What: 2021 Topps Series 1 baseball cards
Arrives: Feb. 10
Box basics: One auto and two Relics per 10-pack jumbo box (six boxes per case); One auto or Relic per 24-pack hobby box (12 boxes per)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Topps' 70th anniversary edition will arrive in February with a new look, new players and plenty of retro inclusions in this release.

Keep reading for more info and a full gallery of images.

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He's not a rookie on the field (hit 2017 boxes for his RCs) and he's certainly not a rookie collector, but San Diego Padres pitcher Matt Strahm is a bit of a newcomer to break videos ... but his are a little different than others out there.

His breaks? Well, they're done at the ballpark -- and part of a YouTube series called Strahm's Stadium Pulls that launched on Thursday.

The break of 2020 Bowman Sapphire was up first and was teased on his Twitter account before we caught up with him for some basics about his background in collecting and more in this Hobby Q&A.

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Cooperstown is celebrating baseball cards a little more beginning in May.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum's Shoebox Treasures exhibit will celebrate the stuff that collectors dedicate their time to every day. There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the exhibit with some Hall of Famers on hand on the morning of May 25 before the Hall of Fame Classic game.

"The exhibit, spanning more than 700 square feet of space on the Museum’s third floor, will examine the history, design and production of cards, the 1980s boom that turned a child’s hobby into a multi-million dollar industry, and the joy and camaraderie that so many collectors have found in the hobby," reads an announcement from the Hall.

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If you've been active in the hobby on Twitter, the Blowout Cards Forums or elsewhere online in recent years, there's a good chance you've run into the work of a collector with a knack for Photoshop (he's a graphic designer) and for collecting -- and making -- Jose Canseco baseball cards.

TanManBaseballFan, aka Tanner Jones, amassed an elite collection of the famed Bash Brother and was obsessive enough about baseball cards that never were that he began creating many of them that went missing through the years for himself. Jones seemingly never met a Canseco card he didn't have -- or couldn't live without -- but, then, not long ago, he surprised many who know him with a simple statement.

It was time to sell it all. Why? Well, his story is part of a book he's working on that's coming soon -- Confessions of a Baseball Card Addict.

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Barring some unforeseen need for shelving in the next few days, I made one last trek to a Toys R Us on Saturday afternoon -- Store No. 8919, according to my receipt -- in advance of its closing forever.

By this time next week, the long-running toy chain will be no more as bankruptcy will be the final chapter of this story that began back in the 1940s. It will end a run that clearly had its share of successes -- and mistakes -- but one that has left an indelible mark on pop culture and kids everywhere -- and probably their parents' pocketbooks, too.

I don't wanna grow up ...

Jogging my memory a bit, I've been to Toys R Us stores in probably five states -- that's not a lot as I didn't really grow up as a true Toys R Us Kid, meaning we had to drive a couple hours to find the closest one when I was younger and most in my toy prime. But this particular store? It just might be -- actually, I can pretty much guarantee this -- it is the first Toys R Us I ever visited. When? I'm not sure when the first time happened but those same doors I walked through today were the doors I walked through long ago looking for 1988 Donruss baseball cards and other "bargain packs" all those years ago. It's definitely where I first bought a Jose Canseco Baseball Card Kit and it's where I first discovered The Conlon Collection in baseball card form. (The price was right and the history there is still priceless today.) It's where I'm sure I bought a few NASCAR diecasts in the more recent past, too, as we would visit relatives on vacation and I'd hit all the different stores in town looking for cards and whatever other interesting toy or collectable piqued my interest at the time.

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Topps has revealed some new info for its inaugural Industry Conference set for next month in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Set in the heart of the Cactus League just as play begins, the conference will include several speakers during the three-day event. Check-ins and a welcome reception are set for the evening of Sunday, Feb. 18 before the full slate begins the following day at the Talking Stick Resort.

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Topps' personalized custom cards are a way for collectors to get closer to the game but they can also be something more.

Take a look at a recent moment in the life of Steve Winfree.

Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com. 

>> Click here to buy MLB cards on BlowoutCards.com

If you hadn't heard, BlowoutTV is breaking a box of 1973 Topps baseball cards live on Friday night.

Last night, the randomization of 660 spots to determine who got each card in the set -- no matter how many show up in the box -- took place. The key spot, card No. 615 aka the Rookie Card of Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt, randomly went to one of five winners who retweeted a Blowout contest.

Who got the card? Nobody yet ... so keep reading.

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While The San Diego Chicken's memorabilia cards might be the biggest draw of them all when 2016 Donruss baseball cards arrive next week, there will still be plenty to chase with a hit-loaded and insert-loaded flagship set (see our First Buzz here) from Panini America.

And among them just might be variations.

Panini unleashed a preview gallery of 150 cards on Friday, and a handful stood out as having quirks similar to last year's variations.

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The start of a new baseball card season is coming as 2016 Topps Series 1 is set to arrive on Feb. 3.

Uncut sheets like you see above are rolling off the presses in Texas in advance of packaging for the arrival that's just 26 days away as of this moment, according to Buzz's calendar, and Buzz has just one question ...

