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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Not everything that's game-used comes from on the field.

This extra entry in the Collecting Game-used series this month is a simple kind of item -- one you can find these days quite easily and most often on the cheap -- and it's a little something that's a key piece in the game and it's straight from either one of the dugouts or one of the bullpens. It's the lineup card and it's a piece of affordable memorabilia that low-key documents some of the details like a box score does but without any of those pesky stats -- just uni numbers, batting order numbers and positions.

Keep reading to see the details this time.

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Sometimes, you just have to check the calendar.

This month's entry in the Collecting Game-used series is tied to a big name's first week in The Show -- you already know that seeing that headline -- but you may not know how easily this game-used baseball was landed. All this collector had to do was look at the schedule and then check the Chicago White Sox MLB Auctions store and pre-order a ball from that day. They're long gone now, but this ball is from just the fourth career game for Kansas City Royals rookie slugger Jac Caglianone and his first against an American League opponent after he opened his career in St. Louis three days earlier. Now, I knew the odds were likely low -- 0r, realistically, slim to none -- for landing a pitch to him or play involving him, but the price was still pretty modest at $45 ($15 of that is shipping) to take a shot. This one? It turned out to be a pretty interesting ball for a full, but not completed, plate appearance with a different player's MLB debut coming on this day, too.

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

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My bad.

Simply put, Jac Caglianone, the Kansas City Royals super-slugging prospect turned big-leaguer as of last week, missed one.

No, it wasn't a breaking ball in the dirt or a fat fastball right down the middle -- he hits those and often quite far. This was a certified autograph card in a jumbo box of 2025 Bowman. Err, well, it was supposed to be ... and then it ended up in a pack.

Not long before his arrival, White Plains, N.Y-based dealer Valor Sportscards found the card in a pack during a break and was shocked by its bold, un-inked glory. Ironically, not long after that, though, the Fanatics Live breaker was in Omaha for Caglianone's Triple-A debut and to bust open packs along with the soon-to-be big-leaguer

That's where he took care of business.

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If you're one of those baseball collectors who's been all about the anime, this one's for you.

Buzz was busy today adding a bunch of cardboard to the preview gallery for the forthcoming 2025 Bowman release (click here to see all of those and order your boxes), but this one -- all 30 cards in the 2025 Bowman Anime insert set -- gets its own standalone.

Why? These baseball cards are unique and they're a popular style of artistic card inclusions from a few companies in a few sports in recent years. This time there are 30 standard cards for stars of the past, present and future -- and then four Japanese icons will have Kanji Variations to find as well.

You can learn more and see the 30 standard cards after the jump.

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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: Big pulls, Royals demanded a change, PSA parent company buys SGC, 2024 Topps and more.

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With these Ticket Stud or Ticket Dud stories I'm turning just a tiny bit of that energy just a few degrees away from cards (we'll still have plenty of them here) for a different kind of cardboard. What am I doing? Simple ... this is an occasional dip into some random ticket lots -- a show and tell showing something small with a story.

This time? Four games from the phantom zone.

Keep reading to see the details this time ... and tell me if you think it's a Ticket Stud or a Ticket Dud.

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Fast Five is a quick list that might offer a basic starting point for a themed collection or new focus -- five things that could be fun for a beginner or a new way to add something to your stash if you're a grizzled veteran.

This time? Five MLB rookies who should be on your collecting radar

LEADING THE WAY
Julio Rodriguez -- OF, Seattle Mariners (first MLB prospect cards in 2019; RC logo cards in 2022)
He's played in all but one of his team's games this year and he's looking like a strong candidate for American League Rookie of the Year as we're nearing the All-Star break later this month. As of today, he leads all rookies in hits, runs, homers (tied), RBI (tied), stolen bases and is second in doubles -- and at 21 he's one of the five youngest rookies in the game (all that same age) this year. What do I like here? He's showing 30-30 Club potential (13 homers, 19 stolen bases) and that would be impressive for a young rookie -- Mike Trout did it at 20 and Ronald Acuña Jr. did it at 21. That's good company to be in if he can pull it off. His RC logo cards are still to come this year for the most part while he was among the prospects on the 2021 Bowman's Best checklist, making that his RC by definition.

Keep reading for four more making up the list this time.

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If you want to collect 'em all, you'll have to hit an MLB team shop.

Topps and MLB Players Inc. revealed this morning that the 2022 Topps Players Clubhouse baseball card line, which will get a pack of cards into your hands if you buy at least $149 in "officially licensed MLB Players products displaying the MLB Players logo, in a single transaction, at this team store location" beginning on selected dates -- starting today -- while supplies last with a limit of one pack per person.

