74. Junior High Countdown: 1994 Leaf Limited

The Stats
1994 Leaf Limited was a 160 card set distributed in 5 card packs with 20 packs per box.  The SRP was probably $3.99 per pack.

The Design
The front was pure silver foil with the newly developed Leaf Limited logo, sunrays on the side, and team logo in holographic form.  The player portrait was superimposed on the silver foil.  The back was gray in color with a quote, small portrait box of the player, and career stats.


The Rookies
The only rookie was Brian Anderson.


The Inserts
There was insert set, 1994 Leaf Limited Gold All-Stars.  The starters of the previous year's all-star game was the checklist, with each featured on a gold version of their base cards, numbered to 10000.


The Impact
Leaf Limited was the first foray into the expensive side of collecting (high-end for 1994 was $4.00 per pack and up) for Donruss.  It's entry and design was essentially the forefather of the Limited and Elite lines which continue to this day (though not always in baseball).

The Summary
1994 Leaf Limited was the introduction to a new superpremium line by the Donruss/Leaf Inc.  What does superpremium mean in the 'mid 90s?  It means more foil per, less cards per pack, and higher pack prices.   It wasn't SuperLeaf or Donruss Excellent, that's for sure.  It's selling point was that it was limited, only 3000 20 box cases were produced, but at the same time, there were no real parallels or high value inserts or rookies to chase. 

The best cards you could get at the time were the Griffey, Thomas, or Ripken Gold All-Stars.  They were not distinguishable or more desirable than the Donruss Elite series, and in a way, were easier to pull because there were less packs to pull them from with the same numbering.  

I also would like to point out that the cards were easily scratchable and any mark stayed forever.  Limited and condition sensitive aren't the worst characteristics to have in a product, but when there are few other redeeming factors, there's no reason to chase this set now except to have the original version.

Junior High Countdown: 88. 1995 UC3

It's not flatland, and it's not the space-time continuum of the 4th dimension, it's 1995 UC3.

The Stats

A strange number of 147 card base set distributed in 5 card packs, 36 packs per box, probably $2.49 per pack if my memory's right.

The Design

There were different designs for AL and NL players with ALers having a giant baseballs and NLers having a giant glove with the player superimposed.  Look, the baseballs are flying at you.

The Rookies

Only one rookie in the set: the ubiquitous Hideo Nomo.

The Inserts

There were three insert sets and one parallel set in 1995 UC3.

Clear Shots was a bunch of clear plastic rookies and newcomers, Cyclone Squad had psychedelic spinning wheels on the cards, and In Motion was made of 8 virtual pieces of players flying apart in sections as the card was tilted.  The Artist Proof parallel was the staple of the Pinnacle Brands products and the cards were marked with the seal indicating it as such.

The Impact

The set concept lasted a year.  The flying baseballs in the background coming at you in almost 3D (UC3! Get it?) must have not been the sticking, far-reaching concept that they had initially hoped.  (Sidenote: In 1997, Upper Deck released a set called UD3, which was not an offspring of this set even though it was next in sequence.  I guess the next step would be to release a set called UE3).

Summary

This was supposed to be the higher-priced, premium cousin to Sportsflix except there weren't any changing images except on the inserts.  The lithographic surface remained, but it didn't have the same fun as tilting the cards to make the players move.  Plus, players getting swallowed by giant gloves was a disturbing image for even the most non-squeamish collector.   Paying more for essentially the same set without significant changes did not let it thrive.   Of course, today, a set with that name could come with 3-D glasses and a 46 inch LCD TV, then you could really see all 3 dimensions of the card.  The inserts were both interesting and annoying to look at.  I think I bought some packs of this many years after the fact, it was a good buy for $0.99 per pack.

Junior High Countdown: 52. 1993 Studio

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The Stats

A 220 card set in one series with 12 cards per pack and 36 packs per box.  The SRP at the time was probably $1.49 per pack.

The Design

Studio always had a focus on the face of the player, and this edition was no different.  This set had the player's portrait superimposed over a background of the team's uniform.  The player's signature was emblazoned in foil across the bottom third of the card.   The back was an expose on the player's interests, thoughts, and inspirations....there were definitely new facts to discover.

The Rookies
The most recognizable rookie name was JT Snow. 

