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Collecting Ink: Not all autographs are alike ... let's explore

Many people collect autographs -- but not in the same ways -- and not all autographs are made alike. Some are mass-produced, some are in packs. Some are personalized, some are not. Some have all kinds of documentation and many, many more have none at all ... here's a look at a few that have entered my collection in recent months as part of what will now be an ongoing series here.
CERTIFIED INK
The Item: John Cena autographed The Last Time Is Now retirement tour 11-by-14 -- created and only initially sold by WWE
What It Cost Me: $24 via an autograph mystery buy
What's It Worth: He signed a lot of similar prints last year, typically selling for $75-100 and up over on eBay
The Buzz: The year-long retirement tour of WWE's top active star meant plenty of city-specific merch at many of his stops and then other general stuff like this signed print that was sold at other events. This one isn't tied to any one city -- many are and with some having announced editions of 1,000 copies -- and this one didn't have a specific volume signed that I have seen anywhere but I was more than pleased when I landed this one in a mystery box recently at a sliver of its typical eBay pricing. These photos were not sold unsigned and were released by WWE, making this a certified auto via them. Some eBay sellers have gotten these third-party authenticated (and that brings safety in the eyes of some buyers willing to pay more) while this is just like most of those that were signed. Cena's autographs are in high demand -- and perhaps higher demand now with life away from the ring to amp up more with him perhaps signing less WWE stuff -- but he's also been a signing machine for a long time. Watch this video from years ago. I have had his auto a few times on cards and other items from back in the day, so the stuff like this would not have been on my radar or in my collection if it wasn't for a mystery buy. I'll take it.
Find Ink: WWE boxes at BlowoutCards.comKeep reading for a look at more autographs of different types.
Buzz Buys (Jan.): Broadway Joe's autograph, retro cardboard, WWE stars, comic books, notable ink & plenty of Shotzi merch

Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...
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BROADWAY JOE
The Item: Joe Namath autographed 16-by-20 Sports Illustrated "Broadway Joe" cover photo (BAS witnessed)
The Price: $249
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I don't normally include the actual price when I make a bigger buy, but in this case a sale price was too strong for a piece so nice ... so I am. Why? A typical price for an item like this is substantially higher than what I paid (around $400-600) and peak asking prices are sometimes even nuttier than the normal range. This was my big Black Friday buy and I landed it via Mill Creek Sports (this is their scan as I struggled to photograph mine thanks to size/glare on my top-loader) and one reason why I grabbed it (beyond the price) was that I liked this horizontal version of the photo and its autograph placement infinitely more than the vertical version. Atop that, it's also a piece where I had a chance to land one for just $150 long ago at The National but I didn't as I didn't have a way to safely get it home. This is the iconic photo that led to the nickname for the eventual Super Bowl winner and icon who helped change the game forever. He turns 83 this year, too, and I don't think demand will lessen over time.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but NFL cards are here.Keep reading for more interesting items ...
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (Aug. 20)

What's Buzzing: Collecting football Hall of Famers, Aaron Judge, Big Dumper MLB chatter, a licensing rumor and ... ESPN adding MLB.TV?
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1 -- ESPN adding MLB.TV next after just adding WWE?
2 -- Talking Aaron Judge
3 -- All your MLB chatter is here
4 -- Picking off football Hall of Famers
5 -- Big Dumper is nearing a record and 50 homers
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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.
A snowstorm in July is never, ever a good thing on cardboard

It started as a simple idea for some summertime filler breaks ... but this old pack turned out to be a reminder of something else to consider.
It's a 1993 Bowman jumbo with 22 cards inside -- 20 of them being shots at a Rookie Card for New York Yankees icon and Hall of Famer Derek Jeter as the big find. Jumbo packs also include a pair of foiled cards from the 708-card set that doesn't include a single thing otherwise.It's all gas, no breaks -- at least if base cards are your thing.
There are no insert cards, no parallels, no hits ... just cards (a few with foil, but nearly all without). The only chase beyond landing your specific wanted name here are the RCs -- there are almost 200 names in the set (27.5 percent of it to be precise) being a first-year MLB card appearance.
So ... what did I find this time?
Buzz Break: 2024 Leaf Metal Women of Sport 1/1 Proofs (two)

