What: 2022 Topps Chrome Sonic LITE baseball cards
Arrives: February 2023
Box basics: Five parallels per 16-pack LITE box (16 boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here (when available)

What's buzz-worthy: Chrome gets yet another parallel release, this time with "Sonic" touches that include new colors and textures as well as some new inclusions to the lineup.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery 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: NFL and baseball chatter, pre-rookie cards, two huge 1/1 cards in a single break and more in today's edition.

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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 ...

LEADING OFF WITH THE RECORD-BREAKER
The Card: Aaron Judge 2017 Topps Archives 1960 Rookie Stars
The Reason Graded: He has been an established slugger since his 52 homers as a rookie in 2017, but to a degree he'd fallen off card-wise (and power-wise) the last few years until smacking 39 in 2021 and his Yankees team record (and American League record) 62 homers this year.  I got rid of pretty much all of my RCs in 2017 -- no regrets -- to turn them into stuff I actively wanted (I'm still working rather glacially on some of those Clerks autograph runs) but some of my late-year Judge pulls and some inserts were saved along with my lone autograph. While I haven't yet slabbed my ink -- I probably will here at some point once I figure out what box I put it in -- this insert modeled after the memorable-but-overbearing 1960 Topps design was one that jumped out at me. Why? It was soooo clean.
The Grade: CSG 10

Reality Check: I was right and that pop shows me I'm not alone -- but it is surprising given how skinny the stock is here.

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

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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 Holiday baseball cards
Checklist: Click here
Where to buy: Click here (when available)

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery for what was 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 baseball cards (hanger)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)
First Buzz preview & 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: Two variations in one box, a big Star Wars pull, 1990s MLB inserts, NFL chatter, Zion Williamson and more.

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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 Holiday baseball cards
Checklist: Click here
Where to buy: Click here (when available)

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery for what was 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 Stadium Club baseball cards (blaster)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of highlights from this box.

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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)
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 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.

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What: 2023 TRISTAR Hidden Treasures Platinum autographed baseballs
Arrives: Jan. 27
Box basics: One autographed baseball per box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: TRISTAR's autographed baseball chase brand hits the field for a new year with some big chase baseballs -- think legendary teams -- and then a varied mix of stuff in every case.

The biggest chase of them all this year? Keep reading for that and a gallery of what's 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 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.

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 Topps Heritage baseball cards (Walmart mega box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (this and other formats)
First Buzz preview, SPs & checklist: Click here

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

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What: 2022 Topps Japan Edition baseball cards
Arrives: Now via Topps' Japanese site
Box basics: 24 10-card packs per box
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here (when available)

What's buzz-worthy: The now-annual release of Topps MLB cards for the Japanese market has arrived with a number of new inclusions to go with what's essentially a parallel product with a smaller set and stars from all three flagship series in one spot.

Keep reading for more info on what is in this one.

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What: 2022 Topps UK Edition baseball cards
Arrives: Now via Topps' UK site
Box basics: 24 10-card packs per box
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here (when available)

What's buzz-worthy: The now-annual release of Topps MLB cards for across the pond has arrived with a number of new inclusions to go with what's essentially a parallel product with a smaller set and stars from all three flagship series in one spot.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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What: 2022 Topps Brooklyn Collection baseball cards
Arrives: Today via Topps.com
Box basics: Two autographs per box
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here (when available)

What's buzz-worthy: Brooklyn Collection returns for another year with a new retro look, ink in every box, and then some new and past stars showcased on cardboard once again.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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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 ... and it's one of my biggest groupings ever.

RARER THAN RARE ...
The Book: Batman No. 457 -- second-print newsstand edition
The Reason Graded: This one is why you grade. Why? Well this book is more than obscure ... it's obscure on top of obscure with a pop report that shows that in a couple ways. I had this sitting in a junk box of books -- comics bagged in bulk with others taped shut in between a couple boards -- since the late 1990s with it having absolutely no thought in my mind for that time. When I opened up the bag, though, I remembered its cool cover -- that's why I saved it -- and in the here and now it's an example of how the grading world has changed a lot of stuff. It wasn't popular back in the day and that makes it more valuable (potentially) now. What is it? It's a second printing of a newsstand copy for an issue that had the debut of a key character, Tim Drake as Robin. The regular edition of this book has been graded almost 1,400 times -- actually still a modest number for the era -- but a newsstand copy is something else. And a second-printed newsstand copy? Nobody wanted that. How many could have even been made and how many went unsold or were trashed? There's some mystery there as with a lot of things but the pop report talks.
The Grade: CGC 9.8 (Universal)

