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: A PSA problem, talking "assets," ugly NFL card designs and some big pulls heading into the weekend.

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What: 2022 Wild Card Matte football cards
Arrives: June 30
Box basics: Four autographs per six-pack hobby mega box (24 boxes per case -- 12 Gold, 12 Silver)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Wild Card returns for another season with its Matte release that splits the color options right down the middle with different chase inclusions in each.

Keep reading for more info and a gallery of images.

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

What's Buzzing: New pulls, NBA chatter, Bowman University, projecting MLB Hall of Famers, detailing some UFC breaks and collecting women's soccer.

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With these Ticket Stud or Ticket Dud stories I'm turning just a tiny bit of that energy just a few degrees away from cards (we'll still have plenty of them here) for a different kind of cardboard. What am I doing? Simple ... this is an occasional dip into some random ticket lots -- a show and tell showing something small with a story.

This time? It's a debut ticket of sorts ... and it's right there with last time.

Keep reading to see the item and the details this time ... and tell me if you think it's a Ticket Stud or a Ticket Dud.

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What: 2022 TRISTAR Hidden Treasures Autographed Full-size Helmets
Arrives: April 29
Box basics: One autographed full-size replica helmet per box (three boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: TRISTAR's Hidden Treasures arrives for another year with a new batch of full-size signed helmets that are inked by some of the game's greatest players of today as well as top newcomers.

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

What's Buzzing: Signed books and CDs, Foo Fighters' Taylor Hawkins, CSG slab changes, big pulls and more.

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There are two things about collecting that might be a slightly lost art right now with so many big-money chases out in the card world -- but they still might apply no matter what you're chasing.

What are they? Well, Buzz loves "the dig" and the concept of "something for nothing." They're things that are still do-able in today's hobby, but it just depends on your definition of "nothing" and your digging tastes. Sometimes there's plenty to dig through in boxes and other times you just have to scroll and scroll some more.

With this new series starting right here, right now, I'm turning just a tiny bit of that energy just a few degrees away from cards (we'll still have plenty of them here) for a different kind of cardboard. What am I doing? Simple ... this is an occasional dip into some random ticket lots -- a show and tell showing something small with a story. A tip: Tickets have picked up steam with slabbers -- and it's a topic that's not just limited to sports, either -- so if something is appealing there might be value ... especially if it's obscure and interesting.

Keep reading to see the item and the details this time ... and tell me if you think it's a Ticket Stud or a Ticket Dud.

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What: 2022 Bowman University football cards
Arrives: April
Box basics: Two autographs in every 24-pack hobby box (12 boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Topps enters the NCAA prospects ranks in pack form with Bowman University, a Chromed line that will showcase current college stars thanks to the NIL rules that allow them to appear on cardboard before they are professionals.

Keep reading for more and 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: 2021 Wild Card Alumination football cards (retail hanger)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Keep reading to see a full breakdown and gallery of everything that was in this one.

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Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading and knows that there are many reasons that collectors choose to slab cards. Sometimes it's to enhance the appeal and protect them when selling. Other times it's to protect an investment for the long-term or to protect for sentimental reasons. Or, it might be just for fun or curiosity about a potential grade.

Here's this month's grading diary here on The Buzz ... another super-sized edition with some new inclusions like comic books and magazines.

FRESH OFF THE TRUCK
The Book: Captain Britain No. 1 (1976 Marvel UK magazine, with mask) -- first appearance of the character
The Reason Graded: This one arrived back in my hands from CGC on Sunday, so I'll have it lead off here as it's as fresh as it gets in my stash of slabs -- and it actually presents a question for people familiar with pressing. (Help a newb out!) First, the back story ... I picked this up probably 30 years ago via Mile High Comics for more than I would have normally spent back then -- probably around $20 -- for a NM-MT copy. For all these years, it was in its magazine bag with one of their old round condition stickers still attached before I recently decided to dig it out for slabbing. Why? It's obscure -- it's a newsprint-style, magazine-size book released only in the UK -- and it's pricey when it's in elite grade. (We'll get to that.) This debuting character is one that had evolved a lot by the time I had gotten into comics (around 1990) and he was the leader of the British X-Men group, Excalibur, which launched as a standalone title in 1988. As part of collecting key issues and artist favorites back then, I tracked down this debut that was mentioned on the back of his 1990 Impel Marvel Universe card. (That set is what drew me into comics.) I knew this copy wasn't perfect, but it was close and I figured it was best to get it slabbed despite some paper-texture funk (the vertical black lines in white areas around the nameplate and corner box). I assumed some of that might lighten up as part of CGC's pressing/cleaning process. If it helped at all, I had figured it might get it closer to one of those top grades.
The Grade: CGC 9.4 (Universal)

