The pen Relics are here.

We're hours away from the official arrival date of 2016 Topps Tier One baseball cards and all of the high-end inclusions that can be found inside boxes. It's an ensemble that Topps calls “refined, high-end trading cards that showcase some of the most sought-after on-card autograph content and rare Relic memorabilia cards from the most collectible baseball players of the game.”

Each box contains just three cards -- two autographs and a Relic -- unless it's a Hot Box with an extra hit.

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Nearly every MLB team has partnered with Topps to create a giveaway promotion this season where fans attending games can go home with a big baseball card.

As in a 5-by-7 card.

The David Ortiz card seen above figures to be among the more-plentiful cards as the Red Sox are actually giving them away at three games this summer.

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It started with the idea of doing a retro Buzz Break in search of an iconic Rookie Card from not that time ago since Ichiro Suzuki is a player on the verge of making history.

It became a reminder of something else -- that not all older wax is made alike.

A $25 retail box of 2001 Topps Series 2 -- less than $1 a pack -- seemed like a fun Saturday pastime. You know, something to do on a rainy day that might provide more than standard cardboard and the basic inserts guaranteed inside. After cracking the first pack, though, it was apparent that there wouldn't just be rain in June -- there also would be a snowstorm.

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Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Corey Seager's hot streak started Friday night and continued again on Sunday with his weekend tally including five homers in three games.

Not bad for a guy who was waiting (and waiting) for the call a year ago.

But Seager's domination at the plate got Buzz wondering which way collectors are leaning on Seager ink. He's pretty much a given to appear in forthcoming brands this year -- so there are plenty more autos to come with an RC logo attached (including Tier One this week) -- but he's already got a rich autograph history. Even on Chrome.

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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: 2016 Topps Archives baseball cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 8
Cards per pack: 10
Cards in this box: 80
Base set completion: 
74 of 300 (25 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notable players on base cards – Stephen Strasburg, George Brett, David Wright, Willie Mays, Sandy Koufax, Eddie Mathews, Clayton Kershaw, Jose Bautista, Nolan Ryan, Ken Griffey Jr., Jose Fernandez, Yasiel Puig, Frank Thomas, Hank Aaron, Willie McCovey, Billy Williams.

Rookie Cards (12) – Greg Bird, Henry Owens, Zach Lee, Brian Johnson, Miguel Sano, Kyle Waldrop, Colin Rea, Tom Murphy, Luis Severino, Frankie Montas, Raul Mondesi, Brandon Drury.

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Topps’ high-end hits-driven Tier One brand returns for another season with “refined, high-end trading cards that showcase some of the most sought-after on-card autograph content and rare Relic memorabilia cards from the most-collectible baseball players of the game” in  every box.

It will also include player-used autograph pen Relics.

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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 five threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing Today: Big pulls, retro breaks, baseball hauls and The National.

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We're less than two weeks away from the arrival of 2016 Panini Flawess and its game-changing high-end potential being unleashed upon the hobby.

But that doesn't mean we can't yet get a sneak peek of what's coming.

Panini America is busy readying those silver briefcases with baseball cards for the first time, and they'll include 10 cards per box (or 20 total if you go the sealed case case route).

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Father's Day is roughly two weeks away and Panini America's plans for its annual hobby shop promotion are coming together with a multi-sport release that celebrates nearly all ends of the sports world all on one place.

The Father's Day promo pack.

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If you're looking for Bull Durham cards, this is definitely the brand -- but if you're looking for a gallery of the Durham autos and all the basic info about them known so far on release day, you'll need to click here.

This one's all about the quirks and the fun stuff found in 2016 Topps Archives, which officially arrives in hobby shops today with two autographs per hobby box but a nostalgic twist with past designs and today's players (and some legends, too).

What's been pulled so far? Keep reading ...

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It started as an idea of long-time Seattle Mariners fan and Blowout member Larry Andersen and it's become a phenomenon and a symbol of a team in the hunt for the American League West crown.

It's the Swelmet -- a painted Darth Vader helmet that Andersen wore to a Mariners game in Oakland, an item that caught the eye of the players and an item he traded to the team for a signed Robinson Cano bat.

Now, it's become a piece that the team awards to a player after sweeps -- the "sweep helmet" became "Swelmet" -- a piece seen in photos tweeted by the team and a likely future promotional piece if the team can get them made in time.

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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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The Blowout Cards Forums are where thousands of collectors converge daily to discuss, well, a little bit of everything. Here are five threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing Today: Allen & Ginter Rip Card finds, strong blasters, more retro NBA breaks, Ghostbusters and the best buy in MLB.

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Is it a Rookie Card? Is it not a a Rookie Card?

It's got the logo and that's the only card that can say that so far for Julio Urias.

