What's Buzzing: Kyle Schwarber smacks four homers, the eTopps mess might be fixed soon, reactions to the Micah Parsons trade and even more in this Friday edition.

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1 -- Kyle Schwarber makes a little history 

2 -- The eTopps finale mess may be fixed

3 -- Reactions to the Micah Parsons trade

4 -- Showing off some August pick-ups

5 -- Opening nothing but USA Baseball cards

6 -- Even more 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.

This one comes from a team that only played in the reel world -- but it was all captured on film and that makes it game-used, right?

This second item this month in the Collecting Game-used series is one I grabbed a while back but it kind of got lost in the shuffle for a few reasons -- but with some year-end housecleaning I figured I'd take the time to revisit the set of Ballers for a piece of the action. (My other option would be to start a props series each month but ... that's just not happening yet.)

What is it this time? A teaser is above ... keep reading to see the details.

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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: Larry Allen, the NBA Finals, pondering the NFL's GOAT on defense, a C.J. Stroud question and more.

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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: NFL reactions, chewing on 2024 Topps, new pulls and more in this Tuesday edition.

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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: Brian Gray steps down as CEO at Leaf, Trey Lance to the Cowboys, new MLB pulls, collectors react to the big news items of the month and more in this Saturday edition.

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If you're a regular reader here, then you know that Ballers has had a place in this Collecting Game-used series and other event-used pieces shown off here a few times over.

Why? A unique auction in the past saw a lot of props from the HBO series hit the open market via Heritage Auctions and Screenbid a few years ago and then remaining props and other pieces went off to a company that burns off props from all kinds of production companies over time for this and many other shows.

This one this month? Well, it's right there in the wheelhouse of all that -- a holiday pick-up of mine when the current company selling it all off actually offered discounts on items and I finally grabbed a piece that's fun, unique and has a tie to the big game this Sunday. If you know the show, then you know the tie-in.

If not, keep reading to see the details this time.

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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? An NFL rivalry that we'll see this weekend.

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

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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 players who impressed Buzz in Week 5.

THE GOAT HAS A GAME
Tom Brady -- QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Rookie Cards in 2000 boxes)
Passing yards? Nobody had more than his 411 this week -- in fact, only two others topped 350. Five passing TDs? Nobody touched that, either, as his team stomped their in-state rivals. This week? With four passing TDs, he'll be the only player to ever throw for 600 TDs ... and there will be countless more looks at the greatness of his career. (At least there should be.) His RCs from 21 years ago are in-demand and pricey and, well, if you didn't grab ink long ago you're going to be paying top-dollar there, too. Is there a lot more room to grow? Well, that depends on those buying at the top of the market. For the rest of us, I think his Tampa Bay basics and non-hit rare stuff here and there might be the best way to dabble -- unless you don't have to worry about dollar signs.

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: A big-money card goes missing at PSA, some advice for a collector, new pulls and more in today's edition.

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It's a TV show opening scene that seems simple enough, but it spawned a lot of Internet and TV chatter with millions (and millions) amused.

(Click for a closer view.)

Hot takes arrived left and right on entertainment sites and political pundits had their thoughts, too. (Left and right, I'm sure.) It was something simple and something planned that generated some buzz and even some high-profile tweets that went out to some 20 million people. (Meanwhile, the episode itself had just 588,000 people watching per Nielsen. Go figure.)

What is it? It's the opening-credits scene for the fifth season of Ballers and it had player-turned-agent-turned-businessman Spencer Strasmore (aka Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) reading a copy of Elizabeth Warren's 2017 book This Fight is Our Fight as he sat on the beach in the first episode. It all takes place quickly and Strasmore's down-time is interrupted first by his girlfriend (Arielle Kebbel) asking him why he never goes into the ocean -- then that's interrupted by a phone call from Bossman (aka the Ballers-world owner of the Dallas Cowboys) before he walks off down the shoreline to chat. The scene isn't about a paperback with tattered edges at all, really -- it's about the mystery of the water, what Strasmore might be hiding -- but that's how the book's brief on-screen life comes to an end.

Meanwhile, that actual copy of the book? Well, it's still alive and well.

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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: Remembering Tommy Lasorda, pondering 2020 NFL rookies in the future, ripping MLB and MiLB in bulk and more in today's edition.

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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 Today: Mostly box break highlights and big pulls making up today's edition ... check 'em out.

