Some call it the junk wax era, but it's a time where many fans were collecting, many more were stockpiling and everybody seemingly enjoyed some classic cardboard and memorable Rookie Cards for some of the biggest stars and record-breakers in modern baseball -- and it wasn't just MLB cardboard that entered the public consciousness, either.

Plenty of fans were interested -- and plenty of everything was made back then -- and, in the here and now of 2025, BlowoutCards.com is buying.

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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 ... a mix of low-and and higher-end finds as well as some non-traditional things people might like to collect. 

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MY HERITAGE SLEEPER SET ... 
The Card: Hank Aaron 2023 Topps Heritage Puzzles (announced /500)
The Price: $17.99
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This oversized box-topper set isn't huge at just 20 puzzles on the checklist but they don't drop all that often, either, from what I have seen -- one per case at most (and maybe not at all). It's one that I knew I liked immediately back when Heritage dropped with its lineup of mostly current names but also with some past stars all in one spot. What are they? Literal puzzles shrink-wrapped to a cardboard backer placed atop the packs in some boxes. A total of 13 active players (two rookies) are here along with seven Hall of Famers -- but some obvious names like Shohei Ohtani didn't make the cut ... so I suspect we'll see more in the second series later this year. I liked a few of the options in this one but waited for prices to dip and they really haven't as much as I had hoped they would. (Why? They're on the rarer side of things compared to a lot of stuff in this one.) This one presented itself on more of the affordable side more recently so I bit. These are just oldschool cool if you ask me -- something that feels a bit anti-2023 but also not totally part of a rigid Heritage formula that's been going for two decades plus now. I like surprises -- and this set felt like one.
Grab a box right here: 2023 Topps Heritage

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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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 ...

SHINE LIKE MINI-DIAMONDS ...
The Card: Ronald Acuña Jr. 2021 Topps Chrome Platinum Anniversary Edition Rose Gold Mini-Diamond Refractors (/75)
The Reason Graded: Generally, I only do Chrome stuff in any kind of volume when it gets cheap -- and in this case they were as I found a run of mega boxes of this one priced less than blasters and that got me to bite. (They're all Buzz Breaks so go check the archives.) One of my better finds in those boxes was this card, which is a super-sparkly take on the 1952 Topps design that, in my mind, does work while a lot of the basic Chrome takes found in this set just don't. (There were a lot of quality control issues with this release.) In this case, since it's a top name, a rare card and a crisp and cleanly centered copy I put it into a bulk sub. Why? I like it and the player ... and I felt like it had some good potential.
The Grade: CSG 9.5

Reality Check: It's the lowest of two copies graded by CSG (now CGC) with the other one checking in where I had hoped to be. No biggie ... I like this card no matter what and all of his stuff -- Rookie Cards, hits and rarities -- should be getting looks as he could become baseball's newest 40-40 Club member -- and might even push higher if he gets really hot with the bat in the second half. With him you never know.

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

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It wasn't that long ago that auction houses were the home of mostly vintage cardboard but those days are gone to a degree -- now it's the big new legendary stuff (with big names of the past) that can heat things up quite a bit.

This weekend's sale over at Pristine Auction is a prime example of this, led by this treasure from Panini America ... and it's not alone with a number of impressive pieces heading into collector hands after bidding ends on Sunday.

ONE POWERFUL PULL 
The Item: A 24-legend 2020 Panini National Treasures NFL Treasure Chest 1/1 booklet card
The Price: $6,825 after 42 bids (ends Sunday)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Where do you start with a card like this when the left panel alone includes patch and tag pieces from the likes of Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Brett Favre and Peyton Manning. The middle? I spy Patrick Mahomes, Joe Namath, Roger Staubach and Drew Brees. And the right side? Well, that one includes Aaron Rodgers and Steve Young for starters on this quarterback classic. There's no need to name them all or overstate the obvious with this loaded 24-legend booklet as it's the only one that exists with all of these patch pieces embedded into it. Pristine calls it "nothing short of epic" and the final price should get even more dramatic before it ends. In case you're wondering, the card notes that the Brady, Brees, Griese, Foles and McMahon swatches are game-used. It's an epic find with so much NFL success all in one spot.

Keep reading for a look at a few more items presently up for grabs.

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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 6.

The packs: 2018 Pearl Jam Chicago trading cards (seven packs)
The cost: $35 (click here for non-sports boxes)

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

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It's time to watch the 2021 Topps Series 1 Rip Party.

Check it out above for a replay and click for more on 2021 Topps Series 1.

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Keep reading for a gallery of highlights from some MLB legends.

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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: NFL chatter and big breaks, Barry Bonds, pondering graded-card briefcases and allegedly fake 1991 Topps Desert Shield cards among today's talkers.

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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 6.

The packs: Ten 2018 Pearl Jam packs (four Seattle, three Boston, three Chicago)
The cost: $50 (click here for non-sports boxes)

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

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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 box: 2018 Topps Archives baseball cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 8 (seven standard packs, one coin pack)
Cards per pack: 7
Cards in this box: 58 (56 cards and two coins)
Base set completion: 
50 of 300 (17 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Mike Trout, Johnny Bench, Derek Jeter, Sandy Koufax, Warren Spahn, Andrew Benintendi, Yasiel Puig, Manny Machado, Miguel Cabrera, Nolan Arenado, Jim Bunning, Richie Ashburn, David Ortiz, Randy Johnson, Tom Glavine, Harmon Killebrew, Willie Stargell, Rod Carew

Rookie Cards (3) – Alex Verdugo, Jesse Biddle, Tomas Nido

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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 box: 2016 Topps Archives baseball cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 8
Cards per pack: 10
Cards in this box: 80
Base set completion: 
74 of 300 (25 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notable players on base cards – Stephen Strasburg, George Brett, David Wright, Willie Mays, Sandy Koufax, Eddie Mathews, Clayton Kershaw, Jose Bautista, Nolan Ryan, Ken Griffey Jr., Jose Fernandez, Yasiel Puig, Frank Thomas, Hank Aaron, Willie McCovey, Billy Williams.

Rookie Cards (12) – Greg Bird, Henry Owens, Zach Lee, Brian Johnson, Miguel Sano, Kyle Waldrop, Colin Rea, Tom Murphy, Luis Severino, Frankie Montas, Raul Mondesi, Brandon Drury.

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What: 2016 Topps Archives baseball cards
Arrives: June 1
Box basics: Two autographs in every 24-pack hobby box (10 boxes per case)

What's buzz-worthy: All these years later, Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh makes it to The Show -- on Topps cardboard, that is -- as the stars of Bull Durham, are among the surprises in Topps' newest edition of the retro-themed brand. Previously teased were Kevin Costner's autographs but now we know it's potentially more than just Crash Davis coming to packs.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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