Panini America
Carding Baseball America's MLB Prospects Hot Sheet (June 10)
Here's a look at the top five players on this week's Baseball America Top MLB Prospects Hot Sheet and their seasons so far. It's a little something to help those who might want to dabble with prospecting -- some basics on their baseball cards alongside a highlight line from those more scouting-minded. We may not do this every week, but we'll check in on BA's top crop from time to time for the remainder of the season.
1. Mario Feliciano, C, Brewers — High-A Carolina Mudcats
Baseball America’s highlight line: “Feliciano entered the year with a ton of upside, and it’s beginning to show up loudly and often. He’s loose and athletic both at the plate and behind it, and he has built on a strong May with a blistering June. In nine games this month, Feliciano has swatted five home runs (as many as he did all of last month) and is 14-for-32 overall."
CARDBOARD BASICS
Approximate card total (so far): 100
First Chrome auto: None yet
Autos to consider: Leaf's 2015 Perfect Game All-American releases
Buzz’s card take: His ink is basically limited to Perfect Game All-American releases from 2015 and a limited number of autos in 2016 Elite Extra Edition and that's it -- nothing since. Despite this, more than half of his cards are autographs, though he does have unsigned MLB cardboard. He can be found in 2016 Bowman Draft -- his only cards from Topps. In four MiLB seasons, the 20-year-old has hit .253 with 21 homers and 113 RBI in 237 games. Nothing super-flashy on the card front but he's a catcher so the number aren't necessarily a given necessity there for him to arrive. The lack of cardboard may help drive up auction prices for those who opt to chase here.Keep reading for the rest of the top five ...
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (June 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: David Ortiz, huge pulls, The National, a "nasty" Sport Kings auto and more.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (June 9)
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: Yordan Alvarez gets the call, a massive oldschool wax haul for $150, a huge Bowman blaster pull, The National and plenty more in today's edition.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (June 7)
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: Box-break madness -- Mega Boxes and more -- along with non-sports breaks, a cool find, The National and more in today's edition.
Buzz Buys: LeBron long ago, Moonlight Graham, Re-Pete's Rookie Card, Hailie Deegan's dad, Chipper's Braves debut, Krazy George and ... a washing machine gets a baseball card?
Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals just might be to rip fewer blasters this year 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. Would they capture yours? I'd be interested to know -- sometimes they might, sometimes they won't and that's fine. It's a buyer's market out there with plenty of options and bargains as well as high-end gems to chase.
So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... and this time around there are a dozen weird, cheap or interesting cards.
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BEFORE THE NBA CAREER ...
The Card: LeBron James 2003 Sports Illustrated For Kids #264 (BGS 9)
The Price: $11
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: There was a time when this was a popular card in the hobby -- maybe not Tiger Woods SI For Kids big, but popular. What is it? It's a card pulled from a perforated sheet in an issue of the kids' magazine, something it has done since the 1980s, showcasing countless big-name athletes and many others who don't have much -- or any -- cardboard. Everybody knows how much hype there was for James back then -- and his first cardboard from SAGE was huge -- but this one was one of only a few options until his NBA cardboard arrival on Rookie Cards (and plenty more) on 2003-04 releases. Ultimately all those early cards don't command as much interest as NBA stuff, but I liked the look and price on this one for a slab -- especially when you consider higher-graded cards can push $50-100 and 10s can be quite big at auction even today ... at least for a card found in a magazine.
Grab a box right here: No boxes for this one ... click here for NBA boxesKeep reading for five more interesting items ...
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (June 6)
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: Austin Meadows, The National, grading discussions, Game of Thrones breaks, big pulls and collecting musician autographs.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (June 5)
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: PSA addresses card-trimming allegations, big NBA and MLB pulls, the end of a player collection, The National and more.
Panini Father's Day promo packs arrive next weekend
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Panini America's Father's Day promo packs will hit participating hobby shops beginning next week.
Set to begin on June 14, the packs will include a number of young stars in college and pro uniforms as well as a number of serial-numbered rarer inclusions as well as hits. The packs are bonuses for those who purchase certain products during a weekend visit to the shop.
Buzz Break: 2017 Donruss Optic football cards (SE blaster)
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 Donruss Optic football cards (Special Edition blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for a few formats)
Packs per box: 6
Cards per pack: 4
Cards in this box: 24
Base set completion: 11 of 100 (11 percent)
Duplicates: 0Base cards – Todd Gurley II, Matthew Stafford, Drew Brees, Joey Bosa, Carson Wentz, Blake Bortles, Jerrell Freeman, Marvin Jones Jr., Jay Ajayi, Travis Kelce, Terrelle Pryor Sr.
eBay Buzz: Austin Riley's autographs, Vladdy Jr. ink, a notable glove relic, a MiLB gem and Steve Austin & Dale Jr. together?
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.
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DOMINATING BAT, SOFT DEMAND?
The Item: Austin Riley 2015 Bowman Chrome Draft Prospect Autographs Cyan printing plate (1/1)
The Price: $1,800 Buy-It-Now (or best offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The Atlanta Braves have a rich history of homegrown players dominating on the big stage and a crop of young players on the team now who are seemingly capable of big things on the field and selling cardboard. The latest new arrival -- a guy who has already set a team home run record -- has had a scorching start in terms of the longball and yet he's seemingly a little soft price-wise when it comes to the high-grade first Chrome parallel auto front. (See that link below.) They aren't cheap, but the prices don't compare to other notables in recent years who have arrived and played well. This particular example isn't the cheapest but it is a unique one.
