Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals just might be to rip fewer blasters this year and talk more about cardboard that I -- and you -- might like. One way to do that? Simple show and tell -- present a few pick-ups and say why they captured my attention. Would they capture yours? I'd be interested to know -- sometimes they might, sometimes they won't and that's fine. It's a buyer's market out there with plenty of options and bargains as well as high-end gems to chase.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... and this time around they're (mostly) affordable finds.

--

A PIECE OF THE OCTAGON
The Card: Jon Fitch 2010 Topps UFC Main Event Authentic Cage Relics
The Price: $2.45
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This card was not one bought for the fighter but rather the type of Relic -- and you should know with this series that I'm a fan of unusual memorabilia cards. Bronze, Silver and Gold parallels can be found for this set which has a piece of the Octagon embedded into every card. There are 30 fighters in this one with the likes of Anderson Silva, Brock Lesnar, Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Rashad Evans and Georges St-Pierre among them. The Bronze (/88) are the easiest of the parallels while Silvers are limited to just eight copies and the Golds are 1/1s. Even retail boxes include a hit in these every time -- a mix of autos and Relics -- and the link below includes more than one option for you to chase stuff fresh from packs without spending a ton. This basic set has a strong lineup and some good highlights and these cards are unique (I don't think there are many others like it, if any). The parallels give you a tough chase but the basic set is do-able. I'm not there yet, but with super-cheap lesser names possible the set is perhaps more do-able than you might think on the cheap.
Grab a box/lot right here: 2010 Topps UFC Main Event

Keep reading for five more interesting items ...

Continue reading →

What: 2019 Topps Star Wars Chrome Legacy
Arrives: Aug. 16
Box basics: Two hits -- one autograph or sketch card guaranteed -- per 12-pack box (eight boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here (once live)

What's buzz-worthy: Chrome turns toward the mini-box format for Star Wars fans to revisit the eight past films and to chase autographs, Refractor rainbows and other hits in smaller chunks.

Keep reading for more as well as a gallery.

Continue reading →

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: Mike Trout got paid, collecting Hall of Fame autos, the many face of Bubba Smith, punters are people, too, and more ...

Continue reading →

Have you seen the latest cool or interesting items on eBay? If not, you just might see some of those here every week as we're launching a weekly version of our eBay Buzz pieces that pop up from time to time. We’ll spotlight some items that have a story or just wow us with how much interest it might have — and we’re not just talking baseball cards, either.

--

BIG NAMES IN NEW PLACES
The Item: Odell Beckham Jr. 2014 Panini National Treasures Hats Off Signatures New Era Tag (1/1) ... plus a few more autos and cards
The Price: $7,000 Buy-It-Now (or best offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: There are a number of NFL veterans in new places this coming season -- Antonio Brown, Mark Ingram, Kareem Hunt, Nick Foles, Le'Veon Bell and Mark Ingram for starters -- but it's perhaps Odell Beckham Jr. who walks into the best position for potential cardboard hype as he's now the big target for Baker Mayfield in his sophomore campaign after a "dangerous" and record-setting rookie season. Beckham's last three seasons haven't been nearly as productive as his first two -- a big drop-off on the field and even more off of it -- but if you're a believer in the talent it's time to buy. (Right?) The complaints about future Hall of Famer Eli Manning won't be there, so the production will be. (Right?) Antonio Brown leaves a team with a solid cardboard fan base for one that's also strong -- but it's a team that's seriously underachieved. Hunt is perhaps done on cards. Foles is perhaps a push and Bell could be in for a big tumble ... or big ups if The Big Apple's underachievers are successful. Ingram? He's leaving as the Saints career rushing TD leader and almost its career yards leader (less than 100 yards short) for a team where he might get the ball more but might be off the radar card-wise vs. New Orleans. That leaves Beckham as the biggest potential gainer here ... am I right? We'll see. This is a solid card and the lot includes a few others but there are a lot of high-end options out there for one of the biggest guys in the rookie crop of five years ago.
Similar Pieces: Other Odell Beckham Jr. autos on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for 2014 NFL boxes

Keep reading for four more interesting items in this week's roundup ...

