NBA Hoops
Buzz Break: 2018 Pearl Jam Chicago trading cards (10 packs)
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 2018 Pearl Jam Chicago trading cards (10 packs)
First Buzz preview: N/A
Where to buy: Will take some looking ... (click here for non-sports boxes)
Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.
Buzz Break: 2018 Pearl Jam Seattle trading cards (two packs)
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 2018 Pearl Jam Seattle trading cards
First Buzz preview: N/A
Where to buy: Will take some looking ... (click here for non-sports boxes)
Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (March 22)
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, NBA chatter, showing off fan caves and "those were the days" of wax box bargains.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (Nov. 19)
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 Today: Moving creates collecting challenges ... and big break highlights from around the collecting world, including this new Zion Williamson ink.
Fake Zion Williamson basketball cards are draining big bucks -- thousands of dollars -- from unknowing buyers over on eBay
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The speculation and big business that will be Zion Williamson basketball cards this season and in the future is already apparent -- but in a negative way -- over on eBay.
How do we know? The sales of fake cards. Yes, fake cards.
Fleer, Gatorade, McDonald's, DC Comics, Marvel Comics and even Rated Rookie (on an opposing company's design) trademarks can be seen on Williamson cards not made or authorized by their respective owners -- and there's no compensation being made to owners of intellectual property of the Duke Blue Devils the NBA or the New Orleans Pelicans for the use of their logos and other legally protected intellectual property.
The memorable designs of the past like the 1986-87 Fleer set above -- owned by Upper Deck -- are also being absconded (though many designs aren't generally trademarked) and other notable athletes such as Michael Jordan and LeBron James -- guys whose image rights are also in high-dollar demand -- also are having their likenesses used without authorization (in NBA uniforms) to make money selling fake cardboard that's all over eBay. (Jordan is exclusive to Upper Deck for card appearances and his ink is also an exclusive there just like it is for James.) Photographers also aren't being compensated for the use of their work like they would be when card companies pay them or their employers to use images. Then there are "graded" cards with autographs attached, cards with facsimile autos in slabs and many cards in sealed holders emulating card companies' uncirculated efforts.
Right now, there are nearly 1,300 different active eBay auctions for "Zion Williamson" in the basketball cards category -- meanwhile just two legitimately authorized cards exist right now. Expand that search to all items and there's plenty more to be found.
Making the Grade (June): The Dream Team, Ronald Acuña Jr., Bart Starr, Mike Trout, Deadpool, Kelly Hu's rookie & more
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 ... a super-sized edition this time around that's heavy on MLB and NBA but with a few surprises.
The Cards: 1991-92 SkyBox #544-546 Team USA puzzle
The Reason Graded: I picked up a box of this one for roughly $16 late last year (a bargain price) and pulled two sets of these puzzles, which was good. Why? Because grading these and the other notables from the iconic Hall of Famer-loaded Dream Team is pretty heavy and this one has been on my to-do list. I landed most of the notables more than once but just one Jordan that was noticeably off-centered. These glossed cards on the puzzle could have issues that the standard cards don't have simply because of their surfaces, but mine were clean. I will revisit my second set to see if anything stands out. I may go the PSA route on the other set for variety's sake if I see anything that would make me wonder about potential grades.
The Grades: BGS 9.5Grade 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 B10 Total Population 0 3 0 2 3 1 7 16 30 0 0 64 Grade 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 B10 Total Population 0 0 0 1 1 2 5 24 64 1 0 98 Grade 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 B10 Total Population 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 20 39 3 0 66 Reality Check: This one was a stressful one as I had hoped for matching grades. Thankfully, that's what I got and that's where most cards land for all three pieces of the puzzle. This is a textbook example of the kind of cardboard that can make you some money with grading, too, as they're no more than $10 total raw, while BGS 9.5s together should top $100 in some cases and asking prices for the middle (Jordan) card alone can be steep. It's memorable cardboard from the past with nothing but iconic players involved, so there's still good demand -- and that's another reason why I slabbed. Wax boxes aren't all that plentiful, either, compared to other boxes around that time.
