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 ...

VG THE MVP (SO FAR)
The Card: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 2019 Topps Stadium Club #301 -- Rookie Card 
The Reason Graded: In my first bulk sub to CSG, which I recently got back -- 80 working days, by the way -- I worked in a few recent-year Rookie Cards just to see how some different kinds of stock are handled by the veteran grading company that has just turned its attention to sports cards starting this year. I sent this in before the season started, of course, but it looks like a smart slab now as Vladdy is demolishing things in MLB and is on pace for a monster season if he keeps at it.
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: There's no pop report yet -- they say it's coming* -- but this one comes in at my anticipated mark, though I would have been happy to get a higher one. (You'll see those in the coming months.) This one has some high gloss and somewhat softer stock -- not the easiest grading combo -- but I think it's the backs here that are the key. This one not getting a higher grade made me wonder what might be holding it down -- a deal where I'd want to see subgrades, but not for $10 more. I do think, based on my results, that CSG is grading to a stricter standard (like BGS) vs. others (at least historically until recently) so I'm also OK with cards not checking in at 9.5s or 10s in bulk. My second bulk sub -- hopefully back soon, too -- included more stuff like this.

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

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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: Nothing but big pulls in today's edition ... a little MLB, WWE, NBA and 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: Pondering 2020 Allen & Ginter signers, designing a new product, "my best case ever" and a number of big pulls, including this Zion Williamson gem.

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First Buzz previews are by far our most-popular pieces here on The Buzz and they are a simple way of looking back at everything that was teased and arrived in 2019. Here's a recap of everything that was previewed -- nearly 300 products -- all in one spot.

Keep in mind that a number of 2019 releases were announced before the calendar changed -- but even those can be found by clicking here and doing some digging. And the latter portion of the listing to come are actually a preview of what's to come soon ... so even if you're not in the look-back mood you can certainly look forward to 2020 right here, too.

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JANUARY PREVIEWS (Don't mind dust on the old galleries ... still updating them after a Wordpress change.) 

First Buzz: 2019 Topps Chrome baseball cards

First Buzz: 2019 Topps WWE Transcendent Collection wrestling cards

First Buzz: 2019 Leaf Draft football cards

First Buzz: 2019 Onyx Preferred Players Baseball Collection

First Buzz: 2017-18 Leaf Pearl hockey cards

First Buzz: 2018 Panini Flawless football cards

First Buzz: 2018-19 Donruss soccer cards

First Buzz: Super Break The Bar Mementos Holiday Edition

First Buzz: 2019 The Bar Pieces of The Past Series 1

First Buzz: 2019 Panini Prizm Draft Picks football cards

First Buzz: 2019 Topps WWE Undisputed wrestling cards

First Buzz: 2019 Topps Tier One baseball cards

First Buzz: 2019 Topps Pro Debut baseball cards

First Buzz: 2019 Topps MLB Sticker Collection

First Buzz: 2019 SAGE HIT Low Series football cards

First Buzz: 2018-19 Panini Court Kings basketball cards

First Buzz: 2019 Panini Diamond Kings baseball cards

First Buzz: 2018 Panini Honors football cards

First Buzz: 2019 Topps UFC Knockout

First Buzz: 2019 Topps Museum Collection baseball cards

First Buzz: 2018-19 Topps Chrome UEFA Champions League

Alliance of American Football opts for Topps football cards

First Buzz: 2019 Topps Finest baseball cards

First Buzz: 2019 Historic Autographs Steele Engravings

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Keep reading for more ... there were plenty of releases this year.

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It all started with a tweet and that led to another helping sparking a viral sensation of a baseball card.

And now it's inspired a new Topps Now autograph card with the appropriate inscription.

Cleveland Indians All-Star Shane Bieber pitched his third complete game of the season on Sunday. And today? Well, he's got a "Not Justin" autographed card to show for that and his memorable tweet.

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Have you seen the latest cool or interesting items on eBay? If not, you just might see some of those here every week as we're launching a weekly version of our eBay Buzz pieces that pop up from time to time. We’ll spotlight some items that have a story or just wow us with how much interest it might have — and we’re not just talking baseball cards, either.

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ZION HITS PACKS ... AT THE NATIONAL
The Item: Zion Williamson 2019 Panini National Rainbow Spokes parallel (/50) BGS 9.5
The Price: $1,499.99 Buy-It-Now (or best offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The NBA's No. 1 draft pick has officially hit packs via the promos that Panini America made for the just-ended National Sports Collectors Convention and its Panini VIP Party on Saturday night. While we haven't seen any ink in wrappers just yet, these promo packs will be the only place to find him until the first 2019-20 draft picks and NBA sets arrive later this year. This is one of a few cards that was graded at the show -- and it won't be the last Williamson cardboard to end up slabbed. There will be many to come ... it's just a matter of when and where, especially when it comes to autographs.
Similar Pieces: Zion Williamson Panini cards on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for the promo packs section 

Keep reading for four more interesting items in this week's roundup ...

