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.

--

BIG INK
The Card: Mark McGwire 2017 Topps Tier One Tier One Autographs (/30)
The Price: $45.75
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: For years, my only Mark McGwire autograph was one on a somewhat average-condition Oakland A's World Series team-signed ball that I found in an unusual way and got via a trade. (In short, it was sitting in a mug on co-worker's desk. He didn't know what team it was ... it was just his dad's ball that had been brought in for some reason. There it sat ... until I happened to pick it up and look. Then I picked up my jaw.) I added a similar and different item in recent years -- a bat -- and both pieces are 100-percent legit but without authentication. (That happened back in the day when teams signed items ... without merch deals and MLB Authentication around.) This time, though, I added a fresh McGwire release that's on both the rarer side and the cheaper side since the price was right (and dramatically lower than others out there for comparable cards). McGwire has always been a pricier auto -- he didn't sign much during his career except for very early on (before certified auto cards) -- and then became an Upper Deck guy after his record-setting years. Topps got him back in the fold in 2014 releases and he's also been in Panini stuff. I liked the price and the look of this one, which has him watching a homer from late in the 1998 season.
Grab a box right here: 2017 Topps Tier One baseball cards

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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 Today: When an Optic run turns into the mother lode of hot wax, computerized grading, 2020 Topps, new NBA breaks and plenty more.

Continue reading →

If you happen to look at the backs of the 2019-20 Donruss Optic T-Minus 3, 2, 1, insert cards -- ones that show NBA players ready for liftoff on the front -- you might notice something.

It's the Flux Capacitor from Dr. Emmett Brown's DeLorean time machine in Back to The Future.

No, really ... and it's not alone.

Continue reading →

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: 2019-20 Donruss Optic basketball cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for a few formats)

Packs per box: 7
Cards per pack: 4
Cards in this box: 28
Base set completion: 17 of 150 (11 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Base cards: LeBron James, Trae Young, John Wall, Lonzo Bal, Myles Turner, Paul Millsap, Cody Zeller, Justin Holliday, Serge Ibaka, Evan Fournier, Jaylen Brown, Dennis Schroder, De'Aaron Fox, Pascal Siakam, Jabari Parker, Wesley Matthews, Rudy Gay

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 Today: Donruss Optic, more Donruss Optic, 2020 Topps, the Astros still cheated, more 2020 Topps and an interesting legal development.

Continue reading →

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: 2019-20 Donruss Optic basketball cards (Walmart mega box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for a few formats)

Packs per box: 10 (eight standard, two Hyper Pink)
Cards per pack: 4 per standard, 5 per Hyper Pink
Cards in this box: 42
Base set completion: 15 of 150 (10 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Base cards: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Derrick Rose, Steven Adams, Dennis Smith Jr., Rudy Gay, Joel Embiid, Draymond Green, Dejounte Murray, Nicolas Batum, Gary Harris, Jarrett Allen, Ivica Zubac

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.

--

HOW YOU LIKE ME NOW?
The Item: Zion Williamson 2019-20 Donruss Optic Holo (Silver Prizm) Rookie Card parallel
The Price: $1,499.99 Buy-It-Now (or best offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: What's the hottest box on the planet at the moment? It might be this one and it arrives just as the NBA's No. 1 pick is at his peak so far after a late arrival that has generated plenty of attention. Retail boxes are vanishing within seconds of arrival for this one and the various hobby formats are also scorchers -- and it's not really been around long enough for a huge number of single-card sales to be out there on eBay just yet. Too many box flippers affecting that? Or is it just me? (It could be just as I've been shut out all season long on pulling any Zions in an NBA uni ... I'm bitter.) This brand is one I like because it seems to deliver a little more fun and a little more volume than its other Optichrome counterparts -- there are a few brands with plastic potential -- but they're all very popular this year and I'm sure there's more to come. I'm not totally sure what's going on with the photo crop here (Maybe it's to facilitate autos?) but that doesn't matter. Raw copies of the base card have pushed $100 so you can expect plenty of action -- and volatility -- on everything else, too. The one constant? People want them. If I pulled a big one like this, I'd be slabbing before selling.
Similar Pieces: Zion Williamson Optic cards on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for all 2019-20 Donruss Optic box formats

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

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 Today: Donruss Optic is just starting to heat up, Houston Astros cheating chatter ain't going away, storage strategies, 2020 Topps breaks and ... investing in Jeter Downs?

Continue reading →

What: 2019-20 Panini National Treasures basketball cards
Arrives: April 15
Box basics: Eight autos or mem cards, one printing plate and one base/parallel card per box (four boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: National Treasures takes to the hardwood with a new crop of Rookie Cards -- the biggest one of them all in Zion Williamson above -- and plenty more for another season of high-end chases.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

Continue reading →

What: 2019-20 Panini Impeccable Premier League soccer cards
Arrives: July 29
Box basics: Four autograph and one other auto or mem card per eight-card box (three boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Impeccable hits the pitch for the first time with a meaty array of inclusions as well as a number of established stars and newcomers all in one place -- and 15 different autograph sets for starters.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

Continue reading →

What: 2019 Panini Chronicles football cards
Arrives: April 15
Box basics:  Two autographs and one memorabilia card per six-pack box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Panini's all-in-one brand hits the football field for the first time with new rookie and plenty of other notables on several familiar brands that either weren't standalone releases or featured college photography when they arrived earlier this year.

Keep reading for more info and a full gallery of images released so far.

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 Today: Nothing but big pulls and breaks highlights in today's edition.

