There are a lot of things one can collect that aren't cards -- sometimes they can even come in packs and sometimes they don't. Buzz has been exploring the world a little bit in different directions but with many of them still being paper items -- stacking paper but not in that ol' money kind of way. Here's a look at a few items that entered my collection in recent months that can all fall under this department, which will be found here roughly once a month. 

FOR THE CHILDREN ... AND THOSE INTO ART
The Item: Wu-Tang Clan concert poster -- Sept. 21, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (/350)
What It Cost Me: $18.85
What's It Worth: Original cost $50 ... recent eBay asking $19.99 to $80 ... no recent eBay sales
The Buzz: Their musical genre isn’t really my wheelhouse, but obviously I know the legendary band and some of its members and hits, but what drew me here was the style of so many of their posters that are so intensely detailed where even this digital take above doesn’t do it justice. (I struggled to take good photos of my pick-ups due to their sizes, so I am using digital images when I can.) This piece from their New York State of Mind Tour features art by an illustrator named Johnny Crap. With the group’s name being a nod to Kung Fu, it makes sense that many (but not all) of their concert posters carry that aesthetic or feel to a degree, too. As I noted last time, I've recently started dabbling with concert posters -- but only on the relative cheap -- after finding a seller/collector with a vast stock and nearly everything so fresh that the prints have never even been rolled ... so damage is almost non-existent. I've picked off a few dozen prints in recent months and you'll see concert posters like this pop up here regularly.
Find Cards At: Non-sports boxes at BlowoutCards.com

Check out even more items after the jump.

Continue reading →

What's Buzzing: New cards have 'em talking, botched Chrome cards, NFL postseason chatter, 2026 Topps and more.

--

1 -- Talking Topps Now and the Living Set

2 -- Finest NBA already has 'em talking

3 -- Reacting to the latest Mets move

4 -- Botched Chrome

5 -- NFL: Looking forward to this weekend

6 -- Talking 2026 Topps

--

Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

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: 1981 Topps Giant (New York Yankees & New York Mets home series) baseball cards
Where to buy: Will take some looking ... hit BlowoutCards.com for newer MLB cards

Keep reading for a breakdown and gallery for what was in this one.

Continue reading →

I bought it because there was one key name attached ... but it turns out there were at least six.

My newest ball in the Collecting Game-used series is one I picked up on the open market thanks to one name I collect being on there, Toronto Blue Jays star Bo Bichette, and it turned out to be a lot more than a run-scoring hit once I checked the authentication code and the video. This baseball turned out to be perhaps the most-complete piece in my game-used stash -- one that was used for a full plate appearance for the preceding batter and then everything for Bichette as well ... but only after a pitching change.

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

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: 2025 Topps Series 2 baseball cards (hanger)
First Buzz preview & checklist/odds: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (a few formats)

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.

Continue reading →

What's Buzzing: Denzel Clarke, Jac Caglianone, NBA Finals, Frank Gore Jr.'s autograph, The National and an impressive Mets autograph booklet.

-

1 -- Denzel Clarke's catch has 'em talking

2 -- NBA Finals chatter ... and even more NBA

3 -- So, about Frank Gore Jr.'s Topps autos ...

4 -- Talking Jac Caglianone

5 -- Check out the Mets booklet here

6 -- The National section is open

--

Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

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.

Continue reading →

Bought it for one reason and one reason only ... and then it arrived with two other stars attached.

This latest entry in the Collecting Game-used series is another that came to me via a blind grab bag where all I knew was the date of the game ... and yet this was another impressive ball in terms of its star power. In short, this one was the kind of ball typically not destined for a mystery box.

The initial reason I picked the date of this baseball? This game was just the second in the career of Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood and that alone was good enough for me to grab one -- a debut ball would have cost me substantially more ($1,199 last I looked) and I figured anything here would have story potential -- but then this turned out to be a base hit for one younger New York Mets star and then a foul ball for a franchise player.

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

Continue reading →

The MLB postseason has already had its share of moments with big names attached ... and as promised here's a second gamer with some big names attached.

This month's ball in the Collecting Game-used series is the second of two I landed not knowing who would be attached, just knowing that they were from a certain date in the postseason's past with the teams known -- and in this case it's from a pair of teammates now with the New York Mets and a pair of All-Stars. How did they sit all these years since they're from back in 2017? Well, based on holograms, they were originally in Steiner Sports' hands after going through MLB Authentication and then into Fanatics' possession.