The Inserts
There were four insert sets in 1993 Studio.
1. Studio Heritage (1 in 12 packs). This was probably the most visually striking of the sets.  It dressed players in throwback uniforms with a sepia flavor.
2. Frank Thomas: A 5 card set showing the lighter side of the "Big Hurt", showcasing the spokesman for 1993 Donruss/Leaf products.
3. Silhouettes (inserted only in jumbo packs): A weird concept with the action shot of the player being a shadow on top a ghosted portrait image.
4. Superstars on Canvas: Player portraits with an artistic flair, think of a precursor to Topps Gallery.


The Impact

Seriously minimal impact, the sepia tones and throwback jerseys of the Heritage insert influenced some other insert sets through the years (I'm thinking of 1994 Score Dream Team first).  The portrait style really created its own niche until the end of its 15 year run.

Summary

1993 Studio was an upgrade over the previous editions in 1991 and 1992, embellishing the photographic aspects while at the same time staying true to the brand's core of player portraits and player profiles (no stats were necessary).  The insert sets were appropriate and gave the overall release a little extra to round out the presentation.  It was an enjoyable set to buy individual packs of, but there was nothing inherently extravagant or innovative about it.   The backgrounds of the cards were great and really enabled it to surpass similar offerings during this time period.  This is why is sits in the middle of the countdown as an enjoyable, but not unforgettable set. 

Junior High Countdown: 90. 1994 Topps Traded

1994 Topps Traded signaled something new for Traded sets from this era. Something so significant that it influenced sets for years to come. That's right, there were card images on the side of the factory set. That never happened before for a traded set. In all seriousness, this set did not have much going for it. It had the extremely cursive 1994 Topps design for the base cards. There were the nice-looking draft picks and prospect cards that carried over from the regular 1994 Topps set.

Essentially, there's only one consideration in grading a Topps Traded set from the 132 card era....checklist.

Significant rookies: Paul Konerko (pictured), Ben Grieve, Rusty Greer

Significant veterans: Eddie Murray, Rickey Henderson, Bo Jackson, Omar Vizquel

Cool Cards: 42. Anatomy of a Trade: Pedro Martinez/Delino Deshields-this would be a fascinating read. Does anyone have this card?
130 & 131: Ryne Sandberg commemorative cards. The Sandberg cards are interesting because this was for his first retirement abruptly in the middle of the 1994 season. He did come back for the 1996-1997 seasons. There were no traded sets for those years, so there wasn't a new commemorative Sandberg card.

Interesting inserted cards: There was an 8 card set with the now-in-its-sophomore-year Finest technology highlighting 6 "MVPs" and 2 "ROY" from the 1994 season.

This set was actually difficult to find for awhile since it was released right around the time of the strike. However, its lack of impact rookies and impact cards in general have relegated it for collectors who need every single Topps Traded set ever (those do exist, right?) and Paul Konerko fans, of which there are many in the south of Chicago, though seeing him in a Dodgers uniform is weird to the untrained eye.

Junior High Countdown: 98. 1995 Fleer Ultra

Programming NOTE: Dawgbones and cubsfan731 won the poll of 'Card Love' and will receive their prizes momentarily.   Thanks for voting!  I still need the addresses of Greg Z. and milwaukee southpaw to send on a consolation package.

I did not have much experience collecting this set because I found it so annoying to open packs.
The Stats

Issued in two series with 250 cards in series 1 and 200 cards in series 2 for a  450 card base set, coming in a 36 pack box with 12 cards per pack. I believe the suggested retail price at the time was $1.99 per pack.  Each pack contained one insert card per pack.

The Design

As was the case with previous Ultra offerings, 1995's version featured a full-bleed photo on the front with team-specific colors on the bottom with reverse foiling for the first and last names of the player.  The team logo was also monochromatically foiled on the front.

The back is colored in the same color as the foil on the front of the card with a 2nd large photo of the player.  A 3rd smaller photo of the player is in full color and inset on the upper left.   There are two lines of stats, one for the 1994 season and one for the career stat line.

The Rookies
There are no rookies in the set. 
The Inserts
There are a lot of inserts, keeping up with the Fleer/Ultra tradition of inserting one per pack across the product.  There were 13 insert sets in total across both series.  Most inserts were inserted in all pack types and were fairly easy to find. 

The exceptions were:  All-Rookies-only in 12 card packs
Golden Prospects: Hobby only
Hitting Machines: Retail only
Home Run Kings: Retail only
RBI Kings: Jumbo Packs only

The rarest inserts were Power Plus in series 1 and Rising Stars in series 2 (1:37 packs).

