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 INK
The Card: Mark McGwire 2017 Topps Tier One Tier One Autographs (/30)
The Price: $45.75
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: For years, my only Mark McGwire autograph was one on a somewhat average-condition Oakland A's World Series team-signed ball that I found in an unusual way and got via a trade. (In short, it was sitting in a mug on co-worker's desk. He didn't know what team it was ... it was just his dad's ball that had been brought in for some reason. There it sat ... until I happened to pick it up and look. Then I picked up my jaw.) I added a similar and different item in recent years -- a bat -- and both pieces are 100-percent legit but without authentication. (That happened back in the day when teams signed items ... without merch deals and MLB Authentication around.) This time, though, I added a fresh McGwire release that's on both the rarer side and the cheaper side since the price was right (and dramatically lower than others out there for comparable cards). McGwire has always been a pricier auto -- he didn't sign much during his career except for very early on (before certified auto cards) -- and then became an Upper Deck guy after his record-setting years. Topps got him back in the fold in 2014 releases and he's also been in Panini stuff. I liked the price and the look of this one, which has him watching a homer from late in the 1998 season.
Grab a box right here: 2017 Topps Tier One baseball cards

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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: 2000 Team Best Rookies minor league cards
Where to buy: Check eBay

Packs per box: 18
Cards per pack: 6
Cards in this box: 108
Base set completion: 
95 of 225 (42 percent)
Duplicates: 6

Base cards of note – Ben Sheets, Pat Burrell, Josh Hamilton, Mark Mulder

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: 2000 Team Best Graded minor league cards
Where to buy: Check eBay

Packs per box: 18 plus one graded card (Packs: six 1998 Team Best Top Prospects Signature Series, six 1999 Team Best Player of the Year, six 2000 Team Best Rookies)
Cards per pack: 6
Cards in this box: 109

1998 base set completion: 
27 of 50 (54 percent)
Duplicates: 6
1999 base set completion: 
24 of 50 (48 percent)
Duplicates: 7
2000 base set completion: 
33 of 225 (15 percent)
Duplicates: 1

Base cards of note (1998) – Rick Ankiel, Eric Chavez, J.D. Drew, Mike Lowell, Ruben Rivera, Jimmy Rollins, Vernon Wells

Base cards of note (1999) – Rick Ankiel, Josh Hamilton, Corey Patterson, Aaron Rowand, CC Sabathia, Jayson Werth

Base cards of note (2000) – John Lackey, Ben Sheets, Josh Hamilton, Barry Zito, Pat Burrell, Mark Mulder

Continue reading →