After a heavy week of releases and some delays this month, this week is a bit lighter -- but that doesn't mean it doesn't have its highlights among the four brands set to arrive.

We have three baseball sets on the schedule and the return of Bowman's Best along with the launch of Topps Strata as a standalone brand. Throw in a USA Baseball set on the schedule and one high-end college brand from Panini America (keep reading) and that's it for the week.

The format for 2015 Bowman's Best will be similar to Finest with two mini-boxes each yielding two autographs (four autos per in every master box). The format for 2015 Topps Strata is all hits -- every box includes one autograph and one Relic and that's it for the acetate-layered cards.

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Panini America posted this photo online this weekend with a simple statement.

"Why did this chicken cross the road? That's easy: To become a clucking cool memorabilia card in @paniniamerica's upcoming 2016 Donruss baseball."

If you've read The Buzz this past week, then it's not a surprise -- but here are more details.

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The Bowman Critic is one who spends countless hours examining checklists and box scores to see who should be emerging on collectors' want lists soon. After the checklist for 2015 Bowman's Best checklist arrived -- click here to view it -- there's even more to say.

Keep reading for The Bowman Critic's pros and cons about this release, which is set to arrive on Dec. 23.

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Baseball fans were surprised when No. 1 overall draft pick Dansby Swanson was traded to the Atlanta Braves but prospectors might have been even more surprised -- and perhaps bummed -- considering that the trade happened on the eve of 2015 Bowman Draft's arrival.

But Topps already has him trading in his Arizona Diamondbacks jersey -- and it will be in packs of 2016 Bowman.

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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 five threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing: Breaks of 2015 Topps Archives Signature Series & 2015 Topps Dynasty along with the mysterious greening Chrome cards from the past.

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What: 2016 Donruss baseball cards
Arrives: March 2016
Box basics: Three autographs or memorabilia cards per box

What's buzz-worthy: A new wave of retro-styled but modern Donruss baseball cards arrives during spring training next year as Panini America revealed the basics on this new one, which will include autographed buybacks, plenty of inserts, plenty of base cards and more hits than the typical lower-end brand. Among the surprises? A memorabilia card for the famed The Famous (San Diego) Chicken mascot.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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Buzz spent a few minutes on Wednesday watching breaks of 2015 Topps Dynasty baseball cards on BlowoutTV during its first day on the market.

Here's a glimpse at some of what was found ...

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Game-used collecting has changed immensely in the last 20 years or so with the memorabilia card -- you know, those little swatches embedded into cards that can still get us going if it's the right player or an impressively designed piece of cardboard.

Relics may not always be expensive these days, but they can add some definite variety and surprise into packs of cards -- and partly because of the need for game-used items for cards it seems memorabilia has become more available than ever.

It's not always expensive. In fact, it can be downright enticing to chase jerseys of players who you might not see all that often on cardboard (or even like!) simply because there are game-used bargains to be found.

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What: 2016 Topps Stadium Club baseball cards
Arrives: June 29, 2016
Box basics: Two hits in every 16-pack hobby box

What's buzz-worthy: The hobby's showcase brand for photography returns for another season with much of the same formula it's carried for the last couple of seasons -- a throwback collecting experience with touches of 1990s retro and modern releases.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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Topps' highest-end baseball product, 2015 Topps Dynasty, arrives on Wednesday with just one autographed patch card or cut sig per pack and every card limited in numbering but unlimited in potential appeal for collectors.

Plus, there are autographs of people you just wouldn't expect inside these packs -- something we've noted previously right here.

Now it's time to see more of the goods.

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Ben Aguirre
Also known as: @Cardboardicons on Twitter

Website: www.cardboardicons.com
Email: cardboardicons@yahoo.com
Location: California
Work away from cards: Law enforcement
Collecting since: 1987

Main focuses: My collecting focus is Rookie Cards of every baseball player with a primary emphasis on Hall of Famers and All-Stars. Additionally I collect memorabilia and autograph cards of Hall of Famers and ocassionally work on iconic insert sets, such as the 2000 Greats of the Game autographs set (which I completed in mid-2015) and Elite Series inserts from 1991-1996.

Favorite players/teams: Roger Clemens & Boston Red Sox

Current collecting projects: In addition to chasing Rookie Cards or early cards of Hall of Famers, I am working on the 1994-1996 Elite Series inserts to add onto the 1991-1993 run that I already completed.

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Check out Topps' teaser video for its buybacks to be found in 2016 Topps Series 1. They will have five shades of foil-stamping to denote their scarcity.

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

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Pete Rose's quest for reinstatement by MLB was denied Monday after an investigation by commissioner Rob Manfred.

Rather than argue one way or another, Buzz simply wants to know if Rose would get your Hall of Fame vote if you had one.

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

>> Click here to buy baseball cards on BlowoutCards.com

When 2015 Topps Dynasty baseball cards begin arriving in hobby shops on Wednesday, collectors who rip in might have a surprise or two inside the pricey one-card-per-pack boxes.

Dan Marino, Russell Wilson, Ichiro Suzuki, John Elway and Will Ferrell to be precise.

Sure, four of them never played in an MLB game that counted -- but their appeal will carry them well in the secondary market. Dynasty is Topps’ highest-end baseball product with just one signed patch card or cut autograph per pack.

