1995 Collector’s Choice Baseball features a 530-card base set. This was the only year the product was produced that featured a single series. The other sets released between 1994 and 1998 were split into two series. The 1995 set release has two full-set parallels: Silver and Gold Signature cards. Both come with a foil facsimile autograph of the pictured player. The Golds, found just once per box, are often tough finds for player collectors. 

1995 also marked the debut of the popular Crash the Game cards. These cards gave collectors the opportunity to exchange them for a prize if the pictured player hit a home run on the date on the card. I would imagine that was a fun chase back in 1995 sending collectors to check the box scores to see if they had any winners.

1995 Collector’s Choice Baseball Box Break

Cards per pack: 12
Packs per box: 36
Price paid: $15

Shop for 1995 Collector’s Choice Baseball boxes on eBay.

Pack 1 highlights:

Barry Bonds, Rickey Henderson 90s, Eddie Murray CL, Roger Clemens, John Smoltz, Ken Caminiti & Russ Davis Silver Signature (one per pack)

Pack 2:

Alex Rodriguez CL, Yount/Brett/Winfield 90s, Trevor Hoffman, Nomar Garciaparra FF, Kenny Lofton & Mark Thompson Silver Signature 

Pack 3:

Jeff Bagwell CL, Mike Piazza, Fred McGriff Crash the Game Gold (1:49 packs) & Dave Magadan Gold Signature (1:36 packs)

Imagine this pack back then? Two box tough inserts in the same pack?

Pack 4:

Joe Carter CL, Raul Mondesi, Fernando Valenzuela Trade Card & Tim Salmon Silver Signature

Trade Cards could be sent in to trade for 11 Update cards. The Valenzuela card could be redeemed for cards 575-585. 

Pack 5:

Fred McGriff CL, Carlos Baerga 90s, Sammy Sosa, Dante Bichette & Yorkie Perez Silver Signature

Pack 6:

Lee Smith 90s, Mo Vaughn, Gary Sheffield Crash the Game (1:5 packs) & Jamie Moyer Silver Signature

Crash the Game cards were eligible to be redeemed if the pictured player hit a home run on the date shown. If he did, you would receive an entire 20-card set as a prize. The prize cards have Silver (or Gold if you had a winning Gold Crash the Game card) foil running down the entire left side of the card. 

This Sheffield card would not have been a winner. 

Pack 7:

Kirby Puckett & Jason Bere Silver Signature

Pack 8:

Jeff Bagwell, Joe Carter 90s, National Packtime Redemption, Garret Anderson & Michael Tucker Silver Signature

Upper Deck gave collectors the opportunity to exchange empty wrappers for the National Packtime set. In fact, they didn’t even have to be Upper Deck packs. They would accept wrappers from any of the officially licensed companies. All you had to do was send in 28 wrappers along with a $2 check or money order, and you would receive the 18-card National Packtime set. 

Pack 9:

Barry Bonds 90s, Jose Offerman Silver Signature & Alex Rodriguez Crash the Game (1:5 packs)

This A-Rod card also would not have been a winner. 

Pack 10:

Bernie Williams, Frank Thomas WTC & J.R. Phillips Silver Signature

The back of the What’s the Call? card. 

Pack 11:

Ken Griffey, Jr. WTC, Fernando Valenzuela Trade Card & Greg Vaughn Silver Signature

Pack 12:

Nolan Ryan, Mike Piazza WTC & Gary Sheffield Silver Signature

Pack 13:

Rickey Henderson, Robin Yount, Wade Boggs, Matt Williams Crash the Game (1:5 packs) & Jeff Kent Silver Signature

Williams — another losing Crash the Game card. 

Pack 14:

Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds WTC, Ryne Sandberg & Mo Vaughn Silver Signature

Pack 15:

Cal Ripken, Jr., George Brett & Bob Hamelin Silver Signature

Pack 16:

Juan Gonzalez, Mike Schmidt & Phil Leftwich Silver Signature

Pack 17:

Cecil Fielder 90s, Albert Belle, Tom Glavine & Greg Hibbard Silver Signature

Pack 18:

Nolan Ryan 90s, Mike Greenwell, Jim Abbott, Ryan Thompson Silver Signature & Frank Thomas Crash the Game (1:5 packs)

Yet another losing card. 

Pack 19:

Kirk Gibson, Ryne Sandberg & Mark Whiten Silver Signature

Pack 20:

Alan Trammell, Joe Carter, Robin Yount, Alex Rodriguez & Joey Eischen Silver Signature

Pack 21:

Dave Stewart, Cecil Fielder, Nolan Ryan, Don Mattingly & Ray McDavid Silver Signature

Pack 22:

Dennis Eckersley, Jeff Bagwell CL Silver Signature & Albert Belle Crash the Game (1:5 packs)

Belle, no good. I bet you’re wondering if any of these Crash the Game cards ended up being winners. There were some. I promise. 

Pack 23:

Pedro Martinez, Ray Durham, Mike Mussina & Mark Farris FF Silver Signature

Pack 24:

Chipper Jones, Ben Grieve FF & Jody Reed Silver Signature

Pack 25:

Rondell White Silver Signature

Pack 26:

Juan Gonzalez WTC, Mark McGwire & Jim Lindeman Silver Signature

Pack 27:

Andre Dawson, Jeff Reboulet Silver Signature & Jeff Bagwell Crash the Game (1:5 packs)

None of Bagwell’s three Crash the Game cards were winners. 

Pack 28:

Robert Alomar, Lee Smith 90s & Tim Wallach Silver Signature

Pack 29:

Paul Molitor, Michael Jordan, Carlos Baerga 90s & Jeff Kent Silver Signature

Pack 30:

Shawn Green & Tim Vanegmond Silver Signature

Pack 31:

Nomar Garciaparra FF, Yount/Brett/Winfield 90s, Larry Walker, Lance Painter Silver Signature & Jose Canseco Crash the Game (1:5 packs)

Finally a winner! Canseco hit a homer on July 30, 1995. This card would have been eligible to be redeemed for a full 20-card winner set. 

Pack 32:

Rickey Henderson 90s & Raul Mondesi Silver Signature

Pack 33:

Nolan Ryan 90s, Paul Molitor & Ryan Klesko Silver Signature

Pack 34:

Cecil Fielder 90s, Roberto Alomar, Larry Walker, Lou Whitaker & Paul Sorrento Silver Signature

Pack 35:

Carlos Delgado, Mike Schmidt, Tim Raines Silver Signature & Barry Bonds Crash the Game (1:5 packs)

Pack 36:

George Brett, Terry Pendleton Trade Card & Frank Thomas Silver Signature

Pendleton could have been redeemed for cards 564-574. 

In total there were 60 Crash the Game cards. Twenty players, each with three different dates. Of those sixty, just six would have been eligible to be redeemed. I often wonder how many of these cards ever actually did get cashed in?  

Unfortunately the Gold Signature wasn’t a big name. These are clearly tough pulls. With a large checklist, it’s even tougher to pull the big names.

There’s just a few more weeks of baseball breaks before Cheap Wax Wednesday switches over to football products for the rest of the NFL season.

Shop for 1995 Collector’s Choice Baseball cards on:

• Beckett Marketplace
• eBay

Want more installments of Shane Salmonson’s Cheap Wax Wednesday? Check out his other breaks in the archives.