The Sky was the Limit for 1995 Topps

If I can avoid adding to my Topps flagship collection via a complete set, I will. I’ve picked up a few along the way. 1987, 1989, 1991, and 1992… and I’ve began to regret not adding a dirt-cheap 1990, as I feel like that will be the most tedious set build I’ve undertaken without much reward.

So, when I found some reasonably-priced vending boxes of 1993 and 1995 Topps on eBay, I just at them. Vending boxes are a decent-enough way to get a start on a set. In my experience, the collation is usually lousy and there is the always-present threat of a given box having been searched for stars and rookies. But, I got these four (series 1 and 2 for each year) for about $7 each, shipped. At that price, it’s worth it for the commons alone.

  

1993 remains the biggest Topps flagship set ever issued, clocking in at 825 cards. The series one box was the one I worried had been searched, as it contains the Derek Jeter RC. But I actually found TWO Jeters in the box. Nice! Since I only need, the other is up for trades. I also have a gold version I pulled a long time ago that I’d be willing to swap as well.

The oddest thing, though, was with the second series box. The collation on the series one was OK, better than I remembered, but still left me a few dozen cards short of the 396 card set. But the other box actually yielded an ENTIRE 429 card series two set. And that was out of just 500 cards in the box. So that was a hell of way to get a near 1993 set for about $14 with a Jeter to spare.

The 1995 boxes were also pretty generous. The series two box got me with six cards of a full series, but this was the series that was cut way back due to (I assume) fallout from the Strike. Series two has just 264 cards, to total just 660 in the complete set.

I kinda like the 1995 set. I feel like it exists in that lost era, between when the time of collecting as a kid’s pursuit ended and the “modern era” of chasing inserts and big hits began. It was the first year they used gold foil and, sadly, I find that the foil takes away from what was otherwise a simple, yet mod-looking design.

It features from brilliant photography, mixing action, gimmicks, and intimate portraits very well. This was the year that Topps finally acknowledged that it was OK to have a little fun with your photos.

I do apologize for taking all these pictures without taking the cards out of the binder first. I’m a lazy bum.

Speaking of lazy, it also features what might be the laziest and dullest-looking subset ever.

STAR TRACK. More like Star Crap. I flip through these when I have trouble sleeping at night.

And if there is a theme to 1995 Topps, it is clouds.

Clouds.

Clouds.

Clouds!

Clouds!!!

CLOUDS!!!!!!

I’ve never seen so many clouds in a set before.

I don’t have a good way to end this post.

So I’ll just end it with some more clouds.