For years now, autographed books coming direct from the publishers -- or direct from the authors themselves -- have been an affordable way to collect ink from notable names in all realms of pop culture.

It's not a perfect system with stamped autos, fakes and autopens sometimes in the mix -- a problem for publishers to catch as they are not authenticators -- but thanks to dedicated collectors on the Blowout Cards Forum and elsewhere, those problems often get caught and fixed ... or at least become well-known enough to avoid if it's an issue that goes uncorrected.

Getting ink in-person is always best -- book tours still happen, of course -- but landing autographed editions from publishers, online sellers or celebs themselves via their websites or other appearances are common.

Our latest subject and autograph in this ongoing series? A member of The Sandlot cast, Patrick Renna.

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What's Buzzing: Nick Kurtz is putting on a show, The National is next week, talking Topps Chrome and more.

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1 -- Nick Kurtz is at 24 homers ... four on Friday night

2 -- The National is next week

3 -- Talking Topps Chrome

4 -- Showing off some movie baseball cards

5 -- Go Bananas, folks ...

6 -- Hulk Hogan dies at 71

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

Fast Five is a quick list that might offer a basic starting point for a themed collection or new focus -- five things that could be fun for a beginner or a new way to add something to your stash if you're a grizzled veteran.

This time? Five affordable autographs you can get at The National this year.

WHAT?
Frank Whaley, actor ($39 any item; $10 inscription)
There's only one inscription I'd add with an autograph for this veteran actor who will be signing at the show and that would be on a Pulp Fiction photo something like this one. And that inscription is "What?" -- never has a four-letter addition ever been a better buy. While I suspect he and others signing -- or show promotors -- will have photo options you should be able to buy, I'd choose my own destiny and find something like this. Sports fans might consider a Moonlight Graham photo of him from Field of Dreams or maybe one could consider something from The Doors where he played legendary guitarist Robby Kreiger. It's all about a cool item that can make the ink here and there's good potential with a long list of credits. Heck, at this price I'd try something for all three movies -- or maybe Career Opportunities. Frank Whaley signs on Friday and Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. (Times all subject to change.)

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Keep reading for four more making up the list this time.

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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 ...

WOOOOOOO!
The Card: Charlotte Flair 2015 Topps WWE Undisputed NXT In Line Autographs #NA-CH
The Reason Graded: The trio of big first/first-year autos in this release for three of the four biggest homegrown women's names (aka not Ronda Rousey) in WWE in this one have been slabbed in my stash -- Flair this time, Becky Lynch last time and Sasha Banks a couple times before in the history of this series. Why? Well, I think first (or first-year) autos are way more important than what people argue about on the Rookie Card front. They're inherently rarer and this brand is one that always seems to grade well as long as there's not any back-edge damage here (the designs often have dark colors).
The Grade: CSG 9.5

Reality Check: This one checked in where I had hoped -- and thanks to their new shift to a "Gem Mint 10" scale this one would be a 10 if in a new slab. (I'm good with that, too.) Flair isn't my favorite of The Four Horsewomen of NXT but I think this is one of her better cards ... though I do wish she would have signed in blue like everybody else.

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: 2018 Topps Archives baseball cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

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

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Have you looked at your 2019 Bowman Draft card backs yet?

It's fine if you haven't -- we know you're busy looking for the new big names, their colorful Chrome parallels and, of course, their autographs -- but there's always one part of this Bowman release that can surprise with either basic stuff one might not know (since the players are new to cardboard) or some downright trivial things that mean nothing when it comes to the field of play.

It's those "Up Close" blurbs that are worth a look.

The card of top pick Adley Rutschman actually has one of the simpler and more straight-forward items on his card. He's not one of those cards who drops references to Fortnite, Taylor Swift, Coke vs. Pepsi, Chick-Fil-A, Game of Thrones or even an interest in nuclear engineering. One card even notes a top prospect who had a specific walk-up song at age 10 ... what were you doing at that age?

Let's take a look at the backs of some 2019 Bowman Draft baseball cards ...

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"You're killing me, Smalls."

Patrick Renna -- aka Hamilton "Ham" Porter from The Sandlot -- is the first guest who will be on hand at the annual Panini VIP Party on Saturday night in Chicago.

Panini revealed Renna's spot on this year's VIP roster on Tuesday afternoon as the first of several who will be on hand at the event for high-rollers in the hobby.

