Buzz buys a lot of stuff these days and for a few reasons, really. Sometimes it's just bargain-hunting, sometimes it's just something that strikes me. And other times it's a lot -- a group of things -- and that has happened enough lately I figured I'd try something different as a regularly appearing item. Sometimes my lots will be wins, sometimes they won't be ... but I'll let you decide. 

--

RARER FROM RINGSIDE 
The Lot: 14 Ringside tier SPs/parallels from 2023 Panini Select WWE
The Price: Not much more than a blaster at some retail chains (with tax)

Keep reading for more on this one ...

Continue reading →

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 sets: 2025 Superstars & Legends and 2025 Superstars & Legends Rewind Series wrestling cards
Where to buy: Click here ... BlowoutCards.com for traditional wrestling stuff

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery from this one.

Continue reading →

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?

Continue reading →

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? Multi-time WWE champion Becky Lynch.

Continue reading →

What's Buzzing: NBA Finals chatter, The National, hot takes, WWE, MLB and more in this Monday edition.

-

1 -- Talkin' baseball

2 -- Big-picture hot takes

3 -- WWE chatter after a busy weekend

4 -- Some NBA Finals Game 2 reactions ... and even more NBA

5 -- So, about Frank Gore Jr.'s Topps autos ...

6 -- The National section is open

--

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

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

It's not match-used -- but it's been seen a whole lot more than that.

That sums up the item in this fifth chapter of a memorabilia series with a tweaked name -- a tank-driven tangent in my Collecting Game-used series. It's once again a piece from Shotzi Blackheart, who I collect rather seriously in the traditional realms involving Panini America and Topps cardboard, but this time it's something seen on cards as well as the small screen.

And that's just a part of what makes it a cool item.

This final memorabilia piece for this run -- at least for now (there will be more at some point) -- comes from her brief time with a distinctly different look, her spikes era. It's from 10 days before the memorabilia seen here last month but this time it's on Smackdown and not Raw. In WWE chronology, it's still from after she was attacked by Bayley who cut off chunks of Blackheart's trademark long green hair before she finished the job herself, she began to unravel and she joined forces with Charlotte Flair to take on Bayley's group, Damage CTRL, at Survivor Series.

Keep reading to see the item and all the details.

Continue reading →

What's Buzzing: Jac Caglianone debuts, Mariah May and R-Truth reactions, NBA Finals, new pulls, The National and more.

-

1 -- Jac Caglianone debuts (0-for-5)

2 -- The National chatter is here

3 -- WWE roster changes have 'em talking

4 -- Talking MLB

5 -- NBA Finals thoughts ... and more here

6 -- All their new pulls are found here

--

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

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

--

Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ... 

--

TIFFY TIMES TWO
The Cards: Tiffany Stratton 2024 Panini Three Count WWE Prime Memorabilia Autographs Purple parallel (/25) & standard version (/99)
The Price: About half of a Three Count box these days
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: This card was immediately on my radar back when it first was revealed among the mock-ups for this high-end WWE brand and, I've said it before, if this set hadn't used sticker autos it would be perfect. The end of the Panini WWE run combined with a logjam of releases and then the collector (and definitely flipper) focus perhaps shining more on Chrome actually made secondary market prices on a lot of stuff here a bit softer than I had expected, allowing me to pony up on two of these at prices I could handle. (I had initially figured I wouldn't land one of these, let alone one and a parallel.) I was picky with these and wanted to make sure I landed one with a clean auto -- full name, not the abbreviated and half-empty-sticker "Tiff" that shows up sometimes. Both of these hit the spot on both auto quality and price ... and if they ever dip more, I'll do more. Why? It's a Tiffy Time world and we're just collecting in it.
Grab a box right here: WWE cards are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

Continue reading →

Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading ... so here's this month's grading diary.

TOUGH ONE?
The Card: Bo Bichette 2022 Topps Heritage image variation (found in Heritage High Number packs)
The Reason Graded: Some of you might wonder why this card is in the lead slot this month since it's a simple image variation -- but a great one -- from a brand that's not quite as pricey as it used to be. (At least for singles ... you can find this for about $2 or less.) But, finding one of these that will get a high (real) grade? Not so much. The centering can always be a bear here but that's not the constant problem spot. It's the backs of these that use full-bleed black ink where cards that may look flawless on the fronts are often demolished when it comes to those those back edges.
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: This one? It still has a some minor spotting -- that's why it's not a perfect 10 -- but it's way better than every other one I've seen and that's why I subbed this after I found it raw. Why? That front is pretty much a perfectly crafted design and I definitely don't mind retro-styled sets like this one -- I call it the old-guy flagship set as it is for me vs. basic Topps. The stuff feels more sturdy with its stock and printing -- I'm not sure I trust foilboard to age that well, either -- but the trade-off is that Heritage is harder to grade and land those higher marks. In all ways, this one is a win for me, a Bichette collector, and that's why he's batting lead-off. (It also doesn't hurt he's starting to warm up on the field this season.)

Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.

Continue reading →

What's Buzzing: Awaiting Jac Caglianone, NBA postseason, a hanger is a banger and more in this holiday edition.

-

1 -- Awaiting Jac Caglianone ... 

2 -- All your MLB chatter is here

3 -- NBA postseason and more

4 -- Hanger is a banger ... or is it bad collation?

5 -- WWE chatter during a busy weekend

6 -- New MLB pulls include 2025 Bowman and more

--

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

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

What's Buzzing: New AEW & WWE pulls, Aaron Judge, 2025 Bowman and more in this Thursday edition.

-

1 -- That's a win

2 -- New NFL pulls are here

3 -- All your MLB chatter

4 -- Inside an AEW Black Diamond case

5 -- Checking in on the Aaron Judge chatter

6 -- 2025 Bowman breaks and more

--

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

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

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 lot: 2018 Topps WWE Road To WrestleMania wrestling cards (three Walmart jumbo packs)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for a couple formats)

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

Continue reading →

What's Buzzing: Shohei Ohtani, Jayson Tatum, 2025 Topps Series 2, NBA playoffs and more in this Friday edition.

-

1 -- Checking in on the Jayson Tatum thread

2 -- NBA playoff game reactions

3 -- 2025 Topps Series 2 chatter

4 -- WWE discussions are wide open

5 -- Shohei Ohtani remains a freak of MLB nature

6 -- Still talking MLB's Ineligible List

--

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

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

Shotzi Blackheart takes care of business against then-champ Asuka during a brawl on Raw. (WWE photo)

-

It's the end of an era -- for now -- but the moments and the memorabilia remain.

That's how I'd sum up the recent developments in the wresting realm that tie into this fourth chapter of a memorabilia series with a tweaked name -- a tank-driven tangent in my Collecting Game-used series to be more specific. This time, it's once again an item from Shotzi Blackheart, who I collect rather seriously in the traditional realms involving Panini America and Topps cardboard, but this time it comes with a mild bummer attached yet the piece being ironclad authentic and caught on tape.

The bummer part? Well, that's got nothing to do with the item -- Blackheart's five-plus year run with WWE is over as her contract isn't being renewed as of this past weekend. However, that just means she should be able to take her name and her tank anywhere else in the globe (both things pre-date WWE so they should be hers) and get a lot more ring time and add some new stories to her wrestling tales unlike others who have to find a new name that's not a WWE-owned creation. The unique part of this? Well, it's my next-to-last item for this run -- for now -- and it comes from her brief time in WWE with a distinctly different look, one that I call her spikes era. It's from after she was attacked by Bayley who cut off chunks of her trademark long green hair before Blackheart finished the job herself and she began to unravel. This item was from one of the final steps as she joined forces with Charlotte Flair to take on Bayley's group, Damage CTRL, at Survivor Series and exact some revenge.

Keep reading to see the item and all the details.

Continue reading →

What's Buzzing: Waiting on Jordan Lawlar, meeting Chris Jericho, 2025 Bowman is here and more in this midweek edition.

-

1 -- Awaiting Jordan Lawlar's arrival ... 

2 -- Checking in on the Aaron Judge chatter

3 -- 2025 Bowman is here ... Reactions to Bowman Red

4 -- Opening Topps Chrome Black 

5 -- NBA chatter is here

6 -- Meeting Chris Jericho

--

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

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

What's Buzzing: Postseason NBA, WNBA pulls, WWE roster changes, 2025 Bowman, Pete Crow-Armstrong keeps homering and more.

-

1 -- Postseason NBA chatter

2 -- WWE releases/non-renewals still have 'em talking

3 -- Awaiting Topps NBA 

4 -- Opening more WNBA packs

5 -- Still talking 2025 Bowman

6 -- Pete Crow-Armstrong is still delivering

--

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

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

What's Buzzing: Pete Crow-Armstrong emerges, Luka Doncic's title-winning ability, 2025 Bowman, WWE releases, NFL favorites and more in this Saturday edition.

-

1 -- Will Luka Doncic ever win the big one?

2 -- More 2025 Bowman thoughts

3 -- WWE releases have 'em talking

4 -- Talking past NFL favorites

5 -- Pete Crow-Armstrong is on their minds

6 -- MLB over-reactions are here

--

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

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

Here's this month's roundup of items that have recently caught my eye as a buyer ...