Reality Check: Just four copies of the 78 graded have checked in at my mark -- not bad considering I got this in some Sears catalog mystery box with like 25 comics for $10 back in the early 1990s. It wasn't a really impressive buy at all at that time -- a lot of stuff that just wasn't appealing or was later printings and I'm betting some of them were pitched or given away. Nobody wanted that then. But now? The numbers game and speculation has people on eBay sellers challenging the market. A 9.6 -- with twice as many copies as this one in existence -- has an eBay asking price of ... well just see it for yourself. It's not alone, either, as a 8.5 checks in with an asking of $3,800, an 8.0 checks in at $3,500 and a 6.5 is $1,499. Other versions (first print direct and newsstand) are cheaper along with direct second prints as they've all got far higher pop reports. People like the easier versions a lot -- eBay highs as much as $255 but not for this one -- and who knows where the other three 9.8s might even be? What might mine command? I'm not sure ... but I know this is pretty solid potential for something that was pocket change from years ago. Again, this is why you grade.

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

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What: 2022 Panini Flawless baseball cards
Arrives: Dec. 30
Box basics: Seven autos, two memorabilia and one gem card per 10-card box (two boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Flawless is back for another year of high-end finds with the superstars of the past and present all in one spot and with some new touches and inclusions that add to the hits-driven approach here.

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

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What: 2022 Topps 1952 Topps by Naturel baseball cards
Arrives: Now via Topps.com (ships in February)
Box basics: One encased art card and one six-card pack per box ... or one encased art card and five six-card packs with one exclusive foil parallel per Collectors Edition box
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here (when available)

What's buzz-worthy: The legendary trivia of 1952 Topps being dumped to the ocean floor lives on along with some new takes on the classic old design using today's superstars all in one spot using the artistic vision of Naturel.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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What: 2023 Leaf Superlative Sports
Arrives: Early 2023
Box basics: Two "super-premium cards" per box (10 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)

What's buzz-worthy: Leaf's high-end line returns with double the number of cards per box in this one with a meaty mix of big-name ink, superstar memorabilia and a range of sports including everything from the stars of the World Cup to the stars of Wrestlemania all in one spot.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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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 latest waves are 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.

--

CHASING AARON JUDGE INK ...
2014 Bowman Inception MLB
First, I'll mention with my picks here that I do my shopping mostly on the traditional low-end to the mid-range stuff in the not-so-distant past -- so a box like this might be closer to my high-end of things when it comes to risk factor ... but a rough box here will still give you nothing but autographs. The biggest names her? Aaron Judge, Byron Buxton, Julio Urias, Kris Bryant, Xander Bogearts, Carlos Correa, Noah Syndergaard, Jose Abreu, Nick Castellanos, George Springer and many others who are still around the bigs (and some who are definitely not). There are a lot of parallels in play here, too, with some other stuff like printing plates, dual-auto cards, patch autos and even booklets. But if you land Aaron Judge he pays for the box ... and maybe more if it's a rarer version. Every box includes five cards -- five shots at him and other names here ... and they weren't short-printed signers back then, either.

Keep reading for a few more boxes you should consider (and are likely to end up in Buzz's cart).

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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 Update baseball cards (blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)
First Buzz preview/checklist: Click here

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

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What: 2022 Topps Black & White baseball cards
Arrives: Now via Topps.com
Box basics: Two parallels and three inserts per 30-card box
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here (when available)

What's buzz-worthy: Black & White arrives once again with a lineup of just 100 base cards and parallels where color is the chase.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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What: 2022 Topps Mini baseball cards
Arrives: Now ... via Topps.com 
Box basics: 35 cards per pack
Checklist: Click here
Order: Initially via Topps.com (here when available)

What's buzz-worthy: Minis return to the Topps lineup once again with an initial release on Monday only for 582 Montgomery Club members that is now live for everybody.

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

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What: 2022 Topps Chrome Black baseball cards
Arrives: Dec. 16
Box basics: One autograph in every four-card box (12 boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: This one returns for a third season with the same approach of the past -- an encased autograph and more every time -- but with some new colors and textures in the parallel mix.

Keep reading for more and a full gallery of images.

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