In the late 19th century and early 20th century, before modern baseball cards began being mass produced, POST Cereal Company produced and distributed small baseball cards as part of their breakfast cereal packaging. Known today as “POST cards”, these early promotional baseball cards helped popularize the players and teams of the day at a time when baseball was still establishing itself as America’s national pastime. While many vintage baseball card sets and issues from the turn of the 20th century are very collectible and valuable today, POST cards from 1891 hold a special significance as arguably the first true baseball cards to be inserted in cereal boxes and traded by children.
Origins and Production
In 1891, the POSTUm Cereal Food Company was founded in Battle Creek, Michigan by C.W. Post. That same year, Post began including small lithographed cards in POSTUm Cereal packaging that featured individual baseball players from the National League and American Association. Each card measured approximately 2 1/4″ x 1 3/8″ and typically featured a headshot portrait of the player along with their name, team, and position. It’s believed Post produced and distributed around 50,000 sets of these cards in 1891, making them the first mainstream baseball cards inserted as promotional premiums in cereal boxes and traded by children.
Design and Content
In terms of design, the 1891 POST cards utilized a simple and uniform layout. All cards had a bright blue border with the words “POST CEREAL CO.” and “BASE BALL” at the top. They then featured an individual headshot photo of the player occupying most of the space. Below the photo was a line identifying the player’s team, followed by their name and position in larger font. The backs of the cards were left blank. In total, POST cards that year featured 18 players from the NL and 11 from the AA for a set total of 29 different baseball stars. Notable players includedCy Young, Charles Comiskey, King Kelly, and future Hall of Famers Cap Anson and Kid Nichols.
Later Productions and Discontinuation
In subsequent years from 1891 through 1909, POST continued producing and distributing baseball cards of current players to promote the cereal and baseball. Some key production highlights:
In 1892, the set was expanded to 50 cards featuring NL, AA and Players’ League players.
In 1894-1895, two sets comprised of 37 cards each spotlighted the NL and AL after the AA folded.
From 1897-1909, annual sets ranged from about 24-66 cards and focused solely on NL players.
Starting in 1903, the cards switched to a smaller, postcard size of about 2 1/2″ x 4″.
The final POST baseball card set was issued in 1909 before production ceased.
While the exact reasons for discontinuation are unclear, it’s believed that POST cereal may have become less profitable or lost market share compared to competitors by the early 1910s. Growing standardization in the baseball card industry and rise of major manufacturers like American Caramel likely made baseball cards produced in-house less attractive from a business standpoint.
Collectibility and Value Today
As the first mainstream baseball cards inserted in cereal boxes for children 90 years earlier, 1891 POST cards are enormously significant pieces of baseball and card collecting history. Their status as the original issue and small surviving population make complete sets incredibly rare and valuable. In the past few decades, individual 1891 POST cards have sold for over $100,000 when higher graded examples come to auction. PSA-graded examples in top-graded Gem Mint 10 condition have achieved prices up to $275,000 each. Even more common mid-grade 1891 POST cards still regularly fetch thousands due to their scarcity and status as the first baseball trading cards.
While subsequent yearly POST card sets from the 1890s-early 1900s are also quite rare, they generally don’t command comparable prices to the seminal 1891 issue. Finding any high-grade 19th century POST card in a collection still makes for an important and valuable piece of early baseball memorabilia. Their simple yet iconic designs also help showcase the roots of what would become a billion dollar modern sports card industry. For serious vintage baseball card and trade card collectors, acquiring any example from this groundbreaking early POST production run remains a highly sought after achievement.
The small promotional baseball cards produced and distributed by the POST Cereal Company in the 1890s-early 1900s were tremendously innovative and impactful for both the cereal and sports card industries. By inserting baseball trading cards right into cereal boxes, POST helped popularize the players and establish baseball card collecting among children. The seminal 1891 issue stands out as the first true baseball cards inserted as premiums, making complete sets among the most significant and valuable in the entire collecting hobby. While no longer in production, POST cards continue having immense historical significance and recognition from collectors as the original baseball trading cards that helped shape the modern sports card industry.
