For years now, autographed books coming direct from the publishers -- or direct from the authors themselves -- have been an affordable way to collect ink from notable names in all realms of pop culture.

It's not a perfect system with stamped autos, fakes and autopens sometimes in the mix -- a problem for publishers to catch as they are not authenticators -- but thanks to dedicated collectors on the Blowout Cards Forum and elsewhere, those problems often get caught and fixed ... or at least become well-known enough to avoid if it's an issue that goes uncorrected.

Getting ink in-person is always best -- book tours still happen, of course -- but landing autographed editions from publishers, online sellers or celebs themselves via their websites or other appearances are common.

Our latest subject and autograph in this ongoing series? Multi-time WWE champion Becky Lynch.

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What's Buzzing: New Topps Heritage, Bron Breakker, Nick Kurtz, Braves chaos and more in this Tuesday edition.

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1 -- Talking a new year of Topps Heritage 

2 -- Wrestlemania 41 fallout reactions continue

3 -- A redemption tale

4 -- Nick Kurtz gets the call

5 -- Braves chaos continues

6 -- Checking in on autographed books tips

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

What's Buzzing: Wrestlemania weekend and new WWE cards, NBA postseason, non-sports, new pulls and more.

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1 -- Wrestlemania chatter is here

2 -- Talking Mania packs & Cactus Jack cards

3 -- MLB is on their minds

4 -- Ripping into some Heritage blasters

5 -- Talking non-sports cards

6 -- NBA postseason chatter is here

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

What's Buzzing: The Masters, awaiting Wrestlemania, Nick Kurtz, non-sports, football and more.

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1 -- Masters chatter as Rory McIroy finally wins it

2 -- WWE chatter as Wrestlemania is this weekend

3 -- Too early to talk Nick Kurtz?

4 -- There is no ratio

5 -- Off-season football chatter

6 -- A non-sports update

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

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: Caitlin Clark ends things one win short, Wrestlemania chatter, Shohei Ohtani and more in this Monday edition.

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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: WrestleMania twists and turns have 'em talking, Corbin Burnes, big maildays, 2024 Topps, the Super Bowl 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: The first night of WrestleMania has 'em talking, a strong replacement box, new breaks in MLB-NFL-NASCAR and ... disc golf?

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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: Never-ending debates, questionable cards, new pulls, an Immaculate case delivers big, WWE and "are you happy with the 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: Trea Turner, 'Mania chatter, MLB breaks and talk, Rookie Cards and "are you happy with 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 ...

BAD IN BLACK!
The Card: Julio Rodriguez 2022 Topps Allen & Ginter X
The Reason Graded: I ripped a pair of these boxes and haven't even sniffed at the regular stuff -- a first for me in its run since 2006 when I used to clear everything I saw on every shelf -- but instead I opted to grade a couple of key pulls from this and other postseason releases with notable newcomers in play. Why this one? It just looked perfect even vs. others I pulled -- and since I only pulled one and have really no plans at this moment to even dabble with regular Ginter I put it into my bulk sub.
The Grade: CSG 10

Reality Check: CSG may have a flub in its system as this didn't even show in the pop report (perhaps it was tagged as a regular card) but I'll present it here* with what I know ... and that's that I know at least this one exists. He's the face of 2023 Topps, so he's on the minds of a few fans right now -- and that's why he's batting lead-off despite this pop report anomaly.

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

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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 ...

WADDLE, WADDLE, WADDLE ... 
The Piece: Jaylen Waddle autographed 16-by-20 Waddle celebration photo (Fanatics Authentic)
The Price: $75 (on sale)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I picked up this oversized auto on the cheap last week and before his big game with QB Tua Tagovailoa on Sunday as I liked the signature moment seen here and he's a school ties guy in my collection. (Last time here, I had this Tua piece lead off but I didn't even buy them at the same time.) His autograph isn't big -- and it's not that big on this oversized photo, either -- but I figured demand could be on the rise this year and, like I said, it was on sale (normally about $100 before they sold out). An inscribed "Fins Up" option also was/is available but I didn't need that as an Alabama fan. On cards, he has plenty to choose from -- more than 2,300 different autographed cards since just last year as part of the 2021 RC crop -- and a lot of them will cost more than this while many will not. I have an early Score auto with a strong college pic and added this in case they make a run, driving up prices to the point where I can't responsibly look.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but NFL boxes are here.

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: Julio Rodriguez and Bobby Witt Jr. are big-leaguers now, fan caves, WrestleMania, MLB breaks 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: WrestleMania, Prizm WWE, MLB chatter up to Opening Day, Bobby Witt Jr. and more in today's edition.

