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 ...

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MY LAST FROM THE PROJECT ... 
The Card: Mickey Mantle 2021 Topps Project70 by Alex Pardee (/12,112)
The Price: $19.99 via Topps
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This artist captured most of the big-print-run attention in the second Project and this card that mashed his monster vibes with Mantle's 1952 Topps card and then 1981 Topps was the last one to get my attention and a buy last year. (Or was it this year?) Anyway, this one recently arrived in my mailbox and since this year's Project100 has arrived with a totally different approach and a number of changes -- not all good ones in my view -- I figured I'd drop this here. The print run of this won't be touched this year -- they're capped at less than half of that for 2022 -- but I suspect I'll be keeping an eye on the offerings. You should keep an eye on the past cards now if you passed before ... and keep an eye open on the new ones, too. You never know where the collecting winds and tastes might spark interest. Some monsters could be waiting.
Grab a box right here: None for this one ... click here for MLB boxes

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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 ...

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A PIECE OF THE GAME
The Card: Dri Archer 2014 Panini National Treasures Rookie NFL Football & Lace (/4)
The Price: $25
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I've always thought these cards with big and bold pieces of event-used footballs from the NFLPA Rookie Premiere are cool regardless of who they are made for. (Archer last played in 2015 so not much interest in that way.) This was the second time I've grabbed one of these -- the last being years ago at this point -- as I haven't really seen them pop up as much in recent years. (Can't say I'm constantly looking but they aren't super-plentiful, either.) This is literally half of the laces on an NFL ball embedded into a card and three-dimensional cards like this aren't done as often as they should be if you ask me, especially for premium brands. Sure, they cost more to make as those big swatches could have gone to several cards but all of them combined don't have as much oomph as cards like this do.
Grab a box right here: National Treasures boxes (all years)

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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 ... and this time around there's a little bit of everything -- 20 items for a new year.

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WILL HE STAY OR WILL HE GO?
The Card: Kyle Schwarber 2016 Bowman's Best Rookie Card (PSA 10)
The Price: $8
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I picked this one up because the price was right for a high-grade Rookie Card but also because I took a look at the stat sheet. I'd argue that while he's been off the collecting radar of many lately, Schwarber put up a career year last season. His average was still low -- but a career-best .250 -- and he also had career marks in homers (38) and RBI (92) as well as games, at-bats, runs, hits, doubles ... pretty much everything except stolen bases and on-base percentage. He'll always be remembered as a member of the 2016 Cubs World Series championship team, but I said "had been" off collecting radars because there were recent trade rumors where he could be headed to the Yankees. A move like that would make these kinds of cheaper buys vanish far faster than they might already and rejuvenate his cardboard. I'd be buying on him right now among the cheap early options.
Grab a box right here: 2016 Bowman's Best baseball cards (when available)

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Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals just might be to rip fewer blasters 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. Would they capture yours? I'd be interested to know -- sometimes they might, sometimes they won't and that's fine. It's a buyer's market out there with plenty of options and bargains as well as high-end gems to chase.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... and this time around it's another super-sized edition.

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BATTING LEAD-OFF ONCE AGAIN 
The Card: Ronald Acuña Jr. 2018 Topps Heritage High Number Rookie Card (BGS 9)
The Price: $14
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: You may think it's a comedy bit with this Atlanta Braves slugger's RC batting lead-off here once again -- and it's not even the first time it's been this card in a slab, just a different company -- but Buzz is still sold on his hobby potential as part of a first-place team loaded with home-grown talent ... and he bats lead-off there, too. There will come a time where the wax will become harder and harder to find so these slabbed versions are always worth a look on the cheaper side in my mind. This also was my first buy for a BGS card without sub-grades -- people tend to price them lower than other cards. This one does have issues with vertical centering but it doesn't bug my eye at all compared to left-right centering issues when those exist. For the price, I'm good here ... and I still miss 1969 Heritage compared to this year.
Grab a box right here: 2018 Topps Heritage High Number baseball cards

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Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals just might be to rip fewer blasters 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. Would they capture yours? I'd be interested to know -- sometimes they might, sometimes they won't and that's fine. It's a buyer's market out there with plenty of options and bargains as well as high-end gems to chase.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... and this time around it's a super-sized edition to clear out some cardboard that's been waiting for its turn here.

