Mickey Mantle
Auction Buzz: Autographs and more up for grabs via Block
Sometimes, you just have to know where to look.
A long-time Detroit-area collector's treasures -- a mix of in-person autographs and pick-ups from the 1980s and early 1990s that were part of a private "sports museum" -- are all up for grabs right now in the Block Auction House "Autographed Sports Memorabilia Auction: Icons of Baseball, Football, Basketball & More."
The selection of 450 lots from the Ferndale, Mich.-based company is live for the next six days. It includes a number of autographs from the Score Board days and many other signing sessions in the years before Upper Deck Authenticated and other companies arrived with stickered/databased sigs. Some top items do have BAS Signature Review and some have UDA stickering, though the collection as a whole might make for some bargain shopping/flipping if buyers later get pieces full third-party authentication. (A number of these lots are simply Score Board pieces where the certificate is no longer a companion to the item.)
Keep reading for a gallery of a few pieces that are live now.
First Buzz: 2025 Leaf Spectacular baseball cards
What: 2025 Leaf Spectacular baseball cards
Arrives: Nov. 28
Box basics: Five "premium hits" and one base card per box (three boxes per case)
Order: Click hereWhat's buzz-worthy: A new line in the Leaf Trading Cards lineup promises to pack out some of the biggest names in baseball history with legendary booklets, plenty of ink and a lot of memorabilia showcasing past and present stars.
Keep reading for more.
Making the Grade (Sept.): Some football, plenty of oddball, even more Shotzi, old comic books, perfect slabs & plenty more
Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading ... so here's this month's grading diary.
TOP-GRADE VARIATION
The Card: C.J. Stroud 2021-22 Bowman University Chrome Prospects -- image variation
The Reason Graded: If you poke around in the archives for the Buzz Breaks of this release, you'll likely find a break where I missed this one and just simply called it a Refractor despite it being an image variation (all are Refractors on these). It should have been obvious based on the practice photo vs. game action, but I only spotted it well after the fact -- months, if not years, later -- when going through my old boxes. When I stopped to look, this card looked absolutely flawless and since it's somewhat rarer than the others it's also still a bit pricier for a standard card. (It's no monster but it's definitely better than a few types of Refractors.) Since it was so clean and the NFL season is upon us, I put this one into a bulk submission.
The Grade: CGC 10 (Pristine)Grade 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 P10 Total Population 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 4 Reality Check: This card checked in at exactly where I thought it would. Fun find and a win -- and it wasn't even tucked away in a box penny sleeved. The divide between mine and the other copies graded is also an interesting one -- perhaps there's a common flaw on copies due to position on the sheet or from machinery? No idea ...
Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.
Buzz Break: 2006 Topps Update baseball cards (hobby)
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 packs: 2006 Topps Update baseball cards (two hobby)
Where to buy: Will take some looking ... BlowoutCards.com for other Retro Rips
Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.
Kobe Bryant & Michael Jordan dual-Logoman 1/1 autograph sells for $12.9M via Heritage -- new record for any sports card
Update: The card sold for $12,932,000 -- an all-time record for any sports card -- at 1:45 a.m. Sunday morning.
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It's already topped the $7-million mark with time to go before the auction ends tomorrow night, but there's no telling the heights this card might reach.
There's a realistic chance that the Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant 2007-08 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Dual Logoman Autographs card will become the priciest sports card of all time -- not just priciest basketball card ever -- when the dust settles at ends Heritage Auctions on Saturday and it's really only got two rivals.
Right now, with its buyer's premium attached, this card sits at $7,015,000 after 46 bids (click to view) and that already gives it the title of the biggest basketball card of all time. The previous NBA high was for a similar modern card, a 2009-10 Panini National Treasures Steph Curry Logoman auto, that sold privately for $5.9 million to an investment fund July 2021.
And there aren't too many past auctions that top that.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (Aug. 23)
What's Buzzing: Bubba Chandler arrives, eTopps' finale isn't going well, fake cards, learning the ropes and more.
