Post Cereal baseball cards are collectible items that were included in boxes of cereal starting in the late 1880s and continuing through the 1980s. The value of individual Post cards can vary quite a bit depending on the player, the year, the condition of the card, and other factors. In general here is what we know about the value of Post cereal baseball cards:
One of the earliest known issues of Post Cereal baseball cards came in 1887, when sets featuring players from the National League and American Association were inserted into boxes of Post’s Grape-Nuts cereal. These early sets are considered the first mass-produced sports cards. Given their rarity and historical significance as the first baseball cards, complete 1887 Post sets in near-mint condition could be valued anywhere from $100,000 to well over $1 million today if they came on the market. Finding these original 1887 sets in collectible condition after over 130 years would be extremely unlikely.
Throughout the late 1880s and 1890s, Post continued to include baseball cards featuring current players in their cereal boxes. Sets from this era often featured players like Cap Anson, Buck Ewing, and Ed Delahanty. Individual cards from 1895-1899 in very good to near-mint condition can sell for $500-$1,500 depending on the player featured. More common players may go for $100-500, while a true star could reach $2,000-$5,000. Again, finding examples from this period that have survived 135+ years in high grade would be virtually unheard of.
In the early 20th century as baseball became more popular, Post increased production of their classic paper baseball cards. Sets from 1910-1939 are generally quite plentiful on the market today in circulated/well-worn condition. For common players from this era, a single card might fetch $5-20, maybe $50-100 for a star. In extremely nice “high-grade” condition of very fine or better, values jump significantly higher – a 1909 Honus Wagner is worth over $2 million while a 1937 Lou Gehrig recently sold for $79,500. So condition is everything.
The golden age of baseball cards arrived in the 1940s-1950s as the designs modernized and colors were added to cards. Stars like Ted Williams, Stan Musial, Jackie Robinson and Mickey Mantle became hugely popular on Post’s cards from this era. In poor/acceptable condition, a single 1940s-50s Post card might sell for $1-5 but could reach $50-100 for a true star. In high grades such as near-mint to mint condition, common players jump to $10-25 while legends could reach thousands – a 1952 Mantle sold for $144,000 at auction.
Production of Post cards declined some in the late 1950s and 1960s compared to the previous decades. However stars from this era like Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Sandy Koufax remain popular. Their common Post cards sell for $3-15 depending on condition, perhaps topping at $50-100 for a true gem mint example. Rarer short print variations or error cards from the 1960s could be worth significantly more to serious collectors.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Post cereal maintained their tradition by continuing to include baseball cards in boxes, though the scarcity increased. Stars of that era like Nolan Ryan, George Brett and Mike Schmidt feature on these cards. Commons are just $1-5 today but a super high grade card could approach $20-50. The final 1980s/early ’90s Post issues remain quite affordable with even stars priced under $10 normally. Variation cards remain the most valuable from the end of the Post Card era.
While not as well-known as other vintage brands today, Post Cereal cards maintained an iconic presence in the cereal aisle for over 100 years and were instrumental in the growth of baseball card collecting as a popular hobby. Condition is critically important to value – even common 1890s-1940s players can be worth hundreds to over a thousand for true gems. The rarest examples from the earliest 1887 issues would command museum-level prices into the hundreds of thousands. With enough digging, hidden treasures could still remain in attics that could pay off somebody’s retirement many times over. Overall the long history of Post cards continues to attract a strong collector following across multiple generations.
