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: Four 1/1s in four NT boxes, some fresh Zion Williamson slabs, Game of Thrones, Dollar Tree Donruss, The National and more 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: New breaks, Project 2020, buying low on Kris Bryant, Jim Wynn, The National and more.

Continue reading →

Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my ongoing goals is to rip a little less 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.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... and this time around there's a little more non-sports -- perhaps a reflection of some recent binge-watching of TV and movies that came to mind without live sports happening.

--

NO BASEBALL, NO MARCH MADNESS ... 
The Card: Tony Gwynn 2016-17 Panini Immaculate Collection Collegiate Jersey Prime (/25)
The Price: $22.50
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Back in December, I presented a similar card to this one and had it leading off -- but with there being no March Madness, no baseball, nothing ... I figured I might lead off with this one again as a reminder of what's not going on right now. As mentioned last time, this Hall of Famer's estate auctioned off a number of game-used pieces in 2015, generating more than $217,000 and among them was his first San Diego Aztecs basketball uniform that sold for $11,858 via SCP Auctions to Panini America. The swatches didn't go into a ton of different cards -- just a couple brands over a couple years -- so there's a chance there could be some more at some point. If not, these will remain classics.
Grab a box right here: 2016-17 Panini Immaculate Collection Collegiate

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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: A supplies praise thread, inside 35 -- yes, 35! -- Walking Dead cases, NBA season on hold, new USA Baseball and WWE pulls and seeing red over a Black slab?

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 4.

The box: 1991 Impel Laffs trading cards 
The cost: Varies (Original price -- $9.) Click here for newer non-sports cards

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 pulls, 2020 Topps Heritage chatter, a bad XFL headline and more 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: Scouting spring training prospects, 2020 Donruss and 2020 Topps Heritage breaks, new pulls, chasing Zion 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 ...

BIG-TIME PULL
The Card: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 2019 Topps Chrome Orange Refractors #201 (/25) Rookie Card parallel
The Reason Graded: This one came out of one of the best Topps Chrome boxes I've ever seen -- in fact, it might have been one of the best non-high-end boxes I've ever seen for any brand -- and I knew instantly that the two big cards from it would end up slabbed. This one is up first and I actually had it graded awhile back but held it a little closer to baseball season -- and we're here. This guy could be set for a big season after a rookie campaign that was closely watched but perhaps not as lofty as was expected. With so few copies of this one made, I figured it was a no-brainer no matter how he fares this season.
The Grade: BGS 9.5

Reality Check: I was glad to see this grade, and it turns out that two of the three that were slabbed were graded on the same day -- I just missed out on "first-graded" status. The Series 2 short-print (which looks just like this) is probably going to be the long-term iconic card for Guerrero, but rare Chromes like this one figure to be very strong, too, even if in a lesser grade. Interestingly only four copies have been graded by PSA -- three 10s and one PSA 9.

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

Continue reading →

What: 2020 Cryptozoic Outlander Season 4 trading cards
Arrives: May 27
Box basics: One autograph and one memorabilia card per 24-pack box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: The fourth season of Outlander is coming to cardboard later this year as Cryptozoic has started to tease its plans for the latest look at Starz's hit time-travel drama.

Keep reading for more info.

Continue reading →

What: 2020 Topps Star Wars Authentics 8x10 Autos
Arrives: Aug. 19
Box basics: One autographed 8-by-10 photo, one serial-numbered trading card and one discount card per box (12 boxes per case)
Signers list: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: This signed photos line reverts back to 8-by-10 photos for its second release of the year with new ink from The Mandalorian and The Rise of Skywalker in play here.

Keep reading for more as well as a full gallery of images.

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 and breaks highlights 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.

--

HOW YOU LIKE ME NOW?
The Item: Zion Williamson 2019-20 Donruss Optic Holo (Silver Prizm) Rookie Card parallel
The Price: $1,499.99 Buy-It-Now (or best offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: What's the hottest box on the planet at the moment? It might be this one and it arrives just as the NBA's No. 1 pick is at his peak so far after a late arrival that has generated plenty of attention. Retail boxes are vanishing within seconds of arrival for this one and the various hobby formats are also scorchers -- and it's not really been around long enough for a huge number of single-card sales to be out there on eBay just yet. Too many box flippers affecting that? Or is it just me? (It could be just as I've been shut out all season long on pulling any Zions in an NBA uni ... I'm bitter.) This brand is one I like because it seems to deliver a little more fun and a little more volume than its other Optichrome counterparts -- there are a few brands with plastic potential -- but they're all very popular this year and I'm sure there's more to come. I'm not totally sure what's going on with the photo crop here (Maybe it's to facilitate autos?) but that doesn't matter. Raw copies of the base card have pushed $100 so you can expect plenty of action -- and volatility -- on everything else, too. The one constant? People want them. If I pulled a big one like this, I'd be slabbing before selling.
Similar Pieces: Zion Williamson Optic cards on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for all 2019-20 Donruss Optic box formats

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

Continue reading →

What: Star Trek The Original Series Archives & Inscriptions
Arrives: April 29
Box basics: Two autographs (one with inscription) per 24-pack box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Trek's original run gets a new run on cardboard with a number of big names signing on with extra inscriptions as well as a number of other inclusions to collect.