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

Continue reading →

Four bounces and then a short roll ... and then it just sits there.

Spoiler alert: That's the "action" sequence for this latest ball in the Collecting Game-used series but for a random grab-bag ball -- one picked only by its game date -- this one stands out from the pack to a degree. Why? It's got a modest bit of scarring from what it hit off the bat of an All-Star caliber player and it's got a blooper-caliber whimsy to it all, too, with a sequence in a pandemic-era stadium that's quiet enough for you to also hear it all and notice that there are no background reactions at all, either, save for an ump giving it a brief glance.

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

Continue reading →

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? A pair of players who swapped teams on some colorful spring training tickets from the past.

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

Continue reading →

There's a first time for everything and tomorrow Willie Mays starts saying "Hey" to collectors opening packs of Panini America baseball cards.

The Hall of Famer debuts in 2023 Panini Three & Two baseball boxes with autographs, memorabilia cards and more as the company formally unveiled that news this week.

“Willie Mays is an absolute icon and we are absolutely thrilled to be working with him to bolster our baseball products,” said Jim Stefano, Panini America’s VP of Product Development, in a prepared release. “Mays is one of those rare transcendent players whose mere presence in our products makes them immeasurably stronger. We can’t wait for fans and collectors to see what we have in store.”

Continue reading →

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: Carlos Correa to the Mets, RIP Franco Harris, Bowman Draft bounties, new arrivals and more.

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: 2022 Topps Luminaries baseball cards
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Keep reading for what was in this one.

Continue reading →

I've never read up on how many baseballs MLB uses in a year, but given the volume of game-used balls up for grabs from teams regularly -- to the point where they'll sell them in mystery boxes on the cheap -- they are readily available.

Yet, at the same time, they're not all the same.

The big dog is, of course, the home run ball and right up there are other hits and then strikeouts for pitchers. But for any one of any of those bigs there are plenty more -- maybe dozens more -- baseballs that were pitches in the dirt, called strikes, foul balls  and line-outs (though I think those are better than others here) and then other stuff like beanballs and wild pitches among others. Ultimately, the biggest piece of the puzzle for appeal -- and especially for value here -- is which players' names are attached.

This month? Not the biggest names and not the biggest moment -- but it's a one-pitch, one-swing kind of ball that's perhaps not the most common -- and, the best part, it only cost me $10 despite the fact that I can video match it using the MLB Film Room along with its MLB Authentication.

You can keep reading to see the details ... and the ball in action.

Continue reading →

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: MLB postseason chatter, comparing top MLB rookies, Draymond Green vs. Jordan Poole, Logofractor breaks and more.

Continue reading →

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: Aaron Judge, the CM Punk AEW mess, the Mets' mess, new pulls, soccer cases and more.

Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

Black Friday is almost here and a simple discount over on the site (hit that link) is in play right now, right here Buzz is kicking off the Blowout contests right here in simple form.

There's just one Buzz Box giveaway this year but I think it's a pretty solid one with every card limited to just 25 serial-numbered copies.

What's a Buzz Box? How can it be yours?

Keep reading to get all of the details.

Continue reading →

I'm now 3-for-3 in this game within the Collecting Game-used series.

What am I talking about? Picking off game-used baseball bats for the retired player I collect, Nick Swisher, and in this case it's another 100-percent game-used and photo-matched piece -- but one without an MLB Authentication sticker. (Here's last time and here's the first one.)

How was this possible? Just like last time -- with research and some luck while knowing what to look for with game-used bats. I actually picked up this bat with zero idea of when it might have been used -- all I knew about it and the reason why I wanted it was that it was from 2015 when he was on the Braves. In general, this should be his rarest pro gamer -- 46 games in 2015 and then 17 spring games in 2016 -- compared to four years in Oakland, a full season in Chicago, four in New York Yankees pinstripes and then two and a half in Cleveland. Why does this matter to me? Well, thanks to this pick-up, I finally can say I have gamers from each of his pro teams and close to a full rundown of his models of bats he used. (Not all but close.)

This bat is another reminder that not every item that gets used gets an MLB Authentication sticker -- and that you can find gems for any player.

You can keep reading to see the details this time.

Continue reading →

MLB has lost a legend ... a Terrific one.

Hall of Famer Tom Seaver, who won 300 games in his 20-year career and a World Series ring in just his third summer as a big-leaguer, died on Monday at his home in California. He was 75.

