The year 1962 saw the introduction of Topps’ famous post cereal baseball cards inserted in boxes of Kellogg’s and General Mills cereals. This innovative marketing strategy helped introduce baseball card collecting to a new generation of young fans across America while also serving as effective advertisement for the cereal brands. The 1962 Topps post cereal issues would go on to become one of the most iconic and sought-after vintage baseball card sets of all time.
Topps had been producing baseball cards exclusively for over a decade prior, but in 1962 saw an opportunity to expand distribution of the cards beyond traditional gum and candy packages by partnering with prominent cereal companies. Kellogg’s and General Mills both agreed to include a single baseball card randomly inserted into specially marked boxes of their most popular cereal brands like Corn Flakes, Sugar Crisp, and Wheaties. This major distribution deal allowed Topps to mass produce cards on an unprecedented scale and place them directly into the hands of millions of young consumers each morning at the breakfast table.
The 1962 Topps post cereal issues featured the same basic design and photographic style as the standard wax pack issues released that same year. Cards measured approximately 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches and featured a color action photo of the player on the front with their stats and team written in blue or red text on the back. Roster included all 16 major league teams from both the American and National Leagues. Notable stars of the era like Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Sandy Koufax, and Mickey Mantle graced the fronts of many cards.
Due to the sheer volume produced through cereal distribution, the 1962 Topps post cereal issues comprised one of the largest print runs of any baseball card set in history up to that time. While mass production aimed to satisfy demand, it also had the long term effect of making most individual cards from the set quite common in thecollector market decades later. Still, the cultural impact and nostalgia associated with finding cards in cereal boxes as a child ensured they remained highly sought after by enthusiasts interested in completing full rosters.
Despite large overall print runs, certain specific cards from the 1962 Topps cereal issues are considerably scarcer than others. The reasons for rarity variations included factors like how many boxes a given cereal was distributed in as well as player performance and popularity skewing demand. For example, the rookie cards of future Hall of Famers like Willie McCovey and Bob Gibson can be tough finds. Other scarce cards feature lesser known or backup players who perhaps didn’t generate as much excitement. In addition, Topps inadvertently omitted a small number of players like Elston Howard and Don Schwall from the issued cereal set, unintentionally making their cards among the most valuable.
Throughout the 1960s, Topps continued partnering with cereal companies to distribute baseball cards much in the same manner as 1962. This included Kellogg’s again in 1963 and Post in 1964, 1965 and 1966. While the 1962 issues established the concept, it was the smaller Post cereal distributions of subsequent years that are now considered the most condition sensitive and valuable. Finding intact examples with crisp corners and clean surfaces suitable for grading has become increasingly difficult due to the fragile surviving population after over half a century of use and storage.
Even in well-circulated condition, a full 1962 Topps post cereal set commands a premium price in today’s market. The cultural cachet of the issues combined with their sheer collectability ensures strong ongoing demand among vintage enthusiasts. New collectors are also continually introduced to the hobby who seek out classic designs from when the cards were inserted in their parents’ childhood breakfast foods. Over the decades, the imaginative marketing innovation of inserting baseball’s top stars between bites of Corn Flakes helped turn a new generation onto the nostalgic joys of the card-collecting hobby that continues flourishing today.