My favorite insert set was Strikeout Kings, which showed how to grip all the pitches (not a new concept, but a fun one)

Then, there was the gold medallion parallel, which was also one per pack, unless it was two per pack.  It was available for all inserts.

The Impact

This can be summed up in one phrase, paralleling of insert sets.  Not only did all the base cards have a parallel with a little annoying gold medallion in the upper left corner, but approximately 10% of the inserts did too.   I think this was the first set to institute this and for this point, it is docked significantly on the countdown.  I am a completist and don't like pointless parallels clouding the set (insert or otherwise) goal.
Summary

For its time, 1995 Ultra was a pretty standard Ultra offering.  It had a clean design (though the foil chipped a lot) and many insert sets (though none were really that memorable or had an original name that carried over through the years of the brand).  The pack opening experience was lacking because of the inclusion of those gold parallels; they were one pack and constantly staring at you, gloating that there was one less card that you could use for those hard to reach insert sets.  Plus, the parallel inserts were not distinguishable.  More value?  I'd call it irritation. 

Junior High Countdown: 28. 1993 Bowman

With the retirement of Andy Pettitte this week, it's only appropriate to detail the one set that had his true rookie card (you may now swoon), 1993 Bowman.

The Stats
Issued in a one series 708 card set, coming in a 24 pack box with 15 cards per pack. One of these cards per pack was one of 48 foil cards (included in the base set). I believe the suggested retail price at the time was $1.99 per pack. Today, you can find a box for between $35-45 if you shop around.

The Design
Printed on white, glossy card stock, the front had a white bordered photo with the Bowman logo at the upper right corner with the player's name ghosted in white in the lower left corner. The back for rookies and prospects had a second photo with a paragraph about the player and minor league career stats. The back for veterans had a second photo with a team by team breakdown table of performance for the 1992 season. The foil cards had rainbowish borders and highlighted different subsets on the back such as "Player of the Year" or "Top Prospect".

The Rookies
There were many, many, many. Key rookies through the years have been identified as Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Jason Kendall, JT Snow, Roger Cedeno, Jose Vidro, Marty Cordova, Preston Wilson, James Baldwin. I even remember getting excited for pulling a Matt Walbeck rookie from a pack, so the rookie card hysteria is ingrained with the brand.

The Inserts
There were no insert sets as defined traditionally in '90s baseball card collectible sets.

The Impact
What keeps this set going now is the inclusion of the Jeter and Pettitte rookies. As a follow-up to the wildly successful 1992 Bowman, it utilized the same formula and almost looks similar enough to be confused with its forebearer without some close inspection. However, as is mostly the case, what follows a huge success is a huge overprinting, so in this case, it falls short of the previous year's release and is much easier to find. From 1996 to today, box prices have not changed that much, suggesting a steady supply to this point. It was still the brand with the "Home of the Rookie Card" and demonstrated that. If the rookie class had more impact rookies, the impact would have been larger.

Summary
1993 Bowman is a set that is remarkable in that it's place has been known for many years and is likely to stay that way. The rookie cards drive the set and yet, the set itself is affordable, but difficult to complete because of its size and configuration. The Jeter rookie is not the best one out there from a mainstream set, but it is a cut above the base brand ones from that year. Having the only rookie of a borderline HOF like Pettitte, a Yankee favorite, also helps the set identity. In the end, there is a lot to like about 1993 Bowman, but its far-reaching impact to future sets is minimal since the brand of Bowman was really established for the modern era by 1992.

Junior High Coundown: 43. 1993 Flair

1993 was a banner year of changes in the hobby in terms of type of baseball cards that entered the market. Today there is base, mid-end, and high-end. During this time, there was base and premium (Stadium Club, Ultra, Leaf, Upper Deck, Pinnacle) heading into 1993. All that changed during this year with the introduction of the self-named "superpremium" brand introductions.

Described here is Fleer's foray into this market with Flair.
The Stats
Issued in a one series 300 card set, coming in a 24 pack box with 10 cards per pack. I believe the suggested retail price at the time was $4.99 per pack.
The Design
I believe these were the first cards produced on all laminate card stock. They were much thicker than the normal card of the time (almost the thickness of three cards). The front consisted of two images, one usually an in-game pose with the second usually a close-up ghosted upon the first. The back has the last ten years of stats etched over another ghosted image of the player.

The Rookies

There was JT Snow....and not much else. A lot of 1993 sets did not have a lot of rookies because of 1992 Bowman.

