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 ...

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EPIC AUTO, EPIC BARGAIN
The Card: Joe Namath 2014 Topps Five Star Autograph
The Price: Under $70
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This was one of my last eBay Bucks pick-ups last year -- I got it for substantially less than that bargain price -- and it's a perfect card with its auto, colors, thick stock that's not over-foiled and a retro photo that isn't perhaps perfect but works very well in conjunction with the ink. Did I need it? For this price I absolutely did ... though I have a few autos for the Hall of Famer. This is right up there as one of the nicest sigs I have and this should be an SP auto, too, though it's not numbered. I think Five Star ink is always worth a look, especially for NFL since we don't see it now. Meanwhile, Namath's place as a football icon is bigger than his place in the record book stats-wise these days, but he's a giant in pop culture of that time ... and is easily undervalued right now in a lot of instances.
Grab a box right here: Topps Five Star boxes (all sports and years)

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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 ... a number of pick-ups from recent months.

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(FULLY) LOADING UP 
The Card: Rhea Ripley 2020 Topps WWE Fully Loaded Green (/50) & Purple (/25) Chair Relic Autos
The Prices: Less than others have paid ... but high for me.
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: The Green parallel here was one on my radar long, long ago when the teaser images from stars were teased online as they signed here. Ripley, now the Raw women's champ, is one of only a few younger stars in this release and was immediately on my radar when I didn't land any of her ink in my pre-ordered case. Meanwhile, the rarer Purple was a recent pick-up as it was bargain-priced compared to others out there on the secondary market. Her stuff is popular with the standard version the only card here typically under $100 on eBay, while the 1/1 version of this card recently sold for $1,000. Her autographs in other releases generally sell pretty well but I haven't seen others that high recently ... but I'm sure it's possible. Some Superfractors should be out there somewhere from Chrome and Finest. I'm not alone as a buyer, either.
Grab a box right here: 2020 Topps WWE Fully Loaded

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What: 2021 Bowman Chrome baseball cards
Arrives: Sept. 3
Box basics: No autos guaranteed in 10-pack LITE boxes (16 per case); two autos per 12-pack Hobby boxes (12 per case); three autos per HTA Choice box (12 per case)
Checklist: Click here ... Mega box Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here

What's buzz-worthy: Bowman arrives with some format changes for a new year -- LITE, Hobby and HTA Choice boxes -- that let collectors chase what they want in different ways.

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

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Update (Feb.17): The Project70 cards are now live and in the gallery -- new cards will be added daily after they are revealed.

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Details are deliberately leaking out -- by some names you should know if you collected baseball cards in 2020 -- for a new artist-field baseball card line coming soon from Topps.

It's Project70 -- a new brand that will revisit past stars and designs in new ways in this year that's the 70th anniversary of Topps' start with baseball cards back in 1951.

The image above -- and then who's involved -- is all that has trickled out so far, but with the launch of 2021 Topps Series 1 coming in a matter of weeks this one should be arriving soon, too.

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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 are some really unique pieces and some normal stuff found over recent months.

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BETTER THAN A BOX.
The Piece: Sasha Banks 2019 Topps WWE Undisputed original art by Rob Schamberger
The Price: Same as a box of this year's Undisputed cards
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: For the last two years, Topps' Undisputed sets have included a subset showcasing the work of WWE artist Rob Schamberger whose pieces also have been found on countless prints, shirts and more as well as in WWE Canvas 2 Canvas video shorts. How popular is his work? Well, wrestler-signed prints have their own section over at WWE Auction and he also had original card-sized works in last year's Transcendent boxes -- and this year's Undisputed set has his autographs as one of its chases. One card from last year's set that got my attention upon arrival was the Banks, which I even submitted for grading and I hadn't really thought about that one until just recently with this year's new set. What popped up? Well, he launched his new website, Schamberger Labs, where collectors can find prints, original pieces and more and that's where I found this original. For months now, I had been eyeing an original watercolor/ink piece to showcase here (story perhaps to come later ... if I do grab that one) but with the new site announcement one recent morning I checked things out and was shocked to see this original. (His photo is above since it's too large for me to photograph well.) I hadn't really imagined any art from this set ever being available but I grabbed it with little hesitation. I figured these pieces might be locked away in Topps' or WWE's possession given the card presence, but, no, the Banks and a handful of other pieces were up for grabs. (Some are still there.) These 11-by-15 pieces aren't overwhelmingly large to manage -- mine is in a photo top-loader for now -- and there's a strong chance I'll display it at some point, though I never really display any of my buys. (Well, beyond showing them off here.) This was one of my favorite finds of the year ... and it's been a good year (of shopping at home).
Grab a box right here: 2020 Topps WWE Undisputed

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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.

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OFF-SEASON GRAB
The Card: Calvin Ridley 2018 Donruss Optic Aqua (/299) -- Rookie Card parallel
The Price: $2.25
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This card is a perfect example of an off-season pick-up that can show you some volatility and gains when in-season. The price above is a "then" price. The asking price now where I grabbed it? Basically add a zero and then a few bucks. Now, I'm not sure it'll sell for that much right now, but that's the kind of stuff that can easily happen when a player has a hot start to a season and is among the league leaders. Ridley had at least 109 yards in all but one game (that one a big fat zero) and he's a go-to for his struggling team right now. His auto isn't much to look at so I don't grab them as often, but I don't mind his RCs and memorabilia cards when I can land them cheaply.
Grab a box right here: 2018 Donruss Optic football cards

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Tyson Beck is a name that collectors might know in the hobby beyond the Topps Project 2020 lineup of artists re-creating memorable cards from the past.

How? Well, he's actually worked with the company for several years now with Topps Fire being a brand that has been a home for a ton of his creations. However, this time around some perhaps previously un-imaginable demand for Project 2020 cards has led him to sell his own -- autographed copies that he bought from Topps and then signed. And that's something he's turning that into capital to pursue even more leads in his creative career.

"225 autographed cards sold so far today. You're really changing this guy's life for the better," Beck tweeted on Sunday. "I cannot thank you enough! Best believe I am re-investing these funds into a license to get NBA products rolling. Stay tuned."

Before that, though, Beck took some time to field a few basic questions about the release that has many a collector talking and has sold roughly a million cards since March 25 -- and half of that has come in just recent days.

Keep reading for a Hobby Q&A with Beck.

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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: Project 2020 chatter (and artists are in on it), NBA breaks, a Stranger Things case that's turned one collector's world upside down (or something) and more in today's edition.

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What happens when Topps selects 20 artists to re-imagine 20 iconic baseball cards from the past?

A new set called Topps Project 2020. 

The first two cards arrived today with Ichiro Suzuki's 2001 Topps Rookie Card and Sandy Koufax's 1955 Topps Rookie Card getting the nod from artists Ben Baller and Jacob Rochester.

How does it work? Keep reading for the details.

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