This one is definitely Dumper déjà vu.

Just like last time, Buzz had a hunch, cross-checked the schedule and ... won. My second ball this month in the Collecting Game-used series is another that simply came to me via a grab bag where all I knew was the date of the game -- and I specifically chose a game between the Seattle Mariners and Chicago White Sox back back in May because of something that happened on this day this season. For just $35 (shipped), I added a game-used piece of Cal Raleigh's 60-homer campaign to my collection and the team may not have even realized it. (Twice.)

Just like last time, this wasn't just some ball used during one of the 159 games Big Dumper merely played this season -- it's from the game where he launched his 16th homer of his historic campaign and Raleigh handled the ball during the lone play of its life in The Show.

Keep reading to see the details this time ... and the ball in action.

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Buzz had a hunch, cross-checked the schedule and ... won again.

This month's ball in the Collecting Game-used series is another that simply came to me via a grab bag where all I knew was the date of the game -- and I specifically chose a game between the Seattle Mariners and Chicago White Sox back in May because of something that happened on this day this season. For just $35 (shipped), I added a game-used piece of Cal Raleigh's 60-homer campaign to my collection and the team may not have even realized it. In fact, I did this twice ... so there will be a sequel to this in a future post.

This wasn't just some ball used during one of the 159 games Big Dumper played this season -- it's from the game where he launched his 16th homer of his historic campaign and Raleigh handled the ball on all but one of its plays during its life in The Show.

Keep reading to see the details this time ... and the ball in action.

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Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ... 

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TIFFY TIMES TWO
The Cards: Tiffany Stratton 2024 Panini Three Count WWE Prime Memorabilia Autographs Purple parallel (/25) & standard version (/99)
The Price: About half of a Three Count box these days
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This card was immediately on my radar back when it first was revealed among the mock-ups for this high-end WWE brand and, I've said it before, if this set hadn't used sticker autos it would be perfect. The end of the Panini WWE run combined with a logjam of releases and then the collector (and definitely flipper) focus perhaps shining more on Chrome actually made secondary market prices on a lot of stuff here a bit softer than I had expected, allowing me to pony up on two of these at prices I could handle. (I had initially figured I wouldn't land one of these, let alone one and a parallel.) I was picky with these and wanted to make sure I landed one with a clean auto -- full name, not the abbreviated and half-empty-sticker "Tiff" that shows up sometimes. Both of these hit the spot on both auto quality and price ... and if they ever dip more, I'll do more. Why? It's a Tiffy Time world and we're just collecting in it.
Grab a box right here: WWE cards are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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Bought it for one reason and one reason only ... and then it arrived with two other stars attached.

This latest entry in the Collecting Game-used series is another that came to me via a blind grab bag where all I knew was the date of the game ... and yet this was another impressive ball in terms of its star power. In short, this one was the kind of ball typically not destined for a mystery box.

The initial reason I picked the date of this baseball? This game was just the second in the career of Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood and that alone was good enough for me to grab one -- a debut ball would have cost me substantially more ($1,199 last I looked) and I figured anything here would have story potential -- but then this turned out to be a base hit for one younger New York Mets star and then a foul ball for a franchise player.

Keep reading to see the details this time ... and the ball in action.

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A good rookie, a good at-bat, a good ball ... that was one pitch away from history.

This month's entry in the Collecting Game-used series is another that came to me via a blind grab bag where all I knew was the date of the game ... and yet this was another win. The player? Jackson Merrill, the runner-up in the National League Rookie Of The Year behind winner Paul Skenes, and a name I didn't expect to land for a price lower than many a retail mega box of cards.

And, to top it all off, this wasn't some meaningless ball in the dirt or a ball just watched -- well, it kind of was -- it was something more for a low price and that's perfect. It's kind of how I roll most of the time with these items.

Keep reading to see the details this time ... and the ball in action.

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The MLB postseason is almost here, so I figured now's the time to drop one of a pair of baseballs I recently landed from that beloved time of year right here.

