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

SCENE FROM A CLASSIC
The Card: Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson & Lisa Spoonauer (aka Dante Hicks, Randal Graves and Caitlin Bree) 2017 Skybox Clerks Triple Scene Autographs
The Reason Graded: Back when this one arrived, I picked off a lot of the autos over time -- at least while they were affordable -- with my sights set on some of the obscure names here and not the pricey Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith) ink that any serious collector of the View Askew realm likely already had on something before this card set arrived. The character that I wanted to find was Caitlin Bree as that character's moments were hilariously twisted and this card's scene was the culminating moment in her story. Getting this on cardboard was hilarious to me. What's unfortunate here is real life -- Spoonauer died of a medication overdose at age 44 while fighting cancer just 10 days after this product arrived. Read director Kevin Smith's tribute to her here. Over time, I picked off all but one of her autographs -- one that had been pricey that's even moreso now still eludes me as it also includes Smith -- but I recently decided to slab a couple of the best ones form my stash when I revisited them and saw how clean they looked. 
The Grade: CGC 10 (Pristine)

Reality Check: Perfect grade works for me. Her auto just barely touches the border of the card but that's about its only potential issue and it's really not incomplete, so it still got a top mark. (Though auto grades are pretty meaningless to me.) This is a strong start and I should really slab more -- and find that last one I need.

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

Continue reading →

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

STARTING ON A SERIOUS NOTE ...
The Card: Will Ferrell 2015 Topps Archives Will Ferrell Inserts
The Reason Graded: Back in 2015 this comedy legend took to the field for 10 MLB teams and played 10 positions in a single day of real spring training action -- you can see his stats here -- as part of a project with a charity component called Ferrell Takes The Field. Collectors ended up chasing his autographs on 10 different cards in Archives that year -- roughly one per hobby case if I remember correctly -- but, alas, I went 0-for-1 there before those boxes got too pricy and/or vanished ... but I did hit the blasters. There, the regular Ferrell inserts were found one per box -- at least until all of those boxes disappeared, too. It's been a decade since this publicity stunt took place (March 12, 2015), so I figured we could start this new MLB season here on a serious note. These aren't his only cards -- he popped up a few times that year -- but this was the first set and this was the first card -- and one for my team.
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: There's a small volume of stuff slabbed for this card -- roughly all cards here have no more than 10 slabbed copies across the entire set -- and this is among the top marks. This card has full-bleed back edges in bright blue just like in 1965 Topps and when I saw how clean this card was, well, it was a no-brainer. I previously slabbed one elsewhere years ago and this copy will go well with that and a slab of the same photo used on a magazine cover that ended up on a show promo card. A lot of those who likely weren't collecting back then seem to be interested here as asking prices can be steep -- raw or graded -- for Ferrell stuff.

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 box: 2018 Topps Heritage Minor League baseball cards
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (when available)

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

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 ...

THERE WERE NO GUARANTEES ... BUT I'LL TAKE IT
The Card: Joe Namath 1973 Topps
The Reason Graded: It's almost Super Bowl time and while I don't really collect any of the names who are going to be in this year's big game, I do collect names who helped make the big game in the past ... and this freshly graded card is a big one in my eyes. It's Namath's final card made by Topps during his career and I found it raw on COMC with is razor-sharp everything -- especially compared to other copies out there -- and decided it was not only grab-worthy, it was also slab-worthy with centering and only one corner with lightness and color immensely minor spotting on the front being the only issues. This one looked very strong for a vintage card so I submitted it for immediate grading directly via COMC, too.
The Grade: CGC 7

Reality Check: I had visions of a higher grade, but the card backs here have dark ink and corners on the backs can be spotty ... and I think that's a reason this one graded lower than I had hoped. But, at the same time, it's a pop-six card with only five CGC 8s grading higher -- and nothing above that. That actually puts this card among the elite for graded copies of this one ... and that's not a bad thing with my total cost here under $30. (The slight spot on the bottom left corner of the card bugged me ... until I realized it's some funk on the surface of the plastic slab, not the card or inside the slab. That's something I hadn't run into with CGC's generally crystal clear and clean slabs.)

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

Continue reading →

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. 

