We've all known Albert Pujols to be a big deal on baseball cards for most of this century and that his 2001 Bowman Chrome rookie autograph is an iconic card that can only be owned by some.

But now that he's on the cusp of joining the 3,000-Hit Club -- he's just four hits away -- we get another moment to examine his place in MLB history.

While that club is exclusive, he's among an even more elite group once that happens -- and it's a club so elite we may never see it again.

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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: 2018 Panini Stars & Stripes USA Baseball cards (blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)
Packs per box: 5
Cards per pack: 7
Cards in this box: 35
Longevity base set completion: 
31 of 100 (31 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Base cards of note – Alex Rodriguez, Keston Hiura, Tanner Houck, David Peterson, J.B. Bukauskas, Evan White, Travis Swaggerty, Sean Wymer, Ethan Hankins, Will Banfield, Brice Turang, Michael Siani, Triston Casas, Jarred Kelenic (all past MLB players, 2017 first-rounders or MLB Top 50 prospects for this year's draft)

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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: 2018 Panini Stars & Stripes USA Baseball cards (blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)
Packs per box: 5
Cards per pack: 7
Cards in this box: 35
Longevity base set completion: 
30 of 100 (30 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Base cards of note – Alex Rodriguez, Alex Faedo, Jake Burger, Seth Beer, Tanner Houck, Jon Olsen, Taylor Walls, Tyler Holton, K.J. Harrison, Ethan Hankins, Brice Turang, Jarred Kelenic, Triston Casas, Michael Siani, Mason Denaburg

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Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today's your day then as we launch 12 in 12 -- a series of a dozen breaks of wax boxes and wax packs in a dozen hours. We'll post one every hour all day long ... this is Hour 11.

The pack: 2009 Fathead Tradeables
The cost: Will vary ($1.99 in this case)

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

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Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today's your day then as we launch 12 in 12 -- a series of a dozen breaks of wax boxes and wax packs in a dozen hours. We'll post one every hour all day long ... this is Hour 6.

The box: 2003 Fleer Hardball baseball cards (hobby)
The cost: $49

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

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What: 2018 TRISTAR Hidden Treasures Platinum autographed baseballs
Arrives: Feb. 21
Box basics: One autographed baseball per box (12 boxes per case)

What's buzz-worthy: TRISTAR's autographed baseball chase brand is back for another season with a new batch of stars and legends along with some new specialty balls guaranteed per case that help add variety to the chase.

The biggest chase of them all this year? Keep reading for that and a gallery of what's in this one.

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What: 2018 Panini USA Baseball Stars & Stripes baseball cards
Arrives: March 14
Box basics: Five autographs or memorabilia cards per five-pack box (20 boxes per case)

What's buzz-worthy: USA Baseball returns to cardboard with a mix of past and present players' autographs, memorabilia & more.

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

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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 Panini Chronicles baseball cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 4
Cards per pack: 5
Cards in this box: 20
Base set completion: 
15 of 100 (15 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Base cards – Bryce Harper, Yangervis Solarte, Will Myers, Rougned Odor, Matt Carpenter, Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, Chris Sale, Billy Hamilton, Matt Holiday, Joe Mauer, Javier Baez, Corey Seager, Max Scherzer, Trea Turner

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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 Panini Chronicles baseball cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 12
Cards per pack: 5
Cards in this box: 60
Base set completion: 
42 of 100 (42 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Mookie Betts, Ryne Sandberg, Justin Verlander, Ken Griffey Jr., Pete Rose, Carlos Correa, Clayton Kershaw, Gary Sanchez, Jose Altuve, Mike Schmidt, Buster Posey, Mickey Mantle, Kris Bryant, Nolan Ryan

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Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today's your day then as we launch 12 in 12 -- a series of a dozen breaks of past wax boxes and wax packs in a dozen hours. We'll post one every hour on the hour all day long today ... this is Hour 7.

The box: 1999 Upper Deck Ovation baseball cards (blaster)
The cost now: $19.95
The cost then: $34.99

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

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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 Archives Signature Series Postseason Edition baseball cards
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 1
Cards per pack: 1
Base set completion: 
N/A

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The latest Topps On Demand baseball card set is here and it's focused on the 3,000-hit Club, its newest member, Adrian Beltre, and others who are on pace.

The 2017 Topps On Demand 3,000-hit Club set will include 25 base cards with a one in three shot at bonus autographs as well as parallels.

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This year's National Sports Collectors Convention begins on Wednesday with more than 100 autograph guests signing for those who opt to get a ticket and stand in line for their "inkredible" moment.

Some of those signers are actually free if you're at the VIP reception on Wednesday or buy a VIP ticket package -- a bonus for taking the time to hit the entire show or buy the full package for all of the other bonuses -- but other signers will take some planning to land the ones you want.

>>> NSCC Want even more? Click here to see all of our past pieces previously revealing nuggets of news for the show and keep up with newer stories tagged NSCC by clicking here.