Continue reading →

Turtle Power is coming back to cardboard.

Topps revealed on Friday that it has a new deal with Viacom Nickelodeon Consumer Products to bring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles back to trading cards

Continue reading →

Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today's your day then as we launch 8 in 8 -- a series of a eight breaks of wax boxes and wax packs in as many hours today. We'll post one every hour ... this is Hour 2.

The case: 2016 Captain America: Civil War (216-pack super case)
The cost: Click here

What's inside this one? Keep reading ...

Continue reading →

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: Big BlowoutTV pulls, inside two 2019 Donruss cases, Antonio Brown, Star Wars and more.

Continue reading →

Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading and knows that there are many reasons that collectors choose to slab cards. Sometimes it's to enhance the appeal and protect them when selling. Other times it's to protect an investment for the long-term or to protect for sentimental reasons. Or, it might be just for fun or curiosity about a potential grade.

Here's this month's grading diary here on The Buzz ...

The Card: 2014 Topps Chrome Update #MB46 Mookie Betts RC
The Reason Graded: I didn't buy a ton of Mega Boxes when these arrived five years ago, but I did land this card, which is a Rookie Debut version for then Red Sox rookie and now-reigning American League MVP Mookie Betts. This card is an ironic classic in that he's captured taking the field at Yankee Stadium. That aspect of the photo isn't as easily seen in Chrome form, but I opted to get this pricier version of the card graded. I'll probably grade some more of my others in the future. For now, though, this one leads the way.
The Grade: BGS 9.5

Reality Check: I wasn't that confident in this one as I just have bad luck at times with Chrome cards, but this one turns out to be one of the highest-graded copies. I'll take it, especially considering what I've got up next.

Keep reading for the rest of this month's new grades and additions.

Continue reading →

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: Big pulls from past and present products lead the way in today's edition.

Continue reading →

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: Chasing complete print runs, revisiting the card shop, big pulls and more.

Continue reading →

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: Big pulls, pondering cards that never existed and Ted Williams' missing years, a 1/1 auto from an NBA blaster and plenty more.

Continue reading →

A number of classic films are getting Funko Pop! toys this year after they were teased at Toy Fair New York.

Among the movies? Caddyshack, Jaws, Ghostbusters, Forrest Gump and Men In Black -- and that's not even all of them.

Keep reading for a look at these and a full gallery.

Continue reading →

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: 2019 Topps Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Black & White trading cards
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 8
Cards per pack: 7
Cards in this box: 56
Base set completion: 
40 of 150 (27 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Continue reading →

Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading and knows that there are many reasons that collectors choose to slab cards. Sometimes it's to enhance the appeal and protect them when selling. Other times it's to protect an investment for the long-term or to protect for sentimental reasons. Or, it might be just for fun or curiosity about a potential grade.

Here's this month's grading diary here on The Buzz ...

The Card: 2017 Donruss Rookie Gridiron Kings #2 Patrick Mahomes II
The Reason Graded: His break-out campaign started off so strong I had to revisit my past pulls from Donruss last year -- I busted a ton -- and I submitted a trio of his cards. You saw one last month, you see this one here and you'll see another in March. (Call that a spoiler.) This insert isn't the most-striking of cards but it looked very clean in my pre-examining of cards so it made the cut.
The Grade: BGS 9.5

Reality Check: None have graded higher but this one is not alone on the pop report. That surprises me a bit as grading seems to be all about standard RCs, rare numbered parallels and the ol' big mojo hits, but it seems that a season like the one he had could be prompting anything from his first year on cardboard to get another look. (Ironically you can still grab boxes of this one and others relatively cheap, too. To me that all spells fun ... and wax will dry up over time.)

Keep reading for the rest of this month's new grades and additions.

Continue reading →

Get those TPS Reports ready and make sure to count your pieces of flair, because four memorable characters from a cult classic are coming to the toy aisle soon.

