Basketball
Panini's new Immaculate Collection includes unique Tony Gwynn card
When collectors crack into boxes of 2015 Panini Immaculate Collection College beginning tomorrow, they could find one of the more unique memorabilia cards made in a long time.It's a card of baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn from his days as a player at San Diego State.
What makes it different, though? The card appears to include a swatch from the Aztecs jersey seen above.
New Buzz: Products out this week (Dec. 20-26) include Bowman's Best, Immaculate College & 14U USA kids
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.
First Buzz: 2015-16 Panini Select basketball cards
What: 2015-16 Panini Select basketball cards
Arrives: March 3, 2016
Box basics: Three autographs or memorabilia cards per 12-pack boxWhat's buzz-worthy: Select returns for another season with on-card autographs and prime memorabilia pieces along with a rainbow of Prizmatic color and insert sets featuring the NBA's top stars and top rookies all in three types of base sets.
Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.
First Buzz: 2015-16 Donruss basketball cards

What: 2015-16 Donruss basketball cards
Arrives: February 2016
Box basics: Three autograph or memorabilia cards per 24-pack boxWhat's buzz-worthy: The wave of retro-styled modern Donruss cards returns to the NBA and, just like its baseball counterpart, it includes plenty of inserts, plenty of base cards and more hits than the typical lower-end brand. This year's release also will be more limited than last season.
Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.
Board Buzz: Five must-read threads on the Blowout Forums (Dec. 17)
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.
Panini Eminence shows its power immediately on BlowoutTV

From time to time, we'll highlight some crazy pulls from breaks done via BlowoutTV -- you know, the stuff that's truly buzz-worthy.
Just pulled: A 2014-15 Panini Eminence Stephen Curry championship tag auto 2/2
The box? It can be found right here.Want to watch the entire video?
So, what does the checklist for a $5,900 box of NBA cards look like?

The most-expensive box in Panini America history arrives on Wednesday in the form of 2014-15 Panini Eminence basketball cards.
It's a $5,900 box with as many as 10 cards inside -- all very limited and autographed.
Panini revealed the checklist for this one on Tuesday so we can all try to answer the million-dollar question ... just what's inside this one?
New Buzz: Products arriving this week (Dec. 13-19) include two Star Wars sets, Eminence & even more

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 ...
First Buzz: 2015 Onyx Icons Collection autographed baseballs

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.
Kevin Love signs exclusive autographed memorabilia deal with Upper Deck Authenticated

Upper Deck has added Cleveland Cavaliers star Kevin Love to its exclusive autographed memorabilia team that already includes another notable Cav.
The Kevin Love Collection will only be found via Upper Deck Authenticated and it will include limited art pieces as well as signed basketballs and jerseys.
“Kevin Love is a great addition to our ever-growing portfolio of basketball superstars,” said Upper Deck President Jason Masherah. “We are excited to bring fresh and innovative products to his fans in across the globe, and we look forward to introducing some exclusive multi-signed items featuring Love with other Upper Deck athletes in the future.”
It's officially awards season and Buzz's Oscar picks are in ...
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.
Remembering early NBA legend Dolph Schayes on cardboard
Dolph Schayes, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame and one of the NBA's dominating scorers in its early years, has died after a battle with cancer. He was 87.In 15 seasons mostly with the Syracuse Nationals, Schayes averaged 18.5 points and 12.1 rebounds a game after he was picked with the fourth pick of the 1948 BAA Draft. (The Basketball Association of America merged with the National Basketball League to form the NBA in 1949.)
As a 16-year-old freshman, Schayes led New York University to a Final Four appearance in 1945 and had an NBA championship by 1955. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1973 and named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history in 1996.
Eminence cut autographs include big, rare names beyond basketball
The most-expesnsive box of NBA cards ever is about a week away and Panini America took some time to tease a massive non-basketball inclusion in the brand that includes names well beyond the world of basketball.One example? George Armstrong Custer who died at The Battle of the Little Bighorn back in 1876. Just think how much the world has changed since that time -- and then wonder aloud how many of his autographs could even still exist. And then what it might have cost to land the document.
Although many of the cut autograph sets made in the last decade or so aren't fully checklisted, it appears this is his first cut autograph -- and it will be found in a box of 2014-15 Panini Eminence basketball cards next week. (For trivia's sake we'll also mention here that basketball didn't exist until about 1891 -- just one of those many world changes since Custer.)
George Mikan Rookie Card sets record, while four other items top $100,000 mark in SCP Auctions sale
A perfect copy of a basketball legend's Rookie Card reached legendary status on Saturday night in a sale via SCP Auctions.The card is a PSA 10 1948 Bowman George Mikan Rookie Card, which is the only perfect copy in existence. It set what is believed to be a new record for a single basketball card with its sale.
The price?
New Buzz: Products arriving this week (Dec. 6-12)
After a lull in new arrivals around Black Friday, there are a whopping 13 new products set to arrive this coming week with some heavy hitters in baseball, the college ranks and even non-sports territory on the calendar.The biggest just might be 2015 Bowman Draft, which will arrive redemption-free on Wednesday with a selection of the newest MLB draft picks in their official MLB uniforms. Autographs for 31 of the 35 first-round picks will be found in this one. For prospectors, this is perhaps the biggest day of the year ... every year.
Stephen Curry's Contenders Rookie Ticket is among many selling well
Stephen Curry is the reigning NBA MVP on the defending NBA champions who are 19-0 to begin the season.What is there to say? Not much other than the NBA's win streak record is 33 set by the 1971-72 Lakers and that his Golden State Warriors ended last season with four wins -- so you do the math. We all know the NBA record for most wins in a regular season is 72 set by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls -- so you do the math. Those are the bars that are set on the court -- and it sure seems like it's all or nothing is the expectation for the Warriors right now.
Those kinds of expectations are a good thing to have -- just like an autographed Curry Rookie Card these days.
Board Buzz: Five must-read threads on the Blowout Forums (Dec. 2)

