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: 2025 Leaf Metal Pop Century 1/1 Pre-Production Proofs (four)
Where to buy: Click here (these are box-toppers in Pop Century boxes)

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

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What: 2026 Leaf Slideshow trading cards
Arrives: April 10
Box basics: Three slide cards per box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Leaf brings something that’s collectible into the cardboard realm as a standalone trading card release -- photo slides -- with a mix of chase elements in play.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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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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Many people collect autographs -- but not in the same ways -- and not all autographs are made alike. Some are mass-produced, some are in packs. Some are personalized, some are not. Some have all kinds of documentation and many more have none ... here's a look at a few that entered my collection in recent months.

CERTIFIED INK (FROM PACKS)
The Item: Mark Metcalf 2024 Leaf Metal Pop Century Platinum Blue Prismatic Autographs (/10)
What It Cost Me: $17
What's It Worth: More than that in my book ...
The Buzz: That “Worthless & Weak” inscription may or may not resonate with you depending on your age -- I didn’t recognize him on this card at first -- but I found this on a curiosity search during a working marathon with MTV Classic on in the background. Metcalf is an actor perhaps best known for his roles in the 1970s and ‘80s and even ‘90s with Animal House, Hill Street Blues, Seinfeld and Buffy The Vampire Slayer among his credits. (See even more about him here ... it's an interesting feature about acting and typecasting.) But, he also had ongoing appearances in some 1980s videos from the rock band Twisted Sister -- a staple of early MTV -- "I Wanna Rock” and "We’re Not Gonna Take It” and that’s where I know him from. They’re  perfectly absurd little pieces of pop culture, but that’s 1980s music videos for you ... and that whole rant is a callback to a scene in Animal House, too. I was just a kid when those came out, but their over-the-top antics amused me and stuck with me ... and that’s why I thought his was a cool card all these years later.
Find Ink At: Pop Century boxes at BlowoutCards.com

Keep reading for a few more autos that caught my attention.

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Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...

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THE FUTURE ... 
The Card: Oba Femi 2024 Panini National Treasures WWE Holo Silver (/25) -- Rookie Card parallel
The Price: $40
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was a card I picked up back in September and Femi's arrival on the main roster since then has been beyond impressive -- perhaps better than I had expected. There have been a lot of people noticing him as well -- so much so that demand for the Red parallel of this card, which is three times more plentiful -- is a crazy example in comparison to my card. One of the Reds recently went for almost $160 on eBay -- that’s impressive but this one is better. It makes me wish I would have stashed even more.
Grab a box right here: WWE cards are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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

SHINE ON YOU CRAZY DIAMANTE
The Card: Roki Sasaki 2025 Topps Series 2 Diamante -- Rookie Card parallel
The Reason Graded: In my mind, this parallel that arrived for the Topps flagship sets last year is one of the most-dynamic options in an over-foiled lineup and this one made the cut for a grading sub after I found it in a hanger box. (These parallels are only in hanger boxes -- two at a time, every time.) The textures here can make cards look funky or even mangled to the naked eye on some corners or edges thanks to the texture and pattern, so your best bet for grading these (and other stuff, of course) is to make sure you have a loupe.
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: Lone copy graded and only one slot on the scale ahead of it that could top it ... works for me. I need to scout these singles more -- that’s how much I like them -- and they are back this year.

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

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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: 2025 Leaf Metal Pop Century 1/1 Pre-Production Proofs (two)
Where to buy: Click here (these are box-toppers in Pop Century boxes)

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

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 set: 2024 GAS Pantera Tour trading cards
Where to buy: Will take some looking ... Click here for other non-sports releases

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

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Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...

