In 1990, several cereal companies like Kellogg’s and General Mills included baseball cards in their cereal boxes as an incentive to drive sales. These insert cards featured current major league players and had generally lower print runs than standard trading card issues released that same year. While not particularly rare, the condition and specific players featured on some 1990 post cereal baseball cards can increase their value today for collectors.
Post, better known for their brand of breakfast cereals like Honey Bunches of Oats and Grape-Nuts, partnered with Topps trading cards in 1990 to include special baseball cards randomly found inside cereal boxes. Rather than a full 52-card base set released as loose packs, Post Cereal cards were unique inserts featuring some of the biggest names in baseball at the time. Examples include Mark McGwire, Nolan Ryan, Cal Ripken Jr., Wade Boggs, and Kirby Puckett among many others.
The designs of the 1990 Post cards were simple but effective. They used a solid color background with a centered image of the player in uniform. Text on the front included the player’s name, team, and position. No statistics or career highlights were included. On the reverse, a brief career recap was sometimes provided along with the Topps copyright. These cards measured roughly 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches, standard for the era.
Estimated print runs of individual 1990 Post Cereal baseball cards varied widely, as cereal inserts often did not receive the same level of distribution as series produced singularly as trading card packages. Common players may have prints exceeding 100,000 while the true stars of the day possibly reached 200,000-300,000 copies. More valuable examples could be 10,000 prints or far less. Condition, of course, also impacts collector value.
Generally, 1980s and early 1990s sports trading cards found in cereals tend to receive lower grades due to the nature of being loose in cardboard boxes prone to damage. Still, a Crisp Mint PSA 10 graded copy of a key player’s 1990 Post Cereal issue could demand $100-250 today. Very Fine-Mint 8-9 grades may bring $25-75, while staple stars in Excellent-Near Mint 6-7 condition could sell in the $10-25 range depending on demand.
Newer collectors may be surprised which specific 1990 Post Cereal ballplayers have shown the most significant price increases since the turn of the century. Players like Frank Thomas, Ryne Sandberg, and Jeff Bagwell, active during the notorious 1990s “Steroid Era”, remain highly collected and have grown in stature. Mint copies of their Post issues have appreciated to the $50-150 level.
Meanwhile, icons whose careers began in the late 1980s like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Mark McGwire have complicated legacies but remain intrinsically tied to the most prolific offenses in baseball history. sharp mint examples of their 1990 Post cards can still attract $75-200. Other stars that progressed to the Hall like Rickey Henderson and Wade Boggs maintain $25-100 values.
Of course, true key rookies and short-prints have the best odds to yield a substantial return on investment. In 1990, Post featured rookie cards for such talents as Gregg Jefferies, Tom Glavine, and Edgar Martinez. Their conditions vary greatly, but pristine copies could reach bids above $500. Beyond print runs, certain players like Ken Griffey Jr. and Juan Gonzalez also received scarcer “pitcher” and “batter” variations adding to their intrigue.
In conclusion, 1990 Post Cereal baseball cards were among several fun insert sets found nationwide thirty years ago. For collectors today, condition is paramount but the opportunity cost is relatively low to search the attic or pick up affordable graded examples online. Sharp mint cards of all-time greats like Ripken, Ryan, and Puckett remain attainable under $100. Meanwhile, the right rookie or short-print could yield a real return with additional research. Overall, 1990 Post inserts maintain nostalgic appeal for children of the early 90s along with long-term potential value appreciation.