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 packs: 2024 Leaf Metal Women of Sport 1/1 Pre-Production Proofs (two)
Where to buy: Click here for regular boxes (when available)
Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery for what was in this one.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (Feb. 21)

What's Buzzing: Victor Wembanyama reactions, predicting MLB stats, Spring Training pumping, ESPN dumps MLB, 2025 Topps chatter and more in this Friday edition.
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1 -- Forecasting elusive MLB clubs
4 -- All your Victor Wembanyama reactions are here
5 -- MLB dumps ESPN
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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.
Buzz Break: 2024 Leaf Metal Women of Sport 1/1 Proofs

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: 2024 Leaf Metal Women of Sport 1/1 Pre-Production Proofs
Where to buy: Click here for regular boxes (when available)
Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery for what was in this one.
First Buzz: 2024 Topps x Chris Berman -- Boomer's Baseball

What: 2024 Topps x Chris Berman -- Boomer's Baseball cards
Arrives: Dec. 12
Box basics: Autographs found in every other 60-card (six-pack) box on average.
Checklist: TBD
Order: Click here (when live)What's buzz-worthy: The iconic ESPN broadcaster and sports nickname guru gets his own take on baseball cards coming this week from Topps.
Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (March 4)

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: Caitlin Clark makes history, Chris Mortensen, 2024 Topps, MLB pulls, card photography and ... 95 autos in a single Sapphire Chrome case? (Yep, that happened.)
Black November Wave 5 ... here are five deals I'd grab now

If you hadn't noticed, there are a number of boxes with discounted prices right now right here as the new wave of Blowout Cards' Black November sales is here
Many of the discounts were dramatic enough that Buzz once again had to ponder the possibilities in many of the boxes and cases -- and here are five that caught this collector’s eye ... and there's far more that just might suit your tastes in the big sale.
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MY SAFE PICK
2015 Topps Football factory set (Retail)
There's plenty to find in this set -- you get everybody -- but there's one basic card inside that's a Rookie Card (but not noted as one) with a lot of attention. It's the Pat McAfee Rookie Card. The NFL punter turned media mogul turned WWE commentator turned ESPN talker and now a full-on brand for that empire. I'm not a big fan but he doesn't have a boatload of cardboard and this is the home of the RC. It didn't get a RC logo as he had some medallion-looking insert the year before and then this one -- they weren't thinking about RCs for veteran punters -- but it's still a RC. Each set comes with some variations for rookies, a bonus hit and everything. When it's on sale, that's the time to grab ... it's a safe pick but there's still a little variety with that bonus hit.Keep reading for a few more boxes you should consider (and are likely to end up in Buzz's cart).
Buzz Buys: New classics, Victor Wembanyama, NASCAR ink, Tua, Pee-Wee Herman, Rocky goes golfing ... and new vinyl?

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 ... a mix of low-and and higher-end finds as well as some non-traditional things people might like to collect.
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MY HERITAGE SLEEPER SET ...
The Card: Hank Aaron 2023 Topps Heritage Puzzles (announced /500)
The Price: $17.99
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This oversized box-topper set isn't huge at just 20 puzzles on the checklist but they don't drop all that often, either, from what I have seen -- one per case at most (and maybe not at all). It's one that I knew I liked immediately back when Heritage dropped with its lineup of mostly current names but also with some past stars all in one spot. What are they? Literal puzzles shrink-wrapped to a cardboard backer placed atop the packs in some boxes. A total of 13 active players (two rookies) are here along with seven Hall of Famers -- but some obvious names like Shohei Ohtani didn't make the cut ... so I suspect we'll see more in the second series later this year. I liked a few of the options in this one but waited for prices to dip and they really haven't as much as I had hoped they would. (Why? They're on the rarer side of things compared to a lot of stuff in this one.) This one presented itself on more of the affordable side more recently so I bit. These are just oldschool cool if you ask me -- something that feels a bit anti-2023 but also not totally part of a rigid Heritage formula that's been going for two decades plus now. I like surprises -- and this set felt like one.
Grab a box right here: 2023 Topps HeritageKeep reading for more interesting items ...
MiLB Madness: Money Mike, MLB managers, mascots & more

