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

TOOK ME LONG ENOUGH ...
The Mag: Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce -- Mad No 36 (April 2024)
The Reason Graded: With the Grammys set for tonight (Feb. 1), I figured now would be the time to drop one here for the Swifties -- a magazine that I picked off long, long ago with absolute intent to grade but never got around to it until late last year. This duo sold a lot of magazines in the last couple of years but this one was one of few to present itself in a way that would fit in my collection of slabs -- it's one part sports (he's in uniform) and one part comics/satire, a category where I have a few slabs. These were popular -- so much so there was at least a second printing with a green logo -- but actually finding the long-running but off-and-on-title would be a challenge at arrival. Book stores/newsstands? Probably not. Comics shops? Maybe ... but probably not a big priority for many of them. The original Mad ran from 1952 to 2018 before DC Comics took over after a couple months off that year and it's largely been new covers wrapping mostly favorite reprinted stories from the past with occasional new content.
The Grade: CGC 9.6 (Universal)

Reality Check: These mags are super thin and the cover paper is, too. How skinny? The spines of new copies have texture all the way down from the folding -- I suspect they will be the huge problem spots if you find these un-graded with an eye for slabbing. Mine has that -- as do some 9.8s I looked at before slabbing -- so mine probably had one other small issue to kick it down a notch. That was a bummer -- and my latest mags submission didn't have a single 9.8 in it, which was odd -- but I was grading this no matter what as a time capsule kind of slab from the last few years.

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

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What: 2025 Panini Prospect Edition baseball cards
Arrives: Feb. 13, 2026
Box basics: Four autographed cards per six-pack box (20 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: This newer brand in the Panini America lineup gets a sophomore release to showcase familiar inserts, players and more inside its packs.

Keep reading for a gallery and more info.

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What: 2025 Topps Pristine baseball cards
Arrives: Feb. 4, 2026
Box basics: Two autographs and one auto Relic per six-pack, 48-card box (six boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: This release returns for another year on the diamond with a meaty base set, plenty of colorful flash and autographs from both past and present stars all possible in the same box.

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

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This annual showcase includes another set of commemorative items made just for collectors.

The Baseball America Best of 2025 Awards issue is a jam-packed 74 pages of info and flash as it salutes the standouts of the year and also ranks the top 150 American League prospects as we look forward to a new season. Gracing its cover is Toronto Blue Jays prospect and postseason phenom Trey Yesavage.

Nestled in the center of the issue is a group of four perforated sheets. On the first one, collectors can pull out cards featuring the magazine's award-winners for this year -- Aaron Judge (MLB Player of the Year), Nick Kurtz (Rookie of the Year), Pat Murphy (MLB Manager of the year ... and pocket pancakes mastermind!), Konnor Griffin (MiLB Player of the Year), Jonah Tong (MiLB Pitcher of the Year), Ethan Holliday (High School Player of the Year), Roch Cholowsky (College Player of the Year), Dylan Volantis (College Freshman of the Year) and James Nelson (Independent Player of the Year) -- with their cards recapping why each got the nod. The second sheet recognizes the notable achievements of the year with Julio Rodriguez, Bobby Witt Jr., new 30-30 Club members, Jose Ramirez, Shohei Ohtani, Paul Skenes, Cal Raleigh, Clayton Kershaw, Mike Trout and Yoshinobu Yamamoto all in there for their various highlight moments in 2025.

The final two sheets showcase notable "future prospects" with new draft picks on 18 cards. They include Gavin Fien, Ethan Conrad, Tate Southisene, Sean Gamble, Jordan Yost, Gage Wood, Josh Hammond, Patrick Forbes, Marcus Phillips, Michael Oliveto, Slater de Brun, Mitch Voit, Dax Kilby, Zach Root, Charles Davalan, Jaden Fauske, J.B. Middleton and Brandon Compton with scouting reports and grades on every card.

As with the previous Baseball America sheets, they are perforated to be pulled off as sheets or even broken down to individual cards as part of the double-issue package that carries a $14.99 cover price. They are available in the BlowoutCards.com shop here or in the Baseball America online shop. These sheets have historically only been found in subscriber issues or via these two spots, not in newsstand issues. 

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What: 2025 Topps Five Star baseball cards
Arrives: Dec. 29
Box basics: Five encased on-card autographs per six-pack box (three boxes per case)
Checklist: TBD
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Five Star hits to the diamond for another year with a new format, some new looks, some deluxe inclusions and a mix of stars from the past and present ... sometimes on the same card.

Keep reading for more.

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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 Topps Holiday baseball cards (tin)
Checklist: Click here
Odds: Click here
Where to buy: Click here

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

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What: 2025 Topps Black & White baseball cards
Arrives: TBD
Box basics: One autograph per hobby box (TBD per case) & TBD per mega box (TBD per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here (when available)

What's buzz-worthy: Black & White arrives for new year with a lineup of inclusions and a pair of formats along with plenty of new looks and approaches for the brand.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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What: 2025 Panini National Treasures baseball cards
Arrives: Nov. 19
Box basics: Eight autograph or memorabilia cards per 10-card box (four boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: The 12th edition of National Treasures baseball cards arrives with a handful of today's young stars, other notables from the prospect ranks and many icons from rich history of the game's past all in one spot.

