Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading ... so here's this month's grading diary.

STARTING ON A SERIOUS NOTE ...
The Card: Will Ferrell 2015 Topps Archives Will Ferrell Inserts
The Reason Graded: Back in 2015 this comedy legend took to the field for 10 MLB teams and played 10 positions in a single day of real spring training action -- you can see his stats here -- as part of a project with a charity component called Ferrell Takes The Field. Collectors ended up chasing his autographs on 10 different cards in Archives that year -- roughly one per hobby case if I remember correctly -- but, alas, I went 0-for-1 there before those boxes got too pricy and/or vanished ... but I did hit the blasters. There, the regular Ferrell inserts were found one per box -- at least until all of those boxes disappeared, too. It's been a decade since this publicity stunt took place (March 12, 2015), so I figured we could start this new MLB season here on a serious note. These aren't his only cards -- he popped up a few times that year -- but this was the first set and this was the first card -- and one for my team.
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: There's a small volume of stuff slabbed for this card -- roughly all cards here have no more than 10 slabbed copies across the entire set -- and this is among the top marks. This card has full-bleed back edges in bright blue just like in 1965 Topps and when I saw how clean this card was, well, it was a no-brainer. I previously slabbed one elsewhere years ago and this copy will go well with that and a slab of the same photo used on a magazine cover that ended up on a show promo card. A lot of those who likely weren't collecting back then seem to be interested here as asking prices can be steep -- raw or graded -- for Ferrell stuff.

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

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What's Buzzing: The New York Yankees' torpedo bats, MLB pulls and chatter, WWE, LeBron vs. Stephen A. Smith and more.

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1 -- Talking Yankees torpedo bats

2 -- More MLB chatter here

3 -- WWE chatter as Mania nears

4 -- Make it stop?

5 -- New pulls in the baseball section ...

6 -- Still talking Heritage High Number

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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: March Madness, MLB chatter, Heritage High Number and more in this Saturday edition.

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1 -- March Madness is on their minds

2 -- All your MLB chatter is here 

3 -- Still talking Heritage High Number

4 -- Pondering all-time great NFL game-used sets

5 -- What do you grade?

6 -- Baseball breaks are here

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What: 2023-24 Topps Motif basketball cards
Arrives: April 25, 2025
Box basics: Five autos and one Relic per eight-card box (three boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Odds: Click here 
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Topps brings its colorful high-end brand to the court for the first time with a selection of "some of the best veteran, rookie and retired players."

Keep reading for more info and a gallery of images.

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What's Buzzing: MLB chatter, Cam Smith is a big-leaguer now, Heritage High Number bots and more in today's edition.

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1 -- All your MLB chatter as we await Opening Day

2 -- Checking in on the March Madness thread

3 -- Still talking Heritage High Number ... and bots

4 -- New pulls are here

5  -- Talking checklists

6 -- Cam Smith makes the Astros

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What's Buzzing: JuJu Watkins and March Madness chatter, Heritage High Number, MLB's best card guys and more.

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1 -- All your basketball chatter is here

2 -- The March Madness thread

3 -- Still a no

4 -- They've got the fans talking ... 

5  -- Still talking Heritage High Number ...

6 -- Assessing MLB's best baseball card guys

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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: George Foreman dies at 76, NFL Draft chatter, Cosmic Chrome, winning with Prizm and more.

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1 -- George Foreman dies at 76

2 -- Talking NFL Draft 

3 -- Reactions to Cosmic Chrome football

4 -- Winning with Prizm

5  -- Pondering price points

6 -- Reactions to the $1.1M Paul Skenes card

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What's Buzzing: Reactions to the big Paul Skenes auction, new pulls, a wall of Bo Bichette and more.

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1 -- Reactions to the $1.1M Paul Skenes card

2 -- Inside a Star Trek case

3 -- Bichette Happens on that wall

4 -- New basketball breaks here

5  -- Interesting yard sale find

6 -- Heritage High Number ... the mystery remains

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What: 2025 Panini UConn Huskies basketball cards
Arrives: May 23
Box basics: Two autographs per six-pack hobby box (20 boxes per case), 24 cards per six-pack blaster (20 per case)
Checklist: See gallery
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Stars from the past and present UConn Huskies basketball programs -- men's and women's teams -- hit cardboard from Panini in a release that's got plenty of stuff to chase.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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What's Buzzing: Chasing the Dodgers' big names, March Madness, The Living Set, new pulls and a Kobe question.

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1 -- Talkin' baseball ... 

2 -- Shohei Ohtani is still on their minds ... Roki Sasaki is, too

3 -- March Madness

4 -- A Kobe question

5  -- So ... The Living Set missed a day?

6 -- New pulls are popping here

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What's Buzzing: New award-winners patches going on gamers -- and into cards. All that and more in this Sunday edition.

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1 -- "React!"

2 -- Even more baseball chatter as the season nears 

3 -- Checking in own the Alexander Ovechkin thread

4 -- Some off-season NFL chatter

5  -- Breaking down two cases of McDonald's basketball cards

6 -- Still reacting to the 2025 Bowman design tease

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What's Buzzing: A new Michael Jordan card, ups and downs, Heritage High Number, repacks and MLB.

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1 -- Talking Michael Jordan cards ...