This month's ball in the Collecting Game-used series is the first of two I landed not knowing who would be attached, just knowing that they were from a certain date in the postseason's past with the teams known -- and in this case it's from Aaron Judge's first visit to the postseason but not with his name attached -- but some known stars are in play. (Not bad for a modest price that's less than some brand new boxes out in the retail wild, though.) How did they sit all these years since they're from back in 2017? Well, based on holograms, they were originally in Steiner Sports' hands after going through MLB Authentication and then into Fanatics' possession.

Keep reading to see the details this time ... and the ball in action.

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The condition of this ball says it all.

My latest addition to this Collecting Game-used series is again one that I found on the cheap -- less than the cost of a 2024 Bowman mega box -- but it's one that commands attention based on its look alone. That makes it a cool ball, too, but there's also an All-Star attached. (Admittedly, many game-used baseballs are near-anonymous ... not this time on either front.) Why did I grab it? Beyond the visuals, it's also a player I collect, Bo Bichette, though he's too pricey to command the cash I'd need for an ironclad MLB Authenticated game-used helmet, jersey or bat. That one reason baseballs like this can be a little more appealing -- it' a one-of-a-kind item with full ironclad authentication without breaking the bank.

Keep reading to see the details this time ... and the ball in action.

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A career first ... that's simply hard to pass up no matter who it is.

My latest ball in this Collecting Game-used series is one I found on the cheap -- well, at least cheaper than some retail mega boxes out there and not much more than some game-used mystery boxes -- and it was used for three pitches in The Show ... one from a routine out and then two to a rookie playing in just his second game as a big-leaguer.

Keep reading to see the details this time ... and the ball in action.

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Buzz just went 2-for-2 with this home run from a bargain bin mystery box.

No, it's not a literal home run ball -- that won't happen for the price of a blaster box these days -- but I went 2-for-2 with there being a pair of quality names attached to this one ... a ball that could be a late-ballot/committee guy in Cooperstown someday and Cy Young-caliber arm for a franchise that right now might be in its early phase of running up some championships. (He's already got one World Series ring and might be a favorite for one more this season.)

My latest ball in this Collecting Game-used series is once again one that I picked up just like others in this series lately -- a blind grab bag buy of sorts just picking by date -- with the same teams involved, too. I added two new names -- two quality names -- to my stash.

Keep reading to see the details this time ... and the ball in action.

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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 Week 3, Ronald Acuña Jr., collecting game-used baseballs, a seller strategy, new pulls and more.

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I've never read up on how many baseballs MLB uses in a year, but given the volume of game-used balls up for grabs from teams regularly -- to the point where they'll sell them in mystery boxes on the cheap -- they are readily available.

Yet, at the same time, they're not all the same.

The big dog is, of course, the home run ball and right up there are other hits and then strikeouts for pitchers. But for any one of any of those bigs there are plenty more -- maybe dozens more -- baseballs that were pitches in the dirt, called strikes, foul balls  and line-outs (though I think those are better than others here) and then other stuff like beanballs and wild pitches among others. Ultimately, the biggest piece of the puzzle for appeal -- and especially for value here -- is which players' names are attached.

This month? Not the biggest names and not the biggest moment -- but it's a one-pitch, one-swing kind of ball that's perhaps not the most common -- and, the best part, it only cost me $10 despite the fact that I can video match it using the MLB Film Room along with its MLB Authentication.

You can keep reading to see the details ... and the ball in action.

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I've presented a lot of baseballs in this Collecting Game-used series, but this new low-priced pickup of mine isn't one from the discount bin (my usual for baseballs as I'm a bargain-hunter) yet it was a steal in my eyes.

It was a mere $50 -- that's cheap for a ball -- and it's one that comes with a little extra history attached to go with that tiny piece of "Seashore Paspalum, Platinum TE" (that's a grass type) in the seams from Truist Park ... so, yes, that means this is another Atlanta Braves ball.

