There are a lot of things one can collect that aren't cards -- sometimes they can even come in packs and sometimes they don't. Buzz has been exploring the world a little bit in different directions but with many of them still being paper items -- stacking paper but not in that ol' money kind of way. Here's a look at a few items that entered my collection in recent months that can all fall under this department, which will be found here roughly once a month. 

NEARLEY PERFECT FOR WHAT IT IS ...
The Item: Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) -- The Sporting News, March 28, 1970
What It Cost Me: $7
What's It Worth: Not sure but it’s so clean I’d think more.
The Buzz: I spotted a dealer with some impressive copies of this sports newspaper of the past -- issues so clean they ultimately don’t even have a light bend from being lightly folded or stacked for storage -- and this one was an easy grab at that price with one of the NBA’s all-time greats front and center in what was his rookie season. My batch of these was so clean and free of the common issues for stuff like this that the lone problem that I only spotted here (but only after buying) was a bummer in comparison to others. See that light white line right by his name? That’s actually a small tear. I didn’t notice it at first or it blended right into the photo, but this is still a very impressive item otherwise that’s 56 years old. I’ve never really worried about anything on newsprint when it comes to collectibles -- they are far too challenging to store and often have lots of condition issues -- but these impressed me and you’ll see more like it in the coming months here as I picked off a decent little stack with legendary names attached. If you have names you collect, you might do some searches for your teams or players in this realm. They can be nice additions without breaking the bank.
Find Cards At: NBA boxes at BlowoutCards.com

Check out even more items after the jump.

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Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...

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OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN ... 
The Card: Captain Britain 2025 Topps Chrome Marvel Comics Yellow Lava Refractor
The Price: Under $2
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: There seems to be an influx of deep-pocketed collectors chasing down Marvel cards hot and heavy in recent years with Precious Metal Gems and Chrome Refractor rarities being gobbled up to the point that almost everything new is seemingly of the flashy variety like this with big box prices attached. This collector doesn’t go uptown without some guaranteed stuff inside -- hits such as autographs, sketch cards or memorabilia guaranteed -- so there’s not been much dabbling for me and I’m OK with that. (Can’t collect everything.) This simple card was my first taste of this release for a character I liked the most back when I was a regular comics dabbler in the early 1990s (when baseball cards got pricey and a bit uninspired at the same time). This modern take on the 1980 Topps MLB design is one that, while I’m familiar with it, doesn’t really resonate with me to chase ‘em all. I also wished that the edges and corners were a little cleaner here ... but I have seen rougher releases with chromium-stock sets from all companies in recent years. If you have the willpower and can dig in not worried about box prices, there are some interesting releases out there in the comics realm. I used to casually dabble more in the non-sports realm when the boxes were cheaper but singles like this might be where I look more often if something strikes me. There’s little doubt that the ceiling for rarer singles is higher than ever if you pull something good, too.
Grab a box right here: Marvel cards are here.

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What's Buzzing: Reactions to Topps Heritage breaks, Topps NBA, Whatnot legal issues, showing off new cards, Roman Anthony and more.

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1 -- Topps Heritage reactions 

2 -- Roman Anthony 

3 -- Still legit

4 -- Talking Topps hoops

5 -- Showing off their new wrestling cards

6 -- Whatnot lawsuit reactions

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

What's Buzzing: World Baseball Classic reactions, wrestling chatter, MLB threads, Luka Doncic, non-sports and more.

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1 -- Watching the World Baseball Classic

2 -- Wrestling chatter on Steve Austin’s big day

3 -- All your baseball threads are here

4 -- Non-sports chatter

5 -- Luka Doncic

6 -- One for the slabs-must-match crowd

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

This department will be an occasional series that will take a quick look at a game or gaming release with card elements -- essentially a breakdown of what's in a box, but not the typical kind of a Buzz Break. (Buzz isn't a gamer so this will just be what's in a box vs. gameplay analysis.) Maybe there's a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.