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1 -- eTopps' finale is not going well
2 -- Learning the MLB Authentication ropes ...
4 -- A money statement
5 -- Buyer beware ... an eBay account full of counterfeit cards
6 -- Checking in on the Roman Anthony thread--
Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.
Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.
Buzz Break: 2025 Topps Heritage baseball cards (blaster)
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: 2025 Topps Heritage baseball cards (blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
First Buzz preview, odds & checklist: Click hereKeep reading for a full breakdown and gallery for what was found in this one.
First Buzz: 2025 Topps Tier One baseball cards
What: 2025 Topps Tier One baseball cards
Arrives: Sept. 17
Box basics: Two autos and one Relic per four-card box (12 boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Odds: Click here
Order: Click here (live soon)What's buzz-worthy: A new year of Tier One arrives soon with "no fluff, just hits" -- and with one base card in there each time, too, as it delivers "serious weight" as part of what Topps says is "a high-end dive into the heart of the hobby."
Keep reading for more as well as a gallery of images.
First Buzz: 2025 Super Break Supercharged Series 2
What: 2025 Super Break Supercharged Series 2
Arrives: Oct. 15
Box basics: At least three items per box (three boxes per case)
Order: Click hereWhat's buzz-worthy: Super Break offers up a second helping of its new memorabilia blind-box product this year with a mix of some of the biggest names in the game from the sports realm and even more from pop culture possible among the finds.
Buzz Buys (Aug.): Boys of Summer, old stuff, Shotzi & some TLC
Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...
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PARALLEL POWER?
The Card: National League Wins Leaders (Spencer Strider, Zac Gallen, Justin Steele) 2024 Topps True Photo variant & Gold Foil parallel
The Price: About $11 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The concept of this one is simple and it's striking -- knock off the border of a base card completely, using just its photo -- and I think it works. But there's also one thing here that's striking -- and not in the best way. These are arguably too rare to make that big of an impact with me and I think perhaps other collectors who might not bother to grab their players or even think about a team set or full set. How rare? They are one in 677 hobby packs and I'm confident they'd be more popular if people could reasonably collect a team run or set. Why? Because they're something dramatically different and you can compare the regular card and this version side by side. I also grabbed a Gold Foil parallel for this one this time after I bit on the variant ... just to say I had one. Even paying $10 for this was a stretch for me ... and those odds and that price might say that these aren't as popular as they could/should be. These are one in basically every third hobby case.
Grab a box right here: MLB cards are here.Keep reading for more interesting items ...
Auction Buzz: Big cards, iconic images & debuts via Heritage
Auction Buzz is a monthly look at some of the variety found out there on the auction block ... check 'em out.
It's going to be a busy second half of the year for Dallas-based Heritage Auctions with a number of regularly scheduled events as well as some showcase auctions with high-profile stuff all on the calendar. This time, we look at a few things from a few active sales this month.
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AS BIG AS IT GETS
The Item: Michael Jordan & Kobe Bryant 2007-08 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Dual Logoman Autographs (1/1) -- PSA 6
The Price: $4,150,000 after 32 bids (ends Aug. 23)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This one has plenty of time remaining but as you can tell it's already one of the biggest monsters to ever hit the auction block -- and that's with the grade that, well, would be a bummer on any other card from the modern era. But, with game-used NBA logos from two of the game's all-time greats and their ink? Well, it's all about the card, not that dinged corner. "Do you hear that rumbling? It's the sound of the standing world record price for a basketball card getting ready to fall," Heritage said in its listing. "For five years, the 2009-10 National Treasures Steph Curry logoman autograph card has enjoyed the view from the top of the heap, the $5.9 million private sale to an investment fund in July 2021 demonstrating the virtually unlimited elasticity of the market's upper edge. ... We're proud and privileged here at Heritage for the opportunity to take the title back for the auction world," Heritage continued, "providing the manner of competition and high drama that private transactions lack, and which serves as a far more fitting tribute to the iconic subjects this remarkable trading card celebrates." ... This one is estimated by Heritage to top the $6-million mark when it's sold.