The highly touted Los Angeles Dodgers pitching prospect made his major league debut on Friday night in New York and things didn't go as planned as he gave up three runs on five hits and walked four in just 2 2/3 innings, a no-decision against against the defending NL champion Mets.

Despite this rough start, Urias was tabbed for a Topps Now card as part of the company's daily real-time baseball card program and, for now, it's also his rarest Rookie Card (it's got that logo and he's a rookie) with just 2,992 copies made. The quantity was revealed by Topps today.

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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 five threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing Today: Collecting MiLB gamers, big box breaks, X-Men: Apocalypse and WWE.

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This year's National Sports Collectors Convention is a couple of months away and thanks to its non-traditional location -- Atlantic City, N.J. -- there are perhaps a few more guests on tap that we've not expected to see at the annual show.

It's been a long time since the show was last in New Jersey -- it's largely been located in the Midwest for most of the last decade -- so regional autograph guests such as Hideki Matsui and countless others who wore pinstripes and starred for other teams in that area make sense. They'll also help draw in locals who might not normally hit the show ... just to get that ink.

Autograph ticket pricing for the show will come soon, but Buzz has picked seven top names that may not break the bank -- one per sport -- at the show.

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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 five threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing Today: Big pulls, Draymond Green's greatness and new (old) football.

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If you pulled this one, you got lucky because there's quite a story behind this rookie's MLB career so far.

Topps revealed on Thursday that Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story is the Lucky Redemption from 2016 Bowman.

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It's go time for Julio Urias.

The highly touted Los Angeles Dodgers pitching prospect will make his major league debut on Friday night in New York against the defending National League champion Mets. He'll be the youngest starter in MLB since Felix Hernandez back in 2005.

The 19-year-old from Mexico was 4-1 with an 1.10 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 41 innings this season for Triple-A Oklahoma City. Baseball America ranked him fourth overall on its 2016 Top 100 list -- the best pitcher of the bunch. He's actually in his fourth season as a pro after signing with the Dodgers as an international free agent in 2013.

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Captain America has a new home when it comes to autographs.

New York Mets third baseman David Wright has signed an exclusive ink deal with Steiner Sports, which the company announced this week.

“David Wright has been the cornerstone of the New York Mets franchise for over a decade and has led the team’s talented young core into a new era of success,” said CEO Brandon Steiner. “Steiner Sports is proud to welcome David to our team and we are looking forward to opportunities to bring fans unique pieces of his signed memorabilia to cherish.”

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Annie Savoy, Bobby, Crash Davis, Jimmy, Larry Hockett, Millie, Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh, Tony and Bull Durham creator Ron Shelton.

Those are the Durham autographs set to arrive in 2016 Topps Archives when it arrives on June 1, which is one week from today.

For those not familiar with the characters of the memorable baseball film, that's all of the main stars -- Susan Sarandon, Kevin Costner, Tim Robbins, Robert Wuhl, Jenny Robertson and a few others who helped bring the film to life.

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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: 2016 Topps Finest baseball cards (mini box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 6
Cards per pack: 5
Cards in this box: 30
Base set completion: 
22 of 100 (22 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notable players on base cards – Carlos Correa, David Ortiz, Joc Pederson, Josh Donaldson, Yu Darvish, Bryce Harper

Rookie Cards (3) – Kyle Schwarber, Corey Seager, Peter O'Brien

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He's been a legendary hitter in MLB since arriving in a Seattle Mariners uniform back in 2001, and he's now 42 years old and on a tear with 10 hits in his last three games for the Miami Marlins.

He's Ichiro Suzuki and he's just 40 hits away from the 3,000 Hit Club as a major-leaguer. (Throw on 1,434 hits in Japan and, well, that's a career mark even Pete Rose should appreciate.)

Even if you're a deep-pocketed collector, chasing Ichiro cardboard isn't easy. He's been in high demand since his legendary Rookie of the Year/MVP season and there's plenty of cardboard from that year alone. There's also been plenty since. And there are also plenty of collectors from around the world who are watching his cardboard just as intently as they are watching the box scores right now.

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The last time Stephen Strasburg took to the mound for the Washington Nationals and his team did not win was late last season. The last time Strasburg lost? That's last season, too.

And the last time collectors seemed to truly care about his cardboard? ... Arguably that might have been about six years ago.

Don't look now, but the guy who owned the hobby in the summer of 2010 and owned the Washington Nationals' hobby dollars (at least for a while) until some guy named Bryce Harper showed up just might be on the rebound and a compelling buy as a successful 2016 season builds.

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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 five threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing Today: Nomar Mazara's potential, a trip to the Museum, Ghostbusters breaks, another legendary blaster and retro NBA breaks.

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