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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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AN EXAMPLE OF SIMPLE EXCELLENCE
The Item: Kyler Murray 2019 Donruss Optic Silver Holo autograph (/99)
The Price: $399.99 Buy-It-Now 
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This isn't the priciest card out there from this new release and it's not the cheapest one, either, but it's an example of the solid stuff that can be found and will be in demand in the immediate future as well as the coming years as the standard stuff from a few brands and their key hits are seemingly in more demand than ever. Shorter translation: Optic rookie autos are popular and Murray had a promising rookie season. The design here is a super-simple one -- almost on the too-simple side -- and yet it works as it's all about a photo and the color of the parallel versions if you happen to find them. Murray is one of a few guys you should look for here -- and there are some solid veteran autos to be found, too.
Similar Pieces: 2019 Donruss Optic autos on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for 2019 Donruss Optic NFL boxes

Keep reading for a few more interesting items in this week's roundup ...

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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 Today: Tua Tagovailoa, Panini Blockchain, big pulls and ... Zion Williamson Silver from a $20.20 box? (Yep.)

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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 ...

The Card: Joe Namath 2015 Topps 60th Anniversary Rookie Reprint Autographs #T60RAJN
The Reason Graded: Buzz first met this NFL legend almost 20 years ago and landed the ink for free thanks to some luck while autograph hounding but when it comes to certified autographs of this icon I didn't have any until recent years. Why? He's always been a pricey auto but that has come down a bit as he's been a steady signer and doesn't have quite as much hobby heat as the guy at the end of this month's list. This release was how Topps burned off its Hall of Famer autographs via packs on its website once its NFL deal was done, so the influx of big-name autos helped make the supply even stronger at the time perhaps without added demand. I scouted them all where I buy and this one looked near-perfect to me in both its centering and that ink. Seriously, look at that signature ... that's a perfect Namath auto.
The Grade: BGS 9.5/10

Reality Check: I absolutely thought I had a BGS 10 contender with this one, though I submitted it before I picked up my better loupe and I probably didn't check the back as closely as I should have. Either way, it's still a very solid card in my stash. I don't grade autographs all that often -- I fear results I won't like on those -- but this one I had to. Most of them landed this grade with only one higher so I don't feel bad about not landing a 10.

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 Today: NFL breaks, NFL nuggets, Kyler Murray "madness" and more in today's edition.

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This year's National Sports Collectors Convention is nearly here -- it's set for July 31-Aug. 4 in Chicago with a strong roster of autograph guests ready to sign for collectors who get a ticket and get in line for their moment beyond the ballpark.

Some signers are free if you attend the VIP reception on opening day of the show or buy a VIP ticket package -- a bonus for taking the time to hit every day of the show -- but other signers will take some planning to land the ones you want.

It's tough to see everything at The National -- 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 plus a bonus pick this year -- to grab off the autograph list. (Keep reading for the full signers list in a gallery ... and, remember, times are always subject to change.)

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Have you seen the latest cool cards from a new release? With so many options for collectors of all kinds arriving every week it's possible you haven't. That's where Buzz comes in -- well at least on one brand you'll see here from time to time in what we're calling Buzz's Pick Six. Simply put, here are six cards from a new arrival that seemed interesting to this collector and we think they might interest you, too.

This week's release: 2018 Panini Playbook.

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FROM THE VAULT ... TO THE VAULT
The Card: Baker Mayfield Playbook Vault Tri-Fold Jersey Auto Premium (1/1)
The Price: $4,599.99 Buy-It-Now (or best offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I'd argue that these Vault cards are the most-impressive finds from this booklet-loaded brand and Mayfield might be the hottest rookie right now. The 1/1 versions of these cards are almost comically stacked with logos from various types of memorabilia but they carry a stronger feel than the simpler versions. (Buzz would be happy to pull any of these ... any type, any player ... I like books.) This is a card that will be locked away in a collection somewhere once it goes and it probably won't ever be seen again.

Keep reading for five more interesting cards from this one ...

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He had a day ... but his team still lost.

Carolina Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey dominated in two ways on Sunday with 17 carries for 125 yards and a touchdown and a nearly league-leading 11 catches for 112 and another touchdown but the only wins went out to fantasy league owners who started him as the Seahawks won it 30-27.