A visit to MLB Authentication and then to the MLB Film Room captured the moment where this ball's life began and ended and it presented something slightly different than my previous visual evidence shows (the play happened differently than I imagined ... you'll see). Yet, it was still a first for a highly watched rookie's career. It's also a first for me in that its authentication listing shows a few extra pitches, too, where the Film Room shows that part of the listing to not be accurate. (It happens but not often.) A foul ball before this one went to the backstop and the umpire reaches into his bag to give a new ball to the pitcher for my play.

So, who is it and what happened? You can keep reading to see the details ... and the ball in action.

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A name I didn't expect to see again in MLB arrived in Atlanta this month and that got me thinking about a stash of game-used baseballs I had picked up on the cheap long ago but hadn't yet posted about in this Collecting Game-used series.

I did some digging and, yep, that name was in there.

Robinson Cano is filling in at second base for the Braves right now after Ozzie Albies' foot injury has him out until optimistically late next month and he's that name. My find is nothing dramatic but it's a ball from a past game with him attached that was deep in my $10 stash -- yep, only $10 -- from awhile back, and it turned out it's a ball with a little surprise to it thanks to its MLB Authentication and clips one can see right now on the MLB Film Room.

You can keep reading to see the details ... and the ball in action.

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This month's item in the Collecting Game-used series is one that's simple ... but it shows the life of a ball can be brief but still have some fun trivia attached.

This one? It's another of my $10 bargain-bin balls picked up in the past -- a former league MVP who's now in New York being the key name that made me grab it. It's nothing too dramatic, but it definitely shows some use -- and this one is even attached to a pair of pitches.

You can keep reading to see the details ... and the ball in action thanks to the MLB Film Room.

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This month's Collecting Game-used item isn't from deep in my stash or some treasure I had to research after finding it on the secondary market -- this one's ironclad but the condition here offers up some interesting questions.

It's a ball taken from the field of play just 20 days ago and you can see the precise pitch and its big-league moment after the jump. For me, this was a first -- my first Bo Bichette game-used item -- and I landed it on the cheap via the home team when the Blue Jays came to town. But, as you can see here, that's a pretty interesting mark where you can literally perhaps see the physics involved after a round ball hit a round bat spinning at a smooth (and documented) 2,046 revolutions per minute. And, if you view the video of it, it's not hard to imagine how those marks perhaps came to be.

You can keep reading to see the details ... and the ball in action.

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Here's the sequel to my recent Cardinals game-used baseball grab from the bargain bin -- it's not quite as flashy as last month, but this one's used by star for the home team and a win for the price of a blaster box if you ask me.

As I noted last time, this was a blind-bag buy ... all you can control is picking the date of your ball. I scouted the schedule and found Game 1 of a doubleheader from last September that had a pair of notable starters and a whole lot of runs scored ... meaning more chances at a notable ball or play.

Thanks to the relatively new MLB Film Room you can easily find clips of plays -- even the mundane ones -- and literally all three pitches where this ball was authenticated as used can be found there.

You can keep reading to see the details ... and the ball in action.

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Earlier this week -- Tuesday, actually -- I got lured into grabbing a couple of game-used balls from the bargain bin of the St. Louis Cardinals via MLB.com after the team's Authentics division sent out an email revealing a slasher sale on 2020 game-used baseballs.

After all, a new year is here and there are already plenty more fresh gamers coming their way.

What I didn't expect from a blind-bag kind of buy was a strong pairing far more impressive than the $22.99 price tag might lead you to believe -- and my strategies for potentially landing a stronger ball paid off, too. What do I mean? Well, they let you pick the date of your ball -- at least if the date is available -- and I quickly scouted the schedule to land upon Game 1 of a doubleheader from an interleague match-up last September that had a pair of notable starters and a whole lot of runs scored ... meaning more chances at a key ball between the throwers or the hitters. (It's also worth noting again that the MLB Film Room also adds value to the basic balls out there en masse, too, as you can easily find clips of plays ... even the mundane ones.)