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The biggest weekend in pro wrestling is here with WrestleMania 38 set for Saturday and Sunday from Dallas. We'll make today a big day for wrestling collectors right here on The Buzz with #BuzzMania5, a series of WWE wax box/pack breaks.

This one is something different ... it's not cardboard but instead a collection of 8-by-10 photos looking back at the career of one of the biggest names in WWE history. (He's back in the spotlight this weekend if you didn't know. What?!)

The box: 2021 WWE "Stone Cold" Steve Austin Limited Edition 25th Anniversary Photo Collection
Where to buy: Found via WWEShop.com ... get new WWE cards here

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

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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 ... and it's once again the biggest Buzz Buys ever. (A collection of pick-ups from recent times as well as in the past year or so.)

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A RECORD-SETTER, BUT ... 
The Cards: Wander Franco 2022 Topps Living Set (/68,228)
The Price: Direct from Topps (10-pack price)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This one re-wrote the new Living Set record book with its sales volume and I did a 10-pack to hopefully land a copy without centering issues and to maybe grade one or two. It turns out 10 wasn't enough as the front card is closest to centered but it has a cardboard blotch that should nix some top marks and any immediate grading from me. I still might but not right now. With so many made, there likely will be plenty graded in the coming months ... so without an obvious gem I'll wait. This might have been my first Living Set lot direct from Topps since Vladimir Guerrero Jr., so it will probably send me back to hibernation on that brand. We'll see.
Grab a box right here: No boxes for this one ... but MLB boxes are here.

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: Heritage is here, Carson Wentz, Deshaun Watson, some thoughts, holograms and waiting on WrestleMania.

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What: 2022 Panini Prizm WWE wrestling cards
Arrives: April 6
Box basics: Two autographs per 12-pack box (12 boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Panini America's first release for World Wrestling Entertainment will arrive just after WrestleMania 38 with the full details and images finally revealed.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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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 pretty deep mix with some pricey pieces (at least for Buzz) this time.

BIG BOOK LEADS OFF
The Book: The Amazing Spider-Man #361 -- first full appearance of Carnage
The Reason Graded: One of my goals this year -- something already under way -- is to grade a number of the notable comic books I have had stashed from back in the day (the early/mid 1990s) when I dabbled somewhat regularly with comics. Back then they were re-emerging in pop culture with a revolution of big-name artists taking on iconic characters and then branching out to make their own brands -- and they were also a lot cheaper to collect with cover prices like you see here. Also born in those years of polybags, gimmicked covers and many publishers? Big-name characters like the one making his full debut here, Carnage, who is one of Spider-Man's big villains like Venom and others before them. I picked up a couple copies of this one back then since I liked the cover art and it was a start of a run for the new character. Over time, he has become a favorite and that has made this a pricey book.
The Grade: CGC 9.6 (Universal)

Reality Check: My main reason for grading a lot of my books from this time is that many of them are rarer newsstand copies (UPC bar code) which are harder to find in top condition and can carry a premium vs. direct copies. I wasn't (and still am not) a big comic reader so my copies are as razor fresh as they were then. I liked the art and I was very picky about what I would and wouldn't buy when it came to condition. I didn't check the pop report here when subbing -- and I have sent a second one into be slabbed since getting this one back -- and it's (shocker!) a heavily graded book. A 9.8 isn't easy here and a newsstand copy recently sold on eBay for almost $1,700. This grade? Well, it's a $600 sale among completeds but asking prices for UPC copies are as high as $1,450 with several above $900. Over the long-term, I think newsstand copies are going to remain rare in top grade, though for some reason CGC doesn't break them out on its pop report. (I wish they did ... it would have to be a shocking divide.)

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

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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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EPIC AUTO, EPIC BARGAIN
The Card: Joe Namath 2014 Topps Five Star Autograph
The Price: Under $70
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was one of my last eBay Bucks pick-ups last year -- I got it for substantially less than that bargain price -- and it's a perfect card with its auto, colors, thick stock that's not over-foiled and a retro photo that isn't perhaps perfect but works very well in conjunction with the ink. Did I need it? For this price I absolutely did ... though I have a few autos for the Hall of Famer. This is right up there as one of the nicest sigs I have and this should be an SP auto, too, though it's not numbered. I think Five Star ink is always worth a look, especially for NFL since we don't see it now. Meanwhile, Namath's place as a football icon is bigger than his place in the record book stats-wise these days, but he's a giant in pop culture of that time ... and is easily undervalued right now in a lot of instances.
Grab a box right here: Topps Five Star boxes (all sports and years)

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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What if ... Topps created a Stadium Club WWE card set?

