Rhys Hoskins
Buzz Break: 2024 Topps Heritage High Number MLB (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: 2024 Topps Heritage High Number baseball cards (blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click hereKeep reading for a full breakdown and gallery for what was found in this one.
Buzz Break: 2020 Topps Chrome NBCD hanger 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: 2020 Topps Chrome National Baseball Card Day hanger box
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: Click here (a few formats ... and Walmart version of this one)
Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.
Buzz Break: 2023 Topps Allen & Ginter X baseball cards
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: 2023 Topps Allen & Ginter X baseball cards
Checklist: N/A (base parallels regular A&G but not everything is in here)
Odds: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (when available)
Keep reading for a full breakdown of what was in this one as well as a gallery of highlights.
Collecting Game-used: Landing a full count plus some ...
Two big names, one cool surprise.
My latest ball in this Collecting Game-used series is one that has two solid names attached to it -- Atlanta Braves 1B Matt Olson and former Braves SS Dansby Swanson from a game last season -- and it's got something else as part of its usage that I have not yet seen while tracking down and documenting a few dozen or so game-used balls.
The surprise? This one was used for an entire at-bat for one of them -- a full-count walk even -- after contact from the other giving it a life that's beyond many baseballs where they are used for a pitch or two and often for merely just one batter. Atop that, it's got some impressive discoloration from bat contact and even more impressive scuffing from ground contact that's just not as common as you might think with a lot of big-league baseballs that are prepped for play (so they're dirty enough to grip) but taken out if damage gets to be too much. (Sometimes you might get one ... but not often both.)
Keep reading to see the details this time ... and the ball in action.
Buzz Break: 2022 Topps Chrome baseball cards (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: 2022 Topps Chrome baseball cards (blaster)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: Click here (a few formats)
Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.
Buzz Break: 2020 Panini Diamond Kings (blaster 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: 2020 Panini Diamond Kings baseball cards (mispacked blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby & FOTL)
Keep reading to see a breakdown and gallery of what's in this one.
Buzz Break: 2022 Topps Heritage High Number MLB (Hot 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: 2022 Topps Heritage High Number baseball cards (hobby Hot Box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click hereKeep reading for a full breakdown and gallery for what was found in this one.
Buzz Break: 2022 Topps Chrome baseball cards (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: 2022 Topps Chrome baseball cards (blaster)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: Click here (a few formats)
Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.
Buzz Break: 2022 Topps Update baseball cards (blaster 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: 2022 Topps Update baseball cards (blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)
First Buzz preview/checklist: Click hereKeep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.
Black November arrives … and here are five deals to grab
If you hadn't noticed, there are a number of boxes with discounted prices right now right here as Blowout Cards' Black November sales have arrived this year.
The first wave is here and many of the discounts were dramatic enough that Buzz once again had to ponder the possibilities in many of the boxes and cases -- and here are five that caught this collector’s eye ... and there's far more that just might suit your tastes in the big sale.
--
PLAYING IT SAFE? NAH ... THERE'S HUGE POTENTIAL HERE
2020 Topps Heritage MLB
Buzz isn't a high-roller for the most part -- even when the big sales hit -- but there are releases where the discounts can make the gamble (and this one, like many, can be a gamble) worth it. This one gets the nod from me this time as it's one that I did very well with -- check out the autograph in this break (or at right) -- that's a win that's not the norm ... but he's also not alone. You get some kind of variation in every box most of the time and a good name there can mean good things. There are also rarer Relics to go with ink here where master set collectors can pay well if it's something they need. This Ryan will end up in a slab for me at some point -- I should have slabbed it long ago no matter what but those black borders have made me push it off -- but other autos here include Bo Bichette (rookie), Austin Riley, Anthony Rizzo, Carl Yastrzemski, Fernando Tatis Jr., Hank Aaron (yep!), Johnny Bench, Mike Trout, Pete Alonso, Ronald Acuña Jr., Shohei Ohtani, Yordan Alvarez (rookie) and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. among others. They won't be in every box or even every case, of course, but they could be in there and when it's cheaper that's when it's time to open.Keep reading for a few more boxes you should consider (and are likely to end up in Buzz's cart).
Buzz Break: 2022 Topps Series 2 baseball cards (hobby 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: 2022 Topps Series 2 baseball cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
First Buzz preview with checklist: Click hereKeep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.
Collecting Game-used: MLB Film Room is back in action
If you're a regular reader of The Buzz, then you know that Collecting Game-used is a monthly department offering up a quick look (well, at least most of the time) at a piece of game-used memorabilia in action.
