Buzz Break: 2018 Topps Series 1 MLB cards (Walmart-version blaster box)

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 Series 1 (Walmart blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (all formats)
Packs per box: 11 (10 plus patch pack)
Cards per pack: 10
Cards in this box: 101
Base set completion: 
76 of 350 (22 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Base cards of note – Cody Bellinger, Clayton Kershaw, Mookie Betts, Kyle Schwarber, Anthony Rizzo, Andrew Benintendi, George Springer (World Series)

Rookie Cards (10) – Rafael Devers, Ozzie Albies, J.P. Crawford, Miguel Andujar, Anthony Banda, Brian Anderson, Nick Williams, Erick Fedde, Dominic Smith, Luis Santos

Black November Wave 5 is here … and here are five deals to consider

If you hadn’t noticed, there are a number of boxes with discounted prices right now over on the mothership as BlowoutCards.com is in the midst its Black November sales now.

Wave 5 is here and many of the discounts were dramatic enough that Buzz had to sit down and ponder the possibilities in many of the boxes and cases — and here are five boxes/cases that caught this collector’s eye. (And this wave was so big that there could easily be five more … check it out.)

2016 Panini Absolute Football retail Premium Box
At this sale price, this one is definitely worth checking out since last year’s rookie crop is stacked and this one includes two exclusive hits — one blue auto and one blue memorabilia card — in every box. This one is a simple retail take on a memorabilia-focused favorite of mine and there could be even more retail-only colors found in boxes, too. If those are big names such as Dak Prescott or Ezekiel Elliott — or any of the other newcomers that are making a mark — you’re way ahead with this price. Either way, it’s a fun rip — and you can grab it by the case, too. 

Keep reading for a few more picks among this newest wave.

Board Buzz: Must-read threads on the Blowout Forums (Aug. 21)

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: Meeting Chipper Jones, big pulls, Byron Buxton RCs, the rise and fall of Mastro Auctions & more as we start a new week.

Buzz Break: 2017 Topps Gypsy Queen baseball cards (blaster box)

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: 2017 Topps Gypsy Queen baseball cards (blaster)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 8
Cards per pack: 6
Cards in this box: 48
Base set completion: 
43 of 300 (14 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Kris Bryant, Byron Buxton, Gary Sanchez, Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Stephen Strasburg

Rookie Cards (10) – Aaron Judge, Alex Bregman, Yoan Moncada, Jose DeLeon, Tyler Austin, Reynaldo Lopez, Josh Bell, Jorge Alfaro, David Paulino, Hunter Dozier

Buzz-worthy Bargain Break: 2013 Onyx Authenticated Platinum Prospects Series 1-2

From time to time, we’ll spotlight a box or case that seems like a buzz-worthy bargain right here from BlowoutCards.com. 

What: 2013 Onyx Authenticated Platinum Prospects Series 1 & Series 2
Available as: six-box case (Series 1) or box (Series 1) and six-box case (Series 2) or box (Series 2)
Original Price: $444.99 and $414.99 (cases)
Manufacturer: Onyx Authenticated
Box Basics: Six autographs per box (one auto per pack)

Notable players included: Steven Moya, Rougned Odor, Gary Sanchez, Miguel Sano, Christian Yelich, Matt Shoemaker, Byron Buxton, Clint Frazier, Dilson Herrera, Gregory Polanco, Hunter Harvey, Jorge Alfaro, Socrates Brito, Lewis Brinson

Black Friday is nearly here & here are five preview wave deals to consider

If you hadn’t noticed this month, there have been a number of boxes with discounted prices now over on the mothership as BlowoutCards.com’s Black November has been rocking the hobby.

Now, though, we’re prepping for Black Friday with a preview wave of what’s to come.

Many of the discounts were dramatic enough that Buzz had to sit down and ponder the possibilities in many of the boxes and cases — and here are five options that caught this collector’s eye. (Be sure to click this link to see how much these will be discounted.)