He's probably not the top hobby guy on the team, but here might still be bargains out there for McCaffrey, whose Rookie Cards and debut autos can be found in 2017 boxes. That may not last with more games like this one. >> Check out his autos on eBay

>> Click here to shop for football boxes on BlowoutCards.com.

Keep reading for more guys who generated some buzz on the field this week.

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Did the Cleveland Browns arrive on Sunday?

That seems like a possibility as they knocked off the Atlanta Falcons 28-16 with a dominating day from rookie running back Nick Chubb who was one of the team's biggest stars on Sunday. His biggest highlight was a 92-yard touchdown run that set a new franchise record and was the second-longest TD run by a rookie in NFL history behind a 97-yarder from Pittsburgh's Bobby Gage back in 1949. He had 176 of the 211 rushing yards for the Browns and he also added three catches for 33 yards and a touchdown. This is the fourth straight week where he's had 18 or more carries and it's his second 100-yard game of his career.

When it comes to cardboard, Chubb's Rookie Cards are still probably overshadowed by fellow rookie Baker Mayfield, but continued performances like this one could give them a run for their money. Both have a heavy presence in this year's boxes with Chubb already appearing on more than 1,200 different cards -- and nearly 800 of those are certified ink. >>> See his autograph cards here

>> Click here to shop for football boxes on BlowoutCards.com.

Keep reading for more guys who generated some buzz on the field this week.

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The Chicago Bears rolled to a 48-10 victory over a team that had been a bit of a surprise so far this season, the Tampa Bay Bucs, and its second-year quarterback delivered big in the win.

Mitchell Trubisky threw for just 354 yards -- eight QBs topped that this week -- but his six touchdown passes were just one short of the all-time NFL record for the most in a game. While he's obviously been on the minds of Bears fans, he's had a relatively forgettable season so far despite his team's 3-1 record. Before yesterday, his best game this season was 200 passing yards with just two TDs and two interceptions. Those were his only passing TDs of the year before the Bucs came to town. >> Check out his autos on eBay

This type of game should focus more collectors back onto the possibilities with his Rookie Cards and key autos from last season's boxes as well as those from this year. A trip to Miami is next up so we'll see whether the win streak continues with fireworks from Mr. Biscuit.

>> Click here to shop for football boxes on BlowoutCards.com.

Keep reading for more guys who generated some buzz on the field this week.

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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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A NATIONAL BONUS FOR LIVING SET BUYERS
The Item: 2018 Topps National Sports Collectors Convention Francisco Lindor Topps Living Set litho signed by artist Mayumi Seto (90/100)
The Price: $94 after 20 bids with several days remaining
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This piece was a bonus item to a few lucky collectors at this year's National Sports Collectors Convention in Cleveland as the artist was on hand on the Saturday of the show to greet fans. A ticket good for one of the prints was randomly put into the three-card Living Set packs that were available at the show. The set has become a popular weekly release via Topps.com with thousands of copies of each card sold each week and Seto is the creative force fueling some of the demand with her life-like artwork that's being used as part of this 1953 Topps homage. (That year's set used paintings.) Other lithos have asking prices between $345 and $749 among active auctions, while a number of these have already sold. It will be interesting to watch this one -- asking prices on standard cards she signed at the show also have commanded some strong prices. This one is impressive.
Similar Pieces: Check out 2018 Topps Living Set cards on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for baseball boxes

Keep reading for four more interesting items in this week's roundup ...

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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: 2012 Topps football cards (hanger box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com 

Packs per box: 1
Cards per pack: 72
Base set completion: 
66 of 440 (15 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards: Antonio Gates, Steven Jackson, Marshawn Lynch, Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys

Rookie Cards (19) – Nick Foles, Ryan Lindley, Eric LeGrand, Brandon Thompson, Derek Wolfe, T.Y. Hilton, Jonathan Martin, Robert Turbin, Markelle Martin, Janoris Jenkins, Keshawn Martin, Gerell Robinson, Juron Criner, Aaron Corp, Quintion Coples, Melvin Ingram, Nick Perry, Vick Ballard, Terrance Ganaway

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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 Today: Legendary RB ink, NSCC chatter, Trea Turner's big game & more as we work for the weekend.

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This year's National Sports Collectors Convention is set for Aug. 1-5 in Cleveland with a meaty roster of autograph guests signing for those who opt to get a ticket and get in line for an "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.

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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