Shohei Ohtani
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (Sept. 2)

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 Today: Collectors react to Justin Verlander's no-no, a 43-store retail road trip yields some heat, new breaks and more in this holiday edition.
Buzz Break: 2019 Topps Archives 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: 2019 Topps Archives baseball cards (hobby box)
First Buzz preview, SPs & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
Packs per box: 24
Cards per pack: 8
Cards in this box: 192
Base set completion: 163 of 300 (54 percent)
Duplicates: 4Notables on base cards – Ty Cobb, Shohei Ohtani, Richie Ashburn, Hideki Matsui, Andrew Benintendi, Al Kaline, Deion Sanders, Willie Stargell, Christy Mathewson, George Kell, Jeff Bagwell, Nolan Arenado, Tony Gwynn, Ichiro Suzuki, Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, Catfish Hunter, Ivan Rodriguez, Bob Feller, Josh Donaldson, Thurman Munson, Todd Helton, Ronald Acuña Jr., Hank Aaron, Alex Rodríguez, Bob Gibson, Anthony Rizzo, Orlando Cepeda, Reggie Jackson, Don Larsen, Gary Carter, Goose Gossage, Eddie Murray, Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Rod Carew, Carlton Fisk, Jim Thome, Roberto Alomar, Bob Lemon, Pee Wee Reese, Jackie Robinson, Clayton Kershaw, Johnny Bench, Warren Spahn, Tris Speaker, Don Mattingly, Rickey Henderson, Manny Machado, Corey Seager, George Brett, Tim Raines, John Smoltz, Eddie Mathews, Roger Clemens, Harmon Killebrew, Roberto Clemente, David Ortiz, Joe Morgan, Rogers Hornsby, Gary Sanchez, Willie McCovey, Joey Votto, Babe Ruth, Ralph Kiner, Dizzy Dean, Miguel Cabrera, Sammy Sosa
Rookie Cards (27) – Cavan Biggio, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr., Michael Chavis, Ramon Laureano, Yusei Kikuchi, Kyle Wright, Ryan Borucki, Jake Cave, Cole Tucker, Jake Bauers, Kolby Allard, Ryan O'Hearn, Cedric Mullins, Cal Quantrill, Dakota Hudson, Bryse Wilson, Justus Sheffield, Nick Senzel, Carter Kieboom, Josh James, Brad Keller, Michael Kopech, DJ Stewart, Steven Duggar, Chris Shaw, Enel De Los Santos
Buzz Break: 2018 Topps Series 2 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: 2018 Topps Series 2 (blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (a few formats)
Packs per box: 11 (10 plus patch pack)
Cards per pack: 10
Cards in this box: 101
Base set completion: 77 of 350 (22 percent)
Duplicates: 0Base cards of note – Kris Bryant, David Price, Felix Hernandez, Cody Bellinger, Justin Verlander, Paul Goldschmidt, Tyler Glasnow
Rookie Cards (9) – Tomas Nido, Anthony Santander, Aaron Bummer, Reyes Moronta, Breyvic Valera, Jen-Ho Tseng, Yacksel Rios, Mitch Garver, Keury Mella
eBay Buzz: Bowman Sterling's big rookie ink, Bo Bichette, Jamie Foxx, Heritage High Number and some Ryan Finley color

Have you seen the latest cool or interesting items on eBay? If not, you just might see some of those here every week as we're launching a weekly version of our eBay Buzz pieces that pop up from time to time. We’ll spotlight some items that have a story or just wow us with how much interest it might have — and we’re not just talking baseball cards, either.
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THREE OF A KIND
The Item: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr. & Eloy Jimenez 2019 Bowman Sterling Red Refractor Auto (1/1)
The Price: $3,999.99 Buy-It-Now (or best offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The return of Bowman Sterling after a few years on the bench is a showcase of this year's strong rookie crop and some promising prospects with an autograph in every single pack. Three of the top names from those rookies are on this card -- one that also has versions much easier to find -- and they are not alone. There are a number of key guys to look for here and there are some prospect auto sales that might surprise you so far -- hit that link below and then flip to completeds. The big rookie autos are the big deal right now but it's the prospects who could potentially pay off even more later.
Similar Pieces: 2019 Bowman Sterling autos on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for 2019 Bowman Sterling boxesKeep reading for four more interesting items in this week's roundup ...
Buzz Break: 2019 Topps Chrome 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: 2019 Topps Chrome baseball cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: Click here
Packs per box: 24
Cards per pack: 4
Cards in this box: 96
Base set completion: 70 of 204 (34 percent)
Duplicates: 0Notables on base cards – Kris Bryant, Buster Posey, Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, Trevor Story, Matt Olson, Max Scherzer, Anthony Rizzo, Freddie Freeman, Justin Verlander, Rafael Devers, Joey Votto, Jacob deGrom, Rhys Hoskins, Christian Yelich, Eric Hosmer
Rookie Cards (20) – Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr., Yusei Kikuchi, Jeff McNeil, Ramon Laureano, Dakota Hudson, Touki Toussaint, Chance Adams, Cionel Perez, Taylor Ward, DJ Stewart, Josh James, Kevin Kramer, Corbin Burnes, Francisco Arcia, Jake Bauers, Luis Urias, Michael Kopech, Jake Cave, Jacob Nix
Bowman Sterling's return is full of prospects, rookies & ink

