-

Minor league baseball cards from the past can include some weird stuff ... stuff you wouldn't imagine to be found on a baseball card. Here are some some new oddities in this latest edition of MiLB Madness. 

ALL ABOUT THAT BLING!
The Card: Wool E. Bull 2023 Choice Durham Bulls
The Buzz On This: It seems the mascot card is a staple of MiLB team sets -- it's one of few cards you can typically count on finding year after year unless there's a team name change -- and this one of the modern-day iteration of the mascot many might first remember from Bull Durham. This card caught my attention as it's one of few where the mascot shows off their version of the team's championship ring -- a ring card collection could be an interesting little twist even if not limited to just mascots. Beyond that bling, the achievements captured on the back of this card are also pretty strong for a veteran you can see on a lot of cardboard. Collect 'em all!

Keep reading for more examples of some weird or fun baseball cards you can find in MiLB.

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 ...

GRADE LIKE A BUTTERFLY ...
The Card: Muhammad Ali 2021 Topps Muhammad Ali The People's Champ Collection Black parallel (/56)
The Reason Graded: When I spotted this card (ungraded) at about the price of a blaster, I bit as that was a good number for a parallel from this set that was released week by week for a year on Topps' site. Since it was both a rarer parallel and, if you ask me, one of the better-looking cards in this retro-styled set with that exposure photo, I also opted to slab it. Why? Well that stock and color is a grading challenge -- but it was one I was willing to take as this one looked strong.
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: I was right and it graded actually better than I had hoped (I figured a 9.5)  making this a win atop of a win.

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

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 ... 

--

I CAN'T LAND THE CARD, BUT ... THIS IS EVEN BETTER
The Item: Paige autographed 2012 FCW Summer Slamarama 12-by-18 promotional poster
The Price: Pricey ... but probably less than your new WWE hobby box
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: So, what is this? It's a piece of 2000s WWE history that ultimately would only surface regionally (in Florida) and is one of few collectible options for the company's developmental ranks in the years before NXT was on TV every week. Florida Championship Wrestling was NXT's predecessor with it being broadcast on regional TV only (and sometimes weeks after events happened ... not live). Meanwhile, many of today's current stars got their starts there with different names than you might know -- and the only "stuff" that might be found now for this summer in particular are a single in-demand (and counterfeited) card set, potential programs/magazines, tickets and maybe a calendar ... but FCW wasn't like NXT is now in a lot of ways. It wasn't uncommon for the stars of now to be taking money for tickets or helping the crowd members find their seats before a modest small-venue show. This is a large poster that uses a version of Paige's card from that set of the same name -- a pricey one that's eluded me due to price and the fakes (I'd only buy graded) -- and this auto is an early, full-letter signature unlike her few card autos. It came from a Florida-based collector who went to an FCW show on June 8, 2012, in Punta Gorda, Fla., and landed it at a signing to kick off the regional Summer Slamarama Tour that year ... and that was the first event. Supposedly only 300 fans per stop (while they lasted) got card sets -- that also shows why those are pricey (if they survived). This stop had six FCW stars in the set signing these posters and Paige is the biggest of them by far -- and she had only signed with WWE as an 19-year-old and made her FCW debut that January. How many of these are still around now? I have no idea ... but I've never seen another.
Grab a box right here: Land WWE stuff at BlowoutCards.com

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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 ... 

--

BIG AUTO, BIG PHOTO ... SMALLER PRICE
The Photo: Michael Harris II autographed 16-by-20 photo (Fanatics Authentic)
The Price: Under $65 ... Note: this large-size item isn't easy to photograph all that well without a lot of glare on its top-loader, so the image above is their Photoshopped sales mock.
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I have this one batting lead-off as it's an item I wanted last year -- when he won the National League Rookie Of The Year award -- but I had my same-day order canceled by the company. Why? Perhaps it was my use of an extra sale code via a site that sells their stuff (it worked and the order was processed) but there was no reason given. I picked this up more recently -- with a rewards code atop a sale price -- from that same place, though, after he had a tough start to this season. No cancellation this time and no worries -- I just wanted his auto in my stash and I like the feel of a nice display piece (though I display nothing) with a large signature vs. a card that's likely going to cost more. In fact, the cheapest auto for him on a non-MLB card on one site where I buy singles is higher than what I paid for this. I'm probably a one-and-done on his autos unless they get cheaper over time, anyway, though. Why? His signature is a bit oversimplified as he's been in demand. It does look better than the mock but is still quite simple for my taste -- I'll start here and play the waiting game on any more.
Grab a box right here: Michael Harris RCs in 2023 releases