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This year's National Sports Collectors Convention is nearly here -- it's set for July 31-Aug. 4 in Chicago with a strong roster of autograph guests ready to sign for collectors who get a ticket and get in line for their moment beyond the ballpark.

Some signers are free if you attend the VIP reception on opening day of the show or buy a VIP ticket package -- a bonus for taking the time to hit every day of the show -- but other signers will take some planning to land the ones you want.

It's tough to see everything at The National -- it's that big -- and the time it takes to work through autograph lines is valuable in that it impedes your shot at seeing it all. With that said, here are my picks -- one per day plus a bonus pick this year -- to grab off the autograph list. (Keep reading for the full signers list in a gallery ... and, remember, times are always subject to change.)

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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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A UNIQUE TOUCH 
The Item: Juan Soto 2019 Topps Museum Collection bat barrel nameplate 1/1
The Price: $2,999.99 Buy-It-Now (or make offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: His full name is Juan Jose Soto Pacheco and it's "Soto Pacheco" that he has chosen to put on his bats. You can get a good look at one right here (click to zoom), though the MLB Authentication sticker (albeit unreadable) should be enough to make worries lessen. This is one simple personalized touch that shows how game-used bats (and premium bat cards) can be a lot more interesting. This card is an example of the big stuff that is possible in boxes of Museum Collection, though as a 1/1 card this one is no longer potentially in a box if you grab one.
Similar Pieces: 2019 Topps Museum Collection autos on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for 2019 Topps Museum Collection boxes

Keep reading for four more interesting items in this week's roundup ...

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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: 2018 Leaf Metal Pop Century 1/1 Pre-Production Proof Box
Where to buy: Click here

Cards per box: 3
Base set completion: 
N/A
Duplicates: 0

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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 ...

The Card: 2017 Donruss Rookie Gridiron Kings #2 Patrick Mahomes II
The Reason Graded: His break-out campaign started off so strong I had to revisit my past pulls from Donruss last year -- I busted a ton -- and I submitted a trio of his cards. You saw one last month, you see this one here and you'll see another in March. (Call that a spoiler.) This insert isn't the most-striking of cards but it looked very clean in my pre-examining of cards so it made the cut.
The Grade: BGS 9.5

Reality Check: None have graded higher but this one is not alone on the pop report. That surprises me a bit as grading seems to be all about standard RCs, rare numbered parallels and the ol' big mojo hits, but it seems that a season like the one he had could be prompting anything from his first year on cardboard to get another look. (Ironically you can still grab boxes of this one and others relatively cheap, too. To me that all spells fun ... and wax will dry up over time.)

Keep reading for the rest of this month's new grades and additions.

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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 Today: Nothing but big pulls and break highlights 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 Today: Nothing but big pulls from around the collecting world 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 Today: Pondering the hobby greatness of Bo Jackson and breaks from around the collecting world.

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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: 2018 Topps Archives baseball cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 24
Cards per pack: 8
Cards in this box: 192
Base set completion: 
170 of 300 (57 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Bryce Harper, Harmon Killebrew, Tom Glavine, Mike Trout, Willie Stargell, Ralph Kiner, Randy Johnson, Wade Boggs, Roberto Clemente, Buster Posey, Rod Carew, Reggie Jackson, Fergie Jenkins, Catfish Hunter, John Smoltz, Nolan Ryan, Gary Sanchez, Eddie Mathews, Barry Larkin, Rickey Henderson, Brooks Robinson, Whitey Ford, Mookie Betts, David Ortiz, Dave Winfield, Jimmie Foxx, Warren Spahn, Andrew Benintendi, Goose Gossage, Don Mattingly, Mike Piazza, Jim Thome, Sandy Koufax, Eddie Murray, Albert Pujols, Carlton Fisk, Cal Ripken Jr., Giancarlo Stanton, Duke Snider

Rookie Cards (10) – Notables include Ronald Acuña Jr., Victor Robles, Walker Buehler, Rafael Devers

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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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A HIGH-GRADE RARITY
The Item: 1959 Fleer Ted Williams #68 Ted Signs for 1959 SP (PSA 9)
The Price: $2,500 Buy-It-Now 
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Today would have been Ted Williams' 100th birthday and this card is by far the rarest one from a unique and collectable set that examines his life away from the game as well as highlights up to that time. He signed a $5,000 per year deal to only appear on Fleer cards but this one was pulled for some type of contractural reason. Meanwhile, ironically, if you check the PSA pop report this card is the most-graded of any card in the set. (Likely since it's the most-valuable and others are all readily available.) Just 43 copies of this card have graded a PSA 9 -- and fakes exist, meaning you should buy one graded --  and none have graded higher.
Similar Pieces: Other Ted Williams cards on eBay 
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for MLB boxes

Keep reading for four more interesting items in this week's roundup ...