Minor league baseball cards from the past can include some weird stuff ... stuff you wouldn't imagine to be found on a baseball card. Here are some some new oddities in this latest edition of MiLB Madness.
GOING OFF THE RADAR ...
The Cards: Michael Harris 2021 Choice Rome Braves (five copies)
The Buzz On This One: This guy is likely to be on my collecting radar quite a bit this year after a near-cardless 2022 that saw him take home the National League Rookie of The Year honors with the Atlanta Braves. Before that, "Money Mike" had some prospect cards in packs and minor league cards count there, too, but his Rookie Cards were held to appear in the full 2023 lineup. With basic stuff like 2023 Topps figuring to the plentiful and prices all over the place right now, I opted to pick up a lot of these -- as team sets -- as he's in there and so are others (you'll see them in later months here) instead ... and I did it without breaking the bank. He has other MiLB cards -- but not a ton -- but this one looked good to me for the price. I'll probably grade some of these, too, as you can probably guess based on the cases they're in right here.Keep reading for more examples of some weird or fun baseball cards you can (almost) only find in MiLB.
Buzz Buys: Big ink, old mags, Star Wars, NFL newcomers, college football & even more from around the collecting world

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 it's a little bit of everything.
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ALREADY A STAR ...
The Item: Jahmyr Gibbs autographed 16-by-20 photo (Fanatics Authentic)
The Price: Under $40
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This guy has a number of autographed cards already thanks to NIL deals, but to me they're often on the wrong team as he transferred to the Alabama Crimson Tide just this season after two years at Georgia Tech. Atop that, his autograph isn't the flashiest thing out there so that's one reason sticker autos might not appeal ... but when I saw this signed photo for the size and price? Well, I bit -- and it's a really good photo for college merch. He's rushed for 850 yards and seven TDs so far this year and added 42 catches for 378 yards and three more TDs on a team where, well, at times he's been the beast on the ground this year. His next stop? Likely the NFL -- he's popped up as a late first-round or early second-round guy in some quick searches -- though I'm not buying to scout. I just wanted his ink in my stash and this one will go alongside a few other larger-format college photos I've stacked up in the last few years. Depending on where he goes, autographed Rookie Cards should easily top this price. It also helped that I had some sales discount rewards in play, so I paid less than the $40 it had been going for. For me, this one was a win ... and, again, I really like this photo.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... but football boxes are hereKeep reading for more interesting items ...
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (Oct. 5)

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: Aaron Judge hits No. 62, collectors react to an ESPN story, Tom Brady, Zion Williamson, inside some Logofractor boxes and more.
Buzz Buys: Jaylen Waddle waddles, Saraya, Tua, pocket-change pickups, old mags, Phish's nod to Oscar Gamble & plenty 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 ...
WADDLE, WADDLE, WADDLE ...
The Piece: Jaylen Waddle autographed 16-by-20 Waddle celebration photo (Fanatics Authentic)
The Price: $75 (on sale)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I picked up this oversized auto on the cheap last week and before his big game with QB Tua Tagovailoa on Sunday as I liked the signature moment seen here and he's a school ties guy in my collection. (Last time here, I had this Tua piece lead off but I didn't even buy them at the same time.) His autograph isn't big -- and it's not that big on this oversized photo, either -- but I figured demand could be on the rise this year and, like I said, it was on sale (normally about $100 before they sold out). An inscribed "Fins Up" option also was/is available but I didn't need that as an Alabama fan. On cards, he has plenty to choose from -- more than 2,300 different autographed cards since just last year as part of the 2021 RC crop -- and a lot of them will cost more than this while many will not. I have an early Score auto with a strong college pic and added this in case they make a run, driving up prices to the point where I can't responsibly look.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but NFL boxes are here.Keep reading for more interesting items ...
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (March 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: Saturday Night Live autos, Tyreek Hill has a new QB, patch cards, Baker Mayfield and more.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (March 19)