Keep reading for the rest of this month's new grades and additions.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on the Blowout Forums (Nov. 10)
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 Today: Nothing but breaks as we ready for the weekend.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on the Blowout Forums (May 27)
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 Today: Big pulls from around the collecting world.
Black November Wave 7 is here — and here are five deals to consider
If you hadn't noticed, there are a number of boxes with discounted prices now over on the mothership as BlowoutCards.com's Black November Wave 7 hits today.
Many of the discounts were dramatic enough that Buzz had to sit down and ponder the possibilities in many of the boxes and cases -- and here are five boxes that caught this collector’s eye.
2013 Panini Prizm Perennial Draft Picks baseball hobby box
Every box of this one includes four autographs, three inserts and six Prizm parallels -- that's not a lot and Panini America added more in subsequent Prizm releases but there are a couple of names that make this box notable at its reduced price. They are Kris Bryant and Mookie Betts and both of those MVP candidates can be found within the Prizm rainbow of autographs here. Others of note within these packs? Carlos Correa, Joc Pederson, Clint Frazier, Byron Buxton, Clint Frazier, Maikel Franco, Jose Abreu and Aaron Judge. The right rare shade here could be easy profits based on the box prices.
Panini joins forces with 2K Sports for latest Kobe Bryant tribute set
Panini America has a new Kobe Bryant tribute set that can be found in packs of 2016-17 NBA Hoops but can only be completed in "packs" of NBA 2k17 from 2K Sports.
Hoops arrives tomorrow, while the video game is out now.
Father's Day is perfect day to learn more about Ernie Johnson
You probably know him as the host of Inside the NBA, the postgame show for NBA on TNT broadcasts, but there's a lot you may not know about Ernie Johnson that are perfect for this Father's Day.
Those around the Atlanta area may know that he's the son of a former Milwaukee Braves pitcher and long-time Atlanta Braves announcer, Ernie Johnson Sr., who, after a nine-year MLB career, covered the team for more than 30 years. He's one of 29 members of the Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame after he was inducted in 2001.
The father appears on nearly 30 baseball cards with his Rookie Card coming in the 1954 Bowman set and his final regular-issue card in the 1960 Topps set. The son appears on just two cards -- one in the 1990-91 Hoops Announcers set, which is a rare card for its era, and the 2014-15 Panini Threads Voices of the Game autograph above.
But all of this isn't why Father's Day is the perfect time to learn more about a broadcaster and three-time Emmy Award winner we've heard plenty from since 1989.
Buzz Break: 2015-16 NBA Hoops basketball cards (blaster box)
From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and break down 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: 2015-16 NBA Hoops basketball cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)
Packs per box: 10
Cards per pack: 11
Cards in this box: 110
Base set completion: 100 of 300 (33 percent)
Duplicates: 0Notable names pulled on base cards: Andrew Wiggins, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Derrick Rose, Tony Parker, Dirk Nowitzki, Damian Lillard
Rookie Cards pulled: Jahlil Okafor, Jerian Grant, Anthony Brown, Willie Cauley-Stein, Stanley Johnson, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson R.J. Hunter, Trey Lyles, Nemanja Bjelica and Kobe's floor-riding buddy Larry Nance Jr.
Kristaps Porzingis a big deal in The Big Apple -- and that makes him a big deal on basketball cards
He might be the biggest thing going in The Big Apple right now -- and that makes him a big deal on cardboard.
His name is Kristaps Porzingis and he's playing so well for the New York Knicks right now that the team's marquee player, Carmelo Anthony, has already dubbed him the future of the franchise.
“He’s going to lead this organization long after I’m retired,” Anthony said in an SI.com story today. “Hopefully we can hoist one or two [championship trophies] before that happens.”
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