This one isn’t that old ... but it’s a sign of the times.

With a new Opening Day in MLB upon us soon -- that’s next week -- I figured now might be a good time to trot out something in this Collecting Game-used series that I picked up in the past but it simply sat because, well, the visuals here appeared to be limited. It’s a second baseball (and another one tied to my player) where if you want to know how simple things in the everyday for sports have changed over the years -- just the recent years -- it’s a perfect example.

The ball is just over a decade old, but there's no irrefutable video (at least not yet) to show this one in action over on the impressive MLB Film Room database of video clips. It’s simply too old. And there are no added stats attached to this on its MLB Authentication entry to offer up advanced into on stuff that some people love. (No biggie for me, spin rates aren't on my radar -- I simply don’t care about that.) At that kind of a glance, it's perhaps a ball officially from the stone ages.

But after prepping most of this intro ... well, I did accidentally stumble into some proof of its life in MLB.

You can keep reading to see the details and see the ball in action ...

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What's Buzzing: Reactions to Topps Heritage breaks, Topps NBA, Whatnot legal issues, showing off new cards, Roman Anthony and more.

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1 -- Topps Heritage reactions 

2 -- Roman Anthony 

3 -- Still legit

4 -- Talking Topps hoops

5 -- Showing off their new wrestling cards

6 -- Whatnot lawsuit reactions

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

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What: 2026 TRISTAR Hidden Treasures Grand Slam baseball memorabilia
Arrives: April 4
Box basics: One autographed baseball jersey, one autographed baseball, one autographed bat and one encapsulated autographed item per case
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: TRISTAR's autographed baseball chase lineup goes high-end once again with this one that guarantees a variety of items and plenty of possibilities from the past and present every time.

What's the biggest of them all this year? Keep reading for details on those and a gallery of what's in this one.

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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: 2026 Topps Series 1 baseball cards (hanger)
First Buzz preview & checklist/odds: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for a few formats)

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

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What's Buzzing: Bowman basketball, World Baseball Classic reactions, Whatnot lawsuit reactions and more in this midweek edition.

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1 -- World Baseball Classic reactions

2 -- Topps Heritage is here

3 -- Whatnot lawsuit reactions

4 -- Talking Bowman basketball

5 -- A Joe Montana question 

6 -- Vintage chatter

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

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What's Buzzing: World Baseball Classic reactions, wrestling chatter, MLB threads, Luka Doncic, non-sports and more.

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1 -- Watching the World Baseball Classic

2 -- Wrestling chatter on Steve Austin’s big day

3 -- All your baseball threads are here

4 -- Non-sports chatter

5 -- Luka Doncic

6 -- One for the slabs-must-match crowd

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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: World Baseball Classic chatter, Caitlin Clark, new NFL uniforms, Wemby, non-sports and ... Panini Marvel sketch cards?

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1 -- Watching the World Baseball Classic

2 -- Reacting to some new NFL unis

3 -- Caitlin Clark

4 -- Sketch cards: A Panini twist

5 -- Checking in on Wemby 

6 -- Non-sports breaks

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

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What's Buzzing: Talking Topps Now, a Joe Montana question, new pulls, Topps Chrome WWE, non-sports and more.

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1 -- Talking Topps Now 

2 -- A Joe Montana question 

3 -- New pulls are here 

4 -- Chrome WWE chatter

5 -- Non-sports update

6 -- Collectors react

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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: Collectors react, offer opinions, make predictions, show off, ask questions and pull new cards.

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1 -- Collectors react

2 -- Collectors have opinions

3 -- Collector predictions

4 -- Collector shows off 

5 -- A collector’s question 

6 -- Collector pulls

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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: Talking Topps Heritage, Topps Vault, World Baseball Classic and more in today’s edition.

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1 -- They have some thoughts 

2 -- Vintage cards

3 -- Topps Heritage chatter

4 -- Talking the Topps Vault

5 -- Bam Adebayo scores 83 points in game

6 -- All your World Baseball Classic chatter

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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.

