In the mid-20th century, cereal brands like Kellogg’s and General Mills aggressively marketed their products directly to children through comic strips, plastic toys, and most notably – baseball cards inserted in cereal boxes. Post Cereal, wanting a share of this lucrative market, launched their first and only cereal card series in 1963, featuring 160 cards highlighting players and teams from the 1962 MLB season. Over half a century later, these vintage Post cards remain a beloved but relatively obscure part of baseball card history.
Post’s 1963 cereal card set stands out due to its rarity, high production quality, and nostalgia associated with this era of baseball cards inserted in breakfast foods. Each gummed card stock measure 2 1⁄2 x 3 1⁄2 inches and featured vibrant color portraits on the front with player statistics and biographical facts on the reverse. Cards had a thick, glossy finish unlike the thinner and more plasticky designs of rival brands. While many contemporary sets simply listed the previous season’s batting and pitching stats, Post cards contained additional historical stats along with fun trivia making them highly informative and engaging for young collectors.
Rather than focus on only the biggest stars, Post aimed to highlight players across all MLB teams to appeal to baseball fans nationwide. While legends like Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle received multiple cards as expected, set also featured rookie cards for then-unknowns like Tony Oliva and Rod Carew who would go on to Hall of Fame careers. Even journeymen received due recognition for contributions to their squads, recognizing the team-oriented nature of baseball. This inclusive approach and attention to detail on obscure players increased the desirability and nostalgia associated with the set decades later for collectors seeking to complete their teams.
Distributed exclusively through General Mills cereals, Post cereal boxes in 1963 contained on average two packs of five cards each. While print runs were sizable at the time, steady demand from kids combined with the set only being produced that one year means unopened packs or factory sealed boxes in good condition today sell for thousands of dollars. Even common single cards fetch $10-15 each due to the nostalgia premium associated with the brand and memories of pulling these prizes from cereal as a child. Graded mint specimens of stars like Mays or Mantle routinely sell for well over $100 showing the strong collectible market even for over half-century old cards once considered throwaways.
The high quality of Post’s color printing and amateur photo archives resulted in lifelike, vivid portraits that contrast with the cruder designs of Kellogg’s and other predecessors. By capturing each subject in action poses or team photos rather than stiff mugshots, the cards breathe life into the heroes who populated the fields in a fan’s youth. For hobbyists or those who grew up in baseball’s golden age, these cards offer a portal back in time, transporting them to the summer of ‘62 and rekindling memories of peanut and cracker jack-scented ballparks. Even casual fans admire the artistic merit and attention to historical accuracy that elevated Post’s cards above being mere marketing tie-ins.
While short lived, Post Cereal’s 1963 baseball card set made an outsized impact on the collecting world due to its scarcity, production values exceeding competitors, and ability to preserve a moment from baseball history. Unopened packs remain the holy grail for vintage cereal-issued card investors. Even single common cards command high prices versus contemporaries due to the nostalgia inherent for baby boomers and Gen-Xers who recall chasing these prizes in childhood. Overall the set achieved what General Mills and Kellogg’s long-running issues did not – capturing the nostalgia, passion, and magic of America’s pastime in colorful cardboard all these years later. For these reasons, Post’s brief foray into the baseball card business remains one of the most beloved in the hobby’s history.
