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 ...

TICKET TO HISTORY ...
The Ticket: Woodstock (Aug.15-17, 1969) -- three-day ticket ($24)
The Reason Bought: There are more than a dozen different styles of tickets for this historic event in music and pop culture history and none of them are all that rare -- and that makes for an interesting grading market. High-grade tickets can be priced like they're non-existent yet about 60 percent of the full tickets that are slabbed check in at a PSA 9 or 10 and raw tickets (assuming they are real ... but there's a chance they might not be) can be found on the cheap under $100. I knew quite awhile back that I wanted one in a slab and I was patient with my window shopping until I spotted this one. I wanted a three-day style but there are single-day tickets that are very traditional-looking and I finally spotted this one at a good price (just under $100) vs. the same thing with asking prices for 9s and 10s that are as high as $1,000. Actual sales for higher grades are typically anywhere from $200 to $700 on eBay with a lot of irregularity -- and BINs just under the $200 mark quite often. In short, they're findable.
The Grade: PSA 8

Reality Check: More than 3,750 different full tickets have been slabbed for Woodstock and this version -- one of three types in the PSA pop report for a three-day ticket -- is the easiest and the only one with more than 1,000 copies slabbed. In fact, the number of 10s for this style is higher than all but two of the entire slab totals for other styles. I didn't sweat the grade as the flaws on this one seem minor -- I'm imagining some minor black ink "snow" on there perhaps dropped it a grade but generally everything here is clean to the eye with no obvious flaws. That's good enough for me as beginner or one-time dabbler. Modern tickets for big artists can be quite pricey when slabbed as availability is often an issue, but I'm assuming a bulk "find" of these happened at some point back in the day given the high-profile event and all that went into it.

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

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What: 2023 Topps Series 2 baseball cards
Arrives: June 7
Box basics: One auto or Relic per 24-pack hobby box (12 per case) or one auto, one Relic & one manufactured Relic per jumbo (six per case)
Checklist: Click here
Odds: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: The second wave of the flagship release of Topps baseball cards arrives with a similar approach to the past but also with some new looks and new stars on cardboard.

Keep reading for more info.

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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 ...

No. 1 GOES FIRST HERE, TOO ...
The Card: Bryce Young 2021 Onyx Vintage College Football Autographs
The Reason Graded: I collect Alabama guys but on the cheap so when a top talent arrives on NFL cardboard odds are I already found them ... if they had stuff. Generally, I try to have auto of all new big names and in the most-recent years thanks to NIL deals where active players can sign autograph deals that's been easier to do -- for both big names and guys who won't be top picks. In the case of this new Carolina Panthers QB, I pulled this one -- something I also did with Tua Tagovailoa -- so I don't have to chase new stuff after he was taken No. 1 in this year's NFL Draft. (But I will if I somehow find bargains.) This one is nice as it's on-card, has a clean retro design (I like that) and has a design/photo that doesn't showcase the fact that there are a couple small missing logos here that would come with full licensing. Atop that, his autograph on this card -- and the card itself -- is super clean and many of his autos are absolutely not clean in recent years. (In fact, I'd say that his auto is bad way more often than it's good ... and it's not that good visually to start with.) When I saw this one, I knew I needed to slab it for those reasons.
The Grade: CSG 9.5

Reality Check: I was a little worried about the surface here as the retro stock is definitely no-frills -- it doesn't even have a light gloss -- but it checked in with a grade I don't mind. I was happy with this and you'll probably see more of Young here in this series -- or at least Buzz Buys -- more once new NFL stuff starts popping up and the college colors fade away for some. Those colors won't fade away for me -- I like them a lot more than anything Carolina -- and he's always going to be the first Heisman-winning Alabama QB.

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

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What: 2023 Onyx Vintage Competitors sports cards
Arrives: May 31
Box basics: Two on-card autographed cards per box (24 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Onyx brings its vintage feel to the multi-sport realm with a mix of legends, current stars promising prospects and even some NIL players who figure to be big deals in future years.

Keep reading for more info and a checklist.

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Simplicity might lead to popularity -- as long as there are still some chase elements.

That might be a reason that Topps UK baseball boxes -- particularly the 2022 set but also the 2021 version -- have been among the most-popular sellers of late in the shop with some big stuff possible in some relatively affordable boxes.

There isn't a hit in every box -- instead the autographs are rarer (one in every third box or so), which helps the value of the big names when you find them -- and the overall lineup of inclusions in the product is smaller. The 2022 base set, for example, is just 220 cards with key names from Series 1, Series 2 and Update all in one spot -- also a plus given the rookies in play in that last one -- with parallels and then a modest number of inserts (three sets and that's it). Boxes are 24 packs of 10 cards, too, giving one a decent statistical shot at any one player in there if just seeking base cards.

Throw in surprises such as the mystery short-prints of the royal family ... and there can be fireworks. (There are at least nine of them by my quick searches and some can have steep asking prices.)

