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

MY EARLY INK FOR A BREAK-OUT STAR
The Card: Pete Crow-Armstrong 2018 Panini Elite Extra Edition 18U National Team Signatures Red (from 2019 USA Baseball Stars & Stripes rack sets)(/100)
The Reason Graded: I landed this ink for the Chicago Cubs star in a rack set -- that's a set and then some bonus cards in pack form direct from USA Baseball back in the day -- and he was one of a number of good names I found there for a low price. They all sat with my stuff for a few years before his breakout 2024 season got this one put into a grading order. Why? So I could get some ink in a slab and cross him off my list of key names needed. Crow-Armstrong joined the 30-30 Club this season, won his first Gold Glove and was an All-Star, too. The cool part? I added his ink from a two-auto set for just $9.99. (Other colors of this card are in standard EEE boxes ... the Reds are only in the sets I bought.)
The Grade: CGC 9.5 (10 auto)

Reality Check: The stock on these is the standard Donruss cardboard that can't decide if its chippy or soft -- it's generally pretty clean but a bottom corner could be soft here on the card backs where there's some color to make fuzz really obvious. This one was cleaner than other grading-worthy names but I'll likely slab others I found over time as more than a few here are in MLB now. He was the highest-profile name who needed to be graded now.

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

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

SCENE FROM A CLASSIC
The Card: Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson & Lisa Spoonauer (aka Dante Hicks, Randal Graves and Caitlin Bree) 2017 Skybox Clerks Triple Scene Autographs
The Reason Graded: Back when this one arrived, I picked off a lot of the autos over time -- at least while they were affordable -- with my sights set on some of the obscure names here and not the pricey Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith) ink that any serious collector of the View Askew realm likely already had on something before this card set arrived. The character that I wanted to find was Caitlin Bree as that character's moments were hilariously twisted and this card's scene was the culminating moment in her story. Getting this on cardboard was hilarious to me. What's unfortunate here is real life -- Spoonauer died of a medication overdose at age 44 while fighting cancer just 10 days after this product arrived. Read director Kevin Smith's tribute to her here. Over time, I picked off all but one of her autographs -- one that had been pricey that's even moreso now still eludes me as it also includes Smith -- but I recently decided to slab a couple of the best ones form my stash when I revisited them and saw how clean they looked. 
The Grade: CGC 10 (Pristine)

Reality Check: Perfect grade works for me. Her auto just barely touches the border of the card but that's about its only potential issue and it's really not incomplete, so it still got a top mark. (Though auto grades are pretty meaningless to me.) This is a strong start and I should really slab more -- and find that last one I need.

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

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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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LEGENDARY INK
The Card: Ichiro Suzuki autographed 2001 Topps Rookie Card (BAS 10 auto)
The Price: Not as much as you might think ... but also not that cheap.
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Clean copies of this iconic Topps flagship Rookie Card are not easy finds in general with the boxes and sets likely bricked now if they remain unopened -- that means the gloss will be snowy if you're lucky to peel the cards apart at all -- and then the dark green border and high-gloss on soft stock here is always going to be problematic. When I spotted this card among many where Suzuki has signed for literally years (Mill Creek Sports) without a premium price, I bit on this just before his Hall of Fame results hit. (We all knew he was going in ... but I didn't know if his prices were going to rise.) This copy is super clean vs. many cards out there with some very light roughness on maybe one edge and a light touch on the bottom-left corner ... but some of what's seen in my photo is just how the light is reflecting. I generally don't do a ton of bigger buys for my collection, but this one's cost wasn't that much more than some of the hot and plentiful new release hobby boxes. I went with a safe and iconic bet for my (for me) premium spend and went with the sure thing on an iconic card for a living legend. I pulled his ink once from an unlicensed release -- and it was in one of my earliest Making The Grade posts here -- but a signed RC means I'll likely never need to sweat his stuff again. (Might window shop, though, or bite if price is right for a nice certified.) One more fun part of my card? If that label had a simple added line of Beckett/Fanatics witnessed instead of signed for Mill Creek and then slabbed, the price likely would be double what I paid. I wouldn't pay that -- and this one is a win in my book.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but MLB cards are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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What: 2024 Kakawow Cosmos Warner Bros. 100th Anniversary All-Star trading cards
Arrives: Jan. 31, 2025
Box basics: Two to five "limited numbered" cards per 10-pack box (10 boxes per case)
Checklist: TBD
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: The international card-maker turns its focus to everything Warner Bros. once again with a massive collection -- more than 3,200 cards across 31 sets this time -- as part of a release that adds to the mix of possible finds, too.