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: John Clayton, Deshaun Watson, MLB & NBA chatter and new breaks and pulls in this Saturday edition.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (Feb. 4)

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 dollars lost on a Patrick Mahomes RC sale, Cooper Kupp, memorabilia cards, a Superfractor from an old Bowman box and more.
Buzz Buys: Hank Aaron, Bo Bichette, legendary MMA ink, a few young wrestling stars, Lebowski, Susie, Mortensen & 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 ... a number of pick-ups from recent months.
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(FULLY) LOADING UP
The Card: Rhea Ripley 2020 Topps WWE Fully Loaded Green (/50) & Purple (/25) Chair Relic Autos
The Prices: Less than others have paid ... but high for me.
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The Green parallel here was one on my radar long, long ago when the teaser images from stars were teased online as they signed here. Ripley, now the Raw women's champ, is one of only a few younger stars in this release and was immediately on my radar when I didn't land any of her ink in my pre-ordered case. Meanwhile, the rarer Purple was a recent pick-up as it was bargain-priced compared to others out there on the secondary market. Her stuff is popular with the standard version the only card here typically under $100 on eBay, while the 1/1 version of this card recently sold for $1,000. Her autographs in other releases generally sell pretty well but I haven't seen others that high recently ... but I'm sure it's possible. Some Superfractors should be out there somewhere from Chrome and Finest. I'm not alone as a buyer, either.
Grab a box right here: 2020 Topps WWE Fully LoadedKeep reading for more interesting items ...
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (March 11)

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: NBA chatter, new grading, ESPN gets the NHL, scratch removal, a printing plate from 1997 and never tell me the odds.
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 ...
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (May 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 Today: Michael Jordan cards and The Last Dance finale coming tonight, big pulls and more in today's edition.
Buzz Buys: Tua Tagovailoa, Project 2020, Star Wars toys, Silent Bob's mom, The Last Dance, Starrcast & plenty 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.
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THE CORRECT COLOR OF PRIZM
The Card: Tua Tagovailoa 2020 Panini Prizm Draft Picks Red Prizms
The Price: $20
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I didn't pull anything for this guy in a number of retail Prizm boxes and packs so far this year, so I opted just to grab the parallel I wanted the most -- the one with the right color for his team on this card that should have been found in one of my mega boxes but wasn't. I had an eye on slabbing this one but it has a surface issue that nixed that idea ... so we'll see what happens from here on out. Once new cardboard starts flowing, I'm sure there will be more options out there. Maybe I'll grab and slab one of these ... or maybe something else.
Grab a box right here: 2020 Panini Prizm Draft PicksKeep reading for more interesting items ...
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (May 4)

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: Project 2020 chatter and teasers, Star Wars Day, The Last Dance, Zion Williamson, break highlights and "if they only knew" in some old break videos.
It might be time to scout some Chrome & Optic soccer sets

If you're a regular soccer fan, this may not be the deepest of item for you ... but if you're not?
Well, keep reading ...
With on-field action for sports around the world basically at a halt, the scouting of cards from around the world might be happening more here even though those events would be happening elsewhere. A simple glance at a piece from ESPN -- soccer's 36 best players age 21 or under -- and a quick look at eBay for just two names mentioned shows that there are probably some gems waiting to be found out there in boxes that are still very findable and don't break the bank compared to some high-end releases.






