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.
Kobe Bryant retirement letters fetch big bucks -- and are also reprinted
Buzz knew these would be a big deal -- but not this big.The night Kobe Bryant confirmed that this season will be his last, all 18,997 fans in attendance at that night's Los Angeles Lakers game received a sealed envelope with a copy of his farewell letter printed with a facsimile autograph.
It turns out there are a few more people out there that want them.
Buzz-worthy image: 2014-15 Panini Eminence basketball cards

If you're a regular Buzz reader, then you know a bit about 2014-15 Panini Eminence and how it will be the new high-end of all high-end releases when it arrives in just 15 days.
New Buzz: Products arriving this week (Nov. 29-Dec. 5)
After Black Friday, the hobby presents seven new products this week with a pair of NFL and a pair of NBA products leading the way from Panini America and Topps.In football, arguably the biggest of them all is 2015 Topps Triple Threads, a high-end brand that features "the best retired legends, veteran superstars and game-changing rookies in the NFL." Each box will include an autographed triple Relic, a triple Relic, a rookie auto Relic and a rookie jumbo Relic inside with all numbered to no more than 99 copies.
Also coming from Topps for football will be the first gridiron take on Tek with one of the hit brands of last season in MLB getting retooled for the NFL. Inside every box of 2015 High Tek will be one autograph, one parallel and six base cards all printed on the colorful and enhanced acetate stock Tek was known for in the past.
Sure, this will be Kobe Bryant's final season -- but he's far from done appearing on basketball cards
After a rough start to his 20th season in the NBA, a 37-year-old Kobe Bryant confirmed in a Players Tribune essay published Sunday night that this year will be his last.It's probably not a surprise to most NBA fans given his injuries in recent years, but an end to a career doesn't mean an end to cardboard, either. In fact, we're probably just getting started with this Panini America spokesman.
Board Buzz: Five must-read threads on the Blowout Forums (Nov. 25)

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.Board Buzz: Five must-read threads on the Blowout Forums (Nov. 24)
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.Kristaps Porzingis a big deal in The Big Apple -- and that makes him a big deal on basketball cards
He might be the biggest thing going in The Big Apple right now -- and that makes him a big deal on cardboard.His name is Kristaps Porzingis and he's playing so well for the New York Knicks right now that the team's marquee player, Carmelo Anthony, has already dubbed him the future of the franchise.
“He’s going to lead this organization long after I’m retired,” Anthony said in an SI.com story today. “Hopefully we can hoist one or two [championship trophies] before that happens.”
Auction Buzz: Jo Jo White sale via SCP includes Hall of Famer's rings & plenty more basketball brilliance
Jo Jo White was a Kansas Jayhawk before he was a Boston Celtic and an NBA-championship winner inducted into the Hall of Fame. Since then, he's also worked in the Celtics' front office.A 25-lot sale open now via SCP Auctions includes memorabilia from all those times, including his Converse College All-America honors, two replacement rings for his titles with the Boston Celtics (the originals were lost) and his honorary 2008 Celtics championship ring from when he worked for the team.
