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THE GANG'S ALL HERE ... 
The Item: Andy Pafko United Press Associations 8-by-10 photo (stamped on back) sourced from Pafko's estate. In it, he’s greeted by his Brooklyn Dodgers teammates after his 12th-inning homer against the New York Giants on April 18, 1952.
The Price: $29 shipped
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I found this from a seller of all kinds of stuff from Pafko's estate that hadn't seen the light of day in a long, long time. The former Cubs-Dodgers-Braves standout and four-time All-Star either clearly amassed a lot of stuff over the years -- or he had somebody who would do it for him during and after his career. Why do I say that? The volume of original items like this was truly impressive -- and I've picked off a few pieces to show here in the coming months. This photo stood out not only as a key moment in a big game as you can see above -- an extra-inning homer that was his second of the day against a New York rival -- but also because also seen here are Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson, Hall of Famer Pee Wee Reese, Hall of Famer Duke Snider and Hall of Famer Gil Hodges among others. (That's all of the team's HOFers that year save for Roy Campanella -- and it's a team that went all the way to Game 7 of the World Series where they lost to the Yankees.) It's got some typical but still light wear of old press photos, but it is otherwise bright and crisp for 74 years old. I really think this could command a lot more than $29, too.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but MLB cards are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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There are a lot of things one can collect that aren't cards -- sometimes they can even come in packs or repackaged memorabilia boxes 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' green (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. 

TODAY'S THE GREATEST
The Item: The Smashing Pumpkins concert poster -- Melbourne, Australia, April 22 & 27, 2023 (announced /175)
What It Cost Me: $35
What's It Worth: Original cost $35 ... recent eBay sold $45 ... recent eBay asking $115
The Buzz: If you know and like the song and video for "Today," then this 18-by-24 piece from illustrator Pat Fox might appeal to you like this did for me. It's a nod to the 1993 video that arguably launched this band into the mainstream and this retro take for a more-recent show just seemed different and cool from the genre in my eyes. I've recently started dabbling around in this realm -- but only on the relative cheap -- after finding a seller/collector with a vast stock with 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 and perhaps elsewhere from time to time as unique buys come my way. Why? I'm hooked, amazing stuff can be found cheaply and I'm just collecting something a little different while they are also, in essence, bigger cards but made in far-lower volumes. The only drawback? Storage -- top-loaders for stuff like this doesn't come cheap -- but I'll adapt.
Find Cards At: Non-sports boxes at BlowoutCards.com

Check out even more items after the jump.

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

TOOK ME LONG ENOUGH ...
The Mag: Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce -- Mad No 36 (April 2024)
The Reason Graded: With the Grammys set for tonight (Feb. 1), I figured now would be the time to drop one here for the Swifties -- a magazine that I picked off long, long ago with absolute intent to grade but never got around to it until late last year. This duo sold a lot of magazines in the last couple of years but this one was one of few to present itself in a way that would fit in my collection of slabs -- it's one part sports (he's in uniform) and one part comics/satire, a category where I have a few slabs. These were popular -- so much so there was at least a second printing with a green logo -- but actually finding the long-running but off-and-on-title would be a challenge at arrival. Book stores/newsstands? Probably not. Comics shops? Maybe ... but probably not a big priority for many of them. The original Mad ran from 1952 to 2018 before DC Comics took over after a couple months off that year and it's largely been new covers wrapping mostly favorite reprinted stories from the past with occasional new content.
The Grade: CGC 9.6 (Universal)

Reality Check: These mags are super thin and the cover paper is, too. How skinny? The spines of new copies have texture all the way down from the folding -- I suspect they will be the huge problem spots if you find these un-graded with an eye for slabbing. Mine has that -- as do some 9.8s I looked at before slabbing -- so mine probably had one other small issue to kick it down a notch. That was a bummer -- and my latest mags submission didn't have a single 9.8 in it, which was odd -- but I was grading this no matter what as a time capsule kind of slab from the last few years.

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

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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: 2025 The White Stripes X GAS trading cards (five-pack bundle)
Where to buy: Sold out via GAS/Complex ...  BlowoutCards.com for other non-sports cards

Keep reading for a full breakdown of what was in this one along with a gallery of images.

