What: 2023 Topps Series 2 baseball cards
Arrives: June 7
Box basics: One auto or Relic per 24-pack hobby box (12 per case) or one auto, one Relic & one manufactured Relic per jumbo (six per case)
Checklist: Click here
Odds: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: The second wave of the flagship release of Topps baseball cards arrives with a similar approach to the past but also with some new looks and new stars on cardboard.

Keep reading for more info.

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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: NBA chatter, MLB breaks, breaking scams and controversy, a Marvel oddity 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: 2021 Gummy Arts trading cards (two packs)
Where to buy: Right here (when available)

What's this? Keep reading to see what was found in two packs of this one ...

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Business is booming -- and the investors are noticing, too.

Goldin Auctions revealed Tuesday that it raised approximately $40 million in growth financing from The Chernin Group, an investment firm whose aim is "building and investing in leading, emerging consumer businesses in the media, commerce and technology industries."

According to the Runnemede, N.J., auction house's announcement, the funds will "help invest in technology, operations and audience development to further build upon the trust the company has established with buyers and sellers on its platform" as the auction industry has grown to more than $10 billion in annual transactions. The auction house was founded in 2012 and has grown quickly, grossing more than $100 million last year.

Founder Ken Goldin becomes executive chairman of the company while Ross Hoffman, who has held senior positions at Twitter, Google and Headspace, is the company's new CEO where he "will oversee the development of innovative new products and experiences that will redefine the collectibles industry and further cement the company’s reputation as the trusted leader in trading cards and memorabilia." Meanwhile, Goldin "will leverage his extensive knowledge, history and relationships in the collectibles industry to help lead the company’s continued growth."

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It's a TV show opening scene that seems simple enough, but it spawned a lot of Internet and TV chatter with millions (and millions) amused.

(Click for a closer view.)

Hot takes arrived left and right on entertainment sites and political pundits had their thoughts, too. (Left and right, I'm sure.) It was something simple and something planned that generated some buzz and even some high-profile tweets that went out to some 20 million people. (Meanwhile, the episode itself had just 588,000 people watching per Nielsen. Go figure.)

What is it? It's the opening-credits scene for the fifth season of Ballers and it had player-turned-agent-turned-businessman Spencer Strasmore (aka Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) reading a copy of Elizabeth Warren's 2017 book This Fight is Our Fight as he sat on the beach in the first episode. It all takes place quickly and Strasmore's down-time is interrupted first by his girlfriend (Arielle Kebbel) asking him why he never goes into the ocean -- then that's interrupted by a phone call from Bossman (aka the Ballers-world owner of the Dallas Cowboys) before he walks off down the shoreline to chat. The scene isn't about a paperback with tattered edges at all, really -- it's about the mystery of the water, what Strasmore might be hiding -- but that's how the book's brief on-screen life comes to an end.

Meanwhile, that actual copy of the book? Well, it's still alive and well.

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Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals is to rip a little less 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.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... and this time around there's a bit of everything.

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A SLEEPER NO MORE
The Card: Rhea Ripley 2020 Topps WWE Transcendent Collection -- Rookie Card (/50)
The Price: More than I want to admit ... but less than a Chrome box
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was a card I was watching for intently when the second edition of Topps' WWE super-premium brand arrived, and this one was on my radar before any autograph in the super-rare release -- well at least within my typical budget. Why? She's pretty much the only newcomer of note in the base set -- I spy at least one other who is no longer with WWE and one other lesser name -- amidst a sea of past greats and some notables from today. It's an odd set as it's not the typical lineup but also not a full lineup. (I think the checklist-maker tried to cover all the main bases between the base set and the auto set.) Nobody got an RC logo here and this card's thunder may be stolen a bit with the delays resulting in her Undisputed and Chrome cards arriving close together -- and with her first certified autos -- just recently. This card has topped the $100 mark and is bolstering some of the base set prices out there. (On the cheapest side, these were around $60 in terms of sales but asking prices are now far higher.) I'm somewhere in between but I ponied up as this Aussie badass should be a major player soon. I'll grab ink and other cards eventually.
Grab a box: 2020 Topps WWE Transcendent Collection

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Pull a "Phil's Pulls" card and get free cards.

It's as simple as that in 2020 Topps Archives where former MLB pitcher Phil Hughes is offering free stuff, including a case, to anyone who pulls one of four specific inscribed autographs he signed for the release. The new boxes arrive on Wednesday and will be found right here.