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The Game: Wonder Forge WWE Matching Game (2020)
Where to buy: Will take some looking ... BlowoutCards.com for traditional WWE cards 

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery from this one.

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What's Buzzing: World Baseball Classic chatter, your rules of collecting, Topps Three, new pulls, Konnor Griffin and more in this Friday edition.

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1 -- All your World Baseball Classic chatter ... and a Shohei Ohtani thread 

2 -- Rules of engagement ... err collecting?

3 -- Collecting for ... um ... 

4 -- Talking Topps Three

5 -- Showing off new wrestling pick-ups

6 -- Konnor Griffin

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...

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THE FUTURE ... 
The Card: Oba Femi 2024 Panini National Treasures WWE Holo Silver (/25) -- Rookie Card parallel
The Price: $40
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was a card I picked up back in September and Femi's arrival on the main roster since then has been beyond impressive -- perhaps better than I had expected. There have been a lot of people noticing him as well -- so much so that demand for the Red parallel of this card, which is three times more plentiful -- is a crazy example in comparison to my card. One of the Reds recently went for almost $160 on eBay -- that’s impressive but this one is better. It makes me wish I would have stashed even more.
Grab a box right here: WWE cards are here.

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Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading ... so here's this month's grading diary.

SHINE ON YOU CRAZY DIAMANTE
The Card: Roki Sasaki 2025 Topps Series 2 Diamante -- Rookie Card parallel
The Reason Graded: In my mind, this parallel that arrived for the Topps flagship sets last year is one of the most-dynamic options in an over-foiled lineup and this one made the cut for a grading sub after I found it in a hanger box. (These parallels are only in hanger boxes -- two at a time, every time.) The textures here can make cards look funky or even mangled to the naked eye on some corners or edges thanks to the texture and pattern, so your best bet for grading these (and other stuff, of course) is to make sure you have a loupe.
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: Lone copy graded and only one slot on the scale ahead of it that could top it ... works for me. I need to scout these singles more -- that’s how much I like them -- and they are back this year.

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

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I'm not joking you ... I really did go to journalism for this.

My newest item in the Collecting Game-used series is one from the world of pro wrestling and it’s a simple item direct from a former WWE star with plenty of screen time attached that you can watch right here, right now ... even though it wasn’t even technically match-used.

It’s a piece direct from the hands of a star who’s going to be back on your TV screens soon thanks to her moving to AEW along with her long-time tag team partner -- an inspiring duo with many an iconic moment ... and catchphrase or two. One or two of those have already been worked in here -- if you know you know -- but I’ll detail it all here if you keep reading to see the details.

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Many people collect autographs -- but not in the same ways -- and not all autographs are made alike. Some are mass-produced, some are in packs. Some are personalized, some are not. Some have all kinds of documentation and many more have none ... here's a look at a few that entered my collection in recent months.

CERTIFIED INK (AUTOS FROM PACKS)
The Item: Germie Bernard 2024 Bowman University Best of 2024 Autographs Gold Refractor (/50)
What It Cost Me: $30
What's It Worth: We’ll see ...
The Buzz: Bernard was a go-to receiver for the Alabama Crimson Tide last year with 64 receptions for 862 yards and seven TDs along with 19 carries for 101 yards and a pair of scores on the ground. Are they dominating numbers? Not really -- they’re more of a reminder that the Nick Saban era is definitely over -- but he did lead the team in receiving yards. The next stop for Bernard should be somewhere in the NFL in some kind of role and now’s the time to be picking off any promising names you like -- their season hype has fallen off by and draft talk has perhaps not picked up that heavily just yet ... but it’s coming. I picked off this just to cross him off my list -- I try to have something for most names who make it to the next level for my team and call it good. Since a lot of players have NIL deals, you can find a lot more than you might think leading up to the NFL Draft in late April.
Find Ink At: BlowoutCards.com

Keep reading for a look at more autographs of different types.