I did two baseballs to get free shipping and to help my odds ... and it worked. Twice.

You can keep reading to see the details ... and one ball in action.

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This one is a quick idea for a new department here on The Buzz ... Fast Five -- a quick list under a simple topic that might offer a basic starting point for a themed collection. It's a basic list of five items that could be fun for a starting collector or a new way to add to a stash that might already seemingly include everything when it comes to cardboard. For some of you, it's probably common sense. For others of you out there, it's something to think about.

This time? Five MLB items fans should own ... or beginners could use.

SOMETHING DIRTY...
Game-used and fully authenticated MLB dirt is seemingly everywhere and it's often not expensive at all -- yet I'd bet a lot of collectors who consider their stashes to be on the "serious" side don't have anything dirty in them at all. Dirt Relics have been in play in a few brands in the past with one of them being 2019 Topps Opening Day as you can see here. You can find sealed miniature bottles of MLB authenticated dirt from team sites on MLB.com, framed displays that include small capsules embedded into them and, yes, some baseball cards. Heck, I've even seen dirt loaded into writing pens tied to teams. Most of these items aren't aren't that expensive and you can pretty much collect authenticated dirt from all stadiums or even key events like World Series or All-Star Games if you hunt online. (MLB is big on dirt and using it.) You easily can start a small mystery box for your team's fan with something like this and add to it ... keep reading.

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Not all gamers are super-impressive. In fact, some are nearly anonymous but since they are tied to a certain player there can be more appeal than other items that might look just like it.

This month's game-used piece? Well, it's the game-used ball above -- and it's arguably the least-impressive item of the bunch in this series so far but it's also one that cost less than the price of two blaster boxes and was in a mystery box from Fanatics. This one's all about some timing.

So, this time, we'll bring this ball's life back to life -- as least as best we can -- with its key player attached being Washington Nationals veteran Ryan Zimmerman, who had a pretty solid game on Monday and whose Nats career could be coming to an end this year.

You can keep reading to see the details.

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As said last month, not all game-used baseballs are the same, despite the fact that they're all a pair of leather panels with 108 stitches holding it all together.

And this one is not like last month's ball at all.

This one arrived via a Boston Red Sox mystery box over on MLBShop.com with the only guarantees that this one would be MLB Authenticated and could be from any time between 2013 and 2017 -- that first season being one where the Sox won the World Series.

You can keep reading to see the details ...

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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: Fanatics Philadelphia Phillies game-used baseball mystery box
The cost: $39.95 (via JCPenney.com)

What's inside this box? Keep reading ...

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On the outside, the MLB game-used baseball you see here looks much like any other ball -- whether it was a home run, a pitch in the dirt or a foul ball.

What makes this ball unique and any other like it? That little hologram and its code, which unlocks its uniqueness. If you're a veteran collector, this is nothing new -- the MLB Authentication program has been around since 2001 helping get collectors as close to game as possible with items pulled straight from the field of play (or the players' backs) to be stickered and authenticated forever.

But one recent development of the last season or two is some added information about baseballs in particular -- specific play sequences including players involved, pitch speeds, pitch types and anything else of note -- and that makes even these somewhat-typical-looking baseballs a little more interesting.

This ball? I got it from a grab bag of sorts ... keep reading for the details.

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Have you seen the latest crazy 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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THE ROYAL WEDDING'S BIGGEST CARD
The Item: 2012 Cryptozoic Fringe Seasons 1-2 Autographs Meghan Markle
The Price: $999 (or best offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Beginning tomorrow, this American actress will potentially be known as Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Sussex as she's marrying into England's Royal Family. This is one of just a handful of trading card appearances for her in this Fringe set and this once was a relatively inexpensive signature. Now? It's pricey and a number of people will undoubtedly be interested in these cards as the international spotlight will be all over the story of how she's ended up the bride and everything that entails tomorrow. Members of the Royal Family are not permitted to sign autographs, so there won't be more to come on that front.
Similar Pieces: Other copies of this card on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for non-sports cards

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

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