TV
Buzz Break: 2025 Leaf Metal Pop Century 1/1 Proofs

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.
First Buzz: 2025 Topps Disney Wonder cards (updated)

What: 2025 Topps Disney Wonder trading cards
Arrives: Oct. 15 for hobby/blaster ... Nov. 15 for Winter Mega
Box basics: One serial-numbered card per 20-pack hobby box (12 per case); seven packs per blaster (40 per case); 15 packs per Winter Mega (20 per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here (when live)What's buzz-worthy: Topps introduces a new Disney line coming soon that has "magic in every pack" as this one "brings the entire Disney universe to life in stunning new designs" in an "enchanting collection features a 190-card tiered base set across specially designed Tier 1, Tier 2, Villain and Princess tiers."
Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.
Buzz Buys (Sept.): New oddball cards, vintage finds, Ozzy, Shotzi, Bo Bichette and plenty more of my usual suspects

Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...
--
GOING FOR THE GOLD
The Card: Shotzi Blackheart 2022 Panini Select WWE Gold Wave Prizm (/10)
The Price: Around the price of a blaster box at arrival
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This brand is my favorite of the Panini years for WWE, and in the case of this star who I collect I have seemed to found her rarities on the affordable side at times with this release. This is a perfect example of that with it being one of the rarest parallels in there but it cost me not much more than the price of a retail box. It was arguably underpriced, so I grabbed it quickly when I spotted it. Will I grade it? It's a possibility, though this release's centering issues can create some surprises (that aren't totally surprises) as I found out with a different parallel of this card. Poke around in Making The Grade last month for an example.
Grab a box right here: WWE cards are here.Keep reading for more interesting items ...
Buzz Break: 2025 Leaf Metal Pop Century 1/1 Proofs

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.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (Sept. 6)

What's Buzzing: A.J. Lee returns to WWE, NFL Week 1 chatter, Junior Caminero, Star Wars Chrome, Sapphire UFC and more.
--

1 -- NFL Week 1 is here
2 -- A.J. Lee returns to WWE after a decade away
3 -- Checking in on the Junior Caminero thread
4 -- Results from almost a half-case of Star Wars Chrome blasters
5 -- Inside a Sapphire UFC box
6 -- All your MLB chatter--
Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.
Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.
First Buzz: 2025 Topps Chrome SpongeBob SquarePants

What: 2025 Topps Chrome SpongeBob SquarePants trading cards
Arrives: Oct. 1
Box basics: Five autographs or sketch cards per case -- 12 packs per hobby box (12 boxes per case); seven packs of four cards per blaster box (40 boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Odds: Click here
Order: Click here (when live)What's buzz-worthy: Topps' mission to Chrome the world reaches the realm of the square yellow sponge living in a pineapple in the city of Bikini Bottom on the floor of the Pacific Ocean at some point soon.
Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.
Buzz Break: 2025 Leaf Metal Pop Century 1/1 Proofs

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.
Making the Grade (Sept.): Some football, plenty of oddball, even more Shotzi, old comic books, perfect slabs & plenty more

Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading ... so here's this month's grading diary.
TOP-GRADE VARIATION
The Card: C.J. Stroud 2021-22 Bowman University Chrome Prospects -- image variation
The Reason Graded: If you poke around in the archives for the Buzz Breaks of this release, you'll likely find a break where I missed this one and just simply called it a Refractor despite it being an image variation (all are Refractors on these). It should have been obvious based on the practice photo vs. game action, but I only spotted it well after the fact -- months, if not years, later -- when going through my old boxes. When I stopped to look, this card looked absolutely flawless and since it's somewhat rarer than the others it's also still a bit pricier for a standard card. (It's no monster but it's definitely better than a few types of Refractors.) Since it was so clean and the NFL season is upon us, I put this one into a bulk submission.
The Grade: CGC 10 (Pristine)Grade 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 P10 Total Population 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 4 Reality Check: This card checked in at exactly where I thought it would. Fun find and a win -- and it wasn't even tucked away in a box penny sleeved. The divide between mine and the other copies graded is also an interesting one -- perhaps there's a common flaw on copies due to position on the sheet or from machinery? No idea ...
Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.
Buzz Goes Gaming: Star Wars Rivals EGS Premier Set (Funko)

This new department will be an occasional series that will take a quick look at a game or gaming release with card elements -- essentially a breakdown of what's in a box, but not the typical kind of a Buzz Break. (Buzz isn't a gamer so this will just be what's in a box vs. gameplay analysis.) Maybe there's a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.
--
The Game: Star Wars Rivals Expandable Game System Premier Set Series I (Funko Games, 2023)
Where to buy: Will take some looking ... BlowoutCards.com for other gaming -- or for traditional Star Wars cardsKeep reading for a full breakdown and gallery from this one.
Buzz Buys (Aug.): Boys of Summer, old stuff, Shotzi & some TLC

Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...
--
PARALLEL POWER?
The Card: National League Wins Leaders (Spencer Strider, Zac Gallen, Justin Steele) 2024 Topps True Photo variant & Gold Foil parallel
The Price: About $11 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The concept of this one is simple and it's striking -- knock off the border of a base card completely, using just its photo -- and I think it works. But there's also one thing here that's striking -- and not in the best way. These are arguably too rare to make that big of an impact with me and I think perhaps other collectors who might not bother to grab their players or even think about a team set or full set. How rare? They are one in 677 hobby packs and I'm confident they'd be more popular if people could reasonably collect a team run or set. Why? Because they're something dramatically different and you can compare the regular card and this version side by side. I also grabbed a Gold Foil parallel for this one this time after I bit on the variant ... just to say I had one. Even paying $10 for this was a stretch for me ... and those odds and that price might say that these aren't as popular as they could/should be. These are one in basically every third hobby case.
Grab a box right here: MLB cards are here.Keep reading for more interesting items ...
First Buzz: 2025 Leaf Metal Authentics autograph cards

What: 2025 Leaf Metal Authentics autograph cards
Arrives: Aug. 29
Box basics: One on-card autograph per box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click hereWhat's buzz-worthy: Metal is back with nothing but autographs and colorful, rarer parallels in play with a mix of sports and non-sports all in one -- and with multi-signed cards (above) and inscriptions (below) also mixed in.
Keep reading for more details and a teaser gallery for this one.
Making the Grade (Aug.): Aaron Judge, Rickey Henderson's Rookie Card, Roger Maris, WWE stars, three Mariahs & more

Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading ... so here's this month's grading diary.
NINES ARE FINE
The Card: Aaron Judge 2017 Topps Archives -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: The unique 1960 Topps design always stands out to me. Why? Because one of my first clean vintage cards as a kid was a Gus Bell form the set, which I got since I knew he was a big-leaguer's dad. (Yay, trivia!) So that's perhaps one reason I held this Judge RC instead of letting it go. (Plus, I didn't rip as much of this brand ... so it was the only copy I pulled.) Judge's dominating 2025 season should make you stop and wonder about slabbing any RCs or early/rare stuff you have now ... just because. He and Shohei Ohtani are all-timers playing right in front of our faces now and are as safe as it gets when it comes to grab and slab or buy and hold -- even with plenty of their cards being graded.
The Grade: CGC 9Grade 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 P10 Total Population 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 20 10 8 0 44 Reality Check: I knew this wouldn't be a 10 contender with the finicky stock here and the centering being a smidge off by my typical standards for a slab, but, like I said, it was my only copy. Most check in at this grade, so the nine makes sense, too, and the volume below it also shows this card isn't the easiest to grade.
Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.
Buzz Break: 2004 BenchWarmer Series 1 (Canadian) cards

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: 2004 BenchWarmer Series 1 (Canadian box) trading cards
Where to buy: Will take some looking ... See newer BenchWarmer boxes here
Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of everything in this box.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (July 29)

What's Buzzing: Collectors remember Ryne Sandberg, Derek Jeter, The National nears, new pulls and more.
-

1 -- Collectors remember Ryne Sandberg
2 -- The National is days away
3 -- Showing off new Derek Jeter cards
4 -- Ripping Goodwin Champions
5 -- Inside new Twin Peaks boxes
6 -- New MLB pulls--
Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.
Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.
First Buzz: 2025 Topps Chrome Star Wars cards (updated)

What: 2025 Topps Chrome Star Wars trading cards
Arrives: Aug. 29
Box basics: One autograph per 10-pack hobby box (eight per case) or two autos per one-pack breaker's box (10 per case) or four parallels per 32-card Sapphire Edition box (TBD per case)
Checklist: Click here
Sapphire Checklist: Click here
Sapphire Odds: Click here
Order: Click hereWhat's buzz-worthy: Star Wars will hit Chrome once again with a few box options that are the only teasers for the time being along with any TBD details on the box mocks.
Keep reading for more as well as a gallery.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (July 24)

What's Buzzing: Collectors react to the Hulk Hogan news, The National nears, sketch cards, Tom Brady Rookie Cards, Ozzy Osbourne and more in today's edition.
-

2 -- The National nears
3 -- They had been talking Tom Brady Rookie Cards, but ...
4 -- Talking sketch cards
5 -- Collectors react to the death of heavy metal icon Ozzy Osbourne
6 -- Reactions to an alleged autograph forgery ring--
Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.
Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (July 23)

Ozzy Osbourne's first certified auto was a redemption in his TV show's Inkworks card set.
What's Buzzing: Collectors react to the Ozzy Osbourne news, The National nears, talking Ichiro Suzuki cards and more.
-

1 -- Collectors react to the death of heavy metal icon Ozzy Osbourne
2 -- The National nears
3 -- Talking Ichiro Suzuki cards
4 -- Pondering a David Wright purchase
5 -- The future of sticker autographs?
6 -- Reactions to an alleged autograph forgery ring--
Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.
Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (July 18)