2015 Bowman Chrome baseball hobby box
The rookie auto crop isn’t what a lot of Chrome buyers scout first but the list of names found in this one is impressive — Byron Buxton, Carlos Rodon, Francisco Lindor, Joc Pederson, Kris Bryant and Noah Syndergaard. There are, of course, then the prospects and plenty of rainbow potential that the Chromies are known to collect in bulk. A lower price on these boxes should entice more than a few rippers — and cards like this Bryant auto could be in there with two autographs in every box.

Buzz Break: 2016 Topps Chrome baseball cards (hobby box)

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: 2016 Topps Chrome baseball cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 24
Cards per pack: 4
Cards in this box: 96
Base set completion: 
70 of 200 (35 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Francisco Lindor, Jose Fernandez, David Wright, Buster Posey, Jose Altuve, Josh Donaldson, Manny Machado

Rookie Cards (24) – Trevor Story, Tyler White, Blake Snell, Ross Stipling, Aaron Blair, Jose Berrios, Jorge Lopez, Kyle Schwarber, Seung-Hwan Oh, Jeremy Hazelbaker, Brian Johnson, Rob Refsnyder, Gary Sanchez, Zach Lee

Looks like 2016 Bowman Platinum baseball cards are on the way — as a Walmart exclusive

Bowman Platinum is apparently making a comeback.

How do we know this?

Topps released a final checklist for the baseball brand on Wednesday — and that makes it a likely candidate to be arriving very soon as a Topps.com exclusive. Update: Make that a Walmart exclusive.

It will arrive on Aug. 24 with a parallel rainbow that includes Purple (/250), Green (/99), Orange (/25), Black (1/1) and printing plates (1/1) parallels as well as Ice parallels only available two per “value box.”

Update 2: There will be two autographs per 20-pack box, while blaster boxes (value box) will have seven packs and a four-card Ice parallel pack. Fat packs will include 12 cards.

Buzz Break: 2016 Topps Series 2 baseball cards (hobby box)

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: 2016 Topps Series 2 baseball cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com

Packs per box: 36
Cards per pack: 10
Cards in this box: 360
Base set completion: 
321 of 350 (92 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notable players on base cards – Stephen Strasburg, Prince Fielder, Yoenis Cespedes, Albert Pujols, David Price, David Ortiz, Francisco Lindor, Madison Bumgarner, Ichiro Suzuki, Steven Matz, Alex Rodriguez, Addison Russell, Yu Darvish, Byron Buxton.

Rookie Cards (44) – Notables include Adam Duvall, Kenta Maeda, Max Kepler, Raul Mondesi.

Topps Fire baseball set returns for second season as wall art & jumbos

Topps Fire is back.

The colorful and energetic release of last year is back on the same platforms — wall art and jumbo card sets — for this year as Topps unleashed 2016 Topps Fire Wednesday on Topps.com.

Buzz-worthy Bargain Break: 2013 Onyx Authenticated Platinum Prospects Series 1-2

From time to time, we’ll spotlight a box or case that seems like a buzz-worthy bargain right here from BlowoutCards.com. 

What: 2013 Onyx Authenticated Platinum Prospects Series 1 & Series 2
Available as: six-box case (Series 1) or box (Series 1) and six-box case (Series 2) or box (Series 2)
Original Price: $444.99 and $414.99 (cases)
Manufacturer: Onyx Authenticated
Box Basics: Six autographs per box (one auto per pack)

Notable players included: Steven Moya, Rougned Odor, Gary Sanchez, Miguel Sano, Christian Yelich, Matt Shoemaker, Byron Buxton, Clint Frazier, Dilson Herrera, Gregory Polanco, Hunter Harvey, Jorge Alfaro, Socrates Brito, Lewis Brinson

Gallery: 2016 Donruss baseball cards

Panini America’s flagship baseball card release for the year is here in the form of 2016 Donruss, which is a brand that packs three hits per hobby box and even some chicken.

The brand is one that relies on the staples of collecting — top players from the past and present, autographs, memorabilia, strong photos, vibrant designs and more — while also harkening back to 1982 and other past Donruss releases.

And more is what you just might find inside a box.

First Buzz: 2015 Topps Mini baseball cards factory set

What: 2015 Topps Mini baseball cards
Arrives: Nov. 16 via Topps.com
Box basics: 700 cards plus 11 parallels and 10 bonus cards (factory set)