[polldaddy poll=9261897]

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Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com. 

>> Click here to buy baseball cards on BlowoutCards.com

The Baseball Writers' Association of America votes are in, and there's no surprise at the top -- Ken Griffey Jr. is headed to Cooperstown, N.Y., this summer to join baseball's immortals.

He received 99.3 percent of the vote -- a record and three votes short of unanimous -- after his first time on the ballot. Joining him is former Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza, who appeared on 83 percent of the 440 ballots.

Griffey helped usher in a new era of collecting in 1989 as the iconic No. 1 in the first Upper Deck set, a release that helped change the printing and packaging of cards and the collecting expectations of a generation. For those same thirty-somethings and beyond, he's an also icon on the field with his backwards cap and a smooth but powerful left-handed swing that helped produce 630 home runs and countless more memorable moments for the Mariners, Reds and White Sox over 22 seasons but never a World Series at-bat.

Clearly he's one of the greatest players -- and most-beloved players -- in MLB history, a symbol of what's good about the game in an era of bogus records and inflated statistics that have undermined not only the results on the field but also the cardboard of our youth. His enshrinement this summer in Cooperstown will be the stuff that cardboard (and baseball) marketing is made of. In fact, there are already two forthcoming brands -- 2016 Topps Series 2 and 2016 Topps Finest (above right) -- that will spotlight Junior.

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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 five threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing: Multi-player cards, player-worn patches, Court Kings, goals and resolutions for 2016, college football and more on the forum that recently joined the 10-Million Post Club.

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If you're a Buzz regular, you have already read all about (link here) the 2015 Topps Strata Clearly Authentic Relics that include MLB Authentication. If not, check out the link after you check out this video released by Topps.

Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com. 

>> Click here to buy baseball cards on BlowoutCards.com.

The Blowout Cards Forums are where thousands of collectors converge daily to discuss, well, a little bit of everything. Here are five threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing: Results from 2015 Topps Dynasty, favorite sets, Star Wars, prospecting the 2016 NFL Draft & more

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What to do with old common cards is a question and a challenge for many collectors, especially as they continue to pile up.

But for 19-year-old New York-based Blowout member Steven Verdile, aka Metsfan1121, the temptation to simply throw them away was thwarted when the graphic design student received an assignment in a 3D class earlier this year.

"We had to take items that we already had and aren't typically used for art, and use them to create a 3D piece," he wrote on a post on the forum. "I quickly thought about using my cards, and came up with an idea. I decided to make a baseball field, along with bleachers and a dugout, out of cards."

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For 2015 Topps baseball products that don't get a standalone story here on The Buzz (click on Checklist Zone at right) when a final checklist is released, we'll place a link to a PDF of the set's checklist right here. (Click here if you need 2015 Topps football checklists.)

You'll be able to find all of them in PDF form as released by the company and all in one spot. (If traffic statistics show us you guys like this format, we'll expand it in other directions. If not, Buzz will focus on other stuff.)

Keep reading to see the checklists posted so far.

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Imagine seeing one million baseball cards all in one location. Now, imagine those can be yours in one fell swoop.

They can.

It can be reality in one active eBay auction and there's an added bonus. What is it? They'll throw in 100,000 free cards for your team if you choose to take this Cardboard Challenge.

Why's it a challenge? Well, consider that the haul -- and your bonus, don't forget your bonus -- amount to roughly 220 5,000-count boxes. Do you have the space? (It might also be a challenge if it's heavy on 1989 Score stripped of the stars ... but disregard this thought.)

Now, the real question is, do you have the cash? Don't worry about shipping -- it's free!
(You get to pick it all up and haul it off, so set your GPS for Manville, N.Y.)

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

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More eBay Buzz posts ...

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Bryce Harper's Topps Bunt virtual autograph went for what?

High-grade 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle draws attention

These Kobe Bryant autos are how much?

You won't believe the price on this perfect Bobby Orr Rookie Card

Arriving in hobby shops today is a new brand in the Topps Heritage line -- a release where the company commemorates the 65th anniversary of its first baseball card set.

It's 2015 Topps Heritage ’51 Collection, which is a boxed set of 104 cards created in the style of the company’s simple 1951 release with every set including 21 parallel cards and a certified autograph.

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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 five threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

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What: 2016 Topps Gypsy Queen baseball cards
Arrives: April 6
Hobby box basics: 24 packs, 10 cards -- two autographs, two Relics and one 10-card mini box box-topper

What's buzz-worthy: The sixth edition of Gypsy Queen follows much of the same formula from the past releases with the same number of hits and the same mini box box-topper we have seen from past years. What's new here this time are a few insert sets (MVP Minis, Power Alley), some parallels (MVP Minis autos, Mini Black autos) and a few other fun inclusions. Those will be Laces Around the League Relics -- cards with baseball stitch swatches limited to five copies -- as well as jumbo patch Relic and Ancient Era Remnants -- aka buybacks from the 1920s to 1950s.

See a gallery and more ... below.

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