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: Trevor Lawrence, Roger Clemens, Wander Franco's Rookie Card and plenty more.

Continue reading →

Fast Five is a quick list that might offer a basic starting point for a themed collection or new focus -- five things that could be fun for a beginner or a new way to add something to your stash if you're a grizzled veteran.

This time? Five players to watch leading into Super Bowl LVI.

THE BIGGEST BENGAL
Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals -- Rookie Cards in 2020 releases
If you're looking to buy into Joe Burrow, it's really too late ... but there's still plenty of up-side if he's at the starting point for big things in Cincinnati. The time to buy him would have been while he was on the shelf recovering from a substantial knee injury last season but since he's led his team to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1989 he's the money guy. And if they can win one? Watch out ... he's got a boatload of cards from the last two years and more than 4,000 different ones as a rookie so there's a wide spectrum of stuff you can dabble with. A lot of the speculator money that had been pumped into other top-tier QBs with their seasons -- or now careers -- over, may end up here and he's got the swagger to perhaps make himself an icon and star beyond the field. If you want to spend big, do the rookie-year stuff. If you're more conscious about price, dabble with the low-end RCs or 2021 releases.

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

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: 2021 Panini Chronicles UFC cards (blaster)
First Buzz preview: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

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

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: Predicting some MLB card futures, 2022 Topps Series 1 is two weeks away, NFL and Super Bowl chatter and more in today's edition.

Continue reading →

Fast Five is a quick list that might offer a basic starting point for a themed collection or new focus -- five things that could be fun for a beginner or a new way to add something to your stash if you're a grizzled veteran.

This time? Five ways to collect Tom Brady now that he's done.

GET OUT THE TIME MACHINE -- ROOKIE CARDS
Tom Brady doesn't have a boatload of Rookie Cards from back in 2000 -- at least in terms of overall volume with hits and memorabilia included -- with just 44 RCs out of roughly 130 total cards that year. Joe Burrow, for example, also only has 44 RCs -- from just one card company, mind you -- but that's out of more than 4,000 different cards. Big, big difference. Sure, a lot of those cards are rarities you might never see even if you're a diehard infinitely deep-pocketed Burrow buyer but that makes a big difference. How? Brady just has so few cards available (even with higher volumes per most cards) that there are more people fighting over what's available in auctions. Throw in the whole grading game and the elite prices being paid for elite items aren't going to soften as he's easily an all-time great who will always be in demand no matter who shows up to rival his records over time. To collect Brady's RCs you can dabble on the cheap or chase big stuff ... but "cheap" is relative in his case. (There's a range of options.) My example? I ripped a lot of 2000 packs back in the day, mostly on the low-end of the spectrum, chasing other guys but I got rid of all but one ... a Bowman Chrome RC like what you see here. It was in a single pack of Chrome in a $9.99 random football repack I opened from a Target little over a decade ago. That one's a keeper for me. My point with this tangent? You can't go back in time and a lot of those boxes and packs are long gone now ... so if you want a Rookie Card you'll need target one that's in your budget and work to make it happen. (Unless you have a time machine.) There may be more available now ... but prices have no reason to be faltering at the moment. It's not the best time to be buying, but the question one must ask ... how much will be available later?

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

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 ... a pretty deep mix with some pricey pieces (at least for Buzz) this time.

BIG BOOK LEADS OFF
The Book: The Amazing Spider-Man #361 -- first full appearance of Carnage
The Reason Graded: One of my goals this year -- something already under way -- is to grade a number of the notable comic books I have had stashed from back in the day (the early/mid 1990s) when I dabbled somewhat regularly with comics. Back then they were re-emerging in pop culture with a revolution of big-name artists taking on iconic characters and then branching out to make their own brands -- and they were also a lot cheaper to collect with cover prices like you see here. Also born in those years of polybags, gimmicked covers and many publishers? Big-name characters like the one making his full debut here, Carnage, who is one of Spider-Man's big villains like Venom and others before them. I picked up a couple copies of this one back then since I liked the cover art and it was a start of a run for the new character. Over time, he has become a favorite and that has made this a pricey book.
The Grade: CGC 9.6 (Universal)