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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 Today: A Sandlot mystery solved along with some big pulls from around the collecting world 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: 2018 Topps Archives baseball cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 8 (seven standard packs, one coin pack)
Cards per pack: 7
Cards in this box: 58 (56 cards and two coins)
Base set completion: 
50 of 300 (17 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Mike Trout, Johnny Bench, Derek Jeter, Sandy Koufax, Warren Spahn, Andrew Benintendi, Yasiel Puig, Manny Machado, Miguel Cabrera, Nolan Arenado, Jim Bunning, Richie Ashburn, David Ortiz, Randy Johnson, Tom Glavine, Harmon Killebrew, Willie Stargell, Rod Carew

Rookie Cards (3) – Alex Verdugo, Jesse Biddle, Tomas Nido

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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 Today: Nothing but big pulls and rip highlights from around the collecting world in this Friday edition.

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Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today's your day then as we launch 12 in 12 -- a series of a dozen breaks of wax boxes and wax packs in a dozen hours. We'll post one every hour all day long ... this is Hour 6.

The box: 2018 Topps Archives baseball cards (blaster)
The cost: BlowoutCards.com

What's inside this one? Keep reading ...

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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 Today: An "unreal" day of ripping, seeking The Sandlot's stars, Mandy Rose, Peyton Manning 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: 2018 Topps Archives baseball cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 8 (seven standard packs, one coin pack)
Cards per pack: 7
Cards in this box: 58 (56 cards and two coins)
Base set completion: 
50 of 300 (17 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Gary Carter, Roberto Clemente, Wade Boggs, Buster Posey, Rod Carew, Kyle Schwarber, David Ortiz, Ozzie Smith, Greg Maddux, Will Clark, Justin Verlander, Ryne Sandberg, Aaron Judge

Rookie Cards (10) – Ronald Acuña Jr., Juan Soto, Chance Sisco, Luis Gohara, Tyler Mahle, Francisco Mejia, Brian Anderson, Jordan Hicks, Harrison Bader, Austin Meadows

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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 Today: Big pulls, Sweet Spot autos, fake NBA cards, Rookie Cards missing their RC logos and more.

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The Sandlot's stars.

The basic insert set for this one includes Scotty Smalls, Alan 'Yeah-Yeah' McClennan, Kenny DeNunez, Tommy 'Repeat' Timmons, Hamilton 'Ham' Porter, Michael 'Squints' Palledorous, Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez, Bertram Grover Weeks, Timmy Timmons, Wendy Peffercorn (despite her non-player status) and Hercules the dog who has a taste for Babe Ruth-signed baseballs.

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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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THE ORIGINAL HOME RUN DERBY
The Item: 1959 Home Run Derby Mark Scott card PSA 4
The Price: $400 Buy-It-Now (or best offer)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This week's MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is a spectacle and one of the highlights of the season since it began back in 1985. But, 59 years ago this fall, there was a different Home Run Derby -- a television series that took us to an empty ballpark and showcased a number of Hall of Famers in one-on-one battles. The show's 26 episodes were filmed in the offseason of 1959 and they first aired in 1960 with Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, Al Kaline, Harmon Killebrew, Mickey Mantle, Eddie Matthews, Willie Mays, Frank Robinson and Duke Snider among the 19 stars who battled it out. The show's producer and host was Mark Scott and all of them appeared on this oversized promotional card set that was produced in 1959 and released with the show. They measure 3 1/8 by 5 1/4 inches and they have all -- except for Scott -- been reprinted in the past. (Graded is a safer buy if you're paying big money here, while the reprints are fun and affordable.) Scott died in the summer of 1960 of a heart attack at age 45 and the production company canceled future episodes the show. Is this card particularly valuable? I'm not sure, but this copy -- not a high-grade one -- is the only Scott card on eBay. Oddly, I think I'd want the host card first -- you can watch episodes on YouTube as well as on DVD if you're curious about these.
Similar Pieces: Other 1959 Home Run Derby cards on eBay
The BlowoutCards.com Hunt: Click here for MLB cards 

Keep reading for four more interesting items in this week's roundup ...

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