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What's Buzzing: 2026 Topps is here and has 'em talking ... plus plenty more in this midweek edition.

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1 -- Talking 2026 Topps

2 -- Verlander to the Tigers (again)

3 -- No.

4 -- Talking Topps Now

5 -- New MLB breaks popping

6 -- Inside a new AEW case

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

Mystery Box Buzz Break is a new series here on The Buzz -- it's essentially a Buzz Break but only for "mystery boxes" that seem to be everywhere these days -- and not just in the sports realm. Like this and want to see more? Is there a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.

The mystery box: Pro Wrestling Crate Autographed 8-by-10 Mystery Grab Bag
Where to buy: Via Pro Wrestling Tees (now sold out) ... find new wrestling cards at BlowoutCards.com

Keep reading for a full breakdown and a gallery of what was in this box.

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There are a lot of things one can collect that aren't cards -- sometimes they can even come in packs or repackaged memorabilia boxes and sometimes they don't. Buzz has been exploring the world a little bit in different directions but with many of them still being paper items -- stacking paper but not in that ol' green (money) kind of way. Here's a look at a few items that entered my collection in recent months that can all fall under this department, which will be found here roughly once a month. 

TODAY'S THE GREATEST
The Item: The Smashing Pumpkins concert poster -- Melbourne, Australia, April 22 & 27, 2023 (announced /175)
What It Cost Me: $35
What's It Worth: Original cost $35 ... recent eBay sold $45 ... recent eBay asking $115
The Buzz: If you know and like the song and video for "Today," then this 18-by-24 piece from illustrator Pat Fox might appeal to you like this did for me. It's a nod to the 1993 video that arguably launched this band into the mainstream and this retro take for a more-recent show just seemed different and cool from the genre in my eyes. I've recently started dabbling around in this realm -- but only on the relative cheap -- after finding a seller/collector with a vast stock with nearly everything so fresh that the prints have never even been rolled ... so damage is almost non-existent. I've picked off a few dozen prints in recent months and you'll see concert posters like this pop up here regularly and perhaps elsewhere from time to time as unique buys come my way. Why? I'm hooked, amazing stuff can be found cheaply and I'm just collecting something a little different while they are also, in essence, bigger cards but made in far-lower volumes. The only drawback? Storage -- top-loaders for stuff like this doesn't come cheap -- but I'll adapt.
Find Cards At: Non-sports boxes at BlowoutCards.com

Check out even more items after the jump.

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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: 2025 Panini Combat Anthology fighting cards (blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for a couple formats)

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.

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Mystery Box Buzz Break is a new series here on The Buzz -- it's essentially a Buzz Break but only for "mystery boxes" that seem to be everywhere these days -- and not just in the sports realm. Like this and want to see more? Is there a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.

The mystery box: Pro Wrestling Crate Autographed 8-by-10 Mystery Grab Bag (two of 'em this time)
Where to buy: Via Pro Wrestling Tees (now sold out) ... find new wrestling cards at BlowoutCards.com

Keep reading for a full breakdown and a gallery of what was in this box.

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Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...

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TWO OF BLACKHEARTS
The Card: Shotzi Blackheart 2025 Panini Instant MLW Autographs Water parallel (/10)
The Price: $39.99 each via Panini
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This former WWE star is taking over a prominent spot in indy wrestling with appearances downright everywhere these days but with only a handful of card appearances to show for it (at least for now). Panini's newer foray into cardboard for Major League Wrestling has so far spawned a trio of base cards with parallels and some with autographed versions. I've been lucky enough to be plugged in and online to land ink for a couple of those drop days and in this case landed a pair of these autos where only eight others exist. Generally speaking, I'm not that big of a fan of the elemental parallels used in Instant these days, but they are an upgrade over the previous year's parallels that merely colored in one of the stripes in a design similar to this instead of the border as it is here. Either way, this one I'm a fan of as she's arguably my top collecting target these days as WWE stuff has gotten too pricey to comfortably dabble/rip boxes and have fun with the typical returns. In this case, the only angst is battling bots -- cards like these vanish in seconds and end up on eBay with prices three (or more) times higher. At least when I plunk down the money for these I know what I'm getting. (For those curious, the auto stickers here are older when she was signing in higher volumes for WWE releases -- her auto is back to an every-letter sig now.)
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but wrestling cards are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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Mystery Box Buzz Break is a new series here on The Buzz -- it's essentially a Buzz Break but only for "mystery boxes" that seem to be everywhere these days -- and not just in the sports realm. Like this and want to see more? Is there a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.