What's Buzzing: More reactions to an alleged large-scale autographed memorabilia forgery operation, The National, Juan Soto and plenty more in this Friday edition.
-

1 -- Reactions to an alleged autograph forgery ring
2 -- The National nears
3 -- Talking Juan Soto
4 -- Wrestling cards are on their minds
6 -- Inside some new Star Trek boxes--
Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.
Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.
The National: An autograph -- or two -- to hunt down each day

Via @tristar1 ... Bo Jackson
This year's National Sports Collectors Convention is nearly here -- it's set for July 30-Aug. 3 in Chicago with a strong roster of autograph guests ready to sign for collectors who get a ticket and get in line for their moment beyond the ballpark.
Some signers are free if you attend the VIP reception on opening day of the show or buy a VIP ticket package -- a bonus for taking the time to hit every day of the show -- but landing other signers will take some planning and a few bucks.
It's tough to see everything at The National -- it's that big -- and the time it takes to work through autograph lines is valuable in that it impedes your shot at seeing it all. But, if you have wanted to meet a player and get that ink, a number of past and present stars are on the list this year. With that said, here are my picks -- skewing toward the best names for the lowest prices possible -- to grab off the autograph list during the full days of the show this year. (Keep reading for the full signers list at the end ... and, remember, times are always subject to change.)
Buzz Break: 2024 Topps Stars of MLB Network baseball cards

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: 2024 Topps Stars of MLB Network baseball cards
Where to buy: Will take some looking ... Click here for MLB boxes
Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery for what was in this one.
Buzz Break: 2021 Historic Autographs Famous Americans (E.S.)
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: 2021 Historic Autographs Famous Americans -- Employee Set (parallel edition + bonuses)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (when available ... click for all other H.A. releases)
First Buzz preview: Click here (checklist is in gallery below)Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.
Buzz Buys (July): Several MLB newcomers and legends, WWE autographs, past TV icons, unusual cardboard and plenty more

Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...
--
RETRO RECORD-HOLDER
The Card: Roger Maris 2014 Panini Classics Home Run Heroes Jerseys (/25)
The Price: $30
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I ponied up a little bit for this one vs. my typical range for Maris mem cards since it's a rarer card, has a material (jersey/pants) swatch vs. a bat and is from a brand that packed a lot of potential for big names back in the day. Yet, at the same time, that price was a bargain. Yes, its centering is just slightly off, but otherwise it's clean -- that errant spot on the right side is part of the printed design on all cards here. It was an easy addition for a player I collect and pick off stuff for a few times a year. Those top corners are really clean on this one, which might not always be the case with those bold colors.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but MLB cards are here.Keep reading for more interesting items ...
Making the Grade (July): A perfect Caitlin Clark, clean comics, young WWE stars, Shohei Ohtani, Bo Bichette & plenty more

Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading ... so here's this month's grading diary.
AS GOOD AS IT GETS
The Card: Caitlin Clark 2024-25 Panini Instant WNBA (/26,980) -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: I watched and waited for the most part with Caitlin Clark cards as Panini Instant stuff arrived regularly and her in-pack WNBA Rookie Cards arrived later in the year. But, when this award-winner card popped up with a clean and iconic studio photo? Well, I pretty much instantly (pun not intended as it's simply true) grabbed a 10-pack with an eye for a slab. It's in a past Buzz Buys (hit the archives) and this is the result a few months later.
The Grade: CGC 10 (Pristine)Grade 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 P10 Total Population 0 1 0 1 1 3 9 25 5 36 6 87 Reality Check: This one is heavily made and should be heavily slabbed -- the number of Pristines has at least doubled just in the few weeks since I got these back from CGC -- but many won't be checking in at this top mark. I didn't slab to expect a perfect 10 but I thought this one had potential after going through my stack. Three of my 10 had solid centering and this one was first to make that cut ... with this mark I may not need to send in the other two. It's my lone Clark slab ... and it's strong enough it might stay that way just so I can say I went 1-for-1 grading here. We'll see.
Keep reading for more of this month's rundown of pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.
Buzz Break: 2024 Leaf Metal Women of Sport 1/1 Proofs (two)

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: 2024 Leaf Metal Women of Sport 1/1 Pre-Production Proofs (two)
Where to buy: Click here for regular boxes (when available)
Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery for what was in this one.
First Buzz: Foundation Seasons 1 & 2 trading cards

What: Foundation Seasons 1 & 2 trading cards
Arrives: Aug. 20
Box basics: Three autographs per 24-pack box and six Relic cards per 12-box case
Order: Click hereWhat's buzz-worthy: This Apple TV+ show based on the series of Isaac Asimov novels gets a limited-edition run on cardboard with only 200 cases planned for this release.
Keep reading for more details.






























