For years now, I've said that every card has a story ... but, every once in a while, a celebrity's meandering tale has chapters you might not even know about and, in a few really rare instances, there might even be some cardboard to go with it.

That's the case for me with this card this time -- I'm a grizzled veteran collector who's seen plenty, forgotten even more and collected all kinds of directions as players come and go in the traditional sports realm. TV shows and movies come and go on other cardboard, too, and times just sometimes change for collectibles ... just like my sometimes-meandering tastes. But this one? It was something that's right in my wheelhouse as a Shotzi Blackheart collector and it's totally new to me so here we are. She's a pro wrestler and a unique, self-made character if you don't know -- find her in WWE boxes here.

Not that long ago, I spotted a set that had me doing a spit-take, then a double-take -- and all of that was followed up by picking up my jaw off the floor, a click to buy and then hoping that the stuff would actually arrive. In short, it was something I'd never, ever seen before -- or even seen in a photo anywhere at any time. It's a card set for Creepy KOFY Movie Time, a watch-along late-night TV series that ran several years on KOFY Channel 20 in San Francisco that celebrated the retro horror movie genre with a surf music-serving house band called The Deadlies, as well as regular characters for bits, guests for other segments and then a regular go-go dancer ensemble on stage at all times called the Cave Girls, which marked Blackheart's TV debut. The series came to an end just as her indy wrestling career was taking off and eventually took her around the world with WWE.

The card set is from 2013 -- the year before Blackheart's pro wrestling debut in the indies with Oakland-based edgy and irreverent promotion Hoodslam where she was aligned with the Stoner Brothers (a parody of a famous team) under a Missy Hyatt-inspired moniker for a debut match on ... April 20. (Get it?) This name, though, which she has used otherwise for the rest of her wrestling career and to this day post-WWE, originated before that -- "Shotzi" comes from a nickname based off a character in a musical called Starmites (and her role in a high-school production) and "Blackheart" was an ode to Joan Jett and her band, The Blackhearts.

That's here captured in this set with some eccentric characters that you'd expect to find with the genre. It was a show broadcast from a "cave" under the TV studio with a demon (Balrok) and a zombie (No Name) as its hosts. This card set came two years before her attempt at WWE fame as part of its Tough Enough reality show -- she made it but then didn't when they found she had a health issue -- and then seven years before her eventual arrival on WWE cards (2020) as an NXT star. In between was a busy indy wrestling run where "The Ballsy Badass" left her red hair behind in favor of her trademark neon green and crafted her horned-helmet, tank-driving ways that she rode right into WWE unchanged.

Now, what's my convoluted headline and that Tom Cruise cameo all about?

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What: 2022 Topps X Ermsy Entertainment Blend trading cards
Arrives: Now via Topps.com
Hobby box basics: six cards per pack
Checklist: Click here
Order: Click here (when available)

What's buzz-worthy: This popular Project artist takes on Topps' long-running non-sports brands with an online-only release of his own where he slices and dices into the Garbage Pail Kids, Wacky Packages, Mars Attacks and more all in one spot.

Keep reading to learn more and see a full gallery of images.

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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 they're oldschool, newschool, high-end and low-end in price -- a little bit of everything.

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A PIECE OF SWEETNESS
The Card: Walter Payton 1976 Topps Rookie Card (PSA 5)
The Price: $155
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Football season is here and I decided to go big with an oldschool pick-up that presented itself with a close-to-typical price but a not-typical look for the grade on a Rookie Card of an iconic Hall of Famer. It's generally not a super-pricey card as you can still find stuff from this timeframe with some ease. This also is a card that can be found relatively clean and sharp, too. What's the deal with this one's condition? Well, that's part of the reason I grabbed it -- there are some minor spots on the top and bottom edges and perhaps a corner lift that's not obvious but it's still far stronger looking than its grade says. There are no creases but there could be a couple of minor surface spots -- still nothing that scared me off of this one. This is a card that was reasonably always on my want list -- there's not that many things out there I've wanted to grab but hadn't within realistic (easily doable) budget limits.
Grab a box right here: No boxes of this one ... but NFL boxes are right here.

