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 ...

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?
The Card: Derrick Henry 2023 Panini Luminance Red (/25)
The Reason Graded: This card was an instant need for me in some form the second I saw that photo and I managed to find this rarer parallel on the cheap and in clean shape to make it a double win. It was so clean, it was one of a couple cards from this that made it into my recent submission and, well, it's another win for the school ties part of my collection.
The Grade: CGC 10 (Pristine)

Reality Check: That one checks in as a good as it gets and this release grades really, really well from what I have seen -- not a lot as it's a premium-priced brand -- but enough that it will get further looks from me. (Maybe more since football season will be upon us very soon.)

Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.

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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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SIX-PACK OF SHOTZI
The Cards: Shotzi Blackheart 2022 Panini Impeccable WWE Indelible Ink autographs (/99)
The Price: Between $30-40 each (but mostly on the low side of that)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This card is easily among my favorites from the entirety of the Panini WWE run so far with an on-card auto, a unique photo and simple crop for a colorful high-energy star who's known to bark at the moon and come to the ring on a miniature tank wearing a horned Army helmet atop her long neon green hair. (Really.) I picked off these on the lower side of things over recent months and need to find more, but opening of boxes seems to have slowed some recently with more new releases popping up. I like this one with its thick stock, too. Ideally, I'd like to run up my total to maybe nine or 10 ... maybe more if I spot them with the right prices.
Grab a box right here: 2022 Panini Impeccable WWE

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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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 ...

No. 1 GOES FIRST HERE, TOO ...
The Card: Bryce Young 2021 Onyx Vintage College Football Autographs
The Reason Graded: I collect Alabama guys but on the cheap so when a top talent arrives on NFL cardboard odds are I already found them ... if they had stuff. Generally, I try to have auto of all new big names and in the most-recent years thanks to NIL deals where active players can sign autograph deals that's been easier to do -- for both big names and guys who won't be top picks. In the case of this new Carolina Panthers QB, I pulled this one -- something I also did with Tua Tagovailoa -- so I don't have to chase new stuff after he was taken No. 1 in this year's NFL Draft. (But I will if I somehow find bargains.) This one is nice as it's on-card, has a clean retro design (I like that) and has a design/photo that doesn't showcase the fact that there are a couple small missing logos here that would come with full licensing. Atop that, his autograph on this card -- and the card itself -- is super clean and many of his autos are absolutely not clean in recent years. (In fact, I'd say that his auto is bad way more often than it's good ... and it's not that good visually to start with.) When I saw this one, I knew I needed to slab it for those reasons.
The Grade: CSG 9.5

Reality Check: I was a little worried about the surface here as the retro stock is definitely no-frills -- it doesn't even have a light gloss -- but it checked in with a grade I don't mind. I was happy with this and you'll probably see more of Young here in this series -- or at least Buzz Buys -- more once new NFL stuff starts popping up and the college colors fade away for some. Those colors won't fade away for me -- I like them a lot more than anything Carolina -- and he's always going to be the first Heisman-winning Alabama QB.

Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.

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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: 2015 Topps UFC Chronicles (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 10
Cards per pack: 40
Cards in this pack: 400
Base set completion: 
275 of 275 (100 percent)
Duplicates: 38

Notables on base cards – Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva, Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey, Paige VanZant, Arianny Celeste, Holly Holm, Nate Diaz, Stipe Miocic, Cain Velasquez, Dan Severn, Rampage Jackson, Royce Gracie,  Miesha Tate, Chael Sonnen, Rashad Evans, Amanda Nunes, Brock Lesnar

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What: 2018 Leaf Legends of Wrestling cards
Arrives: Jan. 25
Box basics: Eight autograph cards per box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Leaf takes to the ring once again with some new names from the squared circle -- as well as a few stars from the Octagon as bonuses -- and nothing but autographs inside its boxes as part of what the company says is "likely its best wrestling issue of all time."