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 Today: Potential MLB postseason changes chatter, Optic NBA arrives, sketch card artist issues, 2020 Topps Heritage heat, 2020 Topps pulls and ... who makes the Mount Rushmore of MLB?

Continue reading →

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.

--

OFF-SEASON SLABBING
The Card: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 2019 Topps Chrome RC (PSA 9)
The Price: About $15
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The pop report on this one is flip-flopped like a lot of new modern cards -- it's got more than 1,500 PSA 10s but just over 150 PSA 9s out of nearly 1,700 graded ... not the norm, really. Nonetheless, I still didn't mind it in this grade for this price. The short-printed Series 2 card that carries the same photo as this one is a tougher grade -- those corners can be chippy -- but rather than sub my own there and hope for a PSA 9 I just decided to go this route on Chrome. I'll probably do more when they present themselves or perhaps submit others at some point. (I'll have a big submission I already made batting lead-off in a future Making The Grade, too.) My gut feeling is that this super-rookie didn't live up to the massive hype we had envisioned last year -- so 2020 could be one that is dramatic for his cardboard ... one way or another.
Grab a box right here: 2019 Topps Chrome 

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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 Today: Big 2020 Topps pulls, Rookie Cards vs. prospect cards, Zion Williamson, The Modern Wax Fund and more in today's edition.

Continue reading →

Can't wait until March to get a bracket going? Well, we've got a way for you to get into the game.

It's the Blowout March Gladness Jackpot and it's a bonus for those who pick off sale items -- an overall bracket winner gets a mega box of the red-hot 2018-19 Donruss Optic (home of Luka Doncic Rookie Cards) but all teams that make the Final Four get a spot in a championship game bonus grid where they'll get a share of an overall big-dollar jackpot that pays out Blowout gift cards for a number of possibilities.

There will be a number of brackets filled in this one -- and they are filling already -- and every team in the field in every bracket is tied to a sale box.

Keep reading for five items -- not just basketball and with a variety of price points -- that got Buzz's attention in this one. And every one you buy gets you a team on a bracket.

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 Today: Big pulls, 2020 Topps error cards, Pete Rose, Zion Williamson and who would you sell first -- Ronald Acuña Jr., Juan Soto or Gleyber Torres?

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 Today: The Mookie Betts trade, 2020 Topps arrives, Pete Rose wants back in (again), Zion Williamson, big pulls and more in today's edition.

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 Today: Check out all of the handy 2020 Topps Series 1 links, a huge NBA Hoops pull and a LeBron lesson in supply and demand.

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 Today: Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl win, new NFL and NBA breaks, Power Cubes delivering big and Kobe Bryant discussions keep on going.

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 Today: It's Super Bowl Sunday, so we've got nothing but NFL links in today's edition as we await Super Bowl LIV.

Continue reading →

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 ...

The Card: Kobe Bryant 1996-97 Upper Deck #58 Rookie Card
The Reason Bought: I actually bought this card more than a year ago and thought I had it waiting in my stash of cards to present here at some point but, after doing some searching, realized that I never took a photo of this iconic 1990s card and it had been waiting for its time to appear. Unfortunately, we know why this NBA legend has been on the minds of many sports fans out there this week so here we are. I picked up this Rookie Card back then since it was a decent grade for a decent price -- just $9 -- and I didn't ever pull one way back when. It doesn't have any obvious flaws on the front, so it looks much better than its grade, too. (Sub-grades on the back of this slab are all 9 or higher except for an 8.5 on corners and one corner shows why.) The shocking news of this week has created a frenzy of interest for Bryant's RCs and autographs -- and a card in this same grade (not an elite grade, really) sold for $200. Mine will remain in my stash.
The Grade: BGS 9

Reality Check: The pop report on this card is a lot stiffer than I had expected with this being the most-common grade and fewer than 600 checking in higher. I had expected there to be more but I suspect the pop reports on this card could change a lot in the coming months -- and it will be interesting to see if any ever reach BGS Black status. Bryant has a number of RCs -- more than 20 -- and this one is unique in that it doesn't show him in his Lakers uniform. The debate as to whether Bryant's cards will hold values in comparison to what people are paying right now is an interesting one over on the Blowout Forums where there are a number of discussions. I think this is a scenario that may defy common collecting logic -- I'd think that anything is possible in this case and there are a lot of buyers right now who will pick up cards and stash them away forever, leaving a smaller volume of stuff available for everyday collectors to grab on eBay and other market hot spots. Finding unopened boxes won't be an option for a lot of his Rookie Cards that people want to track down, either.

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

Continue reading →

Former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa didn't finish his college career the way he planned, but he's got his first new team as a pro and was out working that new development on Friday with media appearances in advance of Super Bowl LIV in Miami.

He's signed for Panini America.

Full details aren't yet available -- we suspect we'll have them here soon -- but the news was teased by the company today.

Continue reading →

Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today's your day then as we launch 8 in 8 -- a series of a eight breaks of wax boxes and wax packs in as many hours today. We'll post one every hour ... this is Hour 8.

The box: 2018 Panini Playoff football cards (mega box)
The cost: BlowoutCards.com (when available)

What's inside this one? Keep reading ...

Continue reading →

Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today's your day then as we launch 8 in 8 -- a series of a eight breaks of wax boxes and wax packs in as many hours today. We'll post one every hour ... this is Hour 7.

The box: 2019 Donruss football cards (Fanatics blaster)
The cost: $24.99 (click here for a few formats)

What's inside this one? Keep reading ...

Continue reading →