Packs will not be sold at the participating team shops, according to the announcement.

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Minor league baseball cards from the past can include some weird stuff ... stuff you wouldn't imagine to be found on a baseball card. Here are some some new oddities in this latest edition of MiLB Madness. 

MONEYBALL DOWN ON THE FARM?
The Card: Amanda Brady 2021 Choice Hudson Valley Renegades #34
The Buzz On This One: When was the last time you saw an "advanced scouting analyst" baseball card? This is a first for me and I've seen quite a bit of oddball cardboard in my time doing this series. Brady is an analyst in the Yankees organization and this card is "exactly what I always dreamed my first baseball card would be," she tweeted. There's a pretty good chance there are other analyst cards to come as the MiLB checklists continue to include the non-traditional but, right now, this is the only one I've ever seen.

Keep reading for more examples of weird baseball cards you can (almost) only find in MiLB.

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Have you seen the latest cool or interesting 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 BASIC BIG ONE
The Item: Zion Williamson 2019-20 Panini National Treasures NBA Rookie Patch Autograph (/99)
The Price: $76,700 after 128 bids (two days remaining)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was the first NT Zion Williamson card to hit eBay from this premium brand and it's one that's, believe it or not, not even the priciest card to hit the auction site. Hit that link below to see the rarer six-figure version of a Williamson card already up for grabs ... the first of many to come from this release. Is there hype here? Yep. Is there the money being paid for cards like this? Yep. Is there risk? Yep. Is there big-reward potential if he dominates the NBA for years? Yep. The boxes aren't cheap but the potential for life-changing cards is real ... in case you missed this here it is again. There are a lot more than 99 people out there around the world who would want this card and the price is in part a reflection of that. How it ends will be interesting to watch -- and I also wonder if the bidding would be helped by a better-looking photo (I had to clean things up to present it here) but that's probably a topic for a different time.
Similar Pieces: Zion Williamson National Treasures cards on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for 2019-20 Panini National Treasures NBA boxes and cases

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

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Here's a look at the top five players on this week's Baseball America Top MLB Prospects Hot Sheet and their seasons so far. It's a little something to help those who might want to dabble with prospecting -- some basics on their baseball cards alongside a highlight line from those more scouting-minded. We may not do this every week, but we'll check in on BA's top crop from time to time for the remainder of the season.

1. Michael Baumann, RHP, Orioles — Double-A Bowie Baysox
Baseball America’s highlight line: “Baumann came within one out of a no-hitter on April 30. He got another chance last week and, this time, completed the feat. Baumann threw a no-hitter with two walks and 10 strikeouts against Double-A Harrisburg in his first start last week, his most dominant start in a season full of them. The 2017 third-rounder is 3-5, 2.80 with 113 strikeouts and 33 walks in 86.2 innings this year between high Class A Frederick and Double-A Bowie, cementing himself as one of the Orioles’ most promising pitching prospects."

CARDBOARD BASICS
Approximate card total (so far): 60
First Chrome auto: 2018 Bowman Chrome
One auto to consider: 2017 Elite Extra Edition
Buzz’s card take: About half of his seriously low card volume is thankfully certified ink so that's good that he has them -- but it's also bad news in that it means there is less stuff for buyers to fight over when he has performances like this. The two products above are the only places to find his autos. In three MiLB season, he's 20-12 with a 2.74 ERA and 262 strikeouts with 259 innings pitched. Those are solid numbers overall mostly fueled by this season's strikeouts.

Keep reading for the rest of the top five ...

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Have you seen the latest cool or interesting 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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BIG DEMAND FOR UNSIGNED EARLY RARITIES?
The Item: Drew Brees 2000 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity parallel XRC (/30) BGS 8.5
The Price: $4,960 Buy-It-Now (or best offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The NFL's new all-time passing yards leader is here and his key first autos have some insane asking prices (see link below) but there are a few other cards that can be surprising out there, too. Why? They're low-volume and the wax is nowhere to be found now -- and there's that Tom Brady guy not helping in 2000 -- but this one is even more complicated. It's a card that was issued via redemption and this one is an interesting card as it's from the year before Brees' Rookie Cards -- and it's a foilboard parallel (hence that scan) limited to only 30 copies. That asking price seems lofty but only four of the 30 have been slabbed by BGS and only one has graded higher (a BGS 9). You won't find one graded higher and you may not find one at all otherwise ... so, is it worth the big price tag? Maybe if you're a diehard Brees fan who hasn't found one yet or if you think there's big potential in other rarities from this era that could appreciate big in the future. (Remember, there's no back stock of volume boxes walking through that door for new cars to be found unlike the being-revisited boxes of the 1980s and 1990s that can still be found easily. And, again, this one is a redemption.) Buzz actually owns one of the three other cards so seeing this one out there at that price was a shocker -- I'm definitely going to keep my eyes on this one.
Similar Pieces: Other Drew Brees autos on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for NFL boxes

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

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It's not the flashiest autograph, but it could be one in much wider demand soon.

