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.

--

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

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 there's a little bit of everything.

--

REEL BIG FISH
The Card: Mike Trout 2020 Topps Project 2020 -- Artist: Ben Baller (/34,950 made)
The Price: Factory cost from Topps (bought bundle of five)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: It's probably no secret that Project 2020 is the runaway winner already for Set of The Year with most cards selling thousands of copies a pop at $20 apiece and a number of those re-selling for far, far more than $20. (This one, last I looked? Add on a zero.) Some of the prices are as volatile and logic-defying as it gets if you're looking at things from a cardboard-volume perspective -- rarer ones that weren't that popular at first are now very-pricey ones -- but that's just one part of the equation. The players have fan bases, the artists have fan bases -- and prices for their art may not be as soft as collectors might think them to be. In other words, a style you might not like could have thousands of people wanting them because they know their work elsewhere. (Ben Baller, for example, has more than 260,ooo Twitter followers and 1.4 million on Instagram. Both dwarf most hobby industry accounts and definitely tops them all.) The set has garnered a lot of mainstream media attention, too, meaning non-collectors are buying cards up, too. As I type this, the Trout here is still the No. 1 best-seller but others have come close. This one was the first break-out card volume-wise and is my favorite of the bunch so far this year. Even if others sell more, it will likely remain my favorite unless something to come really wows me.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of 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 ...

GRADING THE PHENOM
The Card: Baby Yoda ("The Child") 2019 Star Wars Living Set #58
The Reason Graded: I picked up a few of these since I knew they'd be hot -- it set a record with 9,663 copies sold that shows how it definitely was in demand. However, that volume is significantly higher than anything else in the set and that  can also lead to lower re-sale prices as those who bought in bulk want to move them. (They have more competition.) Grading-wise, this one is the big leader, too, but I still wanted to chase a 10.
The Grade: BGS 9.5

Reality Check: I came close but ultimately checked in where most cards here do. Nearly 50 cards from the set have been graded and this guy is on 29 of them. Only two other copies have five or more graded copies and that leaves the rest as population-one cards. I didn't get a 10 but I'm fine with this mark as the stock does seem like it might be a tougher grade than other types.

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 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 ... a super-sized edition with 20 cards to open 2020.

--

SO CLOSE TO PERFECTION ...
The Card: Ronald Acuña Jr. 2018 Topps Chrome #193 -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: This one looked very clean to my eye and I figured getting some of my past Acuña pulls slabbed was a good move considering his almost-40/40 showing last year. Some of his cards are heavily graded to the point where they can be had for not much more than a typical cost to slab if not in top grades. Meanwhile, others aren't as plentiful and some can typically grade very well. I went with this one since it's not as heavily graded and it does tend to grade well. Plus, I just liked the photo here compared to others -- and those I already own slabbed.
The Grade: BGS 10

Reality Check: This one surprised me a bit -- just one half-subgrade away from a BGS Black. Only 14 cards have gotten the perfect mark and this one is among an also-small population. Most cards here check in at 9.5s -- a solid mark and a perfect card to bat lead-off for this first MTG of the year. I expect big things from Acuña this year and I'll be slabbing him often.

Keep reading for more.

Continue reading →