Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today’s your day then as we launch 12 in 12 — a series of a dozen breaks of past wax boxes and wax packs in a dozen hours. We’ll post one every hour on the hour all day long today … this is Hour 6.
The box: 2016 Fanatics Authentic Under Wraps Series 1 autographed baseballs
The cost: BlowoutCards.com
What’s inside this one? Keep reading …
I’ve collected for decades — both cardboard and beyond with plenty of autographs and game-used memorabilia in my stash — but my biggest Black Friday find this year was one that I couldn’t have topped if I had tried.
(Well, at least on my budget.)
It’s my first full game-used NFL item and it comes with a pretty strong story but without my having to pay a premium price to go with it. How? It all came down to doing some research.
For a few months now I had been obsessing about finding a game-used NFL football for the heck of it — a whim, really — simply finding any ball on the cheap yet with some semblance of ironclad authentication. Better than that would be a ball with those attributes and also with some type of tie to what I collect, which really isn’t any one particular NFL team or player but instead my school and many of its recent stars, the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Thanks to Fanatics‘ business deal with its hometown Jacksonville Jaguars, the ball you see above is a reality in my collection and it came on the cheap for what it really is. That’s thanks in part to the Getty Images app that anyone can download on their phone — it’s a free tool that any game-used memorabilia collector must have.
If you’re a dedicated collector or even a casual one, you already own a piece of the action from this year’s NFLPA Rookie Premiere found in a pack of cards.
But there’s also another way to get memorabilia from a crop of notable new NFL rookies from the event as Fanatics is auctioning event-worn jerseys, cleats and gloves from a number of the players right now.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are your Stanley Cup champs after their victory in Game 6 over the Nashville Predators Sunday night and Fanatics Authentic has one of the most-unique options ready for collectors right now.
It’s a crystal puck filled from ice from the series.
Clemson football fans wanting a closer look at the game now have a new option from Fanatics Authentic.
How? Cup holders crafted from a piece of game-used goal post.
Ok, it’s not the weekend, but this was slated to be sent last night — further proving that it was a busy one on The Buzz this past week. Here are 10 stories worth a look if you missed out. Check ’em out & hit the subscribe button at right if you want email updates.
This Week’s Big Hit?
It seems that 2017 Donruss‘ arrival has collectors talking and there’s fun to be found inside its packs. Click here to start with variations and find links to checklists & more. After that, check out a Buzz Break of a hobby box right here.
Keep reading for more …
Fanatics Authentic has a few unique autographs available now that come with no strings attached.
Nevermind, that won’t work … there are actually six.
A series of autographed guitars — items that are officially licensed musical instruments on their own — have been enhanced with autographs that offer a colorful higher-end option for a sports fan who’s big on music, too.
Slabbed cards have been a part of the hobby for decades now but a few autograph companies have started getting into the trend in recent years by encasing cards to give them a bit better display presence at a fraction of the price for a signed photo or memorabilia piece.
And it helps that while storage and protection concern go away, too.
Two big autograph dealers — Steiner Sports and Fanatics Authentic — have pretty beefy runs of signed trading cards available that in some cases take the interesting creations of card companies and makes them better.
The Chicago Cubs‘ World Series championship has prompted plenty of memorabilia and, of course, with that success comes high demand and higher costs for companies to get players to sign.
That’s the price of doing business.
But for Fanatics there’s plenty of business — and plenty of autographed memorabilia — for Cubs fans to chase including high-dollar ticket items like this 12-baseball shadowbox as part of an impressive and deep array of World Series memorabilia that might not have been seen before for a championship squad.
What: 2016 Fanatics Authentic Under Wraps autographed baseballs
Arrives: April 15
Box basics: One signed baseball per box (12 boxes per case)
What’s buzz-worthy: This MLB-approved product is a first for the growing show promotor with this first brand including some of the biggest names in the game as well as a mix of chase baseballs — all signed — and the potential for experiences including the chance to meet stars at shows.
Keep reading for more.
She may not be the champ, but she’s still in big demand — and that was enough for Fanatics Authentic.
Ronda Rousey is the latest exclusive athlete for Fanatics, the company announced on Thursday afternoon. She joins a roster that already includes Kris Bryant, Peyton Manning, Stephen Curry and Alexander Ovechkin.
“We’re really excited to partner with Ronda and create a collection of unique UFC memorabilia that caters to her widespread fan base,” said Ross Tannenbaum, President of Fanatics Authentic. “As one of MMA’s most-decorated stars, we couldn’t be more proud to add Ronda to our list of exclusive athletes.”
The feel-good story of the sports world this year now has some memorabilia to reflect it.
How? NHL All-Star Game MVP John Scott has signed an autograph deal with Fanatics Authentic.
Scott was an NHL journeyman voted into the game by fans before the NHL reportedly asked him to decline the dubious honor. Then, he was traded and demoted to the minor leagues, making him ineligible for the game, before public backlash had him back in the event where he went on to score a pair of goals and take home MVP honors. His story will potentially become a movie with sportswriter Mitch Albom signing on to write the tale.
Steiner Sports knows that Cleveland Browns fans have had a tough time collecting autographs of good quarterbacks lately and the New Rochelle, N.Y.-based autograph and memorabilia company announced a new program Thursday that may help take away some of the collecting pain caused by Johnny Football — and a few other notably bad quarterbacks in the team’s past, too.
You can trade in one of your certified autographed items of any Browns starting QB since 1999 for a $100 gift card.
Seriously.
Game-used collecting has changed immensely in the last 20 years or so with the memorabilia card — you know, those little swatches embedded into cards that can still get us going if it’s the right player or an impressively designed piece of cardboard.
Relics may not always be expensive these days, but they can add some definite variety and surprise into packs of cards — and partly because of the need for game-used items for cards it seems memorabilia has become more available than ever.
It’s not always expensive. In fact, it can be downright enticing to chase jerseys of players who you might not see all that often on cardboard (or even like!) simply because there are game-used bargains to be found.
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