Similar Pieces: Austin Riley autos on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for 2015 Bowman Draft boxesKeep reading for four more interesting items in this week's roundup ...
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (June 4)
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: Good baseball discussions, Bowman Mega Boxes deliver big, The National and old "Refractors won't spoil."
Buzz Break: 2019 Donruss baseball cards (Mega Box)
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: 2019 Donruss baseball cards (Target Mega Box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)
Packs per box: 14
Cards per pack: 8
Cards per box: 112
Set completion: 35 of 150 (23 percent)
Duplicates: 0Notables on base cards – Stephen Strasburg, Joey Votto, Rafael Devers, Justin Verlander, Javier Baez, Trevor Story, Manny Machado, Matt Chapman, Christian Yelich, Michael Conforto
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (June 3)
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: Bowman Mega Box bulk breaks, bargain bin heat, big Heritage pulls, The National and more in today's edition.
Buzz Break: Hot Corner Box baseball card repack (Fairfield)
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: Hot Corner Box baseball card repack (The Fairfield Company)
Where to buy: Target (Click here for our Bargain Breaks section)
Packs per box: One hobby pack, three retail packs and two hits per box
Cards per pack: Varies by brandNotables on base cards – See gallery for key pulls
Buzz Break: 2018 Donruss Optic football cards (Mega 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: 2018 Donruss Optic NFL cards (Target Mega Box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby and FOTL)
Packs per box: 10
Cards per pack: 4
Cards in this box: 40
Base set completion: 21 of 100 (21 percent)
Duplicates: 0Base cards: Derek Carr, Christian McCaffrey, Adam Thielen, Amari Cooper, A.J. Green, Kenyan Drake
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.
Buzz Break: 2019 Panini Prizm baseball cards (Mega Box)
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: 2019 Panini Prizm baseball cards (Target Mega Box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)
Packs per box: 12 (10 standard, two Pink parallel packs)
Cards per pack: 4
Cards in this box: 48
Base set completion: 20 of 100 (20 percent)
Duplicates: 0Notables on base cards – Max Scherzer, Jose Ramirez, Felix Hernandez, Jose Altuve, Adrian Beltre
Rookie Cards (Tier One only) (5) – Rowdy Tellez, Luis Urias, Chris Shaw, Sean Reid-Foley, Cedric Mullins
First Buzz: 2019 Panini Gold Standard football cards
What: 2019 Panini Gold Standard football cards
Arrives: July 11
Box basics: Five autos or memorabilia cards per seven-card box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)What's buzz-worthy: Gold Standard hits the gridiron for a new card season with the familiar feel of past releases but with a new rookie crop and plenty of past stars all in the mix.
Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.
Ja Morant signs exclusive autograph deal with Panini America
One of the possible top picks in this year's NBA Draft has a new team already.
He's former Murray State star Ja Morant and he's signed an exclusive autograph card and memorabilia deal with Panini America. He's perhaps going to be a top-five pick next month and his first autographed items will be available via Panini Authentic after the draft.
“I’m very excited to join the Panini America family as an exclusive member of the team along with some of the greatest names in the game,” Morant said in a prepared release. “I dreamed of having my own trading card to share with family, friends and fans, and Panini America is helping make that dream come true. I’m appreciative of that and look forward to a long relationship.”
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (May 30)
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: Peter Alonso, Bowman Mega Box breaks in bulk, Game of Thrones, NBA, The National and more.
First Buzz: 2018-19 Panini Chronicles basketball cards
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]What: 2018-19 Panini Chronicles basketball cards
Arrives: June 28
Box basics: Three autographs per six-pack box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)What's buzz-worthy: Panini once again gives us cards from a number of designs/brands from the recent past and present all in one place.
Keep reading for more info and a gallery of images.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (May 29)
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 highlights, including 50 -- yes, 50 -- Bowman Mega Boxes.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (May 28)
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: Bill Buckner, Bowman Mega Boxes, big pulls, The National and "rare cards with little to no value."
Buzz Buys: Ronald Acuña Jr., New Yaz, Satchel Paige, Ferris Bueller, Aubrey Plaza, WWE stars & Ted Williams goes fishing
Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals just might be to rip fewer blasters this year 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. Would they capture yours? I'd be interested to know -- sometimes they might, sometimes they won't and that's fine. It's a buyer's market out there with plenty of options and bargains as well as high-end gems to chase.
So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... and this time around it's a super-sized edition to clear out some cardboard that's been waiting for its turn here.
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BATTING LEADOFF ... AGAIN
The Card: Ronald Acuña Jr. 2018 Panini Chronicles Score Rookie Card (SGC 10)
The Price: $10.60
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Is it really a shocker to see this guy batting leadoff here once again? If you're a regular reader you'll know this is the third straight time I've picked one of my Acuña pick-ups to start things off here -- and this time it's a high-grade copy from an affordable (for now) release that's jam-packed with Rookie Cards. I haven't ever submitted anything to SGC for grading, but I have picked off a few cards in their slabs when the price is right and the card is noticeably clean. In this case it was an affordable one picked off in a top grade just before he started heating things up this season. Boxes of many 2018 releases have picked up steam and this one is among them, especially on the hobby side where they are jam-packed with good stuff. I couldn't find this card in the pop report, but the price was right for me.
Grab a box right here: 2018 Panini Chronicles baseball cardsKeep reading for many more interesting items ...
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (May 26)
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 break highlights and National chatter in today's edition.