In 1979, Kellogg’s cereal released an innovative new baseball card promotion that featured cards printed with three-dimensional images. These “3D” baseball cards were inserted into specially marked boxes of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, Special K, and Frosted Flakes and captured the imagination of many young baseball fans at the time. The promotion marked one of the earliest widespread uses of lenticular printing technology on consumer products in the United States.
The lenticular printing process used a series of fine vertical lines printed on the cards that contained alternating images behind a wavy lenticular lens. When viewed from slightly different angles, the lens would cause different images to blend together, giving the illusion of depth and motion. On the 1979 Kellogg’s 3D baseball cards, this effect was used to depict players in various actions from their batting stances to the follow through of their swings. Most cards featured two or three action images that would flip between when viewed from the side.
The cards measured approximately 3 1/4 inches by 4 3/4 inches and featured 36 total Major League players, with cards produced for both the American and National Leagues. Some of the biggest stars featured included Reggie Jackson, Mike Schmidt, Steve Garvey, Rod Carew, and Nolan Ryan. The reverse sides of the cards included career statistics along with the player’s name, position, team, and season highlights printed in a flat, non-lenticular format. The lenticular printing process was only applied to the front-facing action images.
When the cards were first released, they represented a cutting-edge novelty in the baseball card industry. Nothing like them had been seen before in terms of incorporating moving images and lenticular technology into traditional sports card designs. They captured the imagination of young collectors and drove excitement for both Kellogg’s cereals and the upcoming 1979 baseball season. Finding prized stars or chasing complete league sets became instant collecting goals for many children of the era.
In addition to driving cereal sales, the 1979 3D cards may have also helped to temporarily reverse a downward trend in the baseball card market that had been seen throughout the 1970s. As interest in cards waned that decade, several major manufacturers like Topps began cutting back on production. The introduction of the innovative Kellogg’s cards sparked new collecting fervor and interest in the hobby, if only briefly. They stood out as unique promotional items and a special thrill for kids to open in their cereal boxes.
While innovative for their time, the 1979 Kellogg’s 3D cards also had their drawbacks. Chiefly, the lenticular lenses and printing process used could be prone to damage or wear if the cards were handled roughly. Over time, excess rubbing or flexing of the lenses risked causing them to peel up from the card surface or lose their alignment of images. Thismade high-grade specimens more elusive to find in preserved condition over 40 years later.
Storage and display was also a consideration, as excessive heat or direct sunlight exposed the fronts of the cards faced similar risks of lenticular image deterioration. Flat storage in protective holders such as magnetic or screw-down cases became recommended as cards were discovered. Toploaders and one-touches had not yet become popular, so preservation was mostly left to the care individual collectors from a young age.
Today, amid growing nostalgia and appreciation for vintage cards from the 1970s and ’80s, the 1979 Kellogg’s 3D issue remains a recognized standalone set in the industry. Condition-graded gems still excite collectors when they cross auction floors, with high-grade examples of stars like Jackson, Schmidt, and Ryan regularly fetching hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Meanwhile, lower-grade copies that still retain partially working lenticular lenses can often be acquired for more reasonable prices.
As one of the first mainstream uses of the lenticular technology on a licensed sports property, the Kellogg’s 3D baseball cards endure as an innovative and pioneering promotional novelty. They still spark nostalgia in Generation X collectors who first discovered the thrill of flipping between moving batting images as children. For their limited production window and unique place in card history, the 1979 Kellogg’s 3D issue continues to inspire intrigue and excitement among vintage enthusiasts today. While not flawless, they were ahead of their time in merging animation and interactivity into the traditional card collecting experience.
In summary, Kellogg’s 1979 3D baseball card promotion featured the first widespread use of lenticular printing on baseball cards and effectively served as a proof of concept. They excited collectors for both their novelty animation features and the stars and players depicted. While not without preservation challenges due to the thin lenticular lenses and printing processes of the time, high-grade specimens remain highly sought after collectibles today – especially of the era’s biggest stars. As a pioneering crossover of technology and sports cards, the 1979 Kellogg’s 3D issue earned its place in hobby history.