The Inserts
One insert set was included which can almost be a continuity now until the brand's demise...Wave of the Future, which was a 20 card set inserted 1:5 packs or so. Notable names included Mike Piazza, Manny Ramirez, and Jim Edmonds. The image in the set looked like an ocean wave about to swallow the young, up and coming ballplayers.

The Impact
This set became a key component escalator upon which the card companies are riding up to this day in terms of offering packs of continually increasing SRPs. It used to be that the card quality itself carried the day without any thinking about return on investment or pack outs of special cards. 1993 Flair only offered a base set and one relatively obtainable insert set.

Unfortunately, the brand changed dramatically in 1997 to Flair Showcase, though while it had great ideas, did not follow the same pathway as the progenitor of the series. Flair essentially established itself as the first multi-image brand (greater than two) that I can recall (for both front and back combined) and was true to it through all of its incarnations.

The packaging was also novel. For the first time, cards were not issued in the standard sealed wrappers. The packs were little two-piece card board boxes that could classily house the cards after revealing the contents within.

Summary

1993 Flair was a foundation builder for many aspects of the proliferation of superpremium (and beyond) card sets. As a set itself, it didn't have much to offer except the classy look and the ultra-classy (for the time) packaging. It is still a collectable set because the set size is small and limited to one series (assuming decent collation). Flair began the revolution of struggling to put cards back to back in 9 pocket pages, and for that I'm not grateful. Of course, it was a thrill to open one of the packs and know one would be getting cards that could look good on the wall in a frame.

Junior High Countdown: 82. 1996 Pacific Crown Collection

NOTE: I will be doing these out of order from now on because I don't like looking at all the sets I don't remember fondly first

I will admit this, I have a soft spot for 1996 Pacific because it's actually a brand I actively collected during those years. I may be one of the few people left on this blue, green, and brown earth still trying to hand collate this set. I am down to three cards: 117, 317, 382.

The Stats
Issued in a one series 450 card set, coming in a 36 pack box with 12 cards per pack. I believe the suggested retail price at the time was $1.99 per pack.
The Design
Pacific tried to position this in the same realm as Stadium Club and Fleer Ultra by using a full bleed design. The Pacific logo was conspicuous in the upper left. The team logo was at the lower left. In a nice touch, the player's last name was accented by team colors and the triple crown of Pacific. All hail the gold foil of the '90s.

The back was adorned in a primary team color with a headshot of the player in a fading halo. There was the previous year's stats and card copy in Spanish (large font) and English (small font)

The Rookies
There really weren't that many (I count 4 on the checklist). The most significant that I've heard of was Matt Lawton (remember him? traded for Roberto Alomar?)
The Inserts
These range from forgettable to flashy to iconic. (there are other insert sets as well.
Forgettable: Hometown Heroes, had the stars of the day on the checklist with the requisite amount of '90s gold foil (half the card)
Estrellas Latinas: black cards with gold foil in the background like lightning left no impression.
Flashy: Milestones: obscene amounts of blue foil and etching, you will be blinded by this card
Cramer's Choice: a rare insert that was prismatic and die-cut in the shape of a pyramid
Iconic: Gold-Crown Diecuts: this design begat a franchise that lasts to this day. Who doesn't like royalty in cards?


The Impact
I would say in terms of content there isn't much impact on future generations of card sets. The one lasting design feature that has maintained itself beyond Pacific's demise is the gold-crown diecut design as evidenced by even this year's Panini Crown Royale set. In addition, the Cramer's Choice inserts were pretty snazzy (though I haven't seen one in person). A case hit of an insert were pretty steep odds (1: 720 packs) and led to actual scarcity. Otherwise, it continued the 'mid-90s trend of full bleed photos with gold foil stamping.

Summary
1996 Pacific was a mid-level set that appealed to those who didn't want to chase two series of Stadium Club or be inundated with the inserts of Fleer Ultra. The Spanish language aspect of Pacific was appealing, but until 1996, the card stock did not lend itself to collectability and handling. This set was a precursor to the full-bore Pacific license of the 1998-2000 where they fully embraced the "locura" of paralleling the base set and took die-cutting to an unbelievable arena of whimsy. Luckily, this set only had die-cuts for the most desirable inserts and no parallels, so in the end, it was fairly collectible, though largely unpursued by a majority of collectors since Pacific had not distinguished itself before.

