The clock is ticking down and the cardboard is ready.

Saturday is Topps National Baseball Card Day and whether you're a regular at your local card shop or you're somebody who ripped into packs just for the gum decades ago, some free stuff can be yours at participating shops.

"National Baseball Card Day is a great way to celebrate a hobby we love, showing off favorite cards and reveling in great collections," read a company statement for the program.

The annual event is one that Topps and others hopes will draw people into collecting with some new stuff to start their stash -- or for veterans to chase down some potential rarities inside the five-card packs that are free with a visit. There's also a bonus card available with a $10 purchase on Saturday -- and another bonus card after that for you if you go back to the shop later in the month.

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A fully licensed newcomer to the baseball diamond this year is one that meshes both sports collecting and coin collecting in a new way -- all reflecting those in on the action with a shine that can't be seen when they are on the field.

It's still a rookie, but the demand for 2018 Baseball Treasure coins is there -- just check eBay.

"We see people from the coin side taking interest. We see people from the sports side taking interest and there are some of those people who do both," said company co-founder John Connor on the floor of the National Sports Collectors Convention in Cleveland last week. "The first one to show up at the aftermarket was Mike Trout and it went for $290 for the silver coin."

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Collectors wanting to protect their oversized treasures can now do so in a PSA slab as Professional Sports Authenticator unveiled a line of new "jumbo holders" at the National Sports Collectors Convention in Cleveland.

The target for these? Photos and documents -- and there are a few different sizes of the inlays inside the cases available to help showcase items of varying sizes.

“The new holders are being integrated into our autograph encapsulation and original photograph services,” said PSA President Steve Sloan. “They will enable us to encapsulate a wider variety of collectibles for collectors, specifically original photographs and autographed 8-by-10s.”

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"The Round Mound of Rebound" is joining Panini America's team.

Hall of Famer Charles Barkley has signed an exclusive autograph deal with the Dallas-based company and that means he'll have his first certified autos in packs. He'll also sign memorabilia for Panini Authentic -- basketballs, jerseys and prints -- while his first cards will appear in 2017-18 Panini Noir.

“Barkley’s long absence from the trading card category has had fans clamoring and wondering if he would ever be featured on trading cards again,” Panini CEO Mark Warsop said in a prepared statement. ”This is a great day for NBA fans and all collectors as we will now be able to celebrate Charles’ illustrious career on trading cards and memorabilia.”

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It's a triple-autograph 1/1 creation signed by three of the biggest stars in baseball today because they all homered for the same team last night.

And, Buzz could be wrong, but its price tag sets a new Topps Now price record.

The cost? A cool $9,999.99. It's still up for grabs as I type but who knows how long it might last as other versions are already long gone off of Topps' real-time cardboard platform.

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Professional Sports Authenticator has a new president.

Steve Sloan has been tapped to lead PSA and PSA/DNA Authentication Services, according to an announcement from the company released on Tuesday. He'll replace Joe Orlando, who has served as its president since 2002 as well as the CEO of Collectors Universe since last October and will continue in his CEO role.

"While I will still be involved in PSA each day, my responsibilities have increased so it was time to pass the baton to someone who can focus on the day-to-day business," Orlando said. "Since taking on the role of Collectors Universe CEO, I have been working with Steve on the transition. Steve will be responsible for the performance of PSA moving forward and there is no doubt in my mind that he is the right person for the job.

"My contributions to PSA will continue, but it’s important that I further immerse myself in the other segments of the business, namely our coin division [PCGS] at Collectors Universe. ... The services and collectibles information we provide have become staples of the hobby for more than three decades. We simply want to build upon the outstanding foundation Collectors Universe already has.”

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Ink from one of the NFL's biggest stars -- past and present -- is back in Panini America packs.

The Dallas-based company revealed on Friday that it has landed New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady for his first autographed cards from the company since 2016.

He'll be appearing in a number of 2018 products for both NFL and collegiate releases.

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Major League Baseball is sticking with Topps.

The exclusive license for MLB baseball cards has been extended through 2025 as part of a deal revealed publicly by the company and MLB on Thursday.

“Baseball and trading cards go hand-in-hand, eliciting memories of the legends of our game and showcasing the stars of today and tomorrow,” said Noah Garden, MLB Executive VP of Commerce. “Topps vibrantly remains a part of the baseball lexicon that conjures images so many of us have cherished. They have re-invigorated the trading card business with innovative products such as Topps Now, which offers our fans the opportunity to memorialize great moments throughout the season. It’s with great pleasure that we continue this long-term partnership.”