Keep reading for more info and images.

Continue reading →

What: 2020 Topps The Mandalorian: Journey of The Child trading cards
Arrives: April 8
Box basics: 30 cards per set along with two parallel cards (40 boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: The biggest little deal in Star Wars today -- Baby Yoda -- gets a card set of his own that will go retail-only when it arrives this spring.

Keep reading for more as well as a gallery.

Continue reading →

Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals is to rip a little less 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.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys.

--

OFF-SEASON SLABBING
The Card: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 2019 Topps Chrome RC (PSA 9)
The Price: About $15
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The pop report on this one is flip-flopped like a lot of new modern cards -- it's got more than 1,500 PSA 10s but just over 150 PSA 9s out of nearly 1,700 graded ... not the norm, really. Nonetheless, I still didn't mind it in this grade for this price. The short-printed Series 2 card that carries the same photo as this one is a tougher grade -- those corners can be chippy -- but rather than sub my own there and hope for a PSA 9 I just decided to go this route on Chrome. I'll probably do more when they present themselves or perhaps submit others at some point. (I'll have a big submission I already made batting lead-off in a future Making The Grade, too.) My gut feeling is that this super-rookie didn't live up to the massive hype we had envisioned last year -- so 2020 could be one that is dramatic for his cardboard ... one way or another.
Grab a box right here: 2019 Topps Chrome 

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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: Kobe Bryant, an NBA newbie seeks advice, big breaks, Pieces of the Past, Rick & Morty and of you think Drew Brees will retire?

Continue reading →

Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals is to rip a little less 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.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... and this time around it's mostly stuff found on the affordable side.

--

WORKHORSE PLATES
The Card: Derrick Henry 2016 Panini Spectra Plates & Patches black printing plate (1/1)
The Price: About $9
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: We'll know soon whether this monster of the gridiron this season will be playing in the Super Bowl for the first time, but I figured I'd lead off with him since he's had a huge year. I'd also let this serve as a reminder that there are some solid bargains to be found among stuff that's not brand new and that there are types of cards that seem to be overlooked. This card fits that bill. Yes, printing plates can have less appeal depending on the color of the plate and the design of the cards, but they seem to be overlooked by many for some unknown reason to me. They are 1/1s available in four different colors/separations but people don't seem to always act like they are when selling or buying. This price works for me and for my collecting tastes, especially when you consider this is also from his rookie year.
Grab a box right here: Spectra NFL boxes (all years)

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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, Star Trek ink, baseball movies, Kazuo Uzuki gold and more 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: Derrick Henry is a freak, Drake's Rookie Card reaction, big pulls from around the collecting world and "What happens with Patrick Mahomes prices when Houston wins?"

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: A big Contenders NBA box, other big pulls, pondering Tom Brady's next team, buying a case for a 10-year-old and which Ronald Acuña Jr. card would you want?

Continue reading →

What: 2020 TRISTAR Signature Series Entertainment Live Edition
Arrives: Feb. 19
Box basics: Seven autographed memorabilia pieces per case
Pre-order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: TRISTAR's Signature Series line turns its focus to the entertainment world with a release that includes a pretty good volume of items per case as part of a product that's rare -- just 50 cases will be made.

Continue reading →

What: 2020 Rittenhouse Game of Thrones Season 8 trading cards
Arrives: March 11
Box basics: Two autographed cards (one with inscription) per 24-pack box (12 boxes per case)
Pre-order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: The series may be done, but the cardboard is not as Game of Thrones returns with the final season getting a first look.

Keep reading for more info and images.

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 breaks and other big pulls 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 ... a super-sized edition with 20 cards to open 2020.

--

SO CLOSE TO PERFECTION ...
The Card: Ronald Acuña Jr. 2018 Topps Chrome #193 -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: This one looked very clean to my eye and I figured getting some of my past Acuña pulls slabbed was a good move considering his almost-40/40 showing last year. Some of his cards are heavily graded to the point where they can be had for not much more than a typical cost to slab if not in top grades. Meanwhile, others aren't as plentiful and some can typically grade very well. I went with this one since it's not as heavily graded and it does tend to grade well. Plus, I just liked the photo here compared to others -- and those I already own slabbed.
The Grade: BGS 10

Reality Check: This one surprised me a bit -- just one half-subgrade away from a BGS Black. Only 14 cards have gotten the perfect mark and this one is among an also-small population. Most cards here check in at 9.5s -- a solid mark and a perfect card to bat lead-off for this first MTG of the year. I expect big things from Acuña this year and I'll be slabbing him often.

Keep reading for more.

Continue reading →

It's fitting that he's green ... he's generating plenty of it.

In the Twitter and meme galaxies, he's "Baby Yoda," but on Topps Now cards for The Mandalorian, he's "The Child" -- the 50-year-old silent (so far) alien boy that is the center of attention as the sci-fi western series plays itself out over on Disney+.

He's been a focal point of the series for all seven episodes so far, but he didn't make his cardboard debut in the weekly episodic Topps Now sets until the third pack -- and that's where we start to see his Forceful ways.

Continue reading →