The Junior High Countdown: 114. 1994 Score Rookie/Traded

Score/Pinnacle Company attempted a new strategy for distribution of their R/T sets (previously had been box sets from 1988-1992 with a hiatus in 1993), distributing them in packs with an all-new design template and flair. What results is not for those of the faint of heart.

Design: There were two designs for the set. The veterans (or traded) design (not pictured) featured one photo on the front with red scrapbook style borders. The rookie design featured a mashed-up portrait/action shot design with the same red borders and the "Rookie '94" logo prominently featured. The veteran backs had two photos similar to the rookie front while the rookie backs had one horizontal photo. Stats were featured on the backs.

Details: It was released in the fall of 1994 in 36 pack boxes with 10 cards per pack at a SRP of $0.99. There are 165 cards in the base set. One gold rush parallel was inserted per pack. Other inserts included Changing Places (inserted 1:36 packs) and Super Rookies (inserted 1:36 hobby packs only). There was also a September Call-Up redemption card inserted 1:240 packs. Notable rookies in this set were Chan Ho Park, Jose Lima.....and no one else even had a rookie card.

Impact: Well, it was the last Score R/T set ever produced, so it has that going for it. Also, curse you, redemption cards! You cursed mid-'90s staple!!!

Summary: The reason this set ranks so low is essentially three-fold. In the first place, they did not keep with the base set (1994 Score) design to at least create an illusion of a continuation of a pretty decent set. Red is just a poor choice. Any other card sets with prominent red borders? I can't recall any.

In the second place, where are the rookies? This may be my biggest pet peeve of all, touting something as a rookies set and then not including any. Did the card companies not understand the Beckett rookie card rules when putting together a set. Because some of these so-called rookies have had cards out for over two years. This is acceptable for a base set when you want to showcase players who played on the team during the season, but in this type of set, dig a little deeper for prospects. I mean, Sterling Hitchcock was even in 1993 Score....fail!

And the most egregious mistake of all, is having a valuable commodity like the first pick of the draft, Alex Rodriguez (who did not sign an individual Topps contract by the way), and wasting your first card on him on an impossible to get redemption card. An insert card, a la Boys of Summer in 1994 Score would have been semi-acceptable, but this is a high-profile player. Use the draft picks in the Rookie/Traded sets, this is where they go. In addition, the redemption card expired within a year of release. For more on this sordid tale of mismanagement, click here for the words of the expert at Stale Gum.

Lack of rookies, no desirable insert sets, and a lack of foresight reduce this to the ashes of the 50 cent pack bin forever more. I didn't buy it then and I wouldn't buy it now.

The Junior High Countdown: 115. 1995 Studio

Design: Look at the images above; let's just call this the credit card set. The stats make up the credit card number on the front with an overlaid player photo and a ghosted league logo in the background. The back has a magnetic strip and facsimile signature with one year of stats, a little bit of copy, and a player photo from the field.

Details: It was released at a SRP of $1.99 per pack. Each pack had 5 cards with one of those cards being a parallel. Each box had 36 packs of pure credit card goodness. The base set had 200 cards, and the parallel sets were a gold set (inserted approximately 1:1 packs) with 50 cards and the ever more expensive platinum set with 25 cards (inserted 1:10 packs). There were no rookies in the set, only veterans, which is appropriate for the card set type.

Impact: Never again was a set catered only to teenagers at a mall where they can be conveniently kept in a wallet until ready for swiping. Studio was also retro-revamped for 1996. Cards that felt like different materials (The cards also felt plastic-like.) continued to be a trend through the late-1990s (though this set was not a trend setter).

Summary: The most unfortunate aspect of this card set is the complete deviation from the Studio branding that Donruss had established from 1991-1994. No more was the card focused on the player. Instead it was focused on gimmicktry of the first degree. "Let's make the cards feel and look just like plastic currency" Also, falling by the wayside were the insert sets that had defined Studio previously such as the very popular Studio Heritage and other one time offerings like Silhouettes and Superstars on Canvas.

The quirkiness of the set brand was also diluted because the most interesting part of the card backs in the past, the copy, was reduced to one or two short sentences. In the past, Studio cards read like the profile in a team media guide. Whether this is good or bad is up for debate, but it did create a niche for itself within the myriad of card releases. Statistics were never the focus of this card brand.

I was never interested in buying packs of this because frankly, there was nothing to get excited or intrigued about when a pack was presented. I have one card in this set in my collection, and it's really my brother's. It's only there to fill a page in my "ultimate set book". (That is a post for another time).

