Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals just might be to rip fewer boxes this year 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 that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... and this time around there's a bit of everything but more on the affordable side.

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MONSTER YEAR, SIMPLE ROOKIE CARD
The Card: Derrick Henry 2016 Donruss Rookie Card (BGS 9.5)
The Price: $9
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I made this pick-up just before he started his recent run of big games mostly because it seemed underpriced for the grade, which is a solid quad 9.5. Interestingly, just 25 copies of this card have been slabbed and nothing has checked in below this mark. It makes me think you could pick off a factory set at a pretty cheap price if you want to dabble with grading key cards here -- and there are a few where you could do pretty well with some 9.5s or 10s. About that price ... one of the other 9.5s had an asking price of $40 on eBay when I looked. Sure, the action here is heavier on Optic, ink and rarer parallels, but simple RCs of affordable sets seem to be go-to cards for more and more people these days.
Grab a box right here: 2016 Donruss (several formats)

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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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 ...

A BIG BLASTER PULL
The Card: Shohei Ohtani 2018 Topps #700B hand on helmet SSP photo variation
The Reason Graded: Not that long ago, I pulled this card from a Series 2 blaster box and decided that it needed a slab since these SSPs appear to be relatively rare -- and I was even more surprised to see how they didn't grade all that well on the pop report. Meanwhile, mine looked very clean ... so I had to do it.
The Grade: BGS 9.5

Reality Check: Only one card graded better than mine and four others have equaled it while eight cards have checked in at a BGS 9 or lower -- that seems pretty low for a modern card, though the skinny stock here clearly could have issues after these cards hit packaging. I'll admit that this was a pull while Ronald Acuña Jr. hunting in Series 2, but this feels like a win on top of a win with it grading so well after being pulled from a discounted box. Here's hoping his third season is as strong or better than his first two, which are remarkably similar from the batting side.

Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for 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: 2019 Panini Prizm football cards (Walmart mega box)
First Buzz preview: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for a few formats)

Packs per box: 10
Cards per pack: 4
Cards in this box: 40
Base set completion: 
25 of 300 (8 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Base cards – Derrick Henry, Steve Largent, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Flacco, Jabrill Peppers, Darius Leonard, Roquan Smith, Rashaad Penny, Jordan Poyer, Lorenzo Alexander, Will Fuller V, Lorenzo Carter, Myles Garrett, Greg Olsen, Gareon Conley, Fred Taylor, Clinton Portis, A.J. Green, Jameis Winston, Harrison Butker, Michael Gallup, Marshon Lattimore, Aaron Donald, Lamar Miller, Nick Vannett

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Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals just might be to rip fewer blasters 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. Would they capture yours? I'd be interested to know -- sometimes they might, sometimes they won't and that's fine. It's a buyer's market out there with plenty of options and bargains as well as high-end gems to chase.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... and this time around there's a surprise or two.

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BIG CHANGE, BIG GAME
The Card: Kenyan Drake 2016 Panini Encased Rookie Notable Signatures (/75)
The Price: $3.25
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This guy had a change of scenery and a big game in his first time suiting up for the Arizona Cardinals ... so that's why he leads off here. (This week's game? Not so big ... I'll admit.) That one big game -- 15 carries for 110 yards and a TD -- shows how short-term showings could help move cardboard in quick-flip scenarios if you're organized enough or use buy-sell on sites that can let you flip stuff fast. I'd think that this card could have doubled that price had I been selling, but I picked this off well before that game because he's one of the names I grab on the cheap when they present themselves. (This price suits that with an on-card auto and it being a high-end brand.) Had he done much this week, there would probably be more interest in him ... but now we just have to wait to see what happens the rest of the season.
Grab a box right here: 2016 Panini Encased

Keep reading for a few more more interesting pick-ups ...

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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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What: 2019 Leaf Autographed Football Helmets
Arrives: Late October/early November
Box basics: One autographed mini-helmet per box (three boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Leaf brings a new batch of autographed helmets to the masses with a mix of past and present stars as well as a celebrity presence.

Keep reading for more.

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Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals just might be to rip fewer blasters this year 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. Would they capture yours? I'd be interested to know -- sometimes they might, sometimes they won't and that's fine. It's a buyer's market out there with plenty of options and bargains as well as high-end gems to chase.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... and this time around it's nothing but football pick-ups.

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THE MOUTH OF THE SOUTH?
The Card: Paul Finebaum 2017 Topps Allen & Ginter Framed Mini Autographs
The Price: $9.25
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: When it comes to college football, Buzz is pretty much SEC or nothing. The SEC Network wasn't around with this guy at the center of a lot of things when Buzz was around there, but he was still all over the place back then. Who's Paul Finebaum a small few of you might say? He's one of ESPN's top names covering the college game on the Network, though he's been a big part of radio and newspaper scenes for years covering the SEC. Finebaum's only card appearances are limited to a literal handful of autographs in this baseball set that often includes media personalities and he has no standard cards. Podcaster James Andrew Miller said this of him: "Paul Finebaum knows the American Southeast like Jay-Z knows Brooklyn. And that's a big blast of wind at your back if your job is covering college football. His instincts as an interviewer rank him in the top tier of the sports world. And he is beyond mere savvy when it comes to speaking very virally." While I'm not the biggest fan, it's a unique autograph and one that a lot of non-collectors would want if they knew it existed. I finally grabbed one since it was cheap.
Grab a box right here: 2017 Topps Allen & Ginter

Keep reading for even more interesting items ... again, all football from here on out.

