Board Buzz: Must-read threads on the Blowout Forums (Dec. 19)

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: NBA chatter, big pulls & big cards damaged by kids.

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Board Buzz: Must-read threads on the Blowout Forums (Dec. 5)

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: See how collectors react to some impressive pulls from Black Friday buys and elsewhere in the hobby.

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Rafael Devers’ hot late start means long wait for 2018 Rookie Cards — but he’s got plenty to chase now

You’ll have to wait until 2018 for his official Rookie Cards, but, don’t worry, he’s got plenty you can collect for now.

His name is Rafael Devers and he’s also got six home runs in his first 62 at-bats for the Boston Red Sox and, most importantly, three of those have come in his last two games against the New York Yankees.

The 20-year-old third baseman is hitting .339 with 12 RBI, 11 runs and a stolen base in his first 16 games — and he’s got to be among the league leaders in pre-RC cardboard, too.

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Clint Frazier’s powerful debut for Yankees provides spark for his ink

It’s almost like Aaron Judge all over again.

The New York Yankees’ newest rookie outfielder, Clint Frazier, made his big-league debut on Saturday night in big fashion with a home run and a double as part of a 2-for-4 day in Houston.

And just like Judge, who homered in his first game but had the night off save for a pinch-hitting appearance late in the Yanks’ 7-6 loss last night, it’s back in 2013 where you’ll find the start of his certified autograph résumé.

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Board Buzz: Must-read threads on the Blowout Forums (May 22)

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: Nothing but big pulls and the NSCC in today’s edition.

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Ian Happ’s big arrival for Cubs might be calm before storm on cards

The newest big-name Chicago Cubs prospect arrived on Saturday and made his presence felt immediately in his first game with a two-run homer.

So far, Ian Happ is hitting .429 in his first two games, further helping bolster a mostly home-grown lineup that is watched closely by collectors.

Happ is not a surprise for prospectors as the defending World Series champs took him with the ninth pick in the 2015 MLB Draft out of the University of Cincinnati– and he’s been watched on cardboard ever since — but sales of his cards, at least so far, are showing some room for growth.

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Elite Extra Edition boxes can pay off for bargain hunters & auto chasers

To say that the baseball card landscape has changed in the last decade might be an understatement, but there’s been one prospecting brand that has delivered many of the biggest names early and often and delivered a good amount of ink, too, thanks to Hot Boxes.

It’s packed a number of surprise inclusions, a tremendous rainbow of serial-numbered parallel autos and even some pretty good bargains as many collectors have their established habits elsewhere. In recent years, it’s also given us a teaser of younger USA Baseball players, too.

This mainstay — and arguably a simultaneous sleeper — is Elite Extra Edition

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Board Buzz: Must-read threads on the Blowout Forums (April 5)

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: Nothing but breaks from baseball, football, basketball and WWE.

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Board Buzz: Must-read threads on the Blowout Forums (April 1)

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: Nothing but breaks today as it’s a busy weekend already.

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First Buzz: 2016 Elite Extra Edition baseball cards

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What: 2016 Elite Extra Edition baseball cards
Arrives: Dec. 7
Box basics: One autographed Silhouette, six-to-eight autographs and two-to-four memorabilia cards and four parallel inserts per five-pack box (20 boxes per case)

What’s buzz-worthy: Elite gets a revamp on the packaging side to bring this year’s latest crop of draft picks and prospects with a $20 per pack suggested retail price that Panini says is “streamlined for collectability.”

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

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Buzz List: Nine autographs to find in 2013 & 2014 Elite Extra Edition boxes

Elite-Extra-Edition-logoCountless collectors call themselves prospectors, and that particular focus is one that can lead to a lot of pack-ripping or a lot of secondary market purchases with future flips in mind.

One brand that’s got many of those coveted newcomer names year after year is Elite Extra Edition, which is Panini America‘s foilboard-focused prospecting brand that typically packs one of the deepest checklists and, with Hot Boxes, some of the highest autograph totals in the hobby.

While the dust isn’t yet settling on the recently released newest edition of the brand, Buzz decided to take a look back at nine names who you should know from the previous two editions (2013 and 2014) and see how they did last season. Why? There are inevitably some bargains to be had if you consider this brand and these guys (along with countless other players that may not yet be on the radars of too many prospectors) given box prices these days. After all, old wax can still be good wax if the price is right.

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Aroldis Chapman could be hobby hit as closer for Los Angeles Dodgers

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Update: The trade was never finalized with Chapman facing some off-field issues.

Cuban fireballer and four-time All-Star Aroldis Chapman is likely on his way to Los Angeles after the Dodgers traded a pair of prospects for him on Monday.

What does it mean for Chapman’s baseball cards?

Well, it should mean good things with the Los Angeles spotlight shining bright — no matter how rough things might get for the seemingly always under-achieving team that has won its division the last three years only to be prematurely bounced from the postseason.

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