It's tough to see everything at the show -- it's that big -- and the time it takes to work through autograph lines is valuable in that it impedes your shot at seeing it all. With that said, here are my picks -- one per day -- to grab off the autograph list. (Keep reading for the full signers list in a gallery at the end.)

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Do you like Buzz Breaks? We recently launched 12 in 12 — a series of a dozen breaks of past wax boxes and wax packs in a dozen hours. This is a faster break in that style — but not the launching of a new 12 in 12. We'll have another marathon soon. (Click the logo below to see the previous posts in the series.)

The box: 1997 Score Series 1 baseball cards (jumbo box)
The cost now: $9.99
The cost then: $71.64 in U.S., $107.64 in Canada ($1.99/$2.99 per pack; prices printed on them)

What’s inside this box? Keep reading ...

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Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today's your day then as we launch 12 in 12 -- a series of a dozen breaks of past wax boxes and wax packs in a dozen hours. We'll post one every hour on the hour all day long today ... this is Hour 3.

The box: 2013 Topps Heritage baseball blaster (Hot Box)
The cost: $16

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

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Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today's your day then as we launch 12 in 12 -- a series of a dozen breaks of past wax boxes and wax packs in a dozen hours. We'll post one every hour on the hour all day long today ... this is Hour 3.

The box: 1994 Upper Deck Series 1 Hobby Eastern Region baseball cards
The cost now: $19.99
The cost then: $72 (or more ... it was hot)

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

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Do you like Buzz Breaks? We recently launched 12 in 12 — a series of a dozen breaks of past wax boxes and wax packs in a dozen hours. This is a faster break in that style — but not the launching of a new 12 in 12. We'll have another marathon this coming week. (Click the logo below to see the previous posts in the series.)

The box: 2016 Topps Archives baseball cards (blaster box)
The cost: $14.99 (originally $19.99)

What’s inside this box? Keep reading …

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Ok, it's not the weekend, but this further proves that Buzz's fantasy baseball draft just took waayyyy too long yesterday. (Hear that, commish?) Here are several stories worth a look if you missed out. Check 'em out & subscribe at right if you want email updates.

This Week's Big Hit?
We're less than a week away from WrestleMania 33 in Orlando and Topps dropped the biggest mic of them all ("pipebomb" in WWE-Punk parlance) for collectors with the arrival of autographs from Undertaker for the first time in Topps packs -- and just the third time in hobby history. Get all of the details on which brands get his legendary ink here.

Keep reading for more ...

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There's a new big name among the first wave of autograph signers for this year's National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago.

It's Alex Rodriguez.

Once baseball's highest-paid player, he's a member of the 3,000-hit club and a player who hit 696 home runs during his at times controversial 22-year MLB career with the Mariners, Rangers and Yankees.

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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: 2016 Topps Gypsy Queen baseball cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 8
Cards per pack: 6
Cards in this box: 48
Base set completion: 
34 of 300 (11 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notable players on base cards – Noah Syndergaard, Alex Rodriguez, Anthony Rizzo, Jose Altuve

Rookie Cards (7) – Corey Seager, Gary Sanchez, Stephen Piscotty, Jerad Eickhoff, Zach Davies, Matt Duffy, Aaron Nola

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A unique gamer from one of MLB's most-iconic sluggers is among several game-used pieces up for grabs in the latest Goldin Auctions sale.

It's not a bat used by Roger Maris, Babe Ruth, Tris Speaker, Albert Pujols, Mike Trout, Ichiro Suzuki or Alex Rodriguez, but all of those stars' clubs are up for grabs, too, as part of a series of auctions ending this week.

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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: 2016 Topps Holiday baseball cards
Where to buy: Initially available at Walmart ($19.98)

Packs per box: 10
Cards per pack: 10
Cards in this box: 98
Base set completion: 
92 of 200 (46 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Alex Rodriguez, Justin Verlander, Carlos Correa, Clayton Kershaw, Yu Darvish, Javier Baez, Albert Pujols

Rookie Cards (13) – Corey Seager, Tyler Naquin, Kyle Schwarber, Jose Berrios, Julio Urias, Miguel Sano, Ross Stripling, Luis Severino, Nomar Mazara, Robert Stephenson, Aaron Nola, Byung-Ho Park, Blake Snell

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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: 2016 Donruss Optic baseball cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 6
Cards per pack: 5
Cards in this box: 30
Base set completion: 
18 of 165 (11 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Alex Rodriguez (DK), Albert Pujols (DK), Ichiro Suzuki, Miguel Cabrera, Clayton Kershaw

Rookie Cards (3) – Kyle Schwarber, Miguel Sano, Michael Conforto (all Rated Rookies)

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Yahoo! Sports' Mike Oz had some 1991 Donruss Series 1 packs in storage and he's made a habit of tearing into a pack or two when the time is right.

That latest bit of time came in the presence of Alex Rodriguez, who joined the Big League Stew writer to tear into a pack, see who he got inside and pull off a trade while fielding some questions.

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Topps' most-expensive baseball card box ever arrives tomorrow and The Mint aims to “raise the bar for premium card collecting.”

And the first few cards to trickle onto eBay looks like there could be something to that.

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