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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: 2018 Topps Chrome UFC trading cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 24
Cards per pack: 4
Cards in this box: 96
Base set completion: 69 of 100 (69 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Demetrious Johnson, Lyoto Machida, Amanda Nunes, Uriah Faber, Stipe Miocic, Rose Namajunas, Paige VanZant, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Cris Justino, Crissy Blair, Chuck Liddell, Arianny Celeste, Alistair Overeem, Frankie Edgar, Holly Holm, Forrest Griffin, Cody Garbrandt, Georges St-Pierre, Cub Swanson, Conor McGregor

Rookie Cards (12) – Eryk Anders, Curtis Blaydes, Nicco Montano, Kevin Lee, Zabit Magomedsharipov, Dominick Reyes, Darren Till, Justin Gaethje, Tai Tuivasa, Sean O'Malley, Sijara Eubanks, Marlon Moraes

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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: 2018 Topps UFC Knockout
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 4
Cards per pack: 10
Cards in this box: 40
Base set completion: 22 of 100 (22 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Base cards (excluding rookies) – Cub Swanson, Paige VanZant, Arianny Celeste, Ronda Rousey, Holly Holm, Rose Namajunas, Jose Aldo, Karolina Kowalkiewicz, Jimmie Rivera, Julianna Pena, Wilson Reis, Ovince Saint Preux, Gokhan Saki, Volkan Oezdemir, Santiago Ponzinibbio, Jorge Masvidal, Ilir Latifi, Cynthia Calvillo

Rookie Cards (4) – Josh Emmett, Zabit Magomedsharipov, Justin Gaethje, Brian Ortega

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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: 2017 Topps Chrome UFC (Hot Box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 24
Cards per pack: 4
Cards in this box: 96
Base set completion: 63 of 100 (63 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey, Chuck Liddell, Amanda Nunes, Anderson Silva, Cris Justino, Stipe Miocic, C.M. Punk, Carlos Condit, Robbie Lawler, Rashad Evans, Nate Diaz, Paige VanZant, Frank Mir, Donald Cerrone, DeMetrious Johnson, Junior Dos Santos, Holly Holm

Rookie Cards (2) – Tom Breese, Louis Smolka

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What: 2017 Topps UFC Fire MMA cards
Arrives: Tomorrow on Topps.com
Box basics: One autograph per 20-card box

What's buzz-worthy: UFC gets another online-only release that focuses on autographs and showcases artwork form Tyson Beck as part of a colorful and energetic release.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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What: 2017 Topps UFC Knockout MMA cards
Arrives: March 29
Box basics: Four autos/auto Relics and four Relics per four-pack box (12 boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here to view

What's buzz-worthy: UFC Knockout will once again sport fewer packs per box but still have a heavy reliance on the hits in this latest MMA release -- one that also will weave in some familiar looks we've seen in other sports from Tier One.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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When the newest edition of Upper Deck's Goodwin Champions arrives on July 13, it will include some of the biggest names in the sports world, some of the weirdest new cardboard out there and tributes to those who helped America and its allies win World War II.

It's a collectibles treasure trove and a history lesson all in one.

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An aspiring UFC fighter appearing on an MMA card for the first time might get some of the attention in packs of 2016 Topps UFC Top of the Class, but there are plenty of other big names to be found in Topps' latest release.

All you have to do is look at a checklist -- or on eBay.

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The frenetic energy of UFC isn't easily captured on cardboard, but there are many ways you can see the split-second possibilities in the latest Topps set that arrived this week.

You know, like a foot to the face from Joanna Jędrzejczyk -- and that can be seen on card No. 57 in 2016 Topps UFC Knockout.

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What: 2016 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions trading cards
Arrives: July 6 (and also later via e-Pack)
Box basics: three hits per 20-pack box, 16 boxes per case (two eight-box inner cases)

What's buzz-worthy: Upper Deck's eclectic mix of everything goes in heavy on MMA stars this year with the first certified autographs of Holly Holm along with other notables such as Miesha Tate, CM Punk and Paige VanZant, while also including an impressive array of the unusual and the historic.

See a gallery and more ... below.

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Super Bowl MVP Von Miller. UFC fighter Paige VanZant. Pittsburgh Steelers receiving machine Antonio Brown. Former CFL/NFL star and Heisman-winner Doug Flutie.

What do they have in common? They'll all be Dancing With The Stars when the show premieres for yet another season on March 21. 

A fourth of the dozen teams competing on the ballroom dancing competition come from the sports world, and, because of trading cards, they just might be the targets of the show's fans who want a collectable of their own.

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What: 2016 Topps UFC High Impact MMA cards
Arrives: Feb. 24
Box basics: 20 cards and one autograph per box

What's buzz-worthy: Topps brings its UFC brand to collectors in a new -- and compact -- way with this release that's only initially found on Topps.com beginning later this week at a price of $25 a box.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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It's no secret that Ronda Rousey is the face of the women's division of UFC -- if not the entire promotion -- but in packs of 2015 Topps UFC Champions we're seeing a new showdown when it comes to autographs.

It's Paige VanZant vs. Rousey for all the marbles -- or at least collectors' dollars -- so far in the first few days of the product's release.

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