Ben Baller
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (Feb. 23)
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: 2023 Topps, a big Baller Chrome break, inside new Snapshots boxes and more in this one.
First Buzz: 2022 Topps Chrome Ben Baller Edition
What: 2022 Topps Chrome Ben Baller Edition baseball cards
Arrives: Feb. 1, 2023 via Topps.com
Box basics: 24 four-card packs per box
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here (when available)What's buzz-worthy: Topps Chrome once again turns to Ben Baller for a parallel version -- the third year for this one -- with some new looks for past favorites and ink of notable newcomers among the mix here.
Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (Jan. 17)
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: Tom Brady, Brock Purdy, Damar Hamlin, new pulls and more in today's edition.
Buzz Break: 2020 Topps Chrome Ben Baller Edition MLB cards
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 pack: 2020 Topps Chrome Ben Baller Edition baseball cards
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (when available)
Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.
First Buzz: 2021 Topps Chrome Ben Baller Edition
What: 2021 Topps Chrome Ben Baller Edition baseball cards
Arrives: Oct. 12 (via 582 Montgomery Club pre-sale)
Box basics: 24 four-card packs per box
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here (when available)What's buzz-worthy: Topps Chrome turns to Ben Baller for a parallel version of Topps Chrome for a second year with this edition having a little more ice to its design and a small array of other inclusions.
Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.
Topps Project70 arrives as artist-fueled Project 2020 sequel
Update (Feb.17): The Project70 cards are now live and in the gallery -- new cards will be added daily after they are revealed.
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Details are deliberately leaking out -- by some names you should know if you collected baseball cards in 2020 -- for a new artist-field baseball card line coming soon from Topps.
It's Project70 -- a new brand that will revisit past stars and designs in new ways in this year that's the 70th anniversary of Topps' start with baseball cards back in 1951.
The image above -- and then who's involved -- is all that has trickled out so far, but with the launch of 2021 Topps Series 1 coming in a matter of weeks this one should be arriving soon, too.
Buzz Buys: Original WWE card artwork, Santa Claus' signature, NFL standouts, a Heisman contender, 1990 Pro Set homage, Black Lotus, The Fly, The Rock, Katy Perry's autograph & more
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 are some really unique pieces and some normal stuff found over recent months.
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BETTER THAN A BOX.
The Piece: Sasha Banks 2019 Topps WWE Undisputed original art by Rob Schamberger
The Price: Same as a box of this year's Undisputed cards
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: For the last two years, Topps' Undisputed sets have included a subset showcasing the work of WWE artist Rob Schamberger whose pieces also have been found on countless prints, shirts and more as well as in WWE Canvas 2 Canvas video shorts. How popular is his work? Well, wrestler-signed prints have their own section over at WWE Auction and he also had original card-sized works in last year's Transcendent boxes -- and this year's Undisputed set has his autographs as one of its chases. One card from last year's set that got my attention upon arrival was the Banks, which I even submitted for grading and I hadn't really thought about that one until just recently with this year's new set. What popped up? Well, he launched his new website, Schamberger Labs, where collectors can find prints, original pieces and more and that's where I found this original. For months now, I had been eyeing an original watercolor/ink piece to showcase here (story perhaps to come later ... if I do grab that one) but with the new site announcement one recent morning I checked things out and was shocked to see this original. (His photo is above since it's too large for me to photograph well.) I hadn't really imagined any art from this set ever being available but I grabbed it with little hesitation. I figured these pieces might be locked away in Topps' or WWE's possession given the card presence, but, no, the Banks and a handful of other pieces were up for grabs. (Some are still there.) These 11-by-15 pieces aren't overwhelmingly large to manage -- mine is in a photo top-loader for now -- and there's a strong chance I'll display it at some point, though I never really display any of my buys. (Well, beyond showing them off here.) This was one of my favorite finds of the year ... and it's been a good year (of shopping at home).
