The baseball card industry experienced significant changes in 1995 that impacted the production and collecting of cards going forward. Prior to 1995, the baseball card market was dominated by the “Big 3” American card companies – Topps, Fleer, and Score. Licensing agreements that had long kept the Big 3 as the only producers of major league baseball cards expired after the 1994 season. This opened the door for new competitors and era of innovation and experimentation in the late 90s and 2000s.

In 1995, Pinnacle Brands entered the baseball card scene with their Pinnacle and Score brands. Their inserts focused on star players and records. Also, collector interest was growing in alternative formats beyond the traditional wax pack. This included premium sets packaged in tins or boxes with wood, metal, or autographed components.

Upper Deck, known for their successful NFL license, started producing MLB cards in 1995 as the first new competitor in over 30 years. Upper Deck cards featured glossier stock, advanced photography, and inserts. The brand offered the highly successful Ken Griffey Jr. rookie cards in debut sets. Later sets like Sweet Spot in 1997 featured novel technologies like pieces of game worn uniforms embedded in the stock.

Donruss also re-joined the baseball card market in 1995 after a years-long absence. Their sets from this period had a diverse array of parallels, inserts, and rookie cards. They struggled to compete with the flashier products from Upper Deck and others. Donruss was acquired by Playoff Corp. in 1998 and folded not long after.

In 1996, Stadium Club debuted and became one of the premier high-end baseball card brands of the late 90s and 2000s. Their photography, premium stock, and diverse inserts emphasized artistic expression over stats. Parallels, serially numbered refractors, and autographs elevated the appeal to serious adult collectors.

SkyBox also started producing baseball cards in 1996 after success in basketball and football. Their innovative sets stood out through variations like Slideshow cards that revealed a second image by sliding the top layer. However, SkyBox struggled over time to keep their creative concepts fresh year to year.

In the late 1990s, card companies began experimenting more aggressively with new technologies, risky concepts, and limited premium products. Insert sets jumped in popularity, often featuring hits like logos, patch cards, autographs of stars. Sets also got thicker with more parallels and shortprints to entice collectors to buy multiple boxes to complete their set.

Financially, the industry peaked in the late 90s as speculator demand drove up prices of stars like Ken Griffey Jr. and Mark McGwire chase cards in the midst of the home run chase and steroid era. Some boxes and cases were retailed for thousands due to the potential for an ultra-rare short print card. Wax breaks where boxes were opened on video for collectors became a phenomenon.

The speculator bubble burst in the early 2000s as many collectors realized chase cards for star players were not good investments. Companies also grew fearful of overproducing and lowered print runs, in some cases too aggressively. This shrunk the collector base that could complete sets affordably.

In the 2000s, card companies tweaked their business models in the post-speculation climate. Sets consolidated and became more affordable again but lacked some of the premium cachet of the late 90s. Digital photography and innovations flattened. Licensed MLB brands faced more competition from independent brands producing popular sets like Topps Chrome.

The industry experienced more consolidation in the 2010s. Donruss and Fleer were gone. Upper Deck produced fewer baseball card releases while Panini purchased Donruss, SP Authentic, and Leaf brands and became a serious player. Topps and Panini dominated the market but also faced growing competition from independent card producers and artists on platforms like eBay selling unique cards.

In the internet age, popular bloggers and breakers on YouTube analyzed new releases and brought casual collectors into the hobby. Sites like COMC specialize in buying collections and singles and made collecting more accessible. Meanwhile, companies fought back against the rising independent sector and online sellers with lawsuits over intellectual property and licensing disputes.

As the baseball card market matured, it found more balance. Core collectors still chase new releases and investments but with realistic expectations. Casual collectors enjoy curated online selections or individual cool cards that interest them outside rigid sets. Meanwhile, the industry stabilizes with a mixed model of licensed mega brands, independent artists, and thriving online communities. Into the future, new technologies may again change the landscape as NFTs and digital cards see trial in other collecting categories.

While baseball cards in the late 90s were marked by excess, new competitors, and financial boom-bust, the period after 1995 brought much innovation and growth to the industry overall. Collections exploded in scope well beyond the traditional wax pack model. After tumult, the 2000s saw more balanced business strategies emerge alongside thriving online communities. As a mature market, baseball cards found a sustainable long-term path embracing tradition alongside new opportunities in technology and independent creativity.