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 BIG WIN
The Card: Patrick Mahomes 2017 Donruss Optic #177 Rookie Card
The Reason Graded: I came real close to letting this one go raw, but late in the season I pulled it out of my "to-go box" and put it in the "slab-it stack" figuring I might get a little more out of it if I did let it go ... then they won it all. Needless to say now, that would definitely be the case for this key RC of the Super Bowl champ and new hobby go-to for many.
The Grade: BGS 9.5

Reality Check: I didn't expect a 9.5 and that's a mark that's getting this card up close to $500 on eBay right now -- a surprise to me as I just don't watch NFL card values as much as I probably should. I only have this one but I ripped plenty back then since 2017 NFL stuff was so plentiful (back then) I'd buy and rip some boxes heavily almost by default. Those boxes are scorchers now thanks to all of the possibilities for this guy and other key rookies that year. Most copies of this card check in at this mark ... but that's clearly not scaring people off here.

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

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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 ... and this time around there's a mix of everything -- mostly on the affordable side.

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WHO I'D BE WATCHING
The Card: Bo Bichette 2019 Bowman Sterling (PSA 9)
The Price: Under $11
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: If baseball were happening right now, there are a few young players I'd be watching and Bichette is one of them. In just 46 games as a 21-year-old rookie last year, this second-generation MLB player hit .311 with 11 homers, 21 RBI and 18 doubles -- numbers that would have projected out to 39 homers, 74 RBI and 63 doubles over 162 games. While I wouldn't reasonably expect that this year, he was dominating at times in 2019 and he's one of several homegrown Blue Jays rookies from the last couple years (Bichette's RCs are this year) who could be around for a while and generate some success both on the field and on cardboard. When they're this cheap, I'm grabbing them -- most of the time, they are not. With its high-end format, Sterling makes me think this basic card might be less plentiful than a lot of the prospect brands from last year, too, but ultimately I picked it up since it's clean and has a solid photo.
Grab a box right here: 2019 Bowman Sterling

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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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 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 ...

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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 ... and this time around there's a little bit of everything -- 20 items for a new year.

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WILL HE STAY OR WILL HE GO?
The Card: Kyle Schwarber 2016 Bowman's Best Rookie Card (PSA 10)
The Price: $8
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I picked this one up because the price was right for a high-grade Rookie Card but also because I took a look at the stat sheet. I'd argue that while he's been off the collecting radar of many lately, Schwarber put up a career year last season. His average was still low -- but a career-best .250 -- and he also had career marks in homers (38) and RBI (92) as well as games, at-bats, runs, hits, doubles ... pretty much everything except stolen bases and on-base percentage. He'll always be remembered as a member of the 2016 Cubs World Series championship team, but I said "had been" off collecting radars because there were recent trade rumors where he could be headed to the Yankees. A move like that would make these kinds of cheaper buys vanish far faster than they might already and rejuvenate his cardboard. I'd be buying on him right now among the cheap early options.
Grab a box right here: 2016 Bowman's Best baseball cards (when available)

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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's a mix of everything but mostly on the affordable side.

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WAIT, WHAT?
The Card: Brock Lesnar 2004 Leaf Rookies & Stars NFL RC (SGC 9)
The Price: $20
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Love 'em or hate 'em, you can't argue with one interesting and unique fact about Brock Lesnar when it comes to cardboard -- he's got Rookie Cards in wrestling, MMA and pro football and that's something that's just not that common. I can think of a lot of two-sport players on cards between various combinations for MLB, NFL, NBA and WWE but, three? Sure, Lesnar never actually played in a real NFL game -- the Vikings cut him before the season started -- but it got him a few cards that do remain popular and a tad pricey these days due to their novelty and relative scarcity. He had 15 cards in three brands -- Rookies & Stars, Playoff Honors and Sweet Spot -- and some can sell for more than this. I grabbed it since I'd never found one and it was slabbed for not much more than a raw copy -- and also purely for the novelty. Some raw copies of this have higher asking prices than this over on eBay, too, while his cards for the other two sports are easy finds.
Grab a box right here: Nothing for NFL, but WWE boxes are here

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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: 2017-18 Donruss basketball cards (hobby)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (a few formats)

Packs per box: 24
Cards per pack: 10
Cards in this box: 240
Base set completion: 200 of 200 (100 percent)
Duplicates: 13

Notable players on base cards – LeBron James, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kevin Durant, Kristaps Porzingis, Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, Andrew Wiggins, Stephen Curry, Kyle Lowery, Kemba Walker, Blake Griffin, John Wall, Jimmy Butler ... and everybody else.

Rookie Cards (54) – All 50 of them with dupes, including Lonzo Ball, Markelle Fultz, Frank Ntilikina, De'Aaron Fox, Zach Collins, Dennis Smith Jr., Zhou Qi, Jonathan Isaac, Wayne Selden Jr., Dwayne Bacon, Tyler Dorsey, Malik Monk, Luke Kennard, Jayson Tatum, Sindarius Thornwell. Ivan Rabb and Dillon Brooks to name a few.

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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: 2017-18 Donruss basketball cards (blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (a few formats)

Packs per box: 11
Cards per pack: 8
Cards in this box: 88
Base set completion: 76 of 200 (38 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notable players on base cards – Karl-Anthony Towns, Kevin Durant, Kristaps Porzingis, Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, Andrew Wiggins, Stephen Curry, Kyle Lowery, Kemba Walker, Blake Griffin, John Wall, Jimmy Butler

Rookie Cards (17) – Lonzo Ball, Markelle Fultz, Frank Ntilikina, De'Aaron Fox, Zach Collins, Dennis Smith Jr., Zhou Qi, Jonathan Isaac, Wayne Selden Jr., Dwayne Bacon, Tyler Dorsey, Malik Monk, Luke Kennard, Jayson Tatum, Sindarius Thornwell. Ivan Rabb, Dillon Brooks

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