For years now, autographed books coming direct from the publishers -- or direct from the authors themselves -- have been an affordable way to collect ink from notable names in all realms of pop culture.

It's not a perfect system with stamped autos, fakes and autopens sometimes in the mix -- a problem for publishers to catch as they are not authenticators -- but thanks to dedicated collectors on the Blowout Cards Forum and elsewhere, those problems often get caught and fixed ... or at least become well-known enough to avoid if it's an issue that goes uncorrected.

Getting ink in-person is always best -- book tours still happen, of course -- but landing autographed editions from publishers, online sellers or celebs themselves via their websites or other appearances are common.

Our latest subject and autograph in this ongoing series? Winter and Summer Olympic Games veteran Lolo Jones. 

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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 SportKings Volume 4 sports cards (blaster)
First Buzz preview: Click here
Where to buy: Click here

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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 SportKings Volume 4 sports cards (blaster)
First Buzz preview: Click here
Where to buy: Click here

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was 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 SportKings Volume 4 sports cards (blaster)
First Buzz preview: Click here
Where to buy: Click here

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: 2023 SportKings Volume 4 sports cards (blaster)
First Buzz preview: Click here
Where to buy: Click here

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: 2023 SportKings Volume 4 sports cards (blaster)
First Buzz preview: Click here
Where to buy: Click here

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What: SportKings Volume 4 sports cards
Arrives: March 15
Box basics: Two autographs, one memorabilia card and possibly one other hit per seven-card hobby box (12 boxes per case); One hit per 50-card blaster box (40 per case)
Pre-order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: SportKings takes the field for a fourth time from SAGE with the familiar look and format for past editions.

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

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Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals is to rip a little less 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 all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys

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BATTING LEAD-OFF ... THE PITCHER
The Card: Tatum O'Neal (as Amanda Whurlitzer) 2013 Panini Golden Age Exhibit Box-topper
The Price: $14
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This is a modern take on the old Exhibit postcards and this one is one of a few cards in a huge set that stands out to me. Why? It's one that shows an actor in character as she was the ace of The Bad News Bears. The key here? This is a box-topper set that had 40 cards in it ... so that's a lot of boxes to open to complete a set -- just one per box -- and the collation could be quite repetitive in my experience as I ripped a ton of these over the years. While a lot of sets from even a decade ago have dried up in wax form and gotten perhaps too steep for the typical return, these are still very affordable and include some good stuff. The only drawback? A wide array of inclusions may not be for everybody and now all these years later some of the good autograph redemption cards (only a few) can't be redeemed for that ink. (Points now as they are long-expired.) There are a lot of on-card autos in this release that have no equal -- including autos from her and other Bears.
Grab a box right here: 2013 Panini Golden Age

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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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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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 today ... this is Hour 10.

The box: 2014 Topps U.S. Winter Olympic & Paralympic Team and Hopefuls (blaster)
The cost: BlowoutCards.com

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

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