The 1995 Upper Deck baseball card set was the fifth installment in Upper Deck’s pioneering run producing some of the highest quality and most coveted modern baseball cards. The 1995 set followed the revolutionary 1989, 1992, 1994, and 1995 sets that helped revive interest in the hobby. The 1995 Upper Deck set contained 660 total cards and featured a variety of inserts, parallels, and special chase cards that collectors eagerly sought after.
One of the most iconic and valuable cards from the 1995 Upper Deck set is card number 2, which features Hall of Fame shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles. Ripken was coming off breaking Lou Gehrig’s prestigious consecutive games played streak in 1995 by playing in his 2,131st straight game. This remarkable achievement cemented Ripken’s status as one of the game’s true iron men and all-time greats. His iconic photo on the 1995 Upper Deck #2 card captured him in the middle of his powerful batting stance, screaming intensity with his jersey stretched tight across his muscular frame.
The Cal Ripken Jr. card became hugely popular with collectors due to Ripken breaking the streak and his impressive physical tools and competitiveness shining through in the photo. Around 800,000 copies of the Cal Ripken Jr. #2 card were printed in the 1995 Upper Deck base set, making it one of the highest printed cards that year. Decades later it has become one of the set’s most valuable individual cards due to Ripken’s Hall of Fame career and the significance of breaking Gehrig’s streak being immortalized on this classic baseball card.
In pristine mint condition, a 1995 Upper Deck Cal Ripken Jr. #2 card in a PSA 10 gem mint grade can fetch over $500 due to its rarity and subject matter. Even well-centered, sharp copies in PSA 9 near-mint to mint condition have been known to sell for $150-$250 depending on the market. This valuation makes the Ripken one of the most valuable common cards (cards with print runs over 750,000) from the 1995 Upper Deck set. The only cards that consistently sell for more are rare insert parallel versions of the Ripken or ultra-short printed rookie cards of future Hall of Famers.
The photography and production values of the 1995 Upper Deck set established it as one of the finest card issues of the 1990s era. The card stock was high quality thick cardboard with a smooth slick finish that showed off the vivid color reproductions. But beyond just the aesthetics, Upper Deck prioritized capturing action shots that highlighted each player’s attributes and connected collectors to their on-field performance. The Ripken card perfectly encapsulates this with its close-up of Ripken digging in at the plate, capturing the grit and determination that defined his career.
Other key rookie and star player cards that have maintained or increased in value from the 1995 Upper Deck set include #79 Ken Griffey Jr. of the Seattle Mariners, #144 Nomar Garciaparra of the Boston Red Sox, #179 Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees, #234 John Smoltz of the Atlanta Braves, and #396 Hideo Nomo of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Due to their Hall of Fame careers, star power, and the condition of the players’ rookie season issues, high graded versions of these cards routinely sell for $100+ each.
The Griffey Jr. rookie in particular is usually the second most valuable common card after Ripken from the set. As one of the game’s most exciting and dominant players who tragically had his career cut short by injuries, Griffey maintained a huge collector base even in retirement. A PSA 10 1995 Upper Deck Griffey Jr. rookie has reached over $2000 in recent sales. The card captured “The Kid” at the beginning of his peak, representing one of the final rookie cards produced before the sport’s massive expansion in popularity and collectibles in the late 90s.
Beyond the base set, the 1995 Upper Deck release had several popular insert sets that increased interest and added chase cards for collectors. The Griffey Jr. Finest Refractors parallel featured colorful refractors of the Ripken, Griffey, and other top rookie cards. These 1 in 90 packs inserts reached new levels of rarity and visual appeal. Additionally, Upper Deck Fine Cuts paralleled featured embossed patterned parallels of star players. The Short Prints were infamous for having misprints that caused a flurry of excitement and hunts for the scarce printing plates. Overall it was an incredibly well-rounded and innovative baseball card set.
Three decades later, the 1995 Upper Deck set remains a legendary issue that defined the modern card boom era. Pristine examples of stars like Cal Ripken Jr. and franchise changing rookies like Ken Griffey Jr. maintain their elite statuses as cornerstones for any collection. Their prominence in one of the greatest individual sets ever produced helps cement their spot among the most iconic cards in the history of the hobby. Whether being enjoyed in a collection or providing profit for savvy investors, the longevity and passion surrounding cards from the 1995 Upper Deck baseball release is a testament to its excellence and subjects.
