In 1962, General Mills introduced the popular Post Cereal baseball card promotion, causing a frenzy among young baseball fans across America. Included in boxes of Wheaties, Kix, Trix, and Cocoa Puffs cereals, these colorful cardboard collectibles featured photos and stats of Major League players and became one of the most iconic sports card sets ever produced.
At the time, Topps was the reigning baseball card company, holding a near monopoly on the industry since winning an antitrust lawsuit several years prior. Cereal giant General Mills saw an opportunity to appeal to the growing demographic of baby boomer children by including baseball cards in breakfast products. They knew this promotion would drive cereal sales and expose a new generation to America’s pastime. The timing was perfect, as baseball’s golden age was in full swing in the early 1960s.
General Mills contracted the photo studio sets from Topps to produce the cards, ensuring high quality, accurate imagery. Each box of cereal contained five or six cards packaged randomly in a plastic wrapper. There were a total of 132 cards in the set, encompassing both the American and National Leagues. The front of each card featured a color photo of a player in action, along with their name, team, position, batting average, home runs, and other relevant stats from the previous season.
On the back, a black-and-white headshot of the athlete accompanied more comprehensive stats as well as a brief biography highlighting their career accomplishments up to that point. Notable rookie cards in the 1962 set include Hall of Famers Roberto Clemente, Dick Allen, and Willie Stargell. Other stars featured included Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron, and Sandy Koufax among many others. The cards were a hit with kids, who eagerly awaited whatplayers they might find in each box of cereal.
Collectors started paying close attention to the Post Cereal issues during this time as well, given their high production quality and inclusion of coveted rookie cards. Despite General Mills only printing the cards for three years between 1962-1964 before Topps regained exclusive rights, they remain one of the most recognizable vintage sets today. In the decades since, the 1962 Post cards have increased tremendously in value. Graded mint condition examples of rookie superstars like Clemente or Koufax can sell for thousands of dollars.
The popularity of the Post Cereal cards also helped breathe new life into the entire baseball card collecting hobby. Younger fans who first got hooked on the cards as kids in the 1960s would grow up to join the robust marketplace. Even those without complete 1962 Post sets still cherish whatever few cards they were able to acquire in cereal boxes decades ago. The nostalgia and memories attached to finding these collectibles as a child added to their mystique over the years.
While not as extensive as Topps’ flagship issues from the same year, the 132-card Post Cereal set captured a golden moment in baseball history. Featuring many of the era’s iconic players and teams, they offered a perfect snapshot of the 1962 Major League season. By cleverly packaging cards with popular breakfast foods, General Mills introduced legions of American youth to the joy of collecting at a time when America’s pastime was truly the national pastime. They created an innovative new channel to promote both cereal and the sport that remains indelible in our culture nearly sixty years later.