2 -- "What goes up, must come down"

3 -- Still talking Heritage High Number

4 -- Still talking Fanatics repacks

5  -- Even more MLB chatter is here

6 -- New MLB pulls

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

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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 packs: 2024 Leaf Metal Women of Sport 1/1 Pre-Production Proofs (two)
Where to buy: Click here for regular boxes (when available)

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

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What's Buzzing: Gerrit Cole injury reactions, some questions with answers, new pulls and more in this Tuesday edition.

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1 -- Gerrit Cole is out ... checking in on the Yankees chatter

2 -- A question with some answers 

3 -- Even more MLB chatter

4 -- Sigh ... 

5  -- New MLB pulls

6 -- Some notable WNBA finds at retail 

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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: 2023-24 Topps Three basketball cards
Arrives: April 11, 2025
Box basics: Two on-card autographs per three-card box (five boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Odds: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: A new brand from Topps for the stars of the basketball court is one that keeps it simple -- two autos and a third card in the box and that's it.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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What's Buzzing: Jac Caglianone, new MLB pulls, a Sapphire WWE surprise, NBA cards, errors and more.

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1 -- Checking in on the Jac Caglianone chatter

2 -- 2025 Topps pulls and more

3 -- Sapphire WWE box delivers a surprise

4 -- NBA cards are on their minds

5  -- Look for the one odd card mentioned here

6 -- Sell the Rays? (What about the Marlins?)

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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 Ichiro Suzuki cards, Topps Chrome, 1990s NFL inserts, nervously holding Mike Trout cards and more.

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1 -- Talking Ichiro Suzuki cardboard

2 -- They have their thoughts on Topps Chrome football 

3 -- Showing off 1990s and 2000s NFL inserts 

4 -- Giddy!

5  -- Chatter about the state of the hobby?

6 -- Nervously holding Mike Trout cards?

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What's Buzzing: New pulls, volume ripping, WWE chatter, buy the card not the grade, Cheers cards and more.

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1 -- Some volume ripping of Leaf Metal autos

2 -- What's next in WWE?

3 -- Some new basketball pulls

4 -- All your off-season football chatter

5  -- Buy the card, not the grade

6 -- Still talking Cheers cards ... Get your box here!

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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: 2024-25 Bowman University Chrome basketball cards
Arrives: April 3, 2025
Box basics: Two autographs per 24-pack box (12 boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Odds: Click here
Order: Click here (when live)

What's buzz-worthy: Topps' newest round of college basketball cards for active college players once again will showcase college stars from men's and women's basketball all in one spot with a rainbow of potential among everything found in colorful, shiny Chrome.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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What's Buzzing: Hall of Fame voting change, error cards, Gold Prizms, Cheers cards and more have them talking.

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1 -- Error cards and misprints are on their minds

2 -- Hall of Fame voting change might eliminate debate 

3 -- Gooooooooollllllllldd NBA Prizms and Refractors

4 -- Heritage High Number has 'em talking

5  -- Topps Now WWE chatter has some gems

6 -- Talking Cheers cards ... Get your box here!

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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: 2024-25 Panini Prizm NBA basketball cards
Arrives: Jan. 29
Box basics: Two autographs per 12-pack hobby box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: A new season of Prizm NBA drops with with some new looks and textures as well as a new crop of stars as it takes a colorful look at the league today as well as some stars from the past.

Keep reading for more info.

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What's Buzzing: Roki Sasaki arrives throwing heat, NFL Draft chatter, fake cardboard alert, predicting future NBA "bigs," Cheers cards and more.

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1 -- NFL Draft thoughts ...

2 -- Talking Spring Training ...

3 -- Fake cardboard: A thread to know

4 -- Predicting future NBA "bigs"

5  -- Chrome WWE chatter

6 -- Talking Cheers cards ...

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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: WWE has 'em talking heading to Wrestlemania, Starting Lineup, basketball chatter, Cheers cards and more in this Tuesday edition.

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1 -- MLB: The Hall of Very Good

2 -- Some international non-sports ...

3 -- Talking Cheers cards ...

4 -- All your basketball chatter is here

5  -- I'm not

6 -- WWE still has 'em talking ... about a few things

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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: John Cena sells his soul, new pulls, NFL & MLB chatter, Joel Embiid and more in this Sunday edition.

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1 -- Nope, it wasn't Cody Rhodes ... John Cena sold his soul

2 -- Plenty of MLB chatter is here

3 -- Still talking Luka and the Lakers

4 -- Reactions to Joel Embiid

5  -- Check out all of the new pulls here

6 -- Postseason NFL chatter is here

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

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Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading, so here's this month's grading diary.

CLOSE TO PERFECT
The Card: Shohei Ohtani 2018 Topps -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: Ohtani's historic 2024 season had me assessing all of my cards from my 2018 stash -- mostly lower-end stuff that's heavily graded -- but not graded by me. Why? I don't grade the heavily submitted stuff because a lesser mark wouldn't be as worthy of going through the process and, really, in most instances a card can always be found already graded if it's needed. But, with his 50-50 season being so big, I opted to slab a few basics and this is one that made the cut. The stock used in 2018 is almost as thin as it gets and all that dark ink definitely showcases flaws, but I picked a pair of cards I thought were perfect from my stash and sent them in.
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: I don't know where I missed a perfect mark here but I'll still take a 10 ... less than half check in there and I think it's really harder than that -- people are examining their stuff harder before sending them in. The fact that these have checked in as low as a seven show how this one isn't easy sledding when it comes to slabbing. And as for my perfect aspirations? Well, it doesn't exist.

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

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