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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: 2025 Leaf Metal Pop Century 1/1 Pre-Production Proofs (two)
Where to buy: Click here (these are box-toppers in Pop Century boxes)

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

Continue reading →

Auction Buzz is a monthly look at some of the variety found out there on the auction block via for Dallas-based Heritage Auctions ... check 'em out.

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MODERN-DAY TREASURE OR A SUPER-FLASHY FLIP?
The Item: Shohei Ohtani & Aaron Judge 2025 Topps Chrome Update Dual Gold Logoman MVP Relic (/4)
The Price: $75,000 after 23 bids (ends Jan. 30)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This monster card came out of a pack in recent months -- well, at least its redemption did -- and it's already on the auction block for a cash-in. What is it? It's a card with the gold-threaded MLB logo patch off of game-used jerseys from the reigning MVPs from each league in 2024 as worn last year -- if you look closely at both images on the card you can see them, too. (Enhanced to make sure they stand out more? Not necessarily ... but they sure do pop on those tiny images.) Cards like these -- signed and unsigned as singles and immensely rare finds -- are some of the biggest pulls in the heavily produced brand with long odds. The back of the card has built-in windows for you to see the MLB Authentication stickers for these patches pulled from their jerseys (click to view and go look them up for yourself). Should these be a hold or moved immediately? I bet your answers are all over the place -- but the longer one waits, the more the chances other cards like this might be done over time, giving them more competition if they are all up for grabs at the same time. Ohtani and Judge are two of the game's biggest names of the here and now and figure to be later. How big among the all-timers? We'll find out when they are done ... but they are as safe as it gets right now, too.

Keep reading for more interesting pieces up for grabs right now.

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Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...

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BROADWAY JOE
The Item: Joe Namath autographed 16-by-20 Sports Illustrated "Broadway Joe" cover photo (BAS witnessed)
The Price: $249
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I don't normally include the actual price when I make a bigger buy, but in this case a sale price was too strong for a piece so nice ... so I am. Why? A typical price for an item like this is substantially higher than what I paid (around $400-600) and peak asking prices are sometimes even nuttier than the normal range. This was my big Black Friday buy and I landed it via Mill Creek Sports (this is their scan as I struggled to photograph mine thanks to size/glare on my top-loader) and one reason why I grabbed it (beyond the price) was that I liked this horizontal version of the photo and its autograph placement infinitely more than the vertical version. Atop that, it's also a piece where I had a chance to land one for just $150 long ago at The National but I didn't as I didn't have a way to safely get it home. This is the iconic photo that led to the nickname for the eventual Super Bowl winner and icon who helped change the game forever. He turns 83 this year, too, and I don't think demand will lessen over time.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but NFL cards are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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

MJ's MOMENT
The Card: Michael Jordan 2008 Goudey Hit Parade of Champions
The Reason Graded: This moment turns 35 this year and this insert card is one that ... came out of a box of baseball cards. It's a throwback to a 1951 set with stars from a little bit of everywhere in this Goudey version. These cards are smaller -- allowing for them to bounce around inside the wrappers -- but the only even close to deterring issue for grading with this copy was an irregular spot in the card stock itself ... but you can't even see it in this image. This finally made it into a grading submission of mine last year because it's an iconic moment for one of biggest names in sports history. The moment? This was Jordan's first championship.
The Grade: CGC 9

Reality Check: Behold! The worst of the four graded. Doesn't matter to me ... I just like the card and nines are fine.

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

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Auction Buzz is a monthly look at some of the variety found out there on the auction block via for Dallas-based Heritage Auctions ... check 'em out.