Keep reading for more info.

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Heroes, villains, iconic actors, illustrated legends and more ... much, much more.

There's so much to find in the just-arrived 2024 Kakawow Phantom Warner Bros. 100th Anniversary trading card set -- it's one that spans generations of entertainment all in one spot with heavy doses of icons from film and television. Ripping into a pack can mean landing icons as Superman, Batman and Willy Wonka in film or animated form as well as looks at past landmark releases and franchises such as The Wizard Of Oz, Friends, Tom & Jerry or The Matrix with a ton of modern-day flash and surprise. It's already is generating surprises on eBay early on after its formal arrival this week.

What are some of the variables creating those surprises? Well, for starters, this release is massive -- so big we'd be here all day detailing it but you can see all of the basics and a checklist here -- with literally more than 2,000 cards spread over tiers in a basic set, several numbered parallel versions and then some chase sets with parallels, too. And beyond the depth of who and what can be found here as it takes a look at 100 years of entertainment, it's also important to note that the distribution is global for this one, meaning those rarities are spread out. (There's no separate American Edition box with its own chases, for example, for this one -- the run is 10,000 cases of 500 cards apiece and that's it from Kakawow, which is a Chinese card company.)

Collect 'em all? That will be challenging ... heck, even picking what to collect within this one might be tough. Come with us as we take a look at some finds fresh from eBay via a gallery after the jump.

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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 pack: DC Comics & IDW Publishing 10-pack comic bundle
Where to buy: Retail hunting for these ... BlowoutCards.com for non-sports cards

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery for what 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 ...

VG THE MVP (SO FAR)
The Card: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 2019 Topps Stadium Club #301 -- Rookie Card 
The Reason Graded: In my first bulk sub to CSG, which I recently got back -- 80 working days, by the way -- I worked in a few recent-year Rookie Cards just to see how some different kinds of stock are handled by the veteran grading company that has just turned its attention to sports cards starting this year. I sent this in before the season started, of course, but it looks like a smart slab now as Vladdy is demolishing things in MLB and is on pace for a monster season if he keeps at it.
The Grade: CSG 9

Reality Check: There's no pop report yet -- they say it's coming* -- but this one comes in at my anticipated mark, though I would have been happy to get a higher one. (You'll see those in the coming months.) This one has some high gloss and somewhat softer stock -- not the easiest grading combo -- but I think it's the backs here that are the key. This one not getting a higher grade made me wonder what might be holding it down -- a deal where I'd want to see subgrades, but not for $10 more. I do think, based on my results, that CSG is grading to a stricter standard (like BGS) vs. others (at least historically until recently) so I'm also OK with cards not checking in at 9.5s or 10s in bulk. My second bulk sub -- hopefully back soon, too -- included more stuff like this.

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

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If it's been a while since you last visited a comic book shop, there are a few reasons you might want to this weekend.

There are 50 of them potentially up for grabs for free as part of Free Comic Book Day, an annual event to reward regular visitors and get others back into the fold.

It's set for this Saturday at participating shops who'll have a lineup of books available that are all made for this event.

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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: Nothing but breaks as we're weekending here on The Buzz.

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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: 2017 Cryptozoic DC Comics Bombshells
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com 

Packs per box: 24 plus one Golden Goddess vinyl figure
Cards per pack: 5
Cards in this box: 120
Base set completion: 
64 of 64 (100 percent)
Duplicates: 3

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We're less than a month away from a new arrival from Cryptozoic -- one that combines cardboard with even more.

It's 2017 Cryptozoic DC Comics Bombshells, which celebrates DC Comics' stars with 1940s pinup-propaganda poster stylings and includes one Golden Goddess vinyl figure variant in every box.