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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: Bieber error leads to tweets and that leads to cash, big pulls, new breaks and news from The National that also includes the FBI.

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If you've never seen a Babe Ruth autographed baseball, hit The National. You'll see plenty of them.

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: The National, printing errors, 2019 Topps Allen & Ginter & plenty more in today's edition.

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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 3.

The box: 2019 Topps Stadium Club baseball cards (hobby box)
The cost: Click here

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

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Group breaks have been a game-changer for the card industry for several years now and from time to time Buzz will jump into a BlowoutTV break of some type and break down the results of what he landed by picking up a team. There are near-daily breaks right here with Matt on Blowout TV during weekday working hours and even more from Houdini and others over on the forum in the evening.

Now, it's time for a new break breakdown -- a spot in a 2019 Topps Stadium Club case.

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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: 2019 Topps Stadium Club baseball cards (blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 8
Cards per pack: 5
Cards in this box: 40
Base set completion: 
32 of 300 (11 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Mookie Betts, Jose Altuve, Dansby Swanson, Miguel Cabrera, Francisco Lindor, Felix Hernandez, Carl Yastrzemski, Rod Carew, Tony Gwynn, Fred McGriff

Rookie Cards (5) – Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (SP), Luis Urias, Kyle Tucker, Patrick Wisdom, Steven Duggar

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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: A.J. Hinch visits Topps, MLB pulls, new NFL cards and more.

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Have you seen the latest cool cards from a new release? With so many options for collectors of all kinds arriving every week it's possible you haven't. That's where Buzz comes in -- well at least on one brand you'll see here from time to time in what we're calling Buzz's Pick Six. Simply put, here are six cards from a new arrival that seemed interesting to this collector and we think they might interest you, too.

This week's release: 2019 Topps Stadium Club baseball cards

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A BIG CHALLENGE
The Set: 2019 Topps Stadium Club jumbo box-topper set
The Price: Moderately challenging
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: A new inclusion this year are box-topper cards and the challenge is that there are 50 of them -- one per box. Do the math and you'll need somebody ripping into four cases to land them all, assuming clean collation. Why do I like these? The larger size (roughly 4-by-6) give you a little better look at some cards that just don't read as well at standard size. One example? The Jackie Robinson you see here -- note the details with the dugout, the faces in the crowd and more -- and then think about how getting an autograph might have been different back then, especially with this being from Robinson's first day at spring training with the team on March 6, 1948, according to Getty Images. With 50 jumbo cards in the set and a lot of classic images -- and it not being an impossible project -- this could be popular. While the prices should drop over time, they may not always be immediately available, so I'd recommend picking off what you think are the best ones early.

Keep reading for five more interesting items in this week's roundup ...

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Have you seen the latest cool or interesting items on eBay? If not, you just might see some of those here every week as we're launching a weekly version of our eBay Buzz pieces that pop up from time to time. We’ll spotlight some items that have a story or just wow us with how much interest it might have — and we’re not just talking baseball cards, either.

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FREAKISHLY PRICED ... BUT THEY SELL
The Item: Giannis Antetokounmpo 2013-14 Panini Prizm Purple Die-cut Prizms (34/49)
The Price: $39,999.95 Buy-It-Now 
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Believe it or not, this is not even close to the priciest eBay auction for the new NBA MVP and his first-year rarities. Why is this one so steep? It's rare and it's a one-of-a-kind card within a print run of 49 copies -- it's No. 34, his uniform number. A total of 41 active eBay auctions have asking prices of $10,000 or more for a Giannis card. The highest? A mere $189,999 -- see the link below for what that is. Are people buying? Hit the completeds -- the answer is yes. Nothing has hit the $100,000 mark but they are getting close -- and those were back in April and May ... pre-MVP. It's enough to make you shake your head ... and then admire the market ... and then buy a box or case to rip.
Similar Pieces: Giannis Antetokounmpo autos on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for 2013-14 NBA boxes

Keep reading for four more interesting items in this week's roundup ...

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What: 2019 Topps Stadium Club baseball cards
Arrives: June 26
Box basics: Two autographs per 16-pack box (16 boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Stadium Club is back with its focus on strong photography some modern inserts and some new big inclusions -- jumbo box-topper autos are possible this year.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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