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What: TruCreator Stellar Jumbo Edition trading cards
Arrives: Mid May
Box basics: Two autographs (/50 max) and 10 inserts (/50 max) per box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: TruCreator's newest release will focus on athletes and creators once again with some new names only found in this edition from both realms -- and with past legends and current stars included.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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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: 2022 Topps Heritage High Number baseball cards (blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery for what was found in this one.

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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: 2023 Topps Series 1 baseball cards (retail Super Box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (other formats)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.

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What: 2022 Topps Dynasty baseball cards
Arrives: April 14, 2023
Box basics: One encased autographed card per box (five boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Topps' high-end line is back with a simple lineup once again where everything is limited to no more than 10 copies and everything is inked.

Keep reading for more as well as a full gallery of images.

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What: 2021 and 2022 Bowman Heritage baseball cards
Arrives: Today via Topps.com (two-box bundle)
Box basics: One autograph per 24-pack box
Checklist: Click here (2021) & Click here (2022) when released
Order: Click here (when available)

What's buzz-worthy: The previously shelved 2021 Bowman Heritage release revisiting 1993 arrives along with last year's edition revisiting in 1994 all in one double-whammy of an online release -- a hobby box bundle of each -- today via Topps.

Keep reading for more info once it's available.

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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: Cards that never happened, a monster pull, the Rookie Card definition, debating going to a show, Aaron Rodgers and a debate that doesn't matter ... but they'll do it anyway.

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What: 2023 Super Glow One Time Edition Series 1 sports cards
Arrives: April 19
Box basics: One autographed card per box (eight boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Super Glow once again turns to a one-auto-per-box approach with a new multi-sport release packed with star power. How much? Each case will include one of the names you see above and there will be Hot Cases with a 1/1 card in every box out there, too.

Keep reading for more info and a selection of images.

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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: Julio Rodriguez, MLB chatter, football breaks, NBA gains, wax investors and more on a Monday morning.

Continue reading →

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: A grading enigma, Jasson Dominguez, MLB chatter, busted brackets and more in this weekend edition.

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What: 2023 Onyx Preferred Players Baseball Collection autographed baseballs
Arrives: Late April
Box basics: One signed baseball per box (three boxes per case; 12 boxes per master case)
Final player checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: This MLBPA-approved product hits the diamond once again with some big surprises in store and a roster of young names who are in demand as well as legends who may not be the easiest autos.

Keep reading for more info and a checklist.

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What: 2023 Topps World Baseball Classic Global Stars baseball cards
Arrives: Live now via Topps
Pack basics: 20 cards per pack (autographs every third box)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Via Topps.com; Click here (when available)

What's buzz-worthy: The World Baseball Classic gets a standalone in-pack release that showcases stars from around the world, includes plenty of parallels and offers up ink as well -- though not in every pack.

Keep reading for more info and a gallery for this one.

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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: 2022 Topps Heritage High Number baseball cards (mega box)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery for what was found in this one.

Continue reading →

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: New and old notable pulls, NFL chatter, counterfeit vs. reprint, Rookie Cards and more.

Continue reading →

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: 2022 Topps Heritage High Number baseball cards (blaster Hot Box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery for what was found in this one.

Continue reading →

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 ...

BAD IN BLACK!
The Card: Julio Rodriguez 2022 Topps Allen & Ginter X
The Reason Graded: I ripped a pair of these boxes and haven't even sniffed at the regular stuff -- a first for me in its run since 2006 when I used to clear everything I saw on every shelf -- but instead I opted to grade a couple of key pulls from this and other postseason releases with notable newcomers in play. Why this one? It just looked perfect even vs. others I pulled -- and since I only pulled one and have really no plans at this moment to even dabble with regular Ginter I put it into my bulk sub.
The Grade: CSG 10

Reality Check: CSG may have a flub in its system as this didn't even show in the pop report (perhaps it was tagged as a regular card) but I'll present it here* with what I know ... and that's that I know at least this one exists. He's the face of 2023 Topps, so he's on the minds of a few fans right now -- and that's why he's batting lead-off despite this pop report anomaly.

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: 2023 Topps Series 1 baseball cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.

Continue reading →

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: All your 2023 Topps Series 1 chatter, J-Rod, Tim McCarver, NFL breaks and more are what's cooking today.

Continue reading →

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: It's almost all about 2023 Topps Series 1 today ... but that's not all.

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What: 2023 Topps Series 1 baseball cards
Arrives: Feb. 15
Box basics: One auto or Relic per hobby box (12 per case) or one auto, one Relic & one manufactured Relic per jumbo (six per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: The full info for the flagship release of Topps baseball cards arrives with a similar approach to the past but also plenty of new looks and new stars on cardboard.

Keep reading for more info.

Continue reading →

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: Ripping 2023 Topps Series, Jeter's new job, NBA chatter and more in today's edition.

Continue reading →