Keep reading for more interesting pieces up for grabs right now.
First Buzz: 2025 TRISTAR Hidden Treasures Grand Slam
What: 2025 TRISTAR Hidden Treasures Grand Slam baseball memorabilia
Arrives: Oct. 1
Box basics: One autographed baseball jersey, one autographed baseball, one autographed bat and one encapsulated autographed item per case
Order: Click hereWhat's buzz-worthy: TRISTAR's autographed baseball chase lineup goes high-end with this one that guarantees a variety of items and plenty of possibilities from the past and present.
What's the biggest of them all this year? Keep reading for details on those and a gallery of what's in this one.
First Buzz: 2025 Leaf History Book Sports Edition Chapter 2
What: 2025 Leaf History Book Sports Edition Chapter 2 sports cards
Arrives: Sept. 29
Box basics: Two "premium" booklet cards per box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click hereWhat's buzz-worthy: Leaf offers up a second chapter for one of its newest high-end multi-sport brands -- a mix of multi-player autograph and memorabilia groupings from around the sports world all in one spot -- and it's once again nothing but booklet cards.
Keep reading for more info and a full gallery of images.
MiLB Madness: Puppies, hosts, fans, mascots and ... a Mantle?
Minor league baseball cards from the past can include some weird stuff ... sometimes stuff you wouldn't imagine to be found on a baseball card. Here are some some new fun cards and oddities in this latest edition of MiLB Madness.
IT'S NOT A '52, BUT ...
The Item: Ryan Mantle 2008 Grandstand Salem-Keizer Volcanoes Update
The Buzz On This: The last line of this card's "Ballpark Banter" gives away the show here -- he's the third cousin of Mickey Mantle -- and there have been a few Mantles to appear on cards beyond The Mick over the years. This one played two seasons of minor-league ball for three teams in that stretch and then 10 final games during his third season -- that one in the Frontier League. The final MiLB stats? Three homers and 38 RBI in 81 games while batting .269. Per Baseball Reference, he's among six relatives of the Hall of Famer to play pro baseball.Keep reading for more examples of some weird or fun baseball cards you can find in MiLB.
First Buzz: 2025 Onyx Preferred Players Baseball Collection
What: 2025 Onyx Preferred Players Baseball Collection autographed baseballs
Arrives: June 13
Box basics: One signed baseball per box (three boxes per case; 12 boxes per master case)
Final player checklist: TBD
Order: Click hereWhat'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 of the game.
Keep reading for more info and a checklist.
First Buzz: 2025 Leaf Bronx Legacy baseball cards
What: 2025 Leaf Bronx Legacy baseball cards
Arrives: Sept. 2025
Box basics: Four "premium hits" per box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click hereWhat's buzz-worthy: Leaf's brand documenting New York's premier baseball franchise arrives for a third time with the biggest legends in the history of the game and so much more to be found.
Keep reading for more info and a full montage of cards released so far.
First Buzz: 2025 Historic Autographs Big League Photos 2
What: 2025 Historic Autographs Big League Photos 2
Arrives: June 11
Box basics: 12 autographed 8-by-10 photos per box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)What's buzz-worthy: Historic Autographs turns back the clock to a rookie release from five years ago and revisits the brand that focuses all its attention on signed baseball photos with nothing but ink in every box.
Keep reading for more information.
First Buzz: 2025 Leaf Pearl Multi-sport cards
What: 2025 Leaf Pearl Multi-sport cards
Arrives: August
Box basics: 11 premium cards per box (two boxes per case)
Order: Click hereWhat's buzz-worthy: Leaf's high-end celebration of sport in seemingly every direction arrives for a new edition with some monster 16-auto booklets, a rare cut auto in every box and some of the biggest names in all the games found together right here.
Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.
First Buzz: 2025 Leaf Lumber baseball cards
What: 2025 Leaf Lumber baseball cards
Arrives: August
Box basics: Four premium hits (at least one autograph) per box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click hereWhat's buzz-worthy: Leaf's bats-focused brand arrives with some of the biggest and most-outrageous booklet cards in baseball card history with members of the 3,000 Hit Club, 500 Home Run Club and more inside some of them -- and not just their bat pieces, either.
Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.
First Buzz: 2025 TRISTAR HT Autographed Baseball Photos
What: 2025 TRISTAR Hidden Treasures Autographed Baseball Photos
Arrives: July 30
Box basics: One autographed photo per pack (15 packs per display)
Order: Click hereWhat's buzz-worthy: TRISTAR's autographed mystery memorabilia line offers up a round of signed baseball photos with some big chases in the mix, too, for this release timed to arrive at this year's National Sports Collectors Convention.
First Buzz: 2025 Historic Autographs YesterYear Series 2
What: 2025 Historic Autographs YesterYear Series 2 trading cards
Arrives: May 21
Box basics: 10 cut autos per 40-pack display box (four boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click hereWhat's buzz-worthy: Historic Autographs once again offers up new glimpses of the past with a mix of "familiar favorite people from history."
Keep reading for more information.
First Buzz: 2025 Historic Autographs Uniques Cut Signatures
What: 2025 Historic Autographs Uniques Cut Signature Edition trading cards
Arrives: April 24
Box basics: Two encased 1/1 cut autographs per box (16 boxes per case)
Order: Click hereWhat's buzz-worthy: Historic Autographs brings nothing but ink of the cut variety in this one every time ... and there will sometimes be more to find inside its cards, too.
Keep reading for more information.
Making the Grade (Feb.): A Super Bowl lowlight, Tiffy Time, Wemby, NFL stars, The Punisher, two shots of Ali & much more
Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading ... so here's this month's grading diary here on The Buzz.
GETTING EVEN BETTER?
The Card: Victor Wembanyama 2023-24 Panini Haunted Hoops -- Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: I'm basically casually ripping at best when it comes to NBA these days -- just can't collect it all at today's prices (and might not want to with that) -- but the holiday-flavored version of Hoops got me to bite a few times since it's got a good volume of stuff in a box and a pair of Wemby RCs on the checklist. Is this a big card in the big scheme of things? Nah, but the printing and cutting here was so clean I knew I needed to grade it. Why?
The Grade: CGC 10Grade 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 P10 Total Population 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 10 2 16 3 32 Reality Check: Because this should be the result more often than not as long as the centering is there ... and the stats here show that to be the case roughly half the time. The phenom seems to be getting better with time and once the wax dries up for even stuff like this there could be interesting trends that buck the idea that stuff is overproduced these days -- it is ... but not when there's increased demand for a popular player. I need to scout singles more for this guy and cards I like ... I think there's more potential here over time than people might think based on soft prices for raw cards. (Even if boatloads of his cards are already graded.)
Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.
First Buzz: 2025 Leaf Seasons In The Sun baseball cards
What: 2025 Leaf Seasons In The Sun baseball cards
Arrives: April 30
Box basics: Two autos and two memorabilia cards (typically) per box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click hereWhat's buzz-worthy: A new baseball season will get a new line from Leaf with stars from the past and present all in play and with some of the biggest surprises possible within its "premium" hits-only boxes.
Keep reading for more.
First Buzz: 2024 Topps Luminaries baseball cards
What: 2024 Topps Luminaries baseball cards
Arrives: Jan. 3, 2025
Box basics: One encased autograph or autographed Relic card per box (six boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Odds: Click here
Order: Click here (live soon)What's buzz-worthy: This high-end line returns for an eighth time with every card a hit as it celebrates stars from the past and present via traditional autos/Relics and booklet cards.
Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.