LOADED WITH TALENT ...
The Card: Peoria's Past, Chicago's Future -- 1989 Kodak Peoria Chiefs
The Buzz On This: I found this for less than 50 cents and, well, it felt like a steal with it being a fun card with some serious star power on there. Who? Hall of Famer Greg Maddux for starters along with memorable Cubbies of the era ... Mark Grace, Jerome Walton, Dwight Smith, Joe Girardi and even a few others who made it to The Show. (Click the image at right to view all of the names.)

All-star caliber team/group shots are not often the norm in MiLB sets -- you typically get everybody on a team shot or not at all -- and that makes this one feel more like a classic card. (Or even a Classic card where creative combo cards were quite normal at this time in their sets.)

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

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: New Bowman Chrome University cards, 2023 Topps chatter, new WWE & MLB 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 ...

LEADING OFF WITH THE RECORD-BREAKER
The Card: Aaron Judge 2017 Topps Archives 1960 Rookie Stars
The Reason Graded: He has been an established slugger since his 52 homers as a rookie in 2017, but to a degree he'd fallen off card-wise (and power-wise) the last few years until smacking 39 in 2021 and his Yankees team record (and American League record) 62 homers this year.  I got rid of pretty much all of my RCs in 2017 -- no regrets -- to turn them into stuff I actively wanted (I'm still working rather glacially on some of those Clerks autograph runs) but some of my late-year Judge pulls and some inserts were saved along with my lone autograph. While I haven't yet slabbed my ink -- I probably will here at some point once I figure out what box I put it in -- this insert modeled after the memorable-but-overbearing 1960 Topps design was one that jumped out at me. Why? It was soooo clean.
The Grade: CSG 10

Reality Check: I was right and that pop shows me I'm not alone -- but it is surprising given how skinny the stock is here.

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 ... and it's once again the biggest Buzz Buys ever. (A collection of pick-ups from recent times as well as in the past year or so.)

--

A RECORD-SETTER, BUT ... 
The Cards: Wander Franco 2022 Topps Living Set (/68,228)
The Price: Direct from Topps (10-pack price)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This one re-wrote the new Living Set record book with its sales volume and I did a 10-pack to hopefully land a copy without centering issues and to maybe grade one or two. It turns out 10 wasn't enough as the front card is closest to centered but it has a cardboard blotch that should nix some top marks and any immediate grading from me. I still might but not right now. With so many made, there likely will be plenty graded in the coming months ... so without an obvious gem I'll wait. This might have been my first Living Set lot direct from Topps since Vladimir Guerrero Jr., so it will probably send me back to hibernation on that brand. We'll see.
Grab a box right here: No boxes for this one ... but MLB boxes are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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 ...

REMEMBER ME?
The Card: Aaron Judge & Tyler Austin 2017 Topps Heritage #214A -- Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: I liked the price on this slab (under $13) so I bit on it about this time last year. Why? Well, he was a pretty big deal back when this one arrived and I've always had a thing for multi-player RCs from the vintage years of Topps baseball (vintage flagship or Heritage). I own more than a few copies of this one raw, but I figured grabbing it for less than it would cost to slab one was a bargain ... plus they were going for more than that at the time I grabbed it. The richer (or more dedicated) slab grabbers out there will find his solo variation or the autographed card of his from this release, but for the price I'm good with this version.
The Grade: BGS 9

Reality Check: I didn't check the pop report to see the huge divide between the 9-9.5 difference but the price divide was just as dramatic ... and I'm still fine having a BGS 9. Centering here is off on mine but the rest looks fine with no obvious issues. Why is this one batting lead-off? Well, with prices increasing out there to slab -- if you can slab at all -- I think simpler RCs like this won't be as easy/cheap to find (well, at least newly graded ones) and this is the time of year to grab some guys. I think Judge is a easy stash if you find him on the cheaper side and he's healthy.

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 just might be to rip fewer boxes 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.

So, with that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... and this time around there's a bit of everything but more on the affordable side.

