When is an ironclad game-used NFL ball even cooler? When you can photo-match it to a big play …

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.

Buzz Break: 2016 Donruss football Mega 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 Donruss football Mega Box
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 9 (seven 2016 Donruss, two 2015 Gridiron Kings)
Cards per pack: 8
Cards in this box: 72
Donruss Base set completion: 
40 of 300 (13 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Barry Sanders, Mark Ingram, Todd Gurley, Derek Carr, Steve Largent, John Elway, Earl Campbell, Matt Ryan

Buzz 12 in 12: Busting a 2015 Topps Chrome NFL Mega Box (Hour 6)

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: 2015 Topps Chrome football Mega Box (retail-only release initially)
The cost: Click here

What’s inside this one? Keep reading …

Buzz Break: 2015 Panini Contenders football cards (blaster box)

From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and break down 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: 2015 Panini Contenders football cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 5
Cards per pack: 8
Cards in this box: 40
Base set completion: 
37 of 100 (37 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notable names pulled on base cards: Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson, Cam Newton, Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, Matthew Stafford, Rob Gronkowski, J.J. Watt.

Jacksonville Jaguars Bold Rush gamers at auction through Sunday

Jerseys from the Jacksonville Jaguars‘ Bold Rush game where the team wore striking gold uniforms are on the auction block benefitting charity with the sales ending later this weekend.

All proceeds from the jerseys worn during the team’s 19-13 win over the Tennessee Titans on Nov. 19 will go to the the Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation, which “supports programs benefiting economically and socially disadvantaged youth, families and other NFL and team charitable initiatives.”