Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...

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GOING FOR THE GOLD
The Card: Shotzi Blackheart 2022 Panini Select WWE Gold Wave Prizm (/10)
The Price: Around the price of a blaster box at arrival
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This brand is my favorite of the Panini years for WWE, and in the case of this star who I collect I have seemed to found her rarities on the affordable side at times with this release. This is a perfect example of that with it being one of the rarest parallels in there but it cost me not much more than the price of a retail box. It was arguably underpriced, so I grabbed it quickly when I spotted it. Will I grade it? It's a possibility, though this release's centering issues can create some surprises (that aren't totally surprises) as I found out with a different parallel of this card. Poke around in Making The Grade last month for an example.
Grab a box right here: WWE cards are here.

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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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IT'S FOOTBALL SEASON ... 
The Item: Paul "Bear" Bryant cut autograph (BAS authenticated)
The Price: Less than a lot of new hobby boxes.
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This pricier (for me) pick-up actually came in the last week of last year but I decided to hold onto posting it here until it's the right time -- and since football season is upon us, well, that means now's the time. In the fall of 2019, I bought a starter auto of this legendary Alabama Crimson Tide coach who before Nick Saban was easily the greatest in school history (right now, it's perhaps a toss-up) -- that one was an inscribed nickname-only auto -- for a lot less as it was a cut from a paperback book. This one? It's signed on thick, red paper (almost a light cardboard stock) and I know exactly where it came from -- a 1975 copy of his autobiography, Bear: The Hard Life and Good Times of Alabama's Coach Bryant. I have a clean-but-ratty copy of that book somewhere in my stash from an antiques store find 20-some years ago, but when this popped up from a West Coast mega-dealer of vintage (and selected modern-player) autographed stuff and plenty more I bit. I actually prefer the cut auto feel here in its case vs. the full book as it can be viewed when you find it vs. tucked behind a cover. A lot of Bryant autographs are found these days -- 40 years after his death -- are on signed copies of this book or on a style of autographed photo or two that is nearly always found inscribed and dated to fans or boosters from back in the day. While a photo (preferably slabbed) would be nice, this is a better, simpler item. Authenticated photos can cost less but look iffier depending on condition. I like this one -- and it's card-like feel -- and, heck, I might even do more. They are out there and findable.
Grab a box right here: College football boxes

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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 ... a mix of low-and and higher-end finds as well as some non-traditional things people might like to collect. 

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MY HERITAGE SLEEPER SET ... 
The Card: Hank Aaron 2023 Topps Heritage Puzzles (announced /500)
The Price: $17.99
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This oversized box-topper set isn't huge at just 20 puzzles on the checklist but they don't drop all that often, either, from what I have seen -- one per case at most (and maybe not at all). It's one that I knew I liked immediately back when Heritage dropped with its lineup of mostly current names but also with some past stars all in one spot. What are they? Literal puzzles shrink-wrapped to a cardboard backer placed atop the packs in some boxes. A total of 13 active players (two rookies) are here along with seven Hall of Famers -- but some obvious names like Shohei Ohtani didn't make the cut ... so I suspect we'll see more in the second series later this year. I liked a few of the options in this one but waited for prices to dip and they really haven't as much as I had hoped they would. (Why? They're on the rarer side of things compared to a lot of stuff in this one.) This one presented itself on more of the affordable side more recently so I bit. These are just oldschool cool if you ask me -- something that feels a bit anti-2023 but also not totally part of a rigid Heritage formula that's been going for two decades plus now. I like surprises -- and this set felt like one.
Grab a box right here: 2023 Topps Heritage

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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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BIG AUTO, BIG PHOTO ... SMALLER PRICE
The Photo: Michael Harris II autographed 16-by-20 photo (Fanatics Authentic)
The Price: Under $65 ... Note: this large-size item isn't easy to photograph all that well without a lot of glare on its top-loader, so the image above is their Photoshopped sales mock.
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I have this one batting lead-off as it's an item I wanted last year -- when he won the National League Rookie Of The Year award -- but I had my same-day order canceled by the company. Why? Perhaps it was my use of an extra sale code via a site that sells their stuff (it worked and the order was processed) but there was no reason given. I picked this up more recently -- with a rewards code atop a sale price -- from that same place, though, after he had a tough start to this season. No cancellation this time and no worries -- I just wanted his auto in my stash and I like the feel of a nice display piece (though I display nothing) with a large signature vs. a card that's likely going to cost more. In fact, the cheapest auto for him on a non-MLB card on one site where I buy singles is higher than what I paid for this. I'm probably a one-and-done on his autos unless they get cheaper over time, anyway, though. Why? His signature is a bit oversimplified as he's been in demand. It does look better than the mock but is still quite simple for my taste -- I'll start here and play the waiting game on any more.
Grab a box right here: Michael Harris RCs in 2023 releases

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One of the challenges of collecting once you reach a certain level (either in years or cards) is how to keep yourself engaged in a hobby that can be full of obstacles.

Cost can be an obstacle. A limited number of releases including your player or team -- or scarcity of cards within those releases that are made -- can be an obstacle. A player retiring can be an obstacle. These aren't the only ones, either.

Once you have a certain number of cards for a player or a team, though, maybe it's time to consider adding to your collection in a few simple ways that are already around you. They can be just as challenging as cards, too.

Here are a few options ...

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