“We are heartbroken to share that our beloved husband and father has passed away,” said his wife, Nancy Seaver, and daughters Sarah and Anne in an announcement released by the Hall of Fame. “We send our love out to his fans, as we mourn his loss with you.”

The former Mets, Reds, White Sox and Red Sox ace known as "Tom Terrific" was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia last year. According to the Hall, his death was in part also due to COVID-19.

Continue reading →

This one is a quick idea for a new department here on The Buzz ... Fast Five -- a quick list under a simple topic that might offer a basic starting point for a themed collection. It's a basic list of five items that could be fun for a starting collector or a new way to add to a stash that might already seemingly include everything when it comes to cardboard. For some of you, it's probably common sense. For others of you out there, it's something to think about.

This time? Young MLB stars I'd be eyeing on cardboard right now (some obvious choices).

THE NEXT BIG THING ...
New York Yankees prospect Jasson Dominguez makes his MLB cardboard debut in 2020 Bowman 1st Edition which will be followed up by the standard 2020 Bowman release soon. The 17-year-old outfielder from the Dominican Republic is getting a boatload of attention here -- and the prices on his base cards in this debut release are nutty (for a base card) but justified (given the type of release), so I present a strategy. If you're going to chase him, get one of his parallels instead -- preferably a numbered version. Yes, it will cost you more but it might be a safer long-term hold since they will be rarer than the standard card. If he delivers big, it won't matter -- all will be in demand -- but the numbered stuff will be safer either way. Also a thought? If you can't go there on this one, consider he's got stuff in 2019 Panini Prizm Draft Picks and 2019 Elite Extra Edition -- including autographs -- as well as 2019 Leaf Metal Draft.

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

Continue reading →

Monster season, monster ball.

The baseball that New York Mets rookie Pete Alonso hit for his record-tying 52nd home run this season sold for five figures via MLB Auctions on Sunday.

How much? A cool $27,690 (with $15 more for shipping, of course) after 86 bids in the auction that began on Oct. 2.

Continue reading →

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.

--

BIG DEAL, BIG CARD
The Item: Aristides Aquino 2014 Bowman Chrome Prospects Superfractor autograph (1/1)
The Price: $29,999.99 Buy-It-Now (or best offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This guy has been demolishing baseballs at a record pace since Yasiel Puig was shipped to Cleveland and part of the reason you haven't seen a lot of him here on The Buzz is that there's simply not a lot of cardboard ink to go around for this new MLB star. His only MLB autographs are in 2014 Bowman Chrome -- that's it -- with the only other options being in 2015 Elite Extra Edition and 2015 Panini Contenders. He hasn't signed a thing since. He's pushing 60 autographed cards between the three releases but has just over 70 different baseball cards right now with Topps Now releases piling up of late. He'll be a 2020 Topps Series 1 Rookie Card
Similar Pieces: Other Aristides Aquino autos on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for 2014 Bowman Chrome boxes

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

Continue reading →

Have you seen the latest cool cards from a new release? With so many options for collectors of all kinds arriving every week it's possible you haven't. That's where Buzz comes in. This week's list is not for those who are deep prospectors, rather it's for those who might look to dabble with young MLB players without the wait for them to arrive. My list, which should be an obvious one for most collectors, simply spotlights six rookies who are playing well. Their biggest cards are already priced big -- but that doesn't mean you can't find some nice underpriced stuff and build some gains as they play well this season.

The new six: No product this time -- just six MLB rookies Buzz is watching.

--

SLIGHTLY OFF THE RADAR?
The Player: Keston Hiura, 2B, Milwaukee Brewers
The Stats: Hitting .307 with 13 HRs and 30 RBI in 52 games
Why he's Buzz-worthy: You won't necessarily see him atop the season's leaders for rookies since he's only played in 52 games this year, but he's already in The Show in just his third campaign as a pro. He hit .317 in 222 MiLB games and that might be the biggest key here in my mind -- he's not just a power guy unlike others you will see on this list. He did have 36 homers and 122 RBI in those MiLB games, too, but the production here just seems balanced and reliable with some pop. An example of that? In his first three at-bats on Wednesday night he had a homer, a double and another homer, upping his average to .309.
Total autos: 300-plus
First Chrome autos: 2017 Bowman Draft
Off-radar autos: 2016 Elite Extra Edition (USA Baseball)

Keep reading for five more interesting players in this week's roundup ...

Continue reading →