Topps released the final checklist on Monday so let's take a peek at what's inside.

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If you haven't felt the awakening yet, you will by Friday.

That's the day that Star Wars: The Force Awakens arrives and that's also the day that the galaxy right here right now gets a new set of Star Wars cards -- one that includes full scenes from the film and the most-important thing of them all.

Autographs from the new faces of the franchise. (If you thought Star Wars was a force on cardboard before, you haven't seen anything yet. Guaranteed.)

In fact, Friday's release of 2015 Topps Star Wars: The Force Awakens is merely a first series of cards. In fact, it won't even be the only Star Wars set of the week ...

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Heritage Auctions' sale of a PSA 8 Mickey Mantle 1952 Topps card set another record for the card in its condition this week.

"The 1952 Topps Mantle rookie is a truly transcendent piece of Americana," said Chris Ivy, the Director of Sports Auctions at Heritage. "It looms in the collective American imagination like a copy of Action Comics #1, an inverted Jenny stamp or an Abe Lincoln autograph. You don't have to collect baseball cards to recognize it, so thoroughly is it woven into the national consciousness."

So, how much for the icon of all post-war baseball card icons?

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Plenty of big contracts have been doled out lately in MLB, but Buzz isn't that sure many of them will spark cardboard riches for collectors. Same might be said for a couple of notable trades made during the MLB Winter Meetings.

As we head into the weekend, we wondered what you think. Tell us in our poll or by leaving a comment who's the big winner among new players in new places.

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

>> Click here to buy baseball cards on BlowoutCards.com.

If you're a baseball fan, you know the comic book references were thick this year with the National League champion New York Mets.

Those things happen when you have Thor, Captain America and The Dark Knight all on one team.

But, we need to know, do you own their autographs?

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International free agents are always intensely watched as the players from outside of the United States can sign at younger ages to get a quicker start on their MLB dreams.

In 2016 Bowman (click here to see our First Buzz), they'll get their own insert set as well as an autographed version -- both sets will be dubbed International Ink.

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What: 2015 Onyx Icons Collection autographed baseballs
Arrives: Dec. 24
Box basics: One signed baseball per box (three boxes per mini case and 12 boxes per master case)

What's buzz-worthy: This one includes icons from not just baseball but the entire sports world -- and beyond -- with all of them signing baseballs for the final Onyx Authenticated release of 2015.

Keep reading for more and a full listing of signers.

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They're two distinctly different styles of art probably catering to different types of sports fans, but you should have no doubts about one thing -- the works of S. Preston are the work of a sports fan. 

"I won piano competitions, art competitions and mathematics competitions, but that didn't matter because all I wanted to do was be in sports," he writes on his website. "But as we all know too well, the dream of being a professional athlete is not for everyone, including me."

Working with a broadcasting team led to a lot of time in stadiums and one day an old doodle led to an idea of drawing stadiums in the simplest ways possible -- but noting the details sports fans can Identify with. "Minimalist Ballparks" was born. On the other end of the spectrum are his hand-penciled "Baseball Princesses" sketches of iconic characters little girls love with a simple twist and the simple idea that "girls can be baseball fans, too."

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Hollywood's awards season is here with the nominees for the SAG and Golden Globes arriving this week and the inevitable chatter about who might get an Oscar nomination on Jan. 15 heating up online.

Good luck finding yourself Oscar cardboard, though, as cards showing Hollywood's biggest honor aren't all that common at all. In fact, they're downright scarce even though countless Oscar winners themselves have appeared on cards. (At right is a 2005 Topps Chronicles card Buzz bets most of you have never seen.)

Because of that, we're going with a different piece of awards cardboard above -- you all remember that one and its 2011 Topps American Pie card, right? -- as Buzz presents his picks for the top Oscars collectors need to know.

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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: 2015 Topps Update/Topps Chrome Update baseball cards mega box
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 7 (five 2015 Topps Update/two 2015 Topps Chrome Update)
Cards per pack: 8 Update/4 Chrome Update
Cards in this box: 45
Base set (Update) completion: 
33 of 400 (8 percent)
Duplicates: 0
Base set (Chrome Update) completion: 
4 of 50 (8 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notable names pulled on base cards: Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Bryce Harper, Carlos Correa

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Topps Authentics now has an ace on its roster as New York Yankees rookie Luis Severino has signed a exclusive autographed memorabilia deal.

The right-hander's autographed baseballs, jerseys, oversized cards and other memorabilia will only be signed for Topps Authentics going forward.

Topps Authentics previously launched with American League Rookie of the Year Carlos Correa of the Houston Astros as its core player. The autographed items for both players are initially sold only via Topps.com.

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The No. 1 overall pick in this year's MLB Draft appears to be traded to the Atlanta Braves as part of a package for Shelby Miller agreed to on Tuesday night.

So now Dansby Swanson's first Bowman Chrome autographs, which officially arrive tomorrow in 2015 Bowman Draft, show him with his old team, immediately perhaps making them less appealing to collectors on both sides of the trade.

Sure, Swanson is from Georgia -- that's a plus -- but Buzz has to wonder what collectors think of the move. Or, does Topps consider issuing a second version of a Swanson 2015 Bowman auto with a Photoshopped Braves uni -- remember, the Diamondbacks version is just that -- somewhere in 2016 packs?

Tell us what you think with our poll or in a comment below.

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