It's a tie-in to his Phil's Pulls channel of YouTube videos where he breaks and shows off finds from his many boxes of cards he rips and does group breaks.

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He's not a rookie on the field (hit 2017 boxes for his RCs) and he's certainly not a rookie collector, but San Diego Padres pitcher Matt Strahm is a bit of a newcomer to break videos ... but his are a little different than others out there.

His breaks? Well, they're done at the ballpark -- and part of a YouTube series called Strahm's Stadium Pulls that launched on Thursday.

The break of 2020 Bowman Sapphire was up first and was teased on his Twitter account before we caught up with him for some basics about his background in collecting and more in this Hobby Q&A.

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In these challenging times for hobby shops around the country and around the world, Blowout Cards is launching a new series, the Buzz Hobby Shop Spotlight -- a look at spots in the hobby that you might not know about ... in their own words. 

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Turf & Dirt Sports Cards

Location: Bellingham, Wash.
Website: www.turfanddirtsportscards.com

In their own words: "Turf & Dirt opened their shop to create the best environment possible for their community of sports card collectors. Jimmy Sears, Stacy Sears and their daughter, Emily, operate this shop as a small family business. Jimmy has been a collector since 1986 and has been in the business of sports cards for the last 10 years. The last five years, Jimmy helped run another card shop, but decided to open his own shop in October 2019. Turf & Dirt has built an active social-media presence but relies heavily on our local community to help create the environment of Turf & Dirt. The shop is attempting to do their part to help keep the hobby alive and strong during these times. When there are no sports to watch, why not rip some packs?"

THEIR LINKS
Twitter: @turf dirt
YouTube: Turf & Dirt Sports Cards
Facebook: Turf & Dirt Sports Cards
eBay store: turfanddirtsportscards
Instagram: turfanddirt
TikTok: @turfanddirt

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Do you own a shop collectors should see? Take the time to compile the info above for your shop and send it to us to be considered. 

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Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com. 

>> Click here to buy baseball cards on BlowoutCards.com

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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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 picks: A quick look at six products chosen by Buzz Twitter followers -- responses from this question on Tuesday: "Q: If you could open one box that's in stock on the @blowoutcards site, what would it be?"  The selections are theirs from a number of replies we got -- the reasons why they are worthy are mine.

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PICKED BY BILLY ANDERSON aka @BAN0VA
The Box: 2019 Topps Heritage High Number baseball cards
The Price: Click here
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This one is pretty obvious as to why it was picked -- it's loaded with MLB Rookie Cards and autographs for those guys as well as some legends from today as well as the past. Ink isn't found in every single box but you won't care if you land a Hank Aaron, Pete Alonso, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Ronald Acuña Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr., Juan Soto, Shohei Ohtani or Mike Trout. Heritage autos are safe long-term holds, too, along with many of the other rarities you can find among this product's checklist.

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

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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 it's a baker's dozen (that doesn't include Mayfield ... this time).

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A MARIS WITH A TWIST?
The Card: Roger Maris 2018 Panini National Treasures Game Gear Duals (/49)
The Price: $30
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I sprung for this card at a slightly higher price than I might normally do for a Maris memorabilia card because of the small sliver of a red patch that caught my eye but remained a mystery. The New York Yankees weren't known for a lot of patches on their uniforms, let alone any red ones, but perhaps this one came from a sleeve? After buying and then doing some homework, I think the pinstripes led me astray. After receiving the card, I remembered an errant comment I heard years ago -- a rumor about Panini looking at a Cleveland Indians jersey at auction -- and I simply Googled "Roger Maris game-used jersey auction" and found a visual that perhaps answered my pinstripe mystery. Then a couple of cross-searches led me here.The Indians wore pinstripes for a time and it was a time when Maris was there. The colors match and the fabric consistency looks to be right, too. Could this be a sliver of a sleeve patch? We don't get a good view there, but it could be. It could also be something from the Kansas City A's though I couldn't find any info on them wearing pinstripes while Maris was there. It's not definitive -- and it still could be a sleeve patch from a Yankees jersey -- but I think I'm comfortable with my newest Maris patch (barely) card.
Grab a box right here: National Treasures boxes (all sports)

Keep reading for a few more interesting items ...