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: 2026 Topps Series 1 baseball cards (hanger)
First Buzz preview & checklist/odds: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for a few formats)

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

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Buzz buys a lot of stuff these days and for a few reasons, really. Sometimes it's just bargain-hunting, sometimes it's just something that strikes me. And other times it's a lot -- a group of things -- and that has happened enough lately I figured I'd try something different as a regularly appearing item. Sometimes my lots will be wins, sometimes they won't be ... but I'll let you decide. 

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NOTHING BUT INK
The Lot: 20 autographed (in-person) baseball cards
The Price: $19.99 eBay find ... find new MLB boxes here

Keep reading for more on this one ...

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What's Buzzing: Bam Adebayo’s historic night has ‘em talking ... and more in this midweek edition.

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1 -- Bam Adebayo scores 83 points in game

2 -- Fake stickers

3 -- NBA collectors have some thoughts

4 -- Talking the Topps Vault

5 -- New pulls are here

6 -- All your World Baseball Classic chatter

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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: 2026 Leaf Baseball Nation baseball cards
Arrives: May
Box basics: Six autos per 24-card hobby box (10 per case) or nine autos per 36-card jumbo box (eight per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Baseball Nation returns for a sophomore season with some new looks in play as well as its two formats just like last time with some exclusives in there as it showcases past, present and future stars all in one release.

Keep reading for more.

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What's Buzzing: Roman Anthony, World Baseball Classic, Mike Evans, showing off Braves cards, new pulls and ... why not collect Shohei Ohtani?

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1 -- All your World Baseball Classic chatter

2 -- Mike Evans reactions

3 -- Showing off Braves cards

4 -- Roman Anthony

5 -- Why not collect Shohei Ohtani?

6 -- New pulls are 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: 2026 Topps MLB x NBA Official Collectors Kit
Arrives: March 25
Box basics: Eight packs and more per kit (eight kits per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Topps crosses the MLB and NBA streams into one release where collectors will find both cards and supplies for its two big licenses -- and its big releases -- all under one lid along with some exclusives.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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What's Buzzing: Dolphins cut Tua Tagovailoa, another hanger was a banger, ripping Stranger Things and more on a Monday.

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1 -- NFL: Dolphins cleaning house with Tua cut, Fitzpatrick trade

2 -- Another hanger delivered

3 -- Inside a Stranger Things box

4 -- Nick Kurtz

5 -- NFL: A fun thread

6 -- All your World Baseball Classic chatter ... and a Shohei Ohtani thread 

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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: World Baseball Classic chatter and so much more on a Sunday.

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1 -- All your World Baseball Classic chatter ... and a Shohei Ohtani thread 

2 -- Talking Topps Now and other online releases

3 -- Still pondering on Kyle Schwarber

4 -- Talking football ...

5 -- Basketball is on their minds

6 -- Rules of engagement ... err collecting?

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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.

Normally when it comes to items I've collected for this Collecting Game-used series what you'd see above is an image of an item in use -- definitive photo-matched proof that the piece I've found was in Player X's hands on X date ... or at least something close to that.

Not this time.

This bat does have a story to it, but it’s all anecdotal and it’s all still a mystery despite it being relatively modern. It’s not a piece that got stickering as it’s from before the time where the Oakland A's even bothered doing MLB Authentication ... not that this came via official team channels. (It didn’t.)

As you can see, this is a Nick Swisher Louisville Slugger and the eBay seller I landed it from last summer had some details -- and that’s what would typically be a starting point -- but I’ve struck out trying to photo-match anything. It happens, but this bat remains the real deal thanks to some trademark modifications made by the player and that model.

Keep reading to see the details.

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What's Buzzing: World Baseball Classic chatter, your rules of collecting, Topps Three, new pulls, Konnor Griffin and more in this Friday edition.