Donruss realized the error of its ways and reverted back to type for Studio in 1996 (which Pinnacle ultimately released after the buyout). It was a welcome reversion from the cartoonish nightmare of a set of credit cards.

The Junior High Countdown: 116. 1993 Select Rookie/Traded

Select was a first year semi-premium set released by the Score/Pinnacle company in 1993. It was fairly popular and showcased a soon-to-be ubiquitous dufex technology. So what better way to capitalize on success than to extend it to an updated edition touting rookies! and traded players, a tried and true practice since 1981 Topps Traded made its auspicious debut. Alas, the execution of the set leaves it here, near the bottom of the countdown.



Design: The front had blue foil along the two side borders with the name and Select logo in gold foil. The back featured a second photo of the player, a Select stat, and 1992's stats. The most appealing part for me is the mention of the transaction date in the copy in which the players changed teams.

Details: It was released in the autumn of 1993 with a grand fanfare. Limited production run! New uniforms! Rookies galore! All were true....

It was distributed in 24 pack boxes of 12 cards apiece, differentiating itself from its traded set brethren from that year. It is 150 card set, of which half are rookies. Inserts were the 10 card All-Star rookies (inserted 1 per 58 packs) and special inserts of Nolan Ryan, Mike Piazza, and Tim Salmon (total: 3-4 per case).

The most notable rookies are Sterling Hitchcock?!? Granted, 1993-1994 card sets did not have the strongest rookie class, but at least include the draft picks from the 1993 draft since it was such a late-season release. My favorite veteran cards that I own are Andres Galarraga as a Rockie, Charlie Hough as a Marlin, and Fred McGriff as a Brave.

There was only a 1950 case run, meaning ultimate scarcity! Get your hands on them quickly before they're gone! Pack prices during release were $7.50 per pack...without any rookies driving the product....just controlled scarcity.

Impact: Case numbers would continue to be released by Score/Pinnacle and other companies to give the illusion of scarcity. This would also be the only Select R/T set released.

Summary: The bottom line is the bottom line. What am I getting for $7.50 per pack? Blue, chipping cards with a questionable checklist and very few impact players. This was also the height of the insert boom, and it didn't even have the cursory inserts per box to whet the appetite. The odds of receiving a card of intrinsic value were slim to none. This is Select...it had been established very few months earlier as the progenitor of Dufex. I want to see inserts and Dufex at least once per box.

Also, packed out traded products as a stand-alone set don't really work for me unless it's showing new players compared to other sets' checklists. Give me the boxed set, let me figure out the names of which rookies to follow, and let it lie. 1991 Topps Traded was too abundantly packed out whereas this set was so scarce it artificially inflated the price to a point where it was uncollectable. As the scan above shows, so much potential...so little fulfillment. And this is why it ranks so low...good design, good concept, fatally poor execution.

The Junior High Countdown: 117. 1995 Bazooka

In this edition of this monster retrospective, let's examine, Topps's latest attempt to appeal to kids and beginner collectors. Topps Attax and MLB Showdown were not the first cards where games were supposed to be the selling point. Technically, you can go back to 1951 Topps Red and Blue Backs for such a concept.

Design: It's a simple white-bordered card with mostly in-game close-up shots. The name is in red and the team name is in white letters against a blue background along the bottom. The position is highlighted in green within a bar that has ghosts of the other positions. The back is a wheel with possible different results for the game spelled out in spaces in accordance with the probability of landing on it during the game execution. Previous year stats are at the bottom of the back.


Details: Bazooka was launched in the summer of 1995 (I remember August for some reason) with an SRP of 50 cents per pack with 5 cards a pack and 36 packs per box. There was one insert set called Red Hots that were inserted 1:6 packs and 5 per factory set. These were the same design as the base set except completely red. The wheel was also slightly altered to have more positive outcomes. The base set was 132 cards including all the big stars of the day (Griffey, Thomas, etc) with the last 10 cards being dedicated to young up and comers (like my personal favorite Rico Brogna).

Impact: Since the baseball strike in 1994, card companies have been trying to snag the elusive beginner card collector market with so-called cheap alternatives. This has led to such non-memorable offerings as Topps Opening Day, Upper Deck Victory, and Upper Deck First Pitch.