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

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What: 2025 Topps Update baseball cards
Arrives: Nov. 12
Box basics: One auto or Relic per 20-pack hobby box (12 per case) or one auto and two Relics per 10-pack jumbo box (six per case)
Odds: Click here
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: The full hobby details for the Update series of Topps' flagship baseball cards are still to come, but the box subject has been teased and it's Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Keep reading for more info and a full gallery of images for this one once they are available.

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What: 2025 Leaf Vivid baseball cards
Arrives: Oct. 31
Box basics: Seven autos per nine-card hobby box (12 boxes per case) or 10 autos per 12-card jumbo box (eight per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: A new year of Vivid baseball includes base cards in the mix -- every one of them a 1/1 creation -- alongside the autographs that are a majority of what's found in both formats for this release.

Keep reading for more info, images and a full checklist of inclusions.

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What: 2025 Panini Select baseball cards
Arrives: Nov. 5
Box basics: Three autographs or memorabilia cards per 12-pack hobby box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Select returns to the field once again with some notable signers in the mix as well as plenty of star power from today's promising prospects.

Keep reading for a gallery and more info.

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What: 2025 Topps T205 baseball cards
Arrives: TBD
Box basics: Four packs per 40-card box ... one autograph in every four boxes
Checklist: Click here
Order: BlowoutCards.com (when available)

What's buzz-worthy: Topps revisits old-timey tobacco cards with a T206 companion that carries a little more color, the T205 series, but with the same general approach of past editions.

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

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What: 2025 Leaf Spectacular baseball cards
Arrives: Nov. 28
Box basics: Five "premium hits" and one base card per box (three boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: A new line in the Leaf Trading Cards lineup promises to pack out some of the biggest names in baseball history with legendary booklets, plenty of ink and a lot of memorabilia showcasing past and present stars.

Keep reading for more.

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What's Buzzing: Familiar names on unfamiliar teams, awaiting NFL Week 1, inside a Flawless NFL box found in Blowout MegaMix and plenty more in this Sunday edition.

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1 -- NFL Week 1 chatter is here

2 -- Right name, wrong NFL team

3 -- All your college football thoughts 

4 -- Happy little autographs 

5 -- Inside a Flawless NFL box from Blowout MegaMix

6 -- Talkin' baseball

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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.

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 Donruss baseball cards (mega)
First Buzz preview: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for a couple other formats)

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

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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 Topps Series 2 baseball cards (hanger)
First Buzz preview & checklist/odds: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (a few formats)

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

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What's Buzzing: Big Dumper makes history, a Topps question, showing off bat barrel cards, eTopps and more.

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1 -- Cal Raleigh sets two new records and isn't done yet 

2 -- Showing off bat barrel cards and more

3 -- A Topps question ...

4 -- Too Legit to quit

5 -- eTopps' finale is not going well

6 -- All your preseason NFL chatter is here

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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.

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 Topps Series 2 baseball cards (hanger)
First Buzz preview & checklist/odds: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (a few formats)

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

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What: 2025 Topps Tier One baseball cards
Arrives: Sept. 17
Box basics: Two autos and one Relic per four-card box (12 boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Odds: Click here
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: A new year of Tier One arrives soon with "no fluff, just hits" -- and with one base card in there each time, too, as it delivers "serious weight" as part of what Topps says is "a high-end dive into the heart of the hobby."

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

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What: 2025 Leaf Baseball Nation baseball cards
Arrives: Sepetmber
Box basics: Six autos per 12-card hobby box (12 per case) or nine per 18-card jumbo box with one multi-signed card guaranteed (eight per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: A new name in the Leaf lineup includes a mix of past and present stars -- sometimes on the same cards -- with a meaty mix of flashy signed and unsigned cards in both box formats. It's also the company's first release with an MLBPA-approved lineup.

Keep reading for more.

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What: 2025 Panini Three & Two baseball cards
Arrives: Sept. 17, 2025
Box basics: One encased autographed card and one encased memorabilia card per five-card box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: The fourth release for this brand delivers young stars and all-time greats all in one premium spot with all of the hits encased and some new inclusions.

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

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What's Buzzing: Big Dumper, a possible trend in the hobby, a good question, NFL preseason chatter, a big MegaMix find and more.

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1 -- All your NFL chatter as the season nears

2 -- Talking Big Dumper

3 -- A trend?

4 -- Still legit

5 -- Check out that new MegaMix find

6 -- Still a good question 

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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.

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 Topps Series 2 baseball cards (hanger)
First Buzz preview & checklist/odds: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (a few formats)

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

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What: 2025 Panini Prizm baseball cards
Arrives: Aug. 13
Box basics:  Three autographs per 12-pack box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Prizm drops for another year with all-time greats, future prospects and selected MLB newcomers in play here as part of the familiar formula of the past -- but without current veterans.

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

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What: 2025 Topps Archives Signature Series baseball cards
Arrives: Aug. 6
Box basics: One encased and numbered buyback autograph per box (20 boxes per case)
Player list: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Topps' long-running brand arrives once again with "a curated lineup of autographed buybacks — each one a piece of hobby history reimagined."

Keep reading for more.

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