It's been a few years since we last saw Bowman Sterling as a standalone product -- it had lived on as inserts in recent years -- but that trend ends on Wednesday with a new full-scale arrival.
And with a glance at the 2019 Bowman Sterling checklist it's apparent that the fans of rookies and prospects will have plenty to chew on in this autograph-per-pack release from Topps.You get five packs per box in this one and it's also got a 100-card basic card assortment that is half prospects and half rookies with the bigs you would expect on the RC front -- Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr., Austin Riley, Pete Alonso, Keston Hiura, Eloy Jimenez and Nick Senzel are in there among others.
Prospects? Hold on ... Seth Beer, Yordan Alvarez, Bo Bichette, MacKenzie Gore, Alex Kirilloff, Joey Bart, Wander Franco, Nolan Gorman and Brendan McKay among others.
And that's just the standard stuff ... we're ripping this one for ink.
Buzz's Pick Six: 2019 Topps Heritage High Number MLB cards

Have you seen the latest cool cards from a new release? With so many options for collectors of all kinds arriving every week it's possible you haven't. That's where Buzz comes in -- well at least on one brand you'll see here from time to time in what we're calling Buzz's Pick Six. Simply put, here are six cards from a new arrival that seemed interesting to this collector and we think they might interest you, too.
This week's release: 2019 Topps Heritage High Number
Checklist: Click here
First Buzz Preview: Click here--
LOADED WITH ROOKIES
The Cards: Eloy Jimenez, Keston Hiura, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Pete Alonso & Fernando Tatis Jr. Rookie Cards (and more)
The Prices: Will vary by player
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This year's revisiting of 1970 Topps was admittedly dry on the RC front but this series more than makes up for it and it takes that A+ grade I gave last year's edition with its rookies and gives it a nudge. This one is just as loaded and just as strong. There are more than 40 RCs on the standard checklist of just 200 cards for this one and then there are a few more (not the big names) among the 25 short-prints. The key names will be found often here and that's a recipe for strong breaks and plenty of heat if you're ripping at the case level. Heritage RCs and their autos have been some of the biggest movers (especially when slabbed) the last few years and this one will be just as strong. Now consider you'll also get parallels and variations (noted on checklist) ... oh, boy.Keep reading for five more interesting items in this week's roundup ...
Buzz Buys: I am Groot, vintage Topps proofs, Stranger Things & WWE ink, a NASCAR icon, Japanese baseball stars & more

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 they're a little pricer than my normal pick-ups.
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I AM GROOT ...
The Card: Groot 2018-19 Upper Deck Marvel Annual sketch card -- artist: Poognasty (1/1)
The Price: $21.25
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I did a double-take when I saw the detail of this sketch card in comparison to its price. While sketch cards can get super cheap these days -- even for full-color comic sets -- that's often due to quality of the work. This one seems like it was seriously underpriced. Groot is one of the more unique characters in the Marvel universe these days, though he's more of a merch machine in his child years vs. adult years seen here. Either way, this one was striking and I had little hesitation picking this one up. That's easily the most I've spent on a sketch card but it's by far my best one, too.
Grab a box right here: 2018-19 Upper Deck Marvel Annual (when available)Keep reading for a dozen more interesting items ...
Buzz Break: 2019 Topps Series 2 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: 2019 Topps Series 2 baseball cards (Walmart blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby/jumbo)
Packs per box: 8 (seven standard, one commemorative patch pack)
Cards per pack: 14 per standard
Cards in this box: 99
Base set completion: 87 of 350 (25 percent)
Duplicates: 0Base cards of note – Cody Bellinger, Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, Albert Pujols, Clint Frazier, Gerrit Cole, Scott Kingery
Rookie Cards (14) – Kevin Kramer, Austin Wynns, Jeffrey Springs, Jose Briceno, Aramis Garcia, Josh James, Trevor Richards, Kyle Wright, Carlos Tocci, Pablo Reyes, Patrick Wisdom, Taylor Ward, Adam Cimber, Robert Stock
Mike Trout Superfractor that never happened powers big pack of Superfractor sales coming next month via Goldin Auctions

