course there are Vladimir Guerrero Jr. autos in there with plenty more.

Continue reading →

This year's best MLB's rookies have been picked by Topps -- and they'll all be getting a little extra bling on their 2020 Topps baseball cards.

They're the Topps MLB All-Star Rookie Team, and we'll be getting new cards and ink via Topps Now before next year -- and some will have autographed cards.

Up first is the New York Mets' Pete Alonso, who set a new rookie record with 53 homers this season. His cards are available now following the team's reveal this morning on the MLB Network.

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 Chrome Update baseball cards (mega box)
Checklist: Click here
Where to buy: Initially at Target; Click here (when available)

Continue reading →