In the summer of 1995, Topps released a 132 card Bazooka branded baseball card set.

The original Bazooka baseball cards date back to the 50’s and 60s. Then in the 80’s, Topps included a run of Bazooka cards as promo sets in packages of gum.  These were some of my favorite oddball cards in the junk wax era, and I wrote about the 1988 set here.  

The Breakdown

In 1995, Topps decided to try something new, and Bazooka became a pack issued, mainstream release for the first time.  Wax boxes contained 36, five card packs, and retailed for about 50 cents.  This product was also one of the last to feature a piece of gum in every pack.

In addition to the base set of 132 cards, there was a 22 card Red Hot parallel/insert set.  Both cards use the same photo, but the Red Hot card has a reddish tint to the photo, and the card has a unique number starting with the “RH” prefix (see the checklist below for a photo).

These cards came out at the tail end of my prime collecting window.  I had just graduated high school, and while I was still in the hobby for a couple more years, my focus was more on basketball cards at that time.  I actually don’t even remember seeing these packs in stores.  As I’ve gotten back into collecting over the last several years, I’ve loved stumbling across some of these sets I missed out on and adding them to my collection.  Well, I’m sad to say this isn’t one that I was excited to keep for the PC.

I love the vintage Bazooka cards, and I didn’t think twice about keeping some of the promo sets from the 80s.  For some reason, this 1995 set just doesn’t do it for me.  Regular old base sets printed on standard card stock are kind of my jam, but there is just something about this set and leaves me wanting more.  Actually, I think I just want more!  A 132 card checklist for a low end, non-premium release is kind of weak.  The big stars are there, but I like my low end releases to include a much wider array of players.

Topps even released a factory box set for this product?  Was the set so popular that it warranted its own box set?  I just don’t see how demand would have dictated that.  In fact, it would seem the attempt to make Bazooka cards a stand alone release didn’t resonate with collectors.  The product only made it one more year, and 1996 was the second and final attempt to have a pack issued mainstream Bazooka set.

Wrap it Up

While I appreciate the entry level price point, and I like how Topps included a piece of gum in the packs, in my opinion this product was lacking.  The checklist was too small, the card backs did not add value, and I’m just not a big fan of the general design.   Today’s values are pretty cheap. Sealed boxes and sets can be found on eBay for $10-$15, and I’d recommend picking up singles on Sportlots if you are looking to fill out a set.

What do you think?  

Checklist

Base Set

1 Greg Maddux

2 Cal Ripken, Jr.

3 Lee Smith

4 Sammy Sosa

5 Jason Bere

6 Dave Justice

7 Kevin Mitchell

8 Ozzie Guillen

9 Roger Clemens

10 Mike Mussina

11 Sandy Alomar, Jr.

12 Cecil Fielder

13 Dennis Martinez

14 Randy Myers

15 Jay Buhner

16 Ivan Rodriguez

17 Mo Vaughn

18 Ryan Klesko

19 Chuck Finley

20 Barry Bonds

21 Dennis Eckersley

22 Kenny Lofton

23 Rafael Palmeiro

24 Mike Stanley

25 Gregg Jefferies

26 Robin Ventura

27 Mark McGwire

28 Ozzie Smith

29 Troy Neel

30 Tony Gwynn

31 Ken Griffey, Jr.

32 Will Clark

33 Craig Biggio

34 Shawon Dunston

35 Wilson Alvarez

36 Bobby Bonilla

37 Marquis Grissom

38 Ben McDonald

39 Delino DeShields

40 Barry Larkin

41 John Olerud

42 Jose Canseco

43 Greg Vaughn

44 Gary Sheffield

45 Paul O'Neill

46 Bob Hamelin

47 Don Mattingly

48 John Franco

49 Bret Boone

50 Rick Aguilera

51 Tim Wallach

52 Roberto Kelly

53 Danny Tartabull

54 Randy Johnson

55 Greg McMichael

56 Bip Roberts

57 David Cone

58 Raul Mondesi

59 Travis Fryman

60 Jeff Conine

61 Jeff Bagwell

62 Rickey Henderson

63 Fred McGriff

64 Matt Williams

65 Rick Wilkins

66 Eric Karros

67 Mel Rojas

68 Juan Gonzalez

69 Chuck Carr

70 Moises Alou

71 Mark Grace

72 Alex Fernandez

73 Rod Beck

74 Ray Lankford

75 Dean Palmer

76 Joe Carter

77 Mike Piazza

78 Eddie Murray

79 Dave Nilsson

80 Brett Butler

81 Roberto Alomar

82 Jeff Kent

83 Andres Galarraga

84 Brady Anderson

85 Jimmy Key

86 Bret Saberhagen

87 Chili Davis

88 Jose Rijo

89 Wade Boggs

90 Lenny Dykstra

91 Steve Howe

92 Hal Morris

93 Larry Walker

94 Jeff Montgomery

95 Wil Cordero

96 Jay Bell

97 Tom Glavine

98 Chris Hoiles

99 Steve Avery

100 Ruben Sierra

101 Mickey Tettleton

102 Paul Molitor

103 Carlos Baerga

104 Walt Weiss

105 Darren Daulton

106 Jack McDowell

107 Doug Drabek

108 Mark Langston

109 Manny Ramirez

110 Kevin Appier

111 Andy Benes

112 Chuck Knoblauch

113 Kirby Puckett

114 Dante Bichette

115 Deion Sanders

116 Albert Belle

117 Todd Zeile

118 Devon White

119 Tim Salmon

120 Frank Thomas

121 John Wetteland

122 James Mouton

123 Javy Lopez

124 Carlos Delgado

125 Cliff Floyd

126 Alex Gonzalez

127 Billy Ashley

128 Rondell White

129 Rico Brogna

130 Melvin Nieves

131 Jose Oliva

132 J.R. Phillips

Red Hot Inserts

RH1 Greg Maddux

RH2 Cal Ripken, Jr.

RH3 Barry Bonds

RH4 Kenny Lofton

RH5 Mike Stanley

RH6 Tony Gwynn

RH7 Ken Griffey, Jr.

RH8 Barry Larkin

RH9 Jose Canseco

RH10 Paul O'Neill

RH11 Randy Johnson

RH12 David Cone

RH13 Jeff Bagwell

RH14 Matt Williams

RH15 Mike Piazza

RH16 Roberto Alomar

RH17 Jimmy Key

RH18 Wade Boggs

RH19 Paul Molitor

RH20 Carlos Baerga

RH21 Albert Belle

RH22 Frank Thomas