Grab a box right here: 2020 Topps WWE UndisputedKeep reading for more interesting items ...
eBay Buzz: Chronicles brings heat, some big Ben Baller ink, Fixer Upper special & Alabama's next big QB already on cards
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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LIFE AFTER TUA
The Item: Bryce Young 2020 Leaf Metal All-American patch auto (/12)
The Price: $695 Buy-It-Now (or best offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The Alabama Crimson Tide's season began this weekend and the freshman QB that has plenty of expectations in a world after Tua Tagovailoa got some playing time as part of a big win. He's not the starter and didn't light things up in his first taste of the field that counts, but that doesn't matter when it comes to the demand for his cardboard in this prep All-American set. He appears on more than 60 different cards in the release with many of them low-volume creations and he's easily among the priciest cards of players in the set so far (hit that link below). The release is largely a hits-driven affair so the box prices are pretty strong and there is risk with a deep, deep checklist but notables like this guy are big deals when you find them. This is pretty much the only way to prospect football until players' NFL cards arrive so once players are bonafide big names in college there is only one place to look ... these cards.
Similar Pieces: 2020 Leaf Metal All-American autos on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for 2020 Leaf Metal All-American boxesKeep reading for a few more interesting items in this week's roundup ...
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (Sept. 18)
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 MLB and NFL as well as a question pondering the future.
Buzz Buys: Anthony Fauci's Rookie Card, big Bo Bichette, Kobe, Sasha Banks, AEW's start & Mark Wahlberg's new NFL card?
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 some new stuff and some throwbacks as I await some new arrivals.
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IN THE HOUSE (BUT NOT IN THE STRIKE ZONE)
The Card: Dr. Anthony Fauci 2020 Topps Now (/51,512)
The Price: $6 (direct from Topps)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This card was a fun surprise after his awful first pitch to start the season on Opening Day last month and it set an all-time record for Topps Now with more than 51,000 copies sold. That's more than double the previous record for Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s MLB debut last year. Why? The novelty of it and the market has been strong for this card as many non-collectors apparently want one. That price has made me glad I did a handful. I may or may not slab one as I had planned as these didn't come in as razor-sharp/perfectly clean as other Topps Now cards I've done. (And also because grading prices are getting steeper.) The real question for people out there ... did anybody get a parallel? Those are new for Now this year.
Grab a box right here: None for this ... get 2020 MLB boxes here.Keep reading for more interesting items ...
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (Aug. 12)
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: Influencers, bubbles, big pulls, Ben Baller's Chrome and more in today's edition.
Buzz Buys: Project 2020, original SportKings artwork, Goon, WWE autographs, Star Wars, DC movies, old classics & more
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.
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REEL BIG FISH
The Card: Mike Trout 2020 Topps Project 2020 -- Artist: Ben Baller (/34,950 made)
The Price: Factory cost from Topps (bought bundle of five)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: It's probably no secret that Project 2020 is the runaway winner already for Set of The Year with most cards selling thousands of copies a pop at $20 apiece and a number of those re-selling for far, far more than $20. (This one, last I looked? Add on a zero.) Some of the prices are as volatile and logic-defying as it gets if you're looking at things from a cardboard-volume perspective -- rarer ones that weren't that popular at first are now very-pricey ones -- but that's just one part of the equation. The players have fan bases, the artists have fan bases -- and prices for their art may not be as soft as collectors might think them to be. In other words, a style you might not like could have thousands of people wanting them because they know their work elsewhere. (Ben Baller, for example, has more than 260,ooo Twitter followers and 1.4 million on Instagram. Both dwarf most hobby industry accounts and definitely tops them all.) The set has garnered a lot of mainstream media attention, too, meaning non-collectors are buying cards up, too. As I type this, the Trout here is still the No. 1 best-seller but others have come close. This one was the first break-out card volume-wise and is my favorite of the bunch so far this year. Even if others sell more, it will likely remain my favorite unless something to come really wows me.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of this one ... but MLB boxes are hereKeep reading for more interesting items ...
Artists take on classic Topps baseball cards in Project 2020
What happens when Topps selects 20 artists to re-imagine 20 iconic baseball cards from the past?
A new set called Topps Project 2020.
The first two cards arrived today with Ichiro Suzuki's 2001 Topps Rookie Card and Sandy Koufax's 1955 Topps Rookie Card getting the nod from artists Ben Baller and Jacob Rochester.
How does it work? Keep reading for the details.
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