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1 -- All your World Baseball Classic chatter ... and a Shohei Ohtani thread 

2 -- Rules of engagement ... err collecting?

3 -- Collecting for ... um ... 

4 -- Talking Topps Three

5 -- Showing off new wrestling pick-ups

6 -- Konnor Griffin

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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.

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: 2026 Topps Series 1 baseball cards (hanger)
First Buzz preview & checklist/odds: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for a few formats)

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

Continue reading →

What: 2026 Pulse Aura Chrome Baseball cards
Arrives: June/July
Box basics: Four encased autographs per six-card hobby box (10 boxes per case) or one autograph per Heat Seeker box (24 boxes per case) or two autographs per 24-card Max box
Checklist: TBD
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Pulse takes its cardboard to Chrome -- as in plastic Chromium stock -- with a trio of formats for collectors to choose from with this one.

Keep reading for more info and a gallery of images.

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Minor league baseball cards from the past can include some weird stuff ... sometimes stuff you wouldn't imagine to be found on a baseball card. Here are some some new fun cards and oddities in this latest edition of MiLB Madness. 

AT THE BEGINNING ...
The Card: Kyle Schwarber 2015 Topps Pro Debut
The Buzz On This: Last time, The Schwarbino was in the leadoff spot here and he’s back as I’m still on a kick ... but this month it’s him in some less-familiar threads. This one has the Pro Debut logo -- meaning its his first from Topps for the MiLB ranks -- while it uses the MLB look of that year with the minor-league unis and logos getting the ride. The team? The Boise Hawks all way up there in Boise, Idaho, and a lot has changed for them since then though the name remains the same. (The Hawks became an independent team back in 2021 when MLB restructured the MiLB ranks.) I like the early big-league looks for Pro Debut as part of the continuity for a player’s cards -- his Rookie Card arrives and MLB run starts in 2016 -- but a collection of his Topps flagships should include this if you ask me.

Keep reading for more examples of some weird or fun baseball cards you can find in and around MiLB.

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What's Buzzing: Konnor Griffin, Jose Canseco, Lou Holtz, Dale Earnhardt Jr., the 2026 NFL Draft and a good question.

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1 -- Konnor Griffin

2 -- A new Jose Canseco card set

3 -- Collectors react to the Lou Holtz news

4 -- 2026 NFL Draft 

5 -- Good question ... 

6 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. ... baseball card collector 

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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.

There are a lot of things one can collect that aren't cards -- sometimes they can even come in packs and sometimes they don't. Buzz has been exploring the world a little bit in different directions but with many of them still being paper items -- stacking paper but not in that ol' money kind of way. Here's a look at a few items that entered my collection in recent months that can all fall under this department, which will be found here roughly once a month. 

FOR THE CHILDREN ... AND THOSE INTO ART
The Item: Wu-Tang Clan concert poster -- Sept. 21, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (/350)
What It Cost Me: $18.85
What's It Worth: Original cost $50 ... recent eBay asking $19.99 to $80 ... no recent eBay sales
The Buzz: Their musical genre isn’t really my wheelhouse, but obviously I know the legendary band and some of its members and hits, but what drew me here was the style of so many of their posters that are so intensely detailed where even this digital take above doesn’t do it justice. (I struggled to take good photos of my pick-ups due to their sizes, so I am using digital images when I can.) This piece from their New York State of Mind Tour features art by an illustrator named Johnny Crap. With the group’s name being a nod to Kung Fu, it makes sense that many (but not all) of their concert posters carry that aesthetic or feel to a degree, too. As I noted last time, I've recently started dabbling with concert posters -- but only on the relative cheap -- after finding a seller/collector with a vast stock and nearly everything so fresh that the prints have never even been rolled ... so damage is almost non-existent. I've picked off a few dozen prints in recent months and you'll see concert posters like this pop up here regularly.
Find Cards At: Non-sports boxes at BlowoutCards.com

Check out even more items after the jump.

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