What if Mike Trout had been found on a 2011 Bowman Chrome Rookie Card autograph and it had a Superfractor parallel?
That didn't happen, but that dream cardboard scenario could have been close to reality if a new item in an upcoming Goldin Auctions event is any indicator.
It's a PSA/DNA certified Trout autograph -- that part's for sure -- on a card that looks like it could be a genuine Super from that year's release. It's a card that could have been printed by Topps but then never released when a signing couldn't be lined up in time.
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (July 21)

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 Today: Big Rip Card risk pays off, players you love to hate, The National, an industry lawsuit, a big Braves pull and breaking down a 2019 Topps Allen & Ginter case.
Buzz 8 in 8: Busting 2019 Topps Series 2 MLB cards (Hour 2)

Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today's your day then as we launch 8 in 8 -- a series of a eight breaks of wax boxes and wax packs in as many hours today. We'll post one every hour ... this is Hour 2.
The box: 2019 Topps Series 2 baseball cards (hobby box)
The cost: Click here
What's inside this one? Keep reading ...
Buzz Break: 2018 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: 2018 Topps Heritage High Number baseball cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for a few formats)
Packs per box: 8
Cards per pack: 9
Cards in this box: 72
Base set completion: 63 of 200 (32 percent)
Duplicates: 0Notables on base cards – Um ... Bartolo Colon? (It's about RCs.)
Rookie Cards (16) – Juan Soto, Mike Soroka, J.D. Davis, Willy Adames, Austin Gomber, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Miles Mikolas, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Tyler Beede, Mitch Garver, Freddy Peralta, Yonny Chirinos, Tomas Nido, P.J. Conlon, Nick Kingham, Braxton Lee
Topps reveals plans for MLB All-Star promos at Play Ball Park

If you're headed to the MLB All-Star Game, Topps will be there, too, with some new cardboard for your collection.
The company revealed its plans for event-related promos on Tuesday in advance of next week's Midsummer Classic as part of MLB's Play Ball Park -- formerly known as MLB FanFest -- that starts Friday in Cleveland and runs until next Tuesday.
Topps will have wrapper redemptions, set bonuses, a signing guest and more during the show.
Buzz Break: 2019 Topps MLB Sticker Collection 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 pack: 2019 Topps MLB Sticker Collection jumbo pack
Where to buy: Check retail (past sticker releases here)
Packs per box: 50
Stickers per pack: 4
Stickers per box: 200
Base (backs) set completion: 184 of 223 (83 percent)
Duplicates: 16Making the Grade (July): Aaron Judge, Jayson Tatum, Ric Flair, Michael Jordan, Ronald Acuña Jr., Billy Ripken's bad bat knob, Chrissy Teigen's Rookie Card, The Big Lebowski's ink & more

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 ...
The Card: 2018 Topps Home Run Challenge Silver #HRCAJ Aaron Judge (/59)
The Reason Graded: Aaron Judge recently returned from injury for the first time since April and that prompted me to lead things off with this rare card I recently got slabbed. I only have this card because I managed to predict one of his homers not long after he returned from injury last year after missing more than a month and a half. Injuries have mounted for his popular slugger the last two years, but I figured this card, given its scarcity, was one worth a slab.
The Grade: BGS 10Grade 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 B10 Total Population 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1* Reality Check: The pop report is a little iffy on this one -- there could be others not slabbed* -- since the checklist isn't complete on their site for this set this is merely a guess. (Pop report and checklists typically sync up.) I have gotten very few 10s in the last few years, but I thought this would be a contender and it was. Other Judge cards from this set -- there are at least three before this one -- are a lot rarer. Meanwhile, this appears to be the only Judge (of any color) from this set that's been slabbed.
Keep reading for the rest of this month's new grades and additions.
Buzz Break: 2018 Topps Holiday Box 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: 2018 Topps Holiday Box baseball cards
Where to buy: Click here
Packs per box: 10
Cards per pack: 10
Cards in this box: 98
Base set completion: 92 of 200 (46 percent)
Duplicates: 0Notables on base cards – Aaron Judge, Jose Altuve, Corey Seager, Francisco Lindor, Ichiro Suzuki, Alex Bregman, Buster Posey, Nolan Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt, Bryce Harper, Noah Syndergaard
Rookie Cards (24) – Ozzie Albies, Shohei Ohtani, Rafael Devers, Gleyber Torres, Alex Verdugo, Clint Frazier, Tyler O'Neill, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Amed Rosario, Francisco Mejia, Jack Flaherty, J.D. Davis, Dominic Smith, Garrett Cooper , Christian Villanueva, Scott Kingery, Chris Stratton, Mikes Mikolas, Fernando Romero, Joey Lucchesi, Tyler Mahle, J.P. Crawford, Nick Kingham, Austin Hays
Buzz's Pick Six: 2019 Topps Stadium Club baseball cards