Keep reading for a dozen 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: 2018 Topps Wacky Packages Go to the Movies (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (a few formats)

Packs per box: 24
Cards per pack: 8
Cards in this box: 192
Base set completion: 
90 of 90 (100 percent)
Duplicates: 41

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What: 2018 Topps Wacky Packages Go To The Movies
Arrives: March 14
Box basics: One hit per Hobby Collector box (eight boxes per case)
Checklist: Click here to view

What's buzz-worthy: Topps' long-running art parody brand takes on Hollywood's biggest hits with a twist along with some nods to small-screen stars and the horror genre.

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

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James Comey's testimony before the Senate judiciary committee today will be watched by millions live and sound bites from what will be a historic day in Washington, D.C., will be heard for years to come no matter what happens.

A year ago, not many people would know the name of the now-former FBI director but with all that's happened since then there are plenty of hot takes no matter what one's political leaning might be. And in that time, his cardboard appearances have slowly added up via two products, Topps' ongoing Garbage Pail Kids/Wacky Packages lines focusing on "Trumpocracy" and the "Disg-race to the White House" and the politically focused Decision 2016 trading card release that has an updated Series 2 set arriving on Friday. 

Unlike the Donald Trumps and Hillary Clintons of the world, though, Comey's cardboard isn't all that plentiful ... keep reading.

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The newest members of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame have some even newer honors besides those that will see them commemorated in the museum.

Some of them are now forever honored by Topps' new Garbage Pail Kids and Wacky Packages set -- a 2017 Hall of Lame set.

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A veteran cartoonist is batting health issues and mounting medical expenses and he'll be getting some help from his kids and Topps.

His Garbage Pail Kids, actually.

Just some of the career credits of Jay Lynch include writing for Bazooka Joe comics, work on Wacky Packages and the Garbage Pail Kids and a new set of 11 cards from Topps revealed on Wednesday aims to help him.
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Inauguration Day has come and gone but there are a number of new trading cards from Topps that reflect the new presidency of Donald Trump. 

One is a 19-sticker Garbage Pail Kids 2017 Presidential Inaug-hurl Ceremony set and the other is a five-card Topps Now 2017 Presidential Inauguration set with traditional photography from Friday.

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What: 2017 Topps Wacky Packages 50th Anniversary sticker cards
Arrives: March 15
Box basics: One hit per Hobby Collector box (eight boxes per case)

What's buzz-worthy: Topps' long-running art parody brand looks back to its own past while mocking today's pop culture icons and events in this new release.

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

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You can find them in packs. You can find them as 5x7s. You can find them as posters. You can find them as 1/1s.

What are they? They're 2016 Topps MLB Wacky Packages and they arrived on Wednesday in all of those formats via the typical hobby channels or via Topps.com for larger sizes.

Rather than re-hash the details (which you can find on The Buzz with a search), here's a look at many of the pieces from the product.

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The newest Wacky Packages release from Topps is one that pokes fun at Major League Baseball while also bringing some new looks at its biggest stars.

You know, its mascots.

Beyond the 90 MLB-spoofing stickers in 2016 Topps MLB Wacky Packages (click here for our First Buzz preview from October), there are autographs from five notable mascots, five big-leaguers and a selection of Relics from two different areas of the game.

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An early version of the 2016 Topps Series 1 baseball checklist arrived on Tuesday and that first glimpse offered a few surprises before its arrival on Feb. 3.

But there are also undoubtedly more still to come.

The First Pitch cards showing celebrities making ceremonial appearances? They're not on the checklist but are confirmed as still coming. There's no note of variations or short-printed cards for the release -- we all know those are coming. They always do.

What else? Keep reading for a rundown of what's known and notable from the checklist

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What: 2016 Topps MLB Wacky Packages
Arrives: March 9
Hobby box basics: Hobby Collector boxes include 14 six-card packs with one auto sketch or Relic, while Hobby boxes will include 24 10-card packs. 

What's buzz-worthy: What happens when you take the twisted takes of Wacky Packages and add Major League Baseball? Well, we'll soon find out with this one with parody cards of products (the traditional for the long-running card brand) along with twists on baseball's teams (major and minor), food and events. What makes this one a draw for baseball fans? Autographed cards of players and team mascots -- though no checklists for those were revealed by the company.

See a small gallery and more ... below.

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