A deep part of my stash for this series are MLB Authenticated baseballs -- a simple kind of item that you can find with more details than ever and plenty of players' names often attached -- and that's what we're getting back to this time. Why do I say that? Well, with the MLB lockout, the MLB Film Room video database that lets you see pretty much anything from recent seasons went dark just like all those rosters on the MLB site and the MLB Network -- at least for current players. All those trivial clips of memorabilia-making moments that aren't home runs or strikeouts are back ... and this time I'll offer up something that we won't be seeing much of again ... some pitcher vs. pitcher action.
You can keep reading to see the details ... and the ball in action.
Buzz Break: 2022 Topps Heritage MLB cards (hobby Hot 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: 2022 Topps Heritage baseball cards (hobby Hot Box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click hereKeep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.
Buzz Break: 2021 Panini Absolute Baseball (blaster 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: 2021 Panini Absolute Baseball (blaster box)
First Buzz preview: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery for this one.
Buzz Break: 2021 Panini Absolute Baseball (blaster 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: 2021 Panini Absolute Baseball (blaster box)
First Buzz preview: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery for this one.
Buzz Break: 2021 Topps Tier One baseball cards
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 Topps Tier One baseball cards
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of images for what was in this one.
Buzz Break: 2021 Topps Heritage 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: 2021 Topps Heritage baseball cards (Walmart mega box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)
First Buzz preview, SPs & checklist: Click hereKeep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.
Buzz Break: 2021 Topps Heritage baseball cards (hobby 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: 2021 Topps Heritage baseball cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)
First Buzz preview, SPs & checklist: Click hereKeep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.
Buzz Break: 2021 Topps Heritage baseball cards (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: 2021 Topps Heritage baseball cards (standard blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)
First Buzz preview, SPs (coming soon) & checklist: Click hereKeep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.
Collecting Game-used: MLB Film Room has simplest of plays
The life of this fully authenticated game-used MLB ball isn't all that impressive -- I liked it for a team clearance $10 pick-up, though given player names attached -- but the reason you see it here for this month's Collecting Game-used series item is that it's an example of how something launched online last fall might spark more interest in game-used memorabilia.
Thanks to the MLB Film Room, you can find countless memorable (and many forgettable) video clips of plays from past games all in database form. You can search by names, players, teams, plays, etc., and to a degree that should add some interest to game-used pieces like this ball ... and maybe some value beyond the authentication statements that are also in a database with every ball.
You can keep reading to see the details ... and the ball in action.
Buzz Break: 2020 Topps Heritage High Number (hobby 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: 2020 Topps Heritage High Number baseball cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
First Buzz preview, SPs & checklist: Click hereKeep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.
Collecting Game-used: A mystery bonus is a piece of 2020
This month's Collecting Game-used item is really just a tip ... a reminder to watch out for postseason offers from teams that need to get rid of stuff that has piled up over the last year.
Fire-sale Season for MLB teams is all about stuff that's left over for them ... knowing that another season's worth of game-used items will be showing up before you know it -- and even they don't have unlimited amounts of space (or maybe patience) for used equipment to pile up.
The ball you see above? Yes, it's oddly pearl white -- clearly not prepped and rubbed-down for game use -- and it's got a shockingly neon green color on it, too. Meanwhile, green is something I didn't have to cough up to get this particular ball into my hands.
It was a freebie, a throw-in -- a batting practice home run ball -- with the purchase of a dozen game-used balls via Phillies Authentics. It's fully authenticated just like the baker's dozen of baseballs I grabbed for just $10 a ball. Shipped. And it wasn't even a mystery box situation, either -- I'm a sucker for those -- as I got to pick my dozen off a list.
The only mystery was whose name was attached to this one.
You can keep reading to see the details ...
Buzz Break: 2020 Panini Contenders baseball cards (blaster)
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 Panini Contenders baseball cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)
Keep reading for a breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.
Buzz Break: 2020 Bowman Chrome 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: 2020 Bowman Chrome baseball cards (Mega Box)
First Buzz preview & Checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for a couple formats)
Keep reading for what was inside this one ...
Buzz's BlowoutTV Breakdown: 2020 Topps Allen & Ginter
Group breaks have been a game-changer for the card industry for several years now and from time to time Buzz will jump into a BlowoutTV break of some type and break down the results of what he landed by picking up a team. There are near-daily breaks right here with Matt on Blowout TV during weekday working hours and even more from Houdini and others over on the forum in the evening.
Now, it's time for this post's break breakdown -- two spots in a pair 2020 Topps Allen & Ginter cases.