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Professional Sports Authenticator will have a number of things for fans to check out at this year's National Sports Collectors Convention that's set for Aug. 1-5 in Cleveland.

The leading authentication and grading company will have custom cards for fans who opt to get in on those at the show as well as contests for three notable Cleveland items that can be entered both at the show and online right now. The custom card options include Cleveland Indians and Cavaliers gear.

“Last year’s custom encapsulated card option was such a big success in Chicago that we are excited to bring the experience to collectors and sports fans in Cleveland, too,” said PSA Vice President Steve Sloan. “What better way to preserve your memory of being at the show than with a custom trading card from PSA?”

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One of the biggest annual events in the hobby is coming soon -- and Blowout Cards is getting ready ... are you?

The plans for the Panini VIP Party coinciding with this year's National Sports Collectors Convention will be here soon, but we're already fielding questions and taking down info for those who are interested in getting in on the event.

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Barring some unforeseen need for shelving in the next few days, I made one last trek to a Toys R Us on Saturday afternoon -- Store No. 8919, according to my receipt -- in advance of its closing forever.

By this time next week, the long-running toy chain will be no more as bankruptcy will be the final chapter of this story that began back in the 1940s. It will end a run that clearly had its share of successes -- and mistakes -- but one that has left an indelible mark on pop culture and kids everywhere -- and probably their parents' pocketbooks, too.

I don't wanna grow up ...

Jogging my memory a bit, I've been to Toys R Us stores in probably five states -- that's not a lot as I didn't really grow up as a true Toys R Us Kid, meaning we had to drive a couple hours to find the closest one when I was younger and most in my toy prime. But this particular store? It just might be -- actually, I can pretty much guarantee this -- it is the first Toys R Us I ever visited. When? I'm not sure when the first time happened but those same doors I walked through today were the doors I walked through long ago looking for 1988 Donruss baseball cards and other "bargain packs" all those years ago. It's definitely where I first bought a Jose Canseco Baseball Card Kit and it's where I first discovered The Conlon Collection in baseball card form. (The price was right and the history there is still priceless today.) It's where I'm sure I bought a few NASCAR diecasts in the more recent past, too, as we would visit relatives on vacation and I'd hit all the different stores in town looking for cards and whatever other interesting toy or collectable piqued my interest at the time.

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Former Oklahoma Sooners basketball star and future first-round NBA Draft pick Trae Young has joined a new squad.

The Panini America team.

“We’re excited to welcome Trae Young as the newest exclusive member of the Panini America family,” said Panini CEO Mark Warsop. “Trae is one of the most exciting young players in all of basketball and he will absolutely be a major driver for our NBA trading card products for all of 2018-19 and beyond. We’ll work closely with him to deliver trading card and memorabilia offerings that appeal to fans and collectors in a major way.”

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Imagine buying a box of a little something something off the site -- something to rip that's right in your collecting wheelhouse but not one that breaks the bank.

Sometimes that box will deliver big, sometimes it might not -- that's the nature of the collecting these days -- but there are other times it could deliver even more.

More as in more boxes (or even cases) of something else.

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Today's one of those 10 percent eBay Bucks days -- check your email -- and that simple fact is enough to get us all looking for a little something something online.

And the rewards come later.

One place to look?

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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 Today: Stanley Cup chatter, the Shohei Ohtani Superfractor pull, NSCC chatter, grading delays and more in today's edition.

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Panini America is readying its Father's Day promo packs for the seventh season and has begun teasing what's to come.

So far, we've gotten a look at the basics for the release as well as some of the inserts.

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Forty top NFL rookies were busy signing plenty of cardboard and wearing their pro gear for the first time this weekend and the cardboard to prove it is here already.

Or, rather, Instantly.

Panini Instant had first many of these players' first cards on draft night and it already has three cards per player for those who were on hand at this year's NFLPA Rookie Premiere. While you'll have to wait for many of the cards that were created and signed this weekend to arrive in packs later in the year, these cards are available right now on the company's website.

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The Royal Wedding has some cardboard to go with it.

Topps revealed its plans for a 20-card Royal Wedding set on Wednesday, a 20-card Topps On Demand release that will initially only be sold via the company's website for a limited time.