The ink from Kansas City Royals prospect Seuly Matias can only be found in a single product right now -- 2017 Elite Extra Edition -- and he's a 19-year-old putting up some impressive numbers in Class-A ball this season.

He's got 22 home runs in just 201 at-bats for the Lexington Legends this season -- and that's more ink than he has certified autograph cards.

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Quick, can you name one of his Rookie Cards?

More people should be able to answer that soon after Oakland A's pitcher Sean Manaea threw the first no-hitter of this young season Saturday night in Oakland. He shut down the Boston Red Sox with 10 strikeouts and just two walks in his gem, which upped his career record to 21-21 as a big-league pitcher.

Now, about that cardboard?

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A new baseball season is nearly here with the first spring training games set to air later this month and that's when we'll see the newest players on their new teams.

And many of them will be wearing new uniforms -- well, at least new caps.

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Bo was one of the biggest stars of the 1980s as a college football star, a professional baseball and football star and a marketing star. Everybody knew his name and they still know why.

And then suddenly one day it was gone.

Sure, Vincent Edward Jackson played some baseball after his final NFL game -- that hip injury was 26 years ago tomorrow -- but he was never the same. And in an interview today he had a different take on his career.

"If I knew back then what I know now," he told USA TODAY Sports, "I would have never played football. Never. I wish I had known about all of those head injuries, but no one knew that. And the people that did know that, they wouldn’t tell anybody."

His career as a pro -- in both sports -- lasted less than a decade but he's easily one of the biggest icons of his time. It's a story worth checking out if you missed it and it's worth revisiting if you didn't.

Here, though, we simply have one bit of curiosity presented below.

[polldaddy poll=9634961]

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Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com. 

>> Click here to buy cards on BlowoutCards.com

It's been bugging many of us for a while this season, but it's given the defending World Series champion Kansas City Royals something to rally behind.

It's the Rally Mantis and today, for 24 hours only, it gets a baseball card.

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It seems dirt is everywhere you look if you're a baseball collector shopping the game-used sections of websites and MLB Auctions.

You can buy game-used baseballs that were a pitch in the dirt. You can buy dirt holiday ornaments and dirt keychains. You can buy simple vials of dirt with labels noting the stadium. You can buy dirt coasters. You can buy framed game-used displays that include a dirt capsule along with other pieces. You can buy simpler (and cheaper) no-frills items that showcase dirt. The best pieces, of course, are dirt-covered game-used uniforms.

But that's not all -- at least if you're a fan of two teams. It's time for something really different there.

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Topps' new program creating real baseball cards in real time documenting the highlights of the here and now have caught on with some collectors as this season has begun with some historic starts and impressive debuts for MLB rookies.

It's 2016 Topps Now and the cards are only available for a 24-hour window. After that, the population reports are released and the next day's cards are unveiled -- all in made-to-order, real-time fashion.

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Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Kenta Maeda will be among the notable inclusions when 2016 Topps Tribute baseball cards arrive on July 13.

He was a star in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball with a triple crown, two nods as the top pitcher in the league and five All-Star nods.

But he won't be the only rookie signing on for the brand.

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It's a dirty job, but MLB's got to do it.

Fans of World Series teams and All-Star Game hosts in recent years can remember their big events with game-used dirt jars that can be found via buy-it-now listings MLB Auctions.

Sure, they are novelty items -- but for casual collectors these small items will stand out as something both unique and affordable.

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It's one of the weirdest baseball card ever made for a long-time player who's ultimately common-bin material, but it's the inspiration for a minor-league bobblehead giveaway coming this summer.

It's the 1984 Fleer Glenn Hubbard, No. 182 in the set, and it's been getting big-league attention among the Intentional Talk crowd and goofy pre-spring headlines.

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International free agents are always intensely watched as the players from outside of the United States can sign at younger ages to get a quicker start on their MLB dreams.

In 2016 Bowman (click here to see our First Buzz), they'll get their own insert set as well as an autographed version -- both sets will be dubbed International Ink.

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Fans of the Kansas City Royals and their successful run to the World Series have two more options from Topps as the company has released an oversized set for the team and re-issued all of its Postseason Moments wall art in one smaller set.

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