What: 2023 Topps The Joy of Baseball Bob Ross X MLB
Arrives: Oct. 5 via Topps.com
Box basics: Two autographs and one paintbrush pen per eight-pack Collector's Edition box; TBD on Happy Little Boxes
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Do "happy little trees" make for happy little baseball cards and, in turn, happy little collectors? The world will find out soon as this meshing of MLB cardboard with the famed late artist arrives this week.

Keep reading for more as well as a full gallery of images.

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A quick and historic debut like this one should have collectors watching cardboard ... but right now that only means Topps Now. 

Nolan Schanuel made his MLB debut in August with the Los Angeles Angels just 42 days after he was drafted and since then he's done nothing but collect hits and get on base at a historic clip. According to MLB.com, Schanuel has now made it on base in 27 consecutive games to open his career and that's the fourth-longest streak since 1900. The record is 47 games by Alvin Davis in 1984, while the others ahead of him were back in 1938 (29 games for Hall of Famer Enos Slaughter) and 1918 (38 games for Truck Hannah).

Why does this matter? His only MLB cardboard is in 2023 Topps Now for now with his Rookie Cards not coming until next year's releases -- and he doesn't even yet appear on any MLB prospect cards in Bowman sets, either.

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What: 2023 Topps Tier One baseball cards
Arrives: Oct. 18
Box basics: Two autos and one Relic per box (12 boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Odds: Click here
Order: Click here (when live)

What's buzz-worthy: Tier One isn't formally unveiled in full, but the basics for a new year are out for an early pre-order with what looks like the familiar formula of past years.

Keep reading for more as well as a gallery of images.

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What: 2023 Topps Update baseball cards
Arrives: Oct. 11
Box basics: One auto and two Relics per 10-pack HTA jumbo box (six per case); one auto or Relic per 20-pack hobby box (12 per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: The hobby's flagship release update will be here soon and it's one that celebrates this year's All-Star Game this year as well as offers up more of the same as well as some new touches.

Keep reading for more info.

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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: 2022 Topps Heritage High Number baseball cards (hobby)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here

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

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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: Jasson Dominguez has a perfect first at-bat, Ronald Acuña Jr., Shohei Ohtani, new pulls, NFL chatter and more.

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What: 2023 Pieces of the Past Asia Edition
Arrives: Nov. 20
Box basics: Two relics per six-pack box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: This brand returns by "celebrating over 2,000 years of Asia's rich history with subjects from China, Japan, Korea, Indonesia" and elsewhere in a release packed with history, hits, modern-day pop culture icons and more.

Keep reading for more info and a selection of images.

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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: Ronald Acuña Jr., the Angels don't care, Cosmic Chrome, Jasson Dominguez, TacoFractor talk and more.

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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: Brian Gray steps down as CEO at Leaf, Trey Lance to the Cowboys, new MLB pulls, collectors react to the big news items of the month and more in this Saturday edition.

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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: Shohei Ohtani, something to watch for, pondering MLB award-winners, lawsuit and licensing reactions plus more in today's edition.

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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: 2022 Topps Series 2 baseball cards (vending)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
First Buzz preview with checklist: Click here

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

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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: Peculiar slabbed customs, Shohei Ohtani, new MLB and football pulls, lawsuit reactions and more.

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What: 2023 Leaf Art of Sport trading cards
Arrives: Jan. 26, 2024
Box basics: Four "premium hits" per box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Leaf brings some artistic flair to collectors once again with a follow-up to its debut art release -- and this time it "expands on that artistic endeavor with new and exciting athletes, artwork and designs" in a release that "is truly a work of art."

Keep reading for more info and a full gallery of images.

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What: 2023 Super Break Supercharged Series 3
Arrives: Sept. 18
Box basics: Three items per box (five boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Super Break offers up a third version of a memorabilia vault type of offering this year with some of the biggest names in the game (all sports) and other notables from pop culture and elsewhere all possible -- "GOATs, GOATs and more GOATs," according to the company.

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What: 2023 Onyx Authenticated Baseball Clubhouse Collection Authentic Game-used Batting Gloves
Arrives: Oct. 20
Box basics: One pair of game-used batting gloves per box (12 boxes per case via four mini-cases)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: This MLBPA-approved product returns to collectors' hands with every box including a pair of used batting gloves from top young names, established veterans or all-time greats.