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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 Gummy Arts trading cards (two packs)
Where to buy: Right here (if available)

Cards per pack: 10
Base set completion: 
19 of 75 (25 percent)
Duplicates: 1 (checklist is in every pack)

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Mark your calendar: #BuzzMania -- a wrestling-only pack- and box-breaking marathon -- is coming right here on Friday.

We'll have breaks of notable past WWE packs and boxes from the last 30-plus years every hour all day long -- and we'll have a John Cena autograph direct from WWE up for grabs for one active commenter/tweeter/sharer here or on Twitter and Facebook.

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Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com. 

>> Click here to buy WWE cards on BlowoutCards.com.

Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today's your day then as we launch 12 in 12 -- a series of a dozen breaks of past wax boxes and wax packs in a dozen hours. We'll post one every hour on the hour all day long today ... this is Hour 5.

The box: 2011 Topps American Pie trading cards blaster box
The cost: BlowoutCards.com

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

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The Disgrace to The White House is over, so now it's time for the Trumpocracy.

It's the latest Garbage Pail Kids set to emerge from Topps as an online-only release and it arrived on Tuesday with a number of moments that have dominated the airwaves since just Friday.

Update: The ongoing gallery has been updated to add each day's cards and will be updated as new ones arrive. Keep reading to get all of the details on the set and see the newest cards.

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He was honored in Indy this weekend and his card sold for a big price. This 1998 Peyton Manning autographed card closed at $52,580: pic.twitter.com/pE4GUKU7A6

— Joe Orlando (@JoeOrlandoPSA) November 21, 2016

Sometimes a big sale speaks for itself, but a PSA 10 copy of one of Peyton Manning's top autographed Rookie Cards might say even more.

That's not a typo -- $52,580 for a card that's less than 20 years old. (Not bad.)

Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com. 

>> Click here to buy football cards on BlowoutCards.com.

So ... that almost happened.

Max Scherzer tweeted the image above Wednesday night, proving that he's capable of putting up a save, too. A second tweet showed some "dirty" purses in the trash -- but there's been no word on any offseason Disabled List stops for the Nationals ace ... yet.

Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com. 

>> Click here to buy baseball cards on BlowoutCards.com

#DWTS @Skittles inspired dancing shoes. Thanks Skittles! #tonytoetap #catchtherainbow pic.twitter.com/NNuWExgnAo

— Antonio Brown (@AntonioBrown84) March 17, 2016

Pittsburgh Steelers WR Antonio Brown will be trading in his cleats for Dancing With the Stars soon and that's perhaps what prompted this tweet on Thursday.

Or maybe he's just taking over the Skittles beat from the retired Marshawn Lynch?

Sorta legit collecting question: What might something like this sell for at auction if "show-used"?

Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com. 

>> Click here to buy football cards on BlowoutCards.com.

The newest Topps WWE trading card set officially arrives in hobby shops tomorrow and 2016 Topps WWE Road to WrestleMania includes a likely first for any trading card in any sport.

(At least we hope it is.)

It's the first cardboard appearance of a selfie stick.

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🤘 Sean Doolittle Metallica Gnome WITH SOUND 🤘 April 30. #2016Promotions @whatwouldDOOdo @Metallica pic.twitter.com/HCPMzRoy0r

— Oakland Athletics (@Athletics) January 19, 2016

Sean Doolittle of the Oakland A's leads the league in rocking preseason promotion hype with an assist from Metalllica. The gnome in the video above was revealed by the team this week in advance of an April 30 date where 15,000 fans will know "For Whom The Bell Tolls."

On a scale of one to 10, this one goes to 11.

Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com. 

>> Click here to buy baseball cards on BlowoutCards.com.

When your 3 hours into signing 4,000 cards this is what your signature turns too hahahaha pic.twitter.com/GFjGWaEZSH

— Kolby Allard (@KolbyAllard) December 16, 2015

 

Simply put, it pays to follow @blowoutcards and @blowoutbuzz on Twitter.

Besides the latest info about your hobby and collecting, there are also contests -- and we're here on the first day of 2016 to reveal the final contest winners of 2015.

Boxes of Topps' Star Wars cards, Upper Deck's hockey cards, Topps' 2015 Bowman Draft baseball cards and Panini America's football cards were up for grabs with a simple retweet contest that developed on Twitter Thursday evening.

Were you one of the winners?

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