Click for a closer look

Reality Check: This one checked in lower than I had hoped for as I had thought a 9.6 might be realistic -- but the only dramatic difference here vs. higher marks is the dollar signs and probably some of that funk. (My back cover wasn't as clean as I remembered so my gut feeling may be moot.) A 9.8 copy of this has topped $5,000 on eBay while ones in my condition have been around $1,500 ... so it's still a good slab. (I'm sitting on it like everything else in my stash.) ... Here's where I can use some help from the pressers/slabbers out there, though. It seems like pressing may have actually added to the funk or emphasized it in spots. Some of the white areas definitely have more of that showing now, not less, particularly around the right side of the No. 1 box and the "free inside" mask circle where there's plenty of white paper. It's absolutely the same book (minor pulp spots are there as they were when I sent it) but I was surprised by the paper texture seemingly being emphasized (or not as clean) after pressing. (Click on the image above right -- ignore the color difference as that is likely due to my photography skills.) You can see more dark spots/texture of the paper visible -- perhaps it's from ink on the inside page showing through? I assume I'm not the first to press one of these -- or that they wouldn't press these if it would make its condition worse. I didn't have this on my mental list of outcomes, and naturally, I wondered whether this dropped me a grade and it will always bug me now. Perhaps this happened because the cover is newsprint and not white paper? The time it takes for pressing has had me not doing that on nearly all other submissions but this one -- my first sub I had pressed -- left me wondering if it helped at all. (If I could do this one all over again ... I would not have.) By the way, the color you see peeking out the right side? That's a perfect mask tucked inside the issue just like the cover promises from almost 50 years ago. All in all, I'm glad I graded this one and I think it's the priciest comic book in my stash ... but it definitely prompted some questions.

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

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

What's Buzzing: New releases, new breaks, new pulls, showing off color-match cards and pondering the NFL's most-athletic player.

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What: 2022 TRISTAR Hidden Treasures Autographed Mini Helmets
Arrives: March 23
Box basics: One autographed mini helmet per box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: TRISTAR's Hidden Treasures line arrives for the first time this year with a new assortment of NFL and college stars -- active college stars -- along with throwback and alternative-design helmets that can add some extra variety within the chase.

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What: 2022 Panini Prizm Draft Picks football cards
Arrives: This product has been canceled by Panini America. (Updated Oct. 31.)
Box basics: Four autographs per four-pack box (16 boxes per case)
Order: This product has been canceled.

What's buzz-worthy: Panini opens its 2022 football card season with new college stars and past greats in their school colors, an autograph in every pack and some other inclusions that fans of the brand have come to expect.

Keep reading for more info and a full 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: 2021 Wild Card Alumination football cards (retail hanger)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Keep reading to see a full breakdown and gallery of everything that was in this one.

Continue reading →

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: Don Maynard, Wander Franco, new breaks and more in today's edition.

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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: 2021 Panini Chronicles Draft Picks football cards (blaster)
First Buzz preview: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for a few formats)

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

Continue reading →

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: Pondering the Heisman Trophy winner, talking Hall of Famers, the Raiders, new pulls, 1/1 locations and new MLB chatter today.

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Fast Five is a quick list that might offer a basic starting point for a themed collection or new focus -- five things that could be fun for a beginner or a new way to add something to your stash if you're a grizzled veteran.

This time? Five NFL rookies who are impressing Buzz this season (on offense).

THE TOP QB
Mac Jones -- QB, Patriots (Rookie Cards in 2021 boxes)
Trevor Lawrence got all the attention heading into the season -- especially on cardboard with his own standalone crd sets -- but while the yardage is there for him pretty much nothing else is impressive on the NFL rookie stat sheet this year or in the standings. Mac Jones, though? The numbers are there as him being the top rookie QB of the year so far with 245 of 349 passes completed for 2,540 yards and 14 TDs with just eight picks in 11 games. He's 399 yards ahead of Lawrence (who has only played 10 games and only has eight TDs). Jones isn't as mobile as, say, Lawrence or Justin Fields but the numbers are there and his team is atop the AFC East, too. Are the stats freakish like, say, Justin Herbert last year? Nope, but they don't seem to be unrealistic to show that he's done well and could be around for some time. He's expensive as an Alabama title-winner -- he'll always be popular in that regard -- so I'd be selective with grabs, but all those pricey cards could still have a big up-side if he's the franchise guy like people hope.

Keep reading for four more making up the list this time.

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

What's Buzzing: Shohei Ohtani's MVP season, new pulls, Zion Williamson and the PSA pop report, Wander Franco, NFL busts and more.

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What: 2021 TRISTAR Hidden Treasures Autographed Mini Helmet Platinum Edition Series 2
Arrives: Dec. 15
Box basics: One autographed mini helmet per box (eight boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: A second batch of Hidden Treasures autographed minis is the finale for TRISTAR's year with every box including either a Hall of Famer or an active player.

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

What's Buzzing: New pulls, a new NBA season, ripping some Pro Set and two 1/1s in a single Prizm box? (Yep.)

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

What's Buzzing: World Series chatter, Heritage MiLB arrives, pondering the NBA Rookie of the Year (already), a college football question, WWE and NFL Week 8 all in this one.

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

What's Buzzing: Two autos in one blaster, pondering the 2022 Topps print run, a big day of college football drama, the Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury fight chatter and 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: 2021 Panini Chronicles Draft Picks football cards (blaster)
First Buzz preview: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for a few formats)

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

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What: 2021 TRISTAR Hidden Treasures Game Day Greats Football Jersey Edition Series 2
Arrives: Nov. 19
Box basics: One autographed football jersey per box (five boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: TRISTAR's Hidden Treasures line takes the field for a second time this year with its familiar format from the past but with some new stars (past and present) included in this one.

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