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

Continue reading →

Sure, today and this week is about the newest of the new in 2023 Topps, but Wheatland Auction Services has some of the biggest of the big cards up for grabs in an auction ending on Sunday.

Everything from iconic Hall of Famer tobacco cards like Ty Cobb above -- a card presently at $7,500 -- to slabbed Rookie Cards of the Super Bowl QBs, Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts are all presently on the auction block beginning at just $5 with the sale ending this Sunday evening (7 p.m. Eastern).

Keep reading for a look at some of the pieces and details on even more that's up for grabs -- cards, lots, memorabilia and more -- via the Lancaster, Pa.-based company.

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 ... and it's one of the biggest months ever.

A MONSTER MONTH ...
The Card: Bo Bichette 2020 Topps Archives Snapshots Archives Autographs
The Reason Graded: I've been buying up Bo Bichette cards relatively heavily by my standards -- second perhaps only to some top favorites and people with school ties -- but of all my pick-ups only one was an autograph. These were, I believe, via a redemption and that's how I landed mine -- at least in a sealed Topps top-loader -- and I opted to slab it in a recent submission. (Even though I generally don't grade a lot of autos as I don't want to get a dreaded grade on a card I like.)
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: I'm fine with nines, but this one seemed like a slight bummer as I didn't see anything dramatically wrong with it -- so there must have been a couple of minor issues that dropped it down in tandem. The design here is one that doesn't have a lot of perfectly center-able features ... so maybe part of that was just a judgment call, too.

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

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 boxes: 2021 Topps Mickey Mantle Collection (five boxes)
First Buzz Preview & Checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (when available)

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

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 all baseball with some new oddball pick-ups as well as some oldschool stuff.

--

A BIGGER DEAL (AGAIN)
The Card: Jasson Dominguez 2020 Bowman Bowman Scouts Top 100 wall art (/99)
The Price: $17.50 (after promotional discount)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is not déjà vu all over again as Yogi Berra once said, but this oddly Yankees heavy edition (since I don't really collect them) has perhaps the most-hyped young prospect in the game today batting lead-off just like last time when I presented his standard card here. As I said then, this guy's iconic card this year has eluded me beyond a couple of standard Bowman cards I pulled in blasters -- all I really wanted was a clean grading-worthy Chrome, but no -- so I opted for a limited version of a card that's a big deal this year but in bigger form as Topps wall art. This is an 11-by-13 version of the card that Topps sells on its site for $24.99 (only the base card is sold out, not the three inserts) with a 30 percent discount if you buy three posters of any kind. Will Dominguez pay off for the many chasing him? We'll find out eventually but this one fits into my stash pretty well no matter what as I try to pick off Rookie Cards as wall art.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of these ... but 2020 Bowman can be yours in a few forms here

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

Continue reading →

The best players of today -- released every week -- on the best designs of yesteryear.

That's the basic idea for 2016 Topps #TBT, a new ongoing baseball card set from Topps that will be released online each Thursday.

This first week features the 1955 Bowman design and includes the reigning National League MVP Bryce Harper on the first card in the series.

Continue reading →

Demand for The Mick continues to be an all-time high.

A run of high-grade Mickey Mantle Topps and Bowman baseball cards from 1951 to 1969 sold for more than $750,000 this weekend in a Memory Lane Inc. auction.

"The Empire State Collection" consisted of 21 PSA-graded cards and, according to the company, 14 of them set new record-highs for their condition.

Continue reading →