--

MONSTER YEAR, SIMPLE ROOKIE CARD
The Card: Derrick Henry 2016 Donruss Rookie Card (BGS 9.5)
The Price: $9
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I made this pick-up just before he started his recent run of big games mostly because it seemed underpriced for the grade, which is a solid quad 9.5. Interestingly, just 25 copies of this card have been slabbed and nothing has checked in below this mark. It makes me think you could pick off a factory set at a pretty cheap price if you want to dabble with grading key cards here -- and there are a few where you could do pretty well with some 9.5s or 10s. About that price ... one of the other 9.5s had an asking price of $40 on eBay when I looked. Sure, the action here is heavier on Optic, ink and rarer parallels, but simple RCs of affordable sets seem to be go-to cards for more and more people these days.
Grab a box right here: 2016 Donruss (several formats)

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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 5.

The box:2018 Topps Heritage baseball cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (a few formats)

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

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: 2018 Topps Heritage High Number baseball cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for a few formats)

Packs per box: 25 (24 standard and one box-topper)
Cards per pack: 9
Cards in this box: 225
Base set completion: 
193 of 200 (97 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – All of them ... though there aren't many. (It's about RCs.)

Rookie Cards (47) – Notables include Ronald Acuña Jr., Juan Soto, Shohei Ohtani, Gleyber Torres, Scott Kingery, Dylan Cozens, David Bote, Austin Meadows, Tyler O'Neill, Dereck Rodriguez

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: 2018 Topps Heritage High Number baseball cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for a few formats)

Packs per box: 8
Cards per pack: 9
Cards in this box: 71
Base set completion: 
61 of 200 (31 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Bartolo Colon, Pat Neshek, Chase Utley (it's about RCs)

Rookie Cards (19) – Shohei Ohtani, Gleyber Torres, Scott Kingery, A.J. Minter, Eric Lauer, Freddy Peralta, Braxton Lee, P.J. Conlon, Niko Goodrum, Tomas Nido, Yonny Chirinos, Mitch Garver, Yoshihisa Hirano, Merandy Gonzalez, Shane Carle, Mike Soroka, Joey Lucchesi, Garrett Cooper, Andrew Suarez

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: 2018 Topps Heritage baseball cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 24 (plus one box-topper)
Cards per pack: 9
Cards in this box: 217
Base set completion: 
197 of 400 (49 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Bryce Harper, Kris Bryant, Jose Altuve, Ichiro Suzuki, Buster Posey, Carlos Correa, Giancarlo Stanton, Yu Darvish, Alex Bregman, Francisco Lindor, Anthony Rizzo, Dansby Swanson, Luis Severino, Carlos Beltran, Justin Verlander, Joey Votto, Manny Machado, Stephen Strasburg, Yoenis Cespedes, Clayton Kershaw, Cody Bellinger, Mike Trout, Corey Seager, Aaron Judge, Max Scherzer

>>> For a checklist and variation galleries, click here

Rookie Cards (11 cards, 23 rookies) – Lucas Sims, Ozzie Albies, Rafael Devers, Kyle Martin, Nick Williams, Rhys Hoskins, Miguel Andujar, Clint Frazier, Kyle Farmer, Tim Locastro, O'Koyea Dickson, Tyler Wade, Garrett Cooper, Raudy Read, Erick Fedde, Max Fried, Luiz Gohara, Nicky Delmonico, Aaron Bummer, Parker Bridwell, Troy Scribner, Ildemaro Vargas, Jack Reinheimer

Continue reading →

Now that we know what the 2018 Topps Heritage baseball card checklist looks like, we can now ponder the possibilities for errors and variations that are an homage to the 1969 Topps set that this one is modeled after.

And it's that set from the past -- one with a number of errors made back then -- that can offer the clues when those are compared to who appears on the set slated to arrive next week.

One favorite mistake that wasn't corrected back in 1969 probably won't get an homage in this one as Heritage is merely a 500-card set. The 1969 Topps Aurelio Rodriguez -- one that famously shows batboy Leonard Garcia -- is card No. 653. (Maybe we'll get that one in Heritage High Number?)

Keep reading for a few possibilities among the first 500 cards from 1969 ...

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, 2018 Topps Heritage chatter, redemption maildays, powerful blasters & more.

Continue reading →

What: 2018 Topps Heritage baseball cards
Arrives: Feb. 28
Box basics: One autograph or Relic per 24-pack box (12 boxes per case)

What's buzz-worthy: Collectors can turn back the clock to 1969 once again with the arrival of Heritage, which continues with the what's-old-is-new-again tradition that began back in 2001.

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

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 →