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"Huh, what was that?" The voices ...

The voices said that you, too, can own Harley Quinn's baseball bat from Suicide Squad -- and that's true thanks to the creators at The Noble Collection. This replica prop will begin arriving via comic book dealer channels in the United States next month.

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Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today's your day then as we launch 12 in 12 -- a series of a dozen breaks of past wax boxes and wax packs in a dozen hours. We'll post one every hour on the hour all day long ... and this is Hour 3.

The case: 2016 Funko Suicide Squad Mystery Minis vinyl figures
The cost: $12 
Original cost: $83.88

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

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The Bombshells are coming to a toy aisle near you.

Funko is readying a series of eight World War II pinup-style takes on iconic DC Comics characters that we have seen elsewhere but now they will be found as Pop! toys.

Collectively, they're known as the the DC Bombshells.

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Sometimes you just get sidetracked by an email.

That was the case Friday morning when the latest images from Sideshow Toys spotlighting its newest (and some past) Premium Format figures arrived in Buzz's inbox.

They're premium in size -- in the case of Deadpool here 24 inches tall and 14 pounds -- and premium in price. But, most importantly, they're premium in appeal as they are ridiculously detailed in their varying forms.

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She's one of the comic book world's biggest icons and a ferocious superheroine vampire — and her first story ever published back in 1969 is now in the hands of one of the world's biggest comic art collectors.

She's Vampirella and the original art — the complete seven-page story — from Vampirella No. 1 is in the hands of Thomas Fish, the owner of BlowoutCards.com. The artwork previously sold in May 2009 after it had been in the collection of its creator, Forrest J. Ackerman all these years.

"During the last comic art con in Secaucus, N.J., I had an opportunity to meet the previous owner and discuss this historic first appearance piece of comic book and horror memorabilia," Fish said. "After some negotiation, we were able to come to a deal we were both happy with and the artwork is now part of my collection."

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The iconic stars of the DC Comics universe are coming to the toy aisles once again with additions to three lines from Funko arriving next month.

There will be new Funko Pop! toys, a new line of Mystery Minis and new Dorbz -- some with glow-in-the-dark capabilities -- on shelves very soon.

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The wait for the latest comic book blockbuster continues, but the wait for the new collectable caps does not.

Suicide Squad arrives in theaters on Friday, bringing a new group of DC Comics stars to the big screen for the first time but New Era has it covered already with the release of its Suicide Squad Collection today.

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San Diego Comic-Con is almost here and the crew at Funko has prepared more than 70 different toys, T-shirts and more that will only initially be available at the show this week.

There will be pieces from Star Wars, Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Disney, The Walking Dead and so much more in the company's Pop! line, Dorbz and, well, so much more.

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They're coming to full-size vinyl. They're coming to pennants. Now, they're coming to packs.

Cryptozoic's line of DC Comics Lil’ Bombshells vinyl figures are coming collectors in blind-wrapped tins in miniature form in August, but they'll first be found at San Diego Comic-con.

Inspired by 1940s pinup art with a cartoon twist, the first series of these miniature vinyls will include Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn, Catwoman and Batwoman among the 10 characters found inside.

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Eric Biunno
Also known as: Cyber Warrior on Blowout
Email: cyberwarrior2099@gmail.com
Location: New York
Work away from comics: Owner/operator medical transporter service
Collecting since: 2002

Main focuses: J. Scott Campbell, Adam Hughes & Artgerm comics, Sideshow Premium Format statues.

Favorite artists/publishers: J. Scott Campbell, Adam Hughes & Artgerm and Marvel, DC, Image

Current collecting projects: Hard to find Campbell variants.

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There are plenty of movies that are probably on the radars of collectors these days, whether it's the newest sports movie or one of the countless comic book-inspired releases coming soon.

While there's inevitably plenty to collect for these films before their arrivals, what we see first are the trailers and that gave Buzz an idea ... something extra that gets 'em buzzing. Up first is Suicide Squad, a DC Comics-inspired creation arriving on Aug. 5 that we'll see plenty of in the coming months. This trailer arrived yesterday -- check it out and tell us what you think.

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