The mystery box: Pro Wrestling Crate Autographed 8-by-10 Mystery Grab Bag
Where to buy: Via Pro Wrestling Tees (now sold out) ... find new wrestling cards at BlowoutCards.com

Keep reading for a full breakdown and a gallery of what was in this box.

Continue reading →

Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading ... so here's this month's grading diary.

MY EARLY INK FOR A BREAK-OUT STAR
The Card: Pete Crow-Armstrong 2018 Panini Elite Extra Edition 18U National Team Signatures Red (from 2019 USA Baseball Stars & Stripes rack sets)(/100)
The Reason Graded: I landed this ink for the Chicago Cubs star in a rack set -- that's a set and then some bonus cards in pack form direct from USA Baseball back in the day -- and he was one of a number of good names I found there for a low price. They all sat with my stuff for a few years before his breakout 2024 season got this one put into a grading order. Why? So I could get some ink in a slab and cross him off my list of key names needed. Crow-Armstrong joined the 30-30 Club this season, won his first Gold Glove and was an All-Star, too. The cool part? I added his ink from a two-auto set for just $9.99. (Other colors of this card are in standard EEE boxes ... the Reds are only in the sets I bought.)
The Grade: CGC 9.5 (10 auto)

Reality Check: The stock on these is the standard Donruss cardboard that can't decide if its chippy or soft -- it's generally pretty clean but a bottom corner could be soft here on the card backs where there's some color to make fuzz really obvious. This one was cleaner than other grading-worthy names but I'll likely slab others I found over time as more than a few here are in MLB now. He was the highest-profile name who needed to be graded now.

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

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What's Buzzing: Joe Jackson hits the Living Set, NFL Week 10, new pulls, inside a case of Panini Combat Anthology, ripping high-end NASCAR and ... four autos in a single Bowman Chrome bonus pack?

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1 -- Shoeless Joe has 'em talking ... 

2 -- NFL Week 10 chatter

3 -- Four autos in one bonus pack ... 

4 -- Check out new football pulls

5 -- Inside a case of Panini Combat cardboard 

6 -- Ripping into some high-end NASCAR

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...

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BOOK IT, BARRYMORE!
The Card: Drew Barrymore 2024 Leaf History Book Pop Culture Edition Chapter 1 A-List Magazine Purple Autographs (/10)
The Price: A lot less than some others have paid for her booklets
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I'm not a big fan of how her abbreviated autograph looks on a sticker -- but since she has a long name I understand why she signs that way -- but I do casually collect some of her stuff, mostly 1990s-on (like in this photo), when it presents itself. Why? Just for something different ... so that's why we're here. Until Leaf's recent signing sessions with her, she's never had a certified autograph despite a lifetime on film and on cardboard since the early 1980s starting with Topps' E.T. set. Rather than obsess about her ink, I waited out a good price on this booklet and crossed it off the list. It's an unusual design -- not the typical kind of book -- but prices on her signed stuff have been steep with a lot of them being lower-volume cards. Many of her autos -- even solo ones -- can sell for $100 and up and combo booklets can be even steeper. I found this for less than that ... so it was a win for me.
Grab a box right here: Non-sports cards are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading ... so here's this month's grading diary.