Keep reading for more info, including a full checklist.

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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 National, MLB Breaks, Chrome thoughts, NFL and women's soccer chatter and ... "If Shohei Ohtani is traded to the NL, does he win the AL MVP?"

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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 National nears, Topps Now, Shohei Ohtani, new pulls and more in today's edition.

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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: Shohei Ohtani, The National, NFL RBs, bargain-bin wins and more in today's edition.

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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: 2023 Topps Heritage baseball cards (blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here

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

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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: 2022 Topps Heritage High Number baseball cards (blaster Hot Box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery for what was found 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: MLB Draft chatter, new pulls, Elly De La Cruz, Shohei Ohtani, The National and more in this Monday edition.

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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: Shohei Ohtani, Damian Lillard, a big Ohtani pull, The National and talking clubs in MLB.

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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 ... an edition heavy on MLB and WWE but with some surprises.

A FULL SIG THAT'S TWICE AS NICE ...
The Cards: Shotzi Blackheart 2020 Topps WWE NXT Roster Autographs
The Reason Graded: If you're a regular reader then you know it's no secret that I've busted tons of these boxes and picked off tons of her cards as the WWE's Tank Girl is high on my collecting radar. Why? She's unique and fun -- and the name and character is self-made, too, so if her WWE run were to ever come to an end, well then "Shotzi" won't. In this case, I pulled both of these autos myself and since it's among her first certified sigs as well as a more of a full auto (unlike how she signs now) I'm eventually slabbing all I own ... but not all at once.
The Grade: CSG 10

Reality Check: The stock here is skinny and since there are on-card autos they are prone to having some issues at times ... so this pair of 10s was an exciting return. The pop report looks pretty good, too -- I really need to get all my stuff organized to see how many of those are mine and how many more I need to slab ... eventually they'll all get graded. Why? I'm a collector and I like this one (and it's parallels) that much. 

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

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What: 2023 Topps 206 Low Series baseball cards
Arrives: Sold out via Topps.com
Box basics: Autographs in every third box ... four 10-card packs per box
Checklist: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Topps revisits T206 tobacco cards for a fourth time but this time with a different release approach that apparently has come and gone on Topps.com.

Keep reading for more as well as a full gallery of images.

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You should know by now that Shohei Ohtani is having another historic year with dominating performances on both the mound and at the plate ... it's stuff that could only be called Ruthian -- and yet Babe Ruth didn't do it all at the same time.

Right now, on June 28, he leads the league in homers (28), RBI (64), slugging percentage (.654), total bases (200) and other offensive stats, while also having. 7-3 record on the mound with 127 Ks in 95 innings and a 3.02 ERA ... in short, he leads his team in pretty much everything. This kind of showing could mean serious headlines by year's end, too, with that home run pace alone.

The Japanese icon and pitcher-slash-DH's 2018 Rookie Cards are ones you should be thinking about right now as there's been a serious uptick in interest -- and it was already high. But, thanks to there being plenty of sets that year and with him in most of them, there's still a lot to choose from that's not priced out of many collectors' budgets. Things do get quite interesting with basic cards in slabs, too. (Prices should surprise you ... they did for me just prepping this.)

Ohtani, who had a ton of cards during his career in Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan starting in 2013, appears on literally thousands of unique baseball cards -- he'll probably hit around 15,000 by year's end or this time next year. More than 3,000 of those are from 2018 alone. His time in MLB releases started almost immediately as he never needed MiLB time and arrived in almost everything in the 2018 lineups from Topps, Panini America and elsewhere -- Rookie Cards, parallels, autographs, memorabilia you name it he's had it all since then. And there will be plenty more to come, perhaps making those earlier cards feel more unique to some ... especially if they missed out.

For simplicity's sake here, we have carved out all of his Topps Now and several other small-set cards sold as online releases as well as Panini America's meaty lineup of Ohtani (about 30 basic RCs and tons more when it comes to hits and inserts). We've also punted all autographs and Relic cards to make this a starting point with the widest affordability and accessibility possible, though there are plenty of high-dollar cards in this roundup.

Keep reading for a rundown of Shohei Ohtani Rookie Cards ... and it won't even be all of his stuff you could dabble with from that key year as there are plenty of cards with RC logos that don't fall under the definition.

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