--

IT'S ALWAYS TIFFY TIME
The Card: Tiffany Stratton 2023 Panini Immaculate Collection WWE Ruby Memorabilia Autographs (/25)
The Price: A meaty amount (for me)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Much like Rhea Ripley rookie autos in 2020, I've focused on trying to find one card from each of the lineups for Stratton's first year of ink in 2023 (RCs in 2022) with cleaner/full sigs on them and this brand was one of my targets for a while. I finally found one that looked good for a price I could pull off. Why chase? Stratton has delivered and figures to do so for some time with her latest big landmark moment being a bruiser of a win over Charlotte Flair at Wrestlemania. "Buff Barbie" is an informal nickname here so far -- they're avoiding trademark claims -- but they're also playing into that more and more with her Wrestlemania debut entrance having a Barbie Dreamhouse/packaging feel before a brawl that left her, in her own words, "looking like a broke down Barbie." That spectacle of an entrance and the match were both proof that the meteoric arrival and win over an all-time great at the biggest event of the year is just the start and the WWE is still fueling that rocket. I've been buying (this was a pre-Mania pick-up) and will keep looking for more somewhat selectively -- since stuff is at times pricey.
Grab a box: WWE cards are here.

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

Continue reading →

Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading ... so here's this month's grading diary.

SCENE FROM A CLASSIC
The Card: Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson & Lisa Spoonauer (aka Dante Hicks, Randal Graves and Caitlin Bree) 2017 Skybox Clerks Triple Scene Autographs
The Reason Graded: Back when this one arrived, I picked off a lot of the autos over time -- at least while they were affordable -- with my sights set on some of the obscure names here and not the pricey Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith) ink that any serious collector of the View Askew realm likely already had on something before this card set arrived. The character that I wanted to find was Caitlin Bree as that character's moments were hilariously twisted and this card's scene was the culminating moment in her story. Getting this on cardboard was hilarious to me. What's unfortunate here is real life -- Spoonauer died of a medication overdose at age 44 while fighting cancer just 10 days after this product arrived. Read director Kevin Smith's tribute to her here. Over time, I picked off all but one of her autographs -- one that had been pricey that's even moreso now still eludes me as it also includes Smith -- but I recently decided to slab a couple of the best ones form my stash when I revisited them and saw how clean they looked. 
The Grade: CGC 10 (Pristine)

Reality Check: Perfect grade works for me. Her auto just barely touches the border of the card but that's about its only potential issue and it's really not incomplete, so it still got a top mark. (Though auto grades are pretty meaningless to me.) This is a strong start and I should really slab more -- and find that last one I need.

Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.

Continue reading →

What's Buzzing: Waiting on the NFL Draft, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Steve McMichael, ugly football cards and more in this Thursday edition.

-

1 -- Awaiting the NFL Draft

2 -- Nick Kurtz debuts

3 -- "Can we talk about Pete Crow-Armstrong?"

4 -- NBA postseason chatter

5 -- Talking ugly football cards

6 -- Collectors remember Steve McMichael

--

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

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

What's Buzzing: New Topps Heritage, Bron Breakker, Nick Kurtz, Braves chaos and more in this Tuesday edition.

-

1 -- Talking a new year of Topps Heritage 

2 -- Wrestlemania 41 fallout reactions continue

3 -- A redemption tale

4 -- Nick Kurtz gets the call

5 -- Braves chaos continues

6 -- Checking in on autographed books tips

--

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

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

What's Buzzing: New Topps Heritage, old new Topps Heritage, Wrestlemania 41 and more in this Monday edition.

-

1 -- Talking a new year of Topps Heritage 

2 -- Wrestlemania 41 reactions

3 -- Checking in on the Elly De La Cruz thread

4 -- Daily MLB over-reactions

5 -- Talking 2025 Topps Tribute

6 -- Talking this year's Heritage from last year

--

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

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

What's Buzzing: Wrestlemania weekend and new WWE cards, NBA postseason, non-sports, new pulls and more.

-

1 -- Wrestlemania chatter is here

2 -- Talking Mania packs & Cactus Jack cards

3 -- MLB is on their minds

4 -- Ripping into some Heritage blasters

5 -- Talking non-sports cards

6 -- NBA postseason chatter is here

--

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

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

What's Buzzing: Wrestlemania weekend and new WWE cards, Corbin Carroll, MLB chatter, NFL and more in this Saturday edition.

-

1 -- Wrestlemania chatter îs here

2 -- Talking Mania packs & Cactus Jack

3 -- Checking in the Detroit Tigers thread

4 -- New baseball breaks are here

5 --Talking Corbin Carroll

6 -- Off-season NFL chatter is here

--

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

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

The biggest weekend in pro wrestling is here with WrestleMania 41 set for this Saturday and Sunday from Las Vegas. We'll make today a big one for wrestling collectors right here on The Buzz with #BuzzMania8, a marathon of wrestling breaks all day long.

This one is the finale for today ... and it's a high-end, hobby-only box from near the end of Panini America's WWE run and it arrived around this time just last year. Will it deliver big on the big stage?

The Brand: 2023 Panini Impeccable WWE  box

Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (when available)

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

Continue reading →