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Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today's your day then as we launch 8 in 8 -- a series of a eight breaks of wax boxes and wax packs in as many hours today. We'll post one every hour ... this is Hour 5.

The box: Supreme Rewind Football Error Edition (repack)
The cost: Varies where found ... click here for new NFL boxes

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

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Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals just might be to rip fewer blasters this year 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. Would they capture yours? I'd be interested to know -- sometimes they might, sometimes they won't and that's fine. It's a buyer's market out there with plenty of options and bargains as well as high-end gems to chase.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... and this time around it's another super-sized edition.

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BATTING LEAD-OFF ONCE AGAIN 
The Card: Ronald Acuña Jr. 2018 Topps Heritage High Number Rookie Card (BGS 9)
The Price: $14
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: You may think it's a comedy bit with this Atlanta Braves slugger's RC batting lead-off here once again -- and it's not even the first time it's been this card in a slab, just a different company -- but Buzz is still sold on his hobby potential as part of a first-place team loaded with home-grown talent ... and he bats lead-off there, too. There will come a time where the wax will become harder and harder to find so these slabbed versions are always worth a look on the cheaper side in my mind. This also was my first buy for a BGS card without sub-grades -- people tend to price them lower than other cards. This one does have issues with vertical centering but it doesn't bug my eye at all compared to left-right centering issues when those exist. For the price, I'm good here ... and I still miss 1969 Heritage compared to this year.
Grab a box right here: 2018 Topps Heritage High Number baseball cards

Keep reading for five more interesting items ...

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What: 2019 Leaf Autographed Football Jersey Edition
Arrives: Sept. 25
Box basics: One autographed custom jersey per box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Leaf brings the fabric of the game to collectors once again via the blind-wrapped football memorabilia market with "the hottest players in the game, an incredible selection of Hall of Famers, the hottest rookies and some of the game's most-popular fan favorites."

Keep reading for more.

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From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and break down 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: 2018 Donruss Optic NFL cards (Target Mega Box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby and FOTL)

Packs per box: 10
Cards per pack: 4
Cards in this box: 40
Base set completion: 21 of 100 (21 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Base cards: Derek Carr, Christian McCaffrey, Adam Thielen, Amari Cooper, A.J. Green, Kenyan Drake

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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: 2019 Panini Contenders Draft Picks football cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for a few formats)

Packs per box: 6
Cards per pack: 7
Cards in this box: 42
Base set completion: 
35 of 100 (35 percent)
Duplicates: 8

Notables on base cards – Joe Namath, Derrick Henry, Amari Cooper, Nick Mullens, Mitchell Trubisky, Leonard Fournette, Terry Bradshaw, Saquon Barkley, Dan Marino, Jerry Rice, Earl Campbell, Barry Sanders, Cam Newton, Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson, Patrick Mahomes II, Michael Thomas, Marcus Allen, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Adrian Peterson

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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: 2019 Panini Contenders Draft Picks football cards (FOTL hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 6
Cards per pack: 18
Cards in this box: 108
Base set completion: 
64 of 100 (64 percent)
Duplicates: 8

Notables on base cards – Joe Namath, Derrick Henry, Amari Cooper, Phillip Lindsay, Nick Mullens, Brett Favre, Mitchell Trubisky, Drew Brees, Leonard Fournette, Odell Beckham Jr., Terry Bradshaw, Saquon Barkley, Dan Marino, Marcus Mariota, Jerry Rice, Carson Wentz, Earl Campbell, Red Grange, Alvin Kamara, Peyton Manning, Barry Sanders, Cam Newton, Emmitt Smith, Tim Tebow, Deshaun Watson, Nick Chubb, J.J. Watt, Russell Wilson, Patrick Mahomes II, Derek Carr, Michael Thomas, Sam Darnold, Marcus Allen, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Andrew Luck, Christian McCaffrey, Adrian Peterson, Antonio Brown, Dak Prescott

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What: 2019 SportKings Originals 1/1 Art Masterpieces
Arrives: Feb. 15
Box basics: One original piece of SportKings artwork per pack (10 packs per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Want a one-of-a-kind piece original trading card history? This new release brought to the market by Blowout Cards gives collectors just that in every single pack.

Keep reading for more info and a full gallery of images released so far.