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THE BIGGEST BATMAN
The Item: 1966 Topps Batman (Black Bat) No. 1 The Batman (PSA 9)
The Price: $90,000 after 61 bids (ends Dec. 11)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Are non-sports "rookie cards" a thing? They are to many and this one fits the bill as this first card in the first set for the iconic character -- and it's already delivering big on the auction block where it will end this week. "Norman Saunders' bold brushwork captures the Caped Crusader in motion, surrounded by bursts of color that defined the campy, kinetic energy of 1960s pop culture," reads the Heritage listing. "This stunner is one of the highest-graded examples known, with none higher on the PSA population report ... it embodies the unmatched quality and care behind this legendary collection. Simply put, this is the Batman rookie every serious collector dreams of owning."

Keep reading for more interesting pieces up for grabs right now.

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Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...

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TWO OF BLACKHEARTS
The Card: Shotzi Blackheart 2025 Panini Instant MLW Autographs Water parallel (/10)
The Price: $39.99 each via Panini
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This former WWE star is taking over a prominent spot in indy wrestling with appearances downright everywhere these days but with only a handful of card appearances to show for it (at least for now). Panini's newer foray into cardboard for Major League Wrestling has so far spawned a trio of base cards with parallels and some with autographed versions. I've been lucky enough to be plugged in and online to land ink for a couple of those drop days and in this case landed a pair of these autos where only eight others exist. Generally speaking, I'm not that big of a fan of the elemental parallels used in Instant these days, but they are an upgrade over the previous year's parallels that merely colored in one of the stripes in a design similar to this instead of the border as it is here. Either way, this one I'm a fan of as she's arguably my top collecting target these days as WWE stuff has gotten too pricey to comfortably dabble/rip boxes and have fun with the typical returns. In this case, the only angst is battling bots -- cards like these vanish in seconds and end up on eBay with prices three (or more) times higher. At least when I plunk down the money for these I know what I'm getting. (For those curious, the auto stickers here are older when she was signing in higher volumes for WWE releases -- her auto is back to an every-letter sig now.)
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but wrestling cards are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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What: 2025 Rolling Stone Bob Marley Keepsake Premiere Edition trading cards
Arrives: Jan. 21, 2026
Box basics: One memorabilia card per six-pack case
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: "On the cover of a Rolling Stone" hits cardboard once again from Keepsake with one iconic name in play on every single card for this high-end release.

Keep reading for more info and a selection of images.

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What: 2025 Keepsake Jimi Hendrix Collection Premiere Edition trading cards
Arrives: Jan. 14, 2026
Box basics: Two memorabilia cards per 16-pack box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: The purple haze returns to cardboard with another Keepsake release for Jimi Hendrix -- but with this one being more of a traditional box format with an array of possible finds.

Keep reading for more info and a selection of images.

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For years now, autographed books coming direct from the publishers -- or direct from the authors themselves -- have been an affordable way to collect ink from notable names in all realms of pop culture.

It's not a perfect system with stamped autos, fakes and autopens sometimes in the mix -- a problem for publishers to catch as they are not authenticators -- but thanks to dedicated collectors on the Blowout Cards Forum and elsewhere, those problems often get caught and fixed ... or at least become well-known enough to avoid if it's an issue that goes uncorrected.

Getting ink in-person is always best -- book tours still happen, of course -- but landing autographed editions from publishers, online sellers or celebs themselves via their websites or other appearances are common.

Our latest subject and autograph in this ongoing series? TV host, pop star and American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson.

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Auction Buzz is a regularly appearing look at some of the variety found out there on the block ... check 'em out.

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NEW RECORD COMING IN DECEMBER?
The Item: Frank Frazetta, "Conan The Berserker" original art used on Conan The Conqueror (Lancer/Ace, 1967)
The Price: $10,000,000 opening bid (ends Dec. 10)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This classic couldn't wait to appear here next month when it hits the block via Dallas-based Heritage Auctions -- that starting price shows that it's a big deal right now and that this one will likely end up being as big as it gets when it's sold.