Summary: The bottom line is that simpler does not a fun card set make. There was nothing to chase and nothing to get excited for. The checklist for a beginner's set was small and incomplete, depriving beginning collectors of learning about the basic construction of a team and statistics beyond what was shown during a baseball broadcast. It was also supposed to be cheap at 50 cents a pack to entice people to buy it. The problem was this was still 10 cents per card. The 1995 Topps base set, with a more interesting design and comprehensive checklist, had an SRP of $1.29 for 15 cards, 8.6 cents per card. So it did not fulfill its niche as a cheaper collectible alternative.

Furthermore, the game was kind of terrible. It was almost impossible to succeed to score runs in the game since the hits are such small pieces of the wheel. Also, to play the game, you had to stick a pencil in the middle to spin the spinner. This kind of defeats the dual purpose for which the cards were made. This wasn't the 1950s or 1960s anymore. People like their cards in good condition and like to play games; there should be a way to provide both.

On the plus side, providing a piece of Bazooka gum in the pack was very welcome.

I tried this set when it first came out, and I think I gave most of the cards away, but I did try to collect all 50 Bazooka Joe comics that came in the gum. I'll add those to my wantlist if anyone has any spare ones lying around. Yes, the gum comics were more fun to collect for me than the cards, what a sad state of affairs.

The Junior High Countdown: 118. 1995 Topps DIII

Topps got creative in an expensive way with 1995 Topps DIII. I liked this set, really....I just can't get over some details which prevent it from being higher on this list.

Design: It looks like the ball is coming right at you! No, it really is... 3D photos coming at you! The cards were thick, made of multiple photolaminar layers to create an illusion of depth. On some cards it worked. Check out the Jeff Montgomery card from the set. On others, it didn't...look at the Will Clark card (the glove is the only thing that pops). The backs were a bright orange with some interesting stats and a headshot of the player in the middle.

Details: There were 59 cards for series 1 distributed in 5 card packs for $4.00 per pack. Now you're probably wondering why I said series 1? Well, there was going to be a series 2, but due to lack of sales and interest, it was subsequently cancelled. The checklist, therefore, lacked a certain cache, only including a few stars of the day (no Thomas, no Bagwell, no Puckett, no Maddux) and with the most known young player being the immortal Bob Hamelin (1994 AL ROY). It is essentially an incomplete set The only insert set was D3 Zone, a 6 card set inserted once every 6 packs, that really only had baseballs showcased at different depths with the player floating in it.

Impact: It was innovative, but failed to deliver, limiting its overall impact. It did nothing to decrease the trend of paying nearly $1.00 per card in a pack, even with its abject market failure.

Summary: Essentially, if it was an action photo, it was a well-executed concept. But with such a small set size, every card should have been to take full advantage of the technology. I'm not ashamed to admit I have every card of this set after purchasing a box for cheap in 2001. I'm currently trying to acquire a 2nd set since the box yielded almost two sets for me. It's pretty fun to look at the cards in a binder, but you do get dizzy after awhile.

In short, the premium cost for what was essentially a technology gimmick limited its overall and long-term appeal. The checklist was weak and too small and the insert set was uninteresting and easy to acquire. There was no perceived value except for the possible aesthetic appeal which was limited to about half the checklist. This is the first set that I pursued that is on this list. It could have been executed much better than it was.

The Junior High Countdown: 119. 1994 Fleer Extra Bases

I'm not sure what Fleer was thinking with this set. Actually, that's not entirely true. I bet they were thinking, "How do we include more of the photo on a card?" Unfortunately, the result is Fleer Extra Bases.

Design: The design itself is very clean. It's a full bleed photograph with the player name at the bottom in team related colors along with a new "Extra Bases" logo. On the back, is a second photo of the player with full career stats. Sounds great to me so far....The problem that I can't overlook is this...the size! Each card measures 2 1/2" x 4 3/4". This is not a proportional configuration and what ends up happening is that you get a squashed image of the player. Also, not fun to store. I completely mangled all the 89 Bowman cards I had as a kid. Imagine what I would have done with these...if I ever had any. It was long...and it wasn't strong.

Details: This had a 400 card base set with each box containing 36 packs with 10 cards per pack for a SRP of $1.99 released during mid-summer. It wasn't quite premium or a base set, kind of a quasi-premium release. I only remember seeing these at retail outlets like Woolworths. Also, continuing the theme of other Fleer products that year, one insert was inserted in every pack. These were 2nd year Standouts, Game Breakers, Major League Hopeful, and Rookie Standout. A set called Pitchers' Duel was available through a wrapper redemption. Rookies of note were Chan Ho Park and Ray Durham.