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What would you pay for Giancarlo Stanton's final Miami Marlins jersey?

It could be yours right now ... for a price.

One of Buzz's newest super-casual hobbies is looking into specific pieces of game-used MLB memorabilia direct from teams with MLB Authentication. It's not a heavy focus just yet -- it's just a result of the ol' personal collection player being a retiree going cardless these days.

Some MLB teams have mailing lists you can join for updates about memorabilia available after games but most do not. Many sell items in team shops and via MLB Auctions (not always as auctions, though). The Miami Marlins are one team that does have a mailing list and there are some gems to be found there on the cheap.

But then there's the Stanton section. (And an Ichiro Suzuki section, too.)

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If you rip into boxes of 2018 Topps Pro Debut baseball cards at the end of the month, you might find a member of the Fresno Grizzlies on a card that has a little more flavor to it.

It's not just because of that tasty Fresno Tacos uniform -- it's an annual promo night for the team that shows you some of Minor League Baseball's flavor -- it's because John Springstube was the winner of Topps' annual Make Your Pro Debut contest that has let collectors get as close to the game as is possible.

How close? They get pretty much everything except an at-bat.

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Update (May 11): We've upped the offer to $100,000 -- details here.

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If you somehow needed extra incentive to open 2018 Bowman boxes when they officially arrive on Wednesday, BlowoutCards.com has some reasons for you to rip.

About 75,000 of them in fact.

The lucky collector who pulls the Shohei Ohtani Superfractor autograph from a pack of 2018 Bowman and gets it graded by Beckett Grading Services can collect $75,000 for it from Blowout Cards -- as long as it delivers a BGS 9.5 or better grade and it's delivered to the Blowout offices by May 11, 2018.

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A pair of graded Proof Morgan Dollars stolen from New England Patriots’ star Rob Gronkowski’s home during the Super Bowl were found quickly thanks to the their certification numbers that come with their slabbing.

Professional Coin Grading Service, aka PCGS, which is a sister company of Professional Sports Authenticator, certified the coins and they were found thanks to the info on their slabs. According to PSA, the Foxborough, Mass., police didn’t have any leads until Numismatic Crime Information Center founder Doug Davis shared the coins' info via the NCIC network. They were found quickly after that.

"Within 30 minutes of sending out the alert, I received a call from another dealer who advised he had the coins and the identity of the person who sold them,” Davis said.

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Remember the days of ripping into a cereal box for a bonus item when you were younger?

Funko does -- and it will have a line of new Funko's Cereals hitting toy and specialty shops in June. The prizes inside? New Funko Pop toys.

"One of the fun things is we are about to release our own line of cereal, with a mini-Pop inside," Funko founder Mike Becker told the Coronado (Calif.) Eagle & Journal. "We got all the cool licenses like He-Man, Wonder Woman, Elvira Mistress of the Dark, Freddy Krueger and our own Freddy Funko. We start shipping to stores in June and we have the distribution set up and the product is pre-sold. It’s just one more of those feel-good Funko items."

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If you've wanted a Shohei Ohtani autographed jersey, Topps Authentics is on it -- and it's now the only place where you'll be able to land the new Los Angeles Angels rookie.

Autographed baseballs and seven different autographed jerseys were among the first wave of signed pieces up for grabs from the company's memorabilia division with prices starting at $399.99 after their first signing -- and now he's an exclusive as of today.

“I’m excited to be part of Topps Authentics because Topps has a long history in baseball and partnering with its players,” Ohtani said.

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Centering is one of the four key areas of concern when it comes to card grading, but it's not always obvious how much a card is "off" when it is.

That's where the Grademaster Card Centering Tool comes in.

It's a simple item that helps solve a simple but important need -- helping collectors figure out whether their cards are centered 55/45, 60/40 or whatever else is possible beyond the obvious 50/50. It's the creation of Nick Schultz, a 30-year collector, mechanical engineer, active military member and the owner of BAK Products LLC.

"Sales have been brisk, but with the help of Blowout Cards’ vast network of collectors, I hope to reach all of the tens of thousands of individuals that are Blowout members and customers," he said. "The current version of the Grademaster is optimized for standard-sized cards, but I'm currently considering versions of the tool for other popular sizes of cards if the demand is shown from the collecting community."

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