First, a nugget about that opening price for those who might not know ... earlier this year, a Frazetta painting of Conan sold via Heritage for a record $13.5 million -- that one was for the cover of the first Lancer/Ace paperback book in a 12-part series -- and this comes from a later book with a visual that helped inspire the modern-day take on the iconic character beyond just paintings. "This intricately detailed and action-packed image stands as the best of the series for many collectors, and the painting is indisputably one of the small handful of Frazetta's most desirable from the upper echelon of his greatest hits," reads the Heritage listing. "Combining Frazetta's very best elements of fantasy iconography and classic artistry, Conan has never appeared more powerfully heroic -- even super heroic -- than in this unforgettable scene. ... The bold composition is one of the artist's most iconic, immediately recognizable, and memorable. Conan absolutely dominates the detailed battlefield, and Frazetta masterfully employs red highlights that swirl throughout, culminating in his bloody sword, victoriously raised, seemingly slicing through the entire atmospheric sky and serving as the dramatic punctuation of the composition.

This 15-by-19 painting also was later used for the cover art on metal band Molly Hatchet’s third studio album (Epic Records, 1980) to further its legacy, which also includes countless appearances on Frazetta prints, posters, shirts and even guitars ... but that's just one part of its history. It's presently owned by Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett, who is a serious collector of horror and fantasy artwork and posters and he bought this piece directly from the legendary artist for $1 million back in November 2009. It's appeared in a book about his collection and been displayed along with other pieces he owns in museum exhibits.

"When Hammett acquired it, Frazetta had sold virtually none of his major paintings, and Hammett had his pick of treasures -- choosing Berserker above them all," reads the Heritage listing. "To put that staggering price in perspective, soon after the artist's passing in 2010, Frazetta's original pen-and-ink comic book cover for Weird Science-Fantasy No. 29 -- widely considered to be the greatest comic book cover of all time -- sold for just $380,000, which itself was far more than any comic art had sold for previously. That's all to make clear what a premium both Frazetta and Hammett placed on this showpiece."

Check out this video to hear Hammett describe it all.

Keep reading for more interesting pieces up for grabs -- this isn't even the only item with a million-dollar opener coming in December.

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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. 

98 DEGREES ON THE DIAMOND?
The Card: Nick Lachey 2009 TRISTAR Obak T212 Minis
The Buzz On This: His musical genre isn't on my radar, nor are the reality shows ... but the baseball card? Now we're talking. The pop star was among the ownership group of the Tacoma Rainiers baseball franchise (a Mariners farm team as you can see on the card) for about five years and that got him an appearance in this MiLB-celebrating oddity of a card set from TRISTAR. His 10 baseball cards in this release (this is one of the parallels) are all there are for him when it comes to sports cards ... unless the team snuck him into a set and nobody noticed. Obak is a fun one full of weird stuff and I've trotted some of them out in this series a few times ... and there will be more.

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

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Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...

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BOOK IT, BARRYMORE!
The Card: Drew Barrymore 2024 Leaf History Book Pop Culture Edition Chapter 1 A-List Magazine Purple Autographs (/10)
The Price: A lot less than some others have paid for her booklets
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I'm not a big fan of how her abbreviated autograph looks on a sticker -- but since she has a long name I understand why she signs that way -- but I do casually collect some of her stuff, mostly 1990s-on (like in this photo), when it presents itself. Why? Just for something different ... so that's why we're here. Until Leaf's recent signing sessions with her, she's never had a certified autograph despite a lifetime on film and on cardboard since the early 1980s starting with Topps' E.T. set. Rather than obsess about her ink, I waited out a good price on this booklet and crossed it off the list. It's an unusual design -- not the typical kind of book -- but prices on her signed stuff have been steep with a lot of them being lower-volume cards. Many of her autos -- even solo ones -- can sell for $100 and up and combo booklets can be even steeper. I found this for less than that ... so it was a win for me.
Grab a box right here: Non-sports cards are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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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 pack: 2025 Leaf Metal Pop Century 1/1 Pre-Production Proofs 
Where to buy: Click here (these are box-toppers in Pop Century boxes)

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

Continue reading →