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 packs: 2007 Topps Update baseball cards (two hobby)
Where to buy: Will take some looking ... BlowoutCards.com for other Retro Rips

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of 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: 1999 Fleer Sports Illustrated baseball cards (retail)
Where to buy: Will take some hunting ...click here for newer MLB

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

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The Panini America VIP Party has a Hall of Famer and a heavy hitter ready for its Saturday soiree.

Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman and500 Home Run Club member Rafael Palmeiro will be there, and that ups the roster to seven past stars from the sports world and beyond for the event made for high-rollers in the hobby this weekend in Chicago.

In 18 seasons for the Marlins, Padres and Brewers Hoffman recorded 601 saves, which is second only to the new Hall of Famer who passed him, Mariano Rivera. 

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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: 2019 Topps Allen & Ginter baseball cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 8
Cards per pack: 6
Cards in this box: 47
Base set completion: 
27 of 300 (9 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Juan Soto, Frank Robinson, George Brett, Juan Marichal, Travis Pastrana, Miguel Andujar, Trevor Hoffman, Vladimir Guerrero, Tyler Kepner

Rookie Cards (3) – Jeff McNeil, Justus Sheffield, Dawel Lugo

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What: 2019 TRISTAR Hidden Treasures Game Changers autographed baseballs
Arrives: March 13
Box basics: One autographed baseball per box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: TRISTAR's autographed baseball chase narrows its focus to greats in the game with a focus on Hall of Famers, active stars and others of note.

Keep reading for details and a gallery of what's possible in this one.

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What: 2019 TRISTAR Hidden Treasures Platinum autographed baseballs
Arrives: Jan. 30
Box basics: One autographed baseball per box (12 boxes per case)
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: TRISTAR's autographed baseball chase brand leads things off for a new year with stars and legends along with some specialty balls guaranteed per case that add to the chase.

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: 2018 Topps Update baseball cards (Walmart blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (several formats)
Packs per box: 11 (10 plus patch pack)
Cards per pack: 10
Cards in this box: 101
Base set completion: 
75 of 300 (25 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Base cards of note – Mike Trout, Javier Baez, Mookie Betts, J.D. Martinez, Paul Goldschmidt, Albert Pujols, George Springer

Rookie Cards (25) – Juan Soto, Ozzie Albies, Shane Bieber, Tyler O'Neill, Rhys Hoskins, Dustin Fowler, Jacob Nottingham, Daniel Palka, Joey Luccesi, Brandon Mann, Joey Wendle, Ildemaro Vargas, Anthony Banda, Michael Soroka, Mike Tauchman, Garrett Cooper, Billy McKinney, Yairo Munoz, Jack Reinheimer, Braxton Lee, Jacob Barnes, Jose Castillo, Walker Lockett, Elieser Hernandez, Merandy Gonzalez, Mike Gerber, Grayson Greiner, Trevor Oaks, Eric Stout

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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: Hall of Fame chatter, looking forward to 2018 Topps and 2018 Topps Heritage arrivals, big pulls and two 1/1s in the same box.

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This year's Baseball Hall of Fame ballot has been released by the Baseball Writers' Association of America with several new names and players who appeared on last year's ballot but failed to get selected on 75 percent of the vote.

It's a crop that includes Chipper Jones, Jim Thome and Johan Santana among the newcomers and Larry Walker, Fred McGriff, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens among those left over from past ballots.

Below is the ballot that all BBWAA members will receive. The writers can vote for as many as 10 players. Those who appear on 75 percent of all ballots cast will be inducted into the Hall.

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This year's Baseball Hall of Fame ballot has been released by the Baseball Writers' Association of America with 19 new names as well as the players who appeared on last year's ballot but failed to get 75 percent of the vote.

Below is the list of names that all BBWAA members will receive. The writers can vote for as many as 10 players and those who appear on 75 percent of all ballots cast will go into the Hall. Your challenge here is different.

Unlike the writers, you don't get to pick 10. You get to pick just one player. 

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The Baseball Writers' Association of America votes are in, and there's no surprise at the top -- Ken Griffey Jr. is headed to Cooperstown, N.Y., this summer to join baseball's immortals.

He received 99.3 percent of the vote -- a record and three votes short of unanimous -- after his first time on the ballot. Joining him is former Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza, who appeared on 83 percent of the 440 ballots.

Griffey helped usher in a new era of collecting in 1989 as the iconic No. 1 in the first Upper Deck set, a release that helped change the printing and packaging of cards and the collecting expectations of a generation. For those same thirty-somethings and beyond, he's an also icon on the field with his backwards cap and a smooth but powerful left-handed swing that helped produce 630 home runs and countless more memorable moments for the Mariners, Reds and White Sox over 22 seasons but never a World Series at-bat.

Clearly he's one of the greatest players -- and most-beloved players -- in MLB history, a symbol of what's good about the game in an era of bogus records and inflated statistics that have undermined not only the results on the field but also the cardboard of our youth. His enshrinement this summer in Cooperstown will be the stuff that cardboard (and baseball) marketing is made of. In fact, there are already two forthcoming brands -- 2016 Topps Series 2 and 2016 Topps Finest (above right) -- that will spotlight Junior.

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There are 32 players on the Baseball Writers' Association of America Hall of Fame ballot this year and the ongoing debate of who's worthy, who's not and who cheated with performance-enhancing drugs will rage on well beyond the reveal of the voting results on Jan. 6.

In Buzz's book, there's quite possibly only one new Hall of Famer headed to Cooperstown this coming summer, and that lock is Ken Griffey Jr.

The rest? Well, it's not that easy. Buzz has eliminated 12 of the guys who are not likely to even make the cut to be on next year's ballot and examined the stats for 20 of those who are left. Along with this, Buzz has added some key Rookie Card info, too, just in case you haven't tracked any of them down just yet or want to revisit cardboard from your youth.
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This year's Baseball Hall of Fame ballot has been released by the Baseball Writers' Association of America with 15 new names and several players who appeared on last year's ballot but failed to get 75 percent of the votes.

Below is the ballot that all BBWAA members will receive. The writers can vote for as many as 10 players. Those who appear on 75 percent of all ballots cast will be inducted into the Hall. Your challenge here is a bit different.

Continue reading →