Via @tristar1 ... Bo Jackson

This year's National Sports Collectors Convention is nearly here -- it's set for July 30-Aug. 3 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 landing other signers will take some planning and a few bucks.

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. But, if you have wanted to meet a player and get that ink, a number of past and present stars are on the list this year. With that said, here are my picks -- skewing toward the best names for the lowest prices possible -- to grab off the autograph list during the full days of the show this year. (Keep reading for the full signers list at the end ... and, remember, times are always subject to change.)

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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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CROSSING HIM OFF 
The Card: Joe Montana autographed 1988 Topps card (BAS slabbed)
The Price: About $65
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Rewind the clock to the early/mid 1990s and Montana is the unquestioned top QB on cardboard with perhaps only a small number of RBs or WRs even coming close to competing with him for popularity on cards. Back then, in a new era of certified autographs from brands such as Pro Line and Classic or mail-order autographed items, there was ink to chase but Montana was never, ever on my radar. Why? Look at that auto ... there's still not much going on there that would have sparked me to pay a premium price for a glorified initialgraph with a slight more added on. Fast-forward to now and the Hall of Famer still has all those rings and all those MVP awards, but he's been surpassed on the stat sheets and cards ... it happens. The 68-year-old has done a lot of signing for Leaf for its releases and buyback brands -- I think this was one from there -- in recent years and it had been on my radar for literally months as I really like the look of many of his 1980s Topps cards. A relatively clean copy with an on-card auto is a no-brainer if the price is right and I got this one for about half of the asking price of man identical copy I'd been watching. All these years later, I can cross Montana off my ink-needed list.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for this ... but NFL cards are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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They may not be big-leaguers just yet, but the look and feel of the cards found in 2016 Topps Pro Debut, which made it debut today, are MLB-caliber while also including things you definitely won't see in the traditional baseball releases.

And that's a good thing for collectors.

The Fragments of the Farm Relics once again bring unusual pieces to cardboard. Need evidence? See the card above.

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The first Minor League Baseball set of the year from Topps arrives next week in the form of 2016 Topps Pro Debut, which will include two autographs and two Relics per box. 

There should be some surprises in store (based on our First Buzz preview from December) and some of that mystery disappeared on Wednesday with the release of the final checklist for the product.

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What: 2016 Topps Pro Debut baseball cards
Arrives: May 25, 2016
Box basics: Two autographs and two Relics in every 24-pack hobby box

What's buzz-worthy: Future stars, eccentric promo night uniforms and Fragments of the Farm Relics are back in the newest chapter of the ongoing Minor League Baseball card saga called Pro Debut.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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