Impact: It should have stopped card manufacturers from releasing full oversized card sets for a long time, but instead we were later blessed with Topps Super Chrome, also not on my favorites list.

Summary: This was a very poor seller according to my memory. Even a card-obsessed 12 year old like me did not touch any of this stuff. As such, I have none in my collection. I really soured on oversize cards after 1989 Bowman, but I really loved the Allen and Ginter boxtoppers the last couple years. I guess the lesson is an oversized full set is not collectible, but a few cards is alright. Also, the large set size did not distinguish it from the base set that year and the insert sets were not interesting enough in design or concept to pursue. Really, I never had any interest in that set in any point of my time in the collecting zone.

The Junior High Countdown: 120. 1995 Pacific Prisms

Up first, is my first villified set with arguably the most villified player of this era.

Look to the left. Now adjust your sight for any purple spots. This was Pacific's first foray into the premium market in 1995. I believe, according to their license at the time with MLB, they could release two bilingual baseball sets per year.

Design: The design was a "prismatic" foil backfround with the player image superimposed onto it; it's practically epilectic when you move the card around. The Pacific crown logo was in the upper left corner. The name was in foil inside a team-specific colored box. The back was bilingual (cool).... with no stats ( very not cool) on a rainbow background with a player headshot in the corner.

Details: 1995 Pacific Prisms was distributed in 36 pack boxes with 2 cards per pack (one Prism and one team logo) for a SRP of $1.79. The base set was 144 cards with the major stars and semistars of the day. There were no rookies of note.

Impact: None, except on the wallet. Even though this did spawn other shiny, no substance sets in the future. There were no insert sets worth chasing with the only one being a one per pack team logo, which is not even desirable in 2009.

Summary: Just by looking at this set, you could tell it's trying to say, "Don't leave me behind; I can be a worthwhile card too. Check out this rainbow effect." But in reality, this set was not for high-end (or so-called premmium) collectors of the day (or now) because it was likely you were not going to receive a star card in a pack. In fact, the odds were against you getting one. In addition, there was no scarcity component involved at all in any aspect of the set.

For set collectors, it would require a minimum of 4 boxes without duplicates to amass this miasma-inducing set because of the one card per pack configuration. On the plus side there weren't one thousand parallels. However, the design and value held it back then as it does now. I have two cards from this set, both from 10 cent boxes at card shows....in 1995. Why buy a pack at all?

Ranking the Sets: The Junior High Years: 1993-1996: Introduction

Over the next few weeks (months?), I will be doing a comprehensive (as I can) commentary and ranking of sets from the period when I collected the most cards. This period I refer to as the junior high years, 1993-1996. At this point in my life, other distractions such as girls, garage band music, and after school sports did not encumber my full-on obsession in baseball card collecting, sorting, and trading. I frequented many card shows and card shops and thought I had a good grasp of what sets were out there and perceived value. Previously, I was strictly a Topps collector. Only 69 cents a pack in 1992! Because I had no allowance or birthday money to go beyond that price, that was all I could get by pleading with my mom for some loose change. I also discovered the wonders of breaking an entire box at once during this time period.

This time period was also a tumultuous and game-changing one for the hobby. Say welcome to super premium sets, new technologies that are ubiquitous to this day, Pacific Trading Cards, foil as far as the eye can reflect, and the insert card explosion. Say good bye to cardboard card stock, packs that cost less than $1.00 (for the most part), ease of collecting all the sets in a year, and the Donruss/Leaf company as we knew it (I believe purchased by Pinnacle after the release of 1996 Leaf).

Here's a quick rundown of what to expect:

Description of design
The set's place within the manufacturer's lineup in that year
Pack and box configuration (source: 2003 Sports Collectors Digest Price Guide)
Price at the time of release or when I looked to purchase it (souce: an overly hazy memory)
Insert set worth pursuing (for me)
Nostalgia in the set/insert sets
Positives of the set (some might not have any)
The annoyingness factors of the set (some might not have any)
Rookies of note divided into tiers (some might not have any)
Any originality aspects
Impact on the hobby (immediate and/or lasting)
Favorite card (s) (even for some sets I dont like)
Other notes

h/t to Ben Henry's Baseball Card Blog who finished a 1990-1994 countdown last year.

This is also a personal ranking of sets since these are the ones I had held most in my hands through the years.
There were 120 released sets by the major manufacturers featuring modern players. They will be ranked by my subjective ratings and rantings. Please comment along the journey

Next up...Set #120......1995 Pacific Prisms