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BATTING LEADOFF ... AGAIN
The Card: Ronald Acuña Jr. 2018 Panini Chronicles Score Rookie Card (SGC 10)
The Price: $10.60
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Is it really a shocker to see this guy batting leadoff here once again? If you're a regular reader you'll know this is the third straight time I've picked one of my Acuña pick-ups to start things off here -- and this time it's a high-grade copy from an affordable (for now) release that's jam-packed with Rookie Cards. I haven't ever submitted anything to SGC for grading, but I have picked off a few cards in their slabs when the price is right and the card is noticeably clean. In this case it was an affordable one picked off in a top grade just before he started heating things up this season. Boxes of many 2018 releases have picked up steam and this one is among them, especially on the hobby side where they are jam-packed with good stuff. I couldn't find this card in the pop report, but the price was right for me.
Grab a box right here: 2018 Panini Chronicles baseball cards

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Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals just might be to rip fewer blasters 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. Would they capture yours? I'd be interested to know -- sometimes they might, sometimes they won't and that's fine. It's a buyer's market out there with plenty of options and bargains as well as high-end gems to chase.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... and this time around it's a super-sized edition.

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A CLASSIC YOU CAN FIND ... FOR NOW 
The Card: Ronald Acuña Jr. 2018 Topps Heritage High Number RC (PSA 9)
The Price: $11.20
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This Atlanta Braves slugger had a strong start in April -- enough to get people looking at his Rookie Cards from last season once again and that's why I have him leading off here once again but with a different card. I didn't pick this one up since that hot start, but the PSA 10s and other high-grade cards out there have asking prices that are definitely getting more attention and pricier than when I nabbed this one. Raw copies are going for not a lot less than what I paid on the same site and ripping a box isn't going to guarantee you a well-centered copy. (All of mine pulled  last year were a tad off.) This one is off top-to-bottom but that worries me far less than left-right centering, so I grabbed it at the price.
Grab a box right here: 2018 Topps Heritage High Number

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There's a new hard-hitting powerful rookie in MLB this season but you'll have to wait for his first Rookie Cards and battle if you have your sights on his few certified autographs.

His name is Rhys Hoskins and he's a member of the Philadelphia Phillies -- and he's got a record 11 home runs in his first 18 games. That's an MLB record for a hot start as well as a team rookie record for the month -- with a few games to go. He's also homered in his last five games, adding to the attention that comes with such a torrid pace.

Now, about that cardboard?

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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: 2017 Topps Pro Debut minor league baseball cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 24
Cards per pack: 8
Cards in this box: 180
Base set completion: 
162 of 200 (81 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Mickey Moniak, Ian Happ, Amed Rosario, A.J. Puk, Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blake Rutherford, Gleyber Torres, Nick Senzel, Carter Kieboom, Bryson Bregman

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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 Today: Albert Pujols, busting Pro Debut, chasing Stantons, ripping USA Baseball, The Walking Dead & more.

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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 Today: Big pulls from around the collecting world.

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Don't tell his fans that he's just another minor league baseball player.

Tim Tebow's first baseball card as a member of the Columbia Fireflies isn't an easy pull from packs of 2017 Topps Pro Debut baseball cards but it's a pricey one.

As in $400 -- and that's without an autograph or piece of game-used memorabilia attached. And that's not a fluke as active auctions are just as strong.

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Your next big-name New York Yankees rookie to arrive in The Big Apple will face big expectations -- but he doesn't have nearly as much cardboard as those who arrived before him.

Unlike the arrivals of Gary Sanchez and Aaron Judge -- guys who had plenty of baseball cards and plenty of certified autographs when they hit The Show -- shortstop Gleyber Torres doesn't.

And that could bode very well for collectors who own them.

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"Hit the bull, win a steak" now has a baseball card.

Topps released the final checklist for 2017 Topps Pro Debut on Wednesday and the first card release of the year for Minor League Baseball includes some surprises thanks to a set of Relics that have included some unusual pieces of memorabilia in past years.

The "Fragments of the Farm" are no different this year and one includes a piece of the game that's paid off for some players in the past.

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What: 2017 Topps Pro Debut baseball cards
Arrives: May 24
Box basics: Two autographs and two Relics per 24-pack box (12 boxes per case)

What's buzz-worthy: The stars down in the minor leagues get the big-league treatment in this hobby-only release that packs plenty of potential while also offering the unique color and feel of the game down on the farm.

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

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