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Have you seen the latest cool cards from a new or recent 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 Contenders football cards

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UNIFORM NUMBER PREMIUM?
The Card: Baker Mayfield 2018 Panini Contenders Draft Class Gold Autograph (/18)
The Price: $1,999.95 Buy-It-Now (or best offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I didn't choose this card because of the serial-number that matches his uniform -- that might be partly behind the asking price here as it's a one-of-a-kind card from the 18 that exist -- instead it's simply because I think there might be more upside for his non-standard autographs in this one as people chase the regular autographs and their various parallels more for this brand. Those are pricey (and this is, too) but over time if he continues to build upon his rookie year it's the rarer cards that could have the most movement or interest vs. those that everybody chased and more people might have. I also picked this one because I think the design is solid and the photo works so well I'd almost slap the "cardboard perfection" tag on this one. In fact, I can't do that. It is perfect.

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

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From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and break down 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: 2018 Donruss Optic NFL cards (Mega Box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby and FOTL)

Packs per box: 10
Cards per pack: 4
Cards in this box: 40
Base set completion: 15 of 100 (15 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Base cards: Carson Wentz, Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson, Mitchell Trubisky, Jared Goff, Aaron Rodgers, O.J. Howard, David Johnson, Leonard Fournette, Calais Campbell, Doug Baldwin, Demaryius Thomas, Devontae Booker, Bilal Powell, Leonard Williams

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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 wax boxes and wax packs in a dozen hours. We'll post one every hour all day long ... this is Hour 2.

The packs: 1990 Pro Set Series 2 NFL (1,000-plus)
The cost: Too much but not that much (Buzz found a deal he couldn't refuse) Get your new NFL boxes by clicking here

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

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What: 2018 Leaf Pop Treasury memorabilia boxes
Arrives: December
Box basics: Three memorabilia pieces per box (three boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Leaf Trading Cards turns its attention to pop culture for its latest memorabilia product with just 66 cases of this one being made.

Keep reading for more.

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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 Panini Classics football cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 14
Cards per pack: 10
Cards in this box: 140
Base set completion: 
112 of 300 (37 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards: Dan Marino, Todd Gurley, Peyton Manning, Ken Stabler, Mark Ingram, Joe Greene, Joe Namath, John Elway, Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Raymond Berry, Fran Tarkenton, Matthew Stafford, Carson Wentz, Andrew Luck, Deion Sanders, Eric Dickerson, Steve Largent, Y.A. Tittle, Ed Jones, Boomer Esiason, Russell Wilson, Calvin Johnson, Len Dawson, Lawrence Taylor, Eddie George, Brett Favre, Bo Jackson, Aaron Rodgers, Franco Harris, Drew Pearson, Emmitt Smith, Roger Staubach, Rod Woodson, Brian Urlacher

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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 wax boxes and wax packs in a dozen hours. We'll post one every hour all day long ... this is Hour 10.

The box: 2012 Panini Golden Age sports cards (hobby box)
The cost: Click here (when available)

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

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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 wax boxes and wax packs in a dozen hours. We'll post one every hour all day long ... this is Hour 4.

The box: 2009 Topps Mayo football cards
The cost: Click here

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

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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 wax boxes and wax packs in a dozen hours. We'll post one every hour all day long ... this is Hour 2.

The box: 1989 Pro Set Series II football cards
The cost: $10 (expect to pay more when you find)

What's inside this one? Keep reading ... it's an insane box.

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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: 2018 Donruss football cards (mega box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 8 (seven Donruss, one 2017 Panini Illusions)
Cards per box: 57
Base set completion: 
37 of 300 (12 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Tom Brady, Alvin Kamara, John Elway, Marshall Faulk, DeShaun Watson, Antonio Brown, Marcus Mariota, Mark Brunell, Jonatan Ogden, Adam Vinatieri, Ken Anderson

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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: 2018 Panini Contenders Draft Picks football cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 7
Cards per pack: 6
Cards in this box: 42
Base set completion: 
34 of 100 (34 percent)
Duplicates: 1

Notables found on base cards – Tom Brady, Nick Saban, Joe Namath, Roger Staubach, Deshaun Watson, Andrew Luck, John Elway, Cam Newton, Jerry Rice, Terry Bradshaw, J.J. Watt, Antonio Brown, LaDainian Tomlinson, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Eric Dickerson, Michael Irvin, Brian Bosworth

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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: 2018 Panini Absolute Football cards (blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 8
Cards per pack: 8
Cards in this box: 64
Base set completion: 
52 of 100 (52 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Derrick Henry, Cam Newton, Christian McCaffrey, Leonard Fournette, Russell Wilson, Eli Manning, J.J. Watt, DeAndre Hopkins, Deshaun Watson, Aaron Rodgers, Le'Veon Bell, Kareem Hunt, Antonio Brown, Drew Brees, Jimmy Garoppolo, Alvin Kamara, Matt Stafford, Sam Bradford, Andrew Luck, Ezekiel Elliott, Dak Prescott

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