MY LONE AUTO ...
The Card: Aaron Judge 2015 Bowman Inception Prospect Autographs Gold (/50)
The Reason Graded: Back when I could open a lot of boxes, I'd actually also do some group breaks as well -- as long as they were sure things where an affordable spot would guarantee a hit or had a volume of actual hits inside (auto or mem cards) the case that was high enough to make the odds close to that. This is my lone Aaron Judge auto left from back in those days. I landed it in a spot somewhere around just $60 -- and I actually got two other Yankees autos in the break to make my cost for this particular card even lower. I only ever pulled one other Judge auto and I think I let it go in a trade long, long ago so this last one standing for me was always a candidate for grading -- and it finally made the cut with his monster year.
The Grade: CGC 8.5 (10 auto)

Reality Check: The thick stock here made this one feel like a safe pick and it is -- the front is perfect -- but the back corners also count and some light fuzzing there is likely what dropped this one down. Otherwise, it definitely presents as a crisp card and a perfect card on the front. I was aiming for a nine, so this mark was a slight bummer -- but it's still a big card. Mine is the only Gold graded by CGC and among the 12 graded in all colors nothing checks in higher than a nine.

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

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Mystery Box Buzz Break is a new series here on The Buzz -- it's essentially a Buzz Break but only for "mystery boxes" that seem to be everywhere these days -- and not just in the sports realm. Like this and want to see more? Is there a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.

The mystery box: High Spots Virtual Gimmick Table -- Numbers Box
Where to buy: Via High Spots (on a weekly live stream) ... find new wrestling cards at BlowoutCards.com

Keep reading for a full breakdown and a gallery of what was in this box.

Continue reading →

Mystery Box Buzz Break is a new series here on The Buzz -- it's essentially a Buzz Break but only for "mystery boxes" that seem to be everywhere these days -- and not just in the sports realm. Like this and want to see more? Is there a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.

The mystery box: Pro Wrestling Crate Autographed 8-by-10 Mystery Grab Bag
Where to buy: Via Pro Wrestling Tees (now sold out) ... find new wrestling cards at BlowoutCards.com

Keep reading for a full breakdown and a gallery of what was in this box.

Continue reading →

What's Buzzing: MLB postseason chatter, NFL Week 6, eTopps, Ichiro Suzuki, 2025-26 Topps NBA reactions and more.

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1 -- All your MLB postseason threads

2 -- NFL Week 6 chatter

3 -- Checking in on the eTopps thread

4 -- A new Ichiro rookie-year pick-up

5 -- WWE chatter heading into a big-event weekend

6 -- Still talking Topps NBA ... and Topps Holiday

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...

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MY BEAR NECESSITY
The Item: Paul "Bear" Bryant autographed & dated/inscribed (Oct. 18, 1976) 8-by-10 photo (BAS authenticated)
The Price: $219 ... high for me but it's the perfect item for me
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was a jaw-dropper of a find for me during a random search of Mill Creek Sports' superstore for autographed stuff earlier this year and I've saved it for football season, specifically this month, to present it and tell its story. It's personalized and that makes it perfect for me this time ... and to top that, the signed date -- the legendary Alabama Crimson Tide football coach and football icon who won 323 games dated everything signed like this -- might as well be on Buzz's actual birthday. (It's close ... close enough.) The odds of this existing or one being signed on my actual birthday? Well, I'm sure there were a number of things to sign on this Monday and I'm also very sure he wasn't sitting down to sign requests on a gameday when I kicked things off in the world. So, this is perhaps as close as it can get. The quality and condition of the photo are perfect and the ink is perfectly legible, too. Now, is his autograph really rare? Not particularly, but he died in January 1983 well before sit-down and paid signing sessions were en vogue for sports legends and he's still in high, historic demand despite Nick Saban equaling him and/or re-writing the Alabama record book in more recent years. It's the perfect item at a perfect price and it will always be mine.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but football cards are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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