Reality Check: My main reason for grading a lot of my books from this time is that many of them are rarer newsstand copies (UPC bar code) which are harder to find in top condition and can carry a premium vs. direct copies. I wasn't (and still am not) a big comic reader so my copies are as razor fresh as they were then. I liked the art and I was very picky about what I would and wouldn't buy when it came to condition. I didn't check the pop report here when subbing -- and I have sent a second one into be slabbed since getting this one back -- and it's (shocker!) a heavily graded book. A 9.8 isn't easy here and a newsstand copy recently sold on eBay for almost $1,700. This grade? Well, it's a $600 sale among completeds but asking prices for UPC copies are as high as $1,450 with several above $900. Over the long-term, I think newsstand copies are going to remain rare in top grade, though for some reason CGC doesn't break them out on its pop report. (I wish they did ... it would have to be a shocking divide.)

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

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: Tom Brady is officially retiring from the NFL ... here are some Tuesday threads to check out.

Continue reading →

What: 2021 Panini Playoff football cards
Arrives: Feb. 2
Box basics: Two autographs and one memorabilia cards per 12-pack hobby box (20 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Playoff drops one more time with plenty in store with some new inclusions atop plenty of variety found in this one.

Keep reading for more info and a full gallery.

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: The Rams are headed to the Super Bowl, showing off Matthew Stafford cards, Joe Burrow, something new on the NFT front 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: Nothing but NFL links in this one as Championship Sunday is upon us.

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: 2021 Panini Illusions football cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

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

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: New pulls, breaking down cases, some original cardboard art 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: David Ortiz is a Hall of Famer, the QB retired, Wander Franco's Rookie Card, cool horizontal cards and more.

Continue reading →

What: 2021 Panini Select football cards
Arrives: March 16
Box basics: Two autographs and one memorabilia card per 12-pack box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Select is back on the gridiron with a massive 400-card base set, plenty of parallels and more within a colorful lineup of inclusions that's got "more parallels, inserts, and unique content than ever before."

Keep reading for more info and a full gallery.

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: eBay authentication has them talking, NFL chatter, MLB breaks, Wander Franco's Rookie Card and more.

Continue reading →

What: 2021-22 Panini Mosaic Road To FIFA World Cup soccer cards
Arrives: Oct. 5
Box basics: One autograph per 10-pack box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: The World Cup action gets a colorful, parallel-loaded release with this one, which will include 40 chase cards in every box.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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: Baseball Hall of Fame vote, Wander Franco's Rookie Card, a custom card you haven't seen before, NFL chatter 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: Watching Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes card prices, Kelce vs. Gronk, digging out Cooper Kupp cards, NFL breaks and "How will history remember Aaron Rodgers?"

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: Joe Burrow and NFL chatter, MLB breaks, Wander Franco's Rookie Card and tracking some Superfractors.

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: Wander Franco and his Rookie Card (again), NFL chatter, a show question, pondering the NBA MVP and more.

Continue reading →

Meat Loaf, 1947-2022.

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: Wander Franco and his Rookie Card, a fun MLB "what-if" scenario, NFL chatter Star Wars sketch cards 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: Wander Franco's Rookie Card, sticker prices at card shows, late to the boom, a soccer thread to see and some new breaks, too.

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: 2020-21 Panini Chronicles NBA basketball cards (hanger)
First Buzz preview: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for a few formats)

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

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: NFL postseason chatter, inside a Bowman Draft case that delivered well, Wander Franco's Rookie Card, freshly signed jerseys, new breaks and more.

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: 2020-21 Donruss Optic basketball cards (hanger)
First Buzz preview: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for a few formats)

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

Continue reading →