The 1990s Baseball Cards Face-Off - 1994 Collector's Choice vs. 1996 Bazooka

Check this post to see my methodology.

After the last round, we were here:

Some pretty strong contenders have already moved into the Red Round.

1994 Collector's Choice

1994 Collector's Choice was a very nice set. It was Upper Deck's first attempt to produce a new set. The design is pretty much 1993 Upper Deck with pinstripes. Not that there is anything wrong with that. In addition to the base cards, the set featured a lot of full-bleed printed cards (prospects and team checklist cards in particular). The cards were glossy front and back and have the ubiquitous holograph logo on the back. The fist couple of years of Upper Deck the packs had "The Collector's Choice" on the wrappers, which is where this set got it's name. But you already knew that.

1996 Bazooka

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the front of 1996 Bazooka. The photography (in most cases), the bat with the player name and team on it, and even the Bazooka logo, all just fine. The backs, however, are a freaking mess. There were a number of attempts by the big card companies in the 1990s to produce cards that kids would buy. As near as I can tell, none of them worked. This attempt used the beloved (?) Bazooka gum characters (although I never heard of most of them, seriously, Metal Dude?). The backs are some sort of a game for which I guess you had to make up your own rules. And an upside down "Funny Fortune" which just looks like some sort of baseball trivia. BTW, this photo of Dykstra has to be one of the worst photos in baseball card history.

The Results: 1994 Collector's Choice by a side.  1996 Bazooka could have been a contender if it wasn't poorly aimed at kids

Moving along.

Next week we will finish up the First Quartile of the Babe Ruth Division Blue Round. We've got a long way to go.