Have you seen the latest cool cards from a new release? With so many options for collectors of all kinds arriving every week it's possible you haven't. That's where Buzz comes in -- well at least on one brand you'll see here from time to time in what we're calling Buzz's Pick Six. Simply put, here are six cards from a new arrival that seemed interesting to this collector and we think they might interest you, too.
This week's release: 2019 Topps Stadium Club baseball cards--
A BIG CHALLENGE
The Set: 2019 Topps Stadium Club jumbo box-topper set
The Price: Moderately challenging
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: A new inclusion this year are box-topper cards and the challenge is that there are 50 of them -- one per box. Do the math and you'll need somebody ripping into four cases to land them all, assuming clean collation. Why do I like these? The larger size (roughly 4-by-6) give you a little better look at some cards that just don't read as well at standard size. One example? The Jackie Robinson you see here -- note the details with the dugout, the faces in the crowd and more -- and then think about how getting an autograph might have been different back then, especially with this being from Robinson's first day at spring training with the team on March 6, 1948, according to Getty Images. With 50 jumbo cards in the set and a lot of classic images -- and it not being an impossible project -- this could be popular. While the prices should drop over time, they may not always be immediately available, so I'd recommend picking off what you think are the best ones early.Keep reading for five more interesting items in this week's roundup ...
Buzz Break: 2019 Topps Finest 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: 2019 Topps Finest baseball cards
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
Packs per box: 12 (via two mini-boxes)
Cards per pack: 5
Cards in this box: 60
Base set completion: 45 of 101 (45 percent)
Duplicates: 0Base cards of note – Ronald Acuña Jr., Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Cody Bellinger, Ozzie Albies, Clayton Kershaw, Buster Posey, Christian Yelich, Alex Bregman, Miguel Cabrera, Joey Votto, Max Scherzer, Francisco Lindor, Miguel Andujar, Trea Turner
Rookie Cards (13) – Pete Alonso, Ramon Laureano, D.J. Stewart, Cedric Mullins, Rowdy Tellez, Steven Duggar, Touki Toussaint, Ryan O'Hearn, Chance Adams, Luis Urias, Danny Jansen, Kolby Allard, Kyle Wright
Buzz 8 in 8: Busting 2019 Topps Series 2 MLB cards (Hour 1)

Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today's your day then as we launch 8 in 8 -- a series of a eight breaks of wax boxes and wax packs in as many hours today. We'll post one every hour ... this is Hour 1.
The box: 2019 Topps Series 2 baseball cards (jumbo)
The cost: Click here
What's inside this one? Keep reading ...
Board Buzz: Must-read threads on Blowout Forums (June 14)

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 Today: The Toronto Raptors win it all, Shohei Ohtani hits for the cycle, The National, supply and demand and big pulls in today's edition.
Buzz Break: Hot Corner Box baseball card repack (Fairfield)

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: Hot Corner Box baseball card repack (The Fairfield Company)
Where to buy: Target (Click here for our Bargain Breaks section)
Packs per box: One hobby pack, three retail packs and two hits per box
Cards per pack: Varies by brandNotables on base cards – See gallery for key pulls
Buzz Break: 2019 Panini Leather & Lumber (two blaster boxes)

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: 2019 Panini Leather & Lumber baseball cards (two blaster boxes)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)
Packs per box: 2
Cards per pack: 5
Cards per box: 10BOTH BOXES
Base (Bats and Gloves) set completion: 6 of 100 (6 percent)
Duplicates: 0Notables on base cards – Mike Trout, Jose Altuve, Madison Bumgarner, Justin Verlander, Rafael Devers, Trey Mancini
Buzz Break: 2019 Donruss 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: 2019 Donruss baseball cards (Target Mega Box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)
Packs per box: 14
Cards per pack: 8
Cards per box: 112
Set completion: 48 of 150 (32 percent)
Duplicates: 0Notables on base cards – Ronald Acuña Jr., Juan Soto, Stephen Strasburg, Carlos Correa, Kris Bryant, Manny Machado, Justin Verlander, Adrian Beltre, Jose Altuve, Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi
First Buzz: 2019 Donruss Optic baseball cards

What: 2019 Donruss Optic baseball cards
Arrives: July 17
Box basics: Two autographs per 20-pack box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here (live soon)What's buzz-worthy: Panini's newest release for Optic baseball cards continues to pack plenty of ink, plenty of inserts and parallels and four Hot Boxes per case.
Keep reading for more info and a full gallery of images released so far.





