Funko Pop! toys for Office Space are on the way and the company behind them unveiled a lineup of four figures that fans of the 1999 film will have to have ... right beside their slightly charred red Swingline stapler.

Continue reading →

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: Nothing but case breakdowns and big pulls as we start the week.

Continue reading →

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: Nothing but break highlights and a few 1/1 pulls in today's edition.

Continue reading →

Have you seen the latest cool or interesting items on eBay? If not, you just might see some of those here every week as we're launching a weekly version of our eBay Buzz pieces that pop up from time to time. We’ll spotlight some items that have a story or just wow us with how much interest it might have — and we’re not just talking baseball cards, either.

--

FINALE OR LAUNCHING PAD?
The Item: Patrick Mahomes II 2017 Panini Absolute Football Rookie Premiere Triple Materials (/149)
The Price: $450 Buy-It-Now (or best offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This weekend is either the finale to a huge season or a launching pad further into the stratosphere as Patrick Mahomes' Kansas City Chiefs take on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots with the winner headed to the Super Bowl. It's the new big name against the guy who's basically the greatest of all time -- or at worst the greatest of his time -- and these are players commanding nothing but big bucks on cardboard. This card? It's on the lower side of the Buy-It-Now options out there -- see the link below for Crazy Town pricing on eBay
Similar Pieces: Patrick Mahomes autos on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for 2017 NFL boxes (he's in many of them)

Keep reading for four more interesting items in this week's roundup ...

Continue reading →

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: Nothing but highlights from breaks in today's edition.

Continue reading →

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: Big pulls, big redemption bummer (via a bad delivery), pondering Hall of Famers and more.

Continue reading →

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: Cautionary threads, meandering hot takes, big pulls and more in today's edition.

Continue reading →

Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading and knows that there are many reasons that collectors choose to slab cards. Sometimes it's to enhance the appeal and protect them when selling. Other times it's to protect an investment for the long-term or to protect for sentimental reasons. Or, it might be just for fun or curiosity about a potential grade.

Here's this month's grading diary here on The Buzz ...

The Card: 2017 Donruss Press Proofs Red #327 Patrick Mahomes II Rated Rookie
The Reason Graded: Oh what a difference a year makes. This time last year, this parallel Rookie Card was a pull from a retail box where it didn't do much for me -- in fact, I had it set aside to send away when I revisited a box out of curiosity and there he was ... and he wasn't alone. Now, he's an MVP lock and one of the hotter Rookie Cards in the hobby after a 50-touchdown season. These Reds are only found in retail boxes and I figured I'd take my shot at getting it in a slab since it looked pretty clean.
The Grade: BGS 9.5

Reality Check: It was definitely that and what's surprising is that nobody else has pulled one and opted to slab it up. Yes, I know it's the rare autos from key brands that lead the way, but I think a slab for a card like this -- one where there may not be as many out there as other un-numbered parallels -- with a low pop could surprise you if you were a seller. (I'm not ... I stash my stuff 99.9 percent of the time.)

Keep reading for the rest of this month's new grades and additions.

Continue reading →

Between everyday Buzz Breaks and the near-monthly Buzz 12 in 12 marathons, Buzz busted a lot of packs in 2018.

How many? Well, Buzz is almost afraid to count -- though it was seemingly news to me that the 12 in 12 marathons actually started early last year. (That's even more proof there's been a lot of wax to get these hands ... it's all a blur.)

It was a year of memorable pulls for me at times with some icons' autographs found in my packs. It also was fun one ripping into really old packs, too, with some cheap thrills there.

Breaks are among the most-popular items seen here nearly every day and Buzz knows that. So look for plenty of breaks in 2019 -- but, before that time comes, keep reading for links to not one, not 18, but 25 memorable breaks from 2018.

Continue reading →

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: Nothing but big pulls in this Sunday edition.

Continue reading →

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: Eight 1/1s in just 30 packs, big pulls from 2018 Bowman Draft and other new releases, debating "Patrick Mahomes is the next ____."

Continue reading →