It's a simple enough question, so that's why you see it here has both the headline and the opener -- and there are more than 100 simple fake cards that I've crafted to follow to show just some of the possibilities. It all started with a tweet of the photo you see above of Bianca Belair on the way to the ring for her history-making main-event match at WrestleMania 37 earlier this month. I saw that and followed with a tweet of my own saying "somewhere out there in the world is a Topps Stadium Club WWE set that could be huge."

For those who don't know, Stadium Club is a brand that Topps introduced to the world back in 1991 and it's a photo-driven full-bleed brand that has been seen for baseball, football, basketball, hockey, soccer and even some non-sports entities ... but never for WWE, which Topps has made cards for in its current run since 2005. (The first Topps WWE sets were in 1985 and 1987.)

Why might it work? Well, if you ask me, the WWE has some of the best photographers on the planet working for them and I scoured a tiny sampling of the thousands of images they produce every year to document it all -- in the ring, outside the ring and behind-the-scenes stuff -- to imagine the possibilities. Just a sliver of their work ever sees cardboard, and while a number of the iconic images you will see here have appeared on cards they've not often had much of a dynamic border-free run like you see in Stadium Club.

I spent a few hours this weekend coming up with a basic photo frame for some imagined -- totally fake -- cards to help sell the idea like I'm D-Generation X with a new T-shirts to hock. Here's hoping you see what I see for the potential as I look at a few categories of photos and approaches I'd take in an all-eras, all-encompassing set that seems like it could easily be one of the coolest and meatiest card sets in WWE history if it were to happen.

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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 STILL WRESTLEMANIA SEASON ... 
The Card: Toni Storm 2019 Topps WWE NXT Silver Autographs (/25)
The Price: Under $100
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Here's a bit of a spoiler here ... there will be a number of WWE items in this piece and (another spoiler) you probably won't see Toni Storm at WrestleMania ... but I'm still a buyer. Why? This first WWE autograph is still her only signed card (also with parallels) to date. They have been scorchers since that time, too, but I'm sure we'll finally get a new wave in the next WWE Women's release that's set to arrive after Mania. (Right?) The price on this was arguably lower than it should have been and the condition is a lot cleaner than many other cards from this dark-bordered, skinny-stock release. I pulled one parallel version, have bought a couple base autos (they're in past editions of this series) and then I grabbed this one. Why? Because she's one of a trio of young and/or NXT stars I'm sold on. I also kind of like the challenge of trying to get an auto from this release with a good grade but that's something for a story down the line later. Once more autos arrive, perhaps prices will come down some here ... I'd probably still be a buyer.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of this one ... see all WWE boxes here.

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

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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: 2020 Topps WWE 30 Years of Deadman Collector's Edition set
Where to buy: Initially only via Topps.com ... see other WWE boxes here

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

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The biggest weekend in professional wrestling is here with WrestleMania 36 set for a scaled down split event on Saturday and Sunday. We'll make today a big day for wrestling collectors right here on The Buzz with #BuzzMania3, a series of WWE wax box and wax pack breaks -- though also on a smaller scale than Buzz had previously planned, too.

This is Hour 7 ... another case and Buzz favorite.

The case: 2018 Topps WWE Then Now Forever (Series 2) jumbo-pack case (108 packs)
The cost: Will vary ... Click here for new boxes

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

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 The biggest weekend in professional wrestling is here with WrestleMania 36 set for a scaled down split event on Saturday and Sunday. We'll make today a big day for wrestling collectors right here on The Buzz with #BuzzMania3, a series of WWE wax box and wax pack breaks -- though also on a smaller scale than Buzz had previously planned, too.

This is Hour 6 ... one to rip in volume for best results.

The boxes: 2017 Topps WWE Women's Division wrestling cards
The cost: Click here

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

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The biggest weekend in professional wrestling is here with WrestleMania 36 set for a scaled down split event on Saturday and Sunday. We'll make today a big day for wrestling collectors right here on The Buzz with #BuzzMania3, a series of WWE wax box and wax pack breaks -- though also on a smaller scale than Buzz had previously planned, too.

This is Hour 5 ... a throwback from early in Topps' current WWE run.

The box: 2006 Topps WWE Heritage II (hobby box)
The cost: Will vary ... click here for newer WWE boxes

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

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