Burger King All Pro Baseball Cards: A Brief History of the Promotion
In 1988, Burger King launched an ambitious baseball card promotion that would become one of the most iconic sports card insert sets ever produced. Seeking to boost sales and take advantage of the booming baseball card market of the late 1980s, BK partnered with sportscard manufacturer Topps to produce special All Pro Baseball cards that would be inserted randomly into Burger King kids’ meals. Over the next several years, All Pro cards would become hugely popular with collectors both young and old. Let’s take a deeper look at the history and legacy of the Burger King All Pro Baseball promotion.
The concept was simple but effective – for every Burger King kids’ meal purchased between May and August 1988, there was a chance the customer would receive one or more special All Pro Baseball cards produced exclusively for the promotion. The cards featured current major leaguers and had a completely different design aesthetic than standard Topps issues, with a classic red, white, and blue color scheme and a simple yet eye-catching layout. Each player’s picture was shown in front of an illustration of his team’s ballpark, and statistics from the previous season were included on the back.
Initially, 144 All Pro cards were produced as part of the ’88 set, with one card for every player in the major leagues at the time. Additional chase cards like manager cards and league leader/award winners were also mixed in randomly. The promotion was an instant hit, creating a frenzy as kids eagerly tore into their BK bags hoping for stars or rare inserts. According to Topps, over 500 million All Pro cards were distributed that first year, making it one of the most widely produced sports card sets ever.
Encouraged by the massive success, Burger King brought the promotion back for 1989. This time the set totaled 150 cards to account for player transactions and call-ups. Additional chase cards were also added like team cards and league leaders. The design was tweaked slightly but maintained the same classic aesthetic. Distribution was again in the hundreds of millions of cards. The promotion had become a true pop culture phenomenon, with kids across America associating summer baseball with trips to Burger King.
In 1990, Topps upped the ante by producing the first All Pro Traded set. This included cards showing players in the uniforms of the teams they had been traded to after the start of the season. Players like Frank Viola, Willie Randolph and Willie McGee were among those depicted on their new clubs. Additional chase cards were also added like league leaders and All-Star cards. The promotion was again a rousing success.
By 1991, the All Pro formula had been perfected. The base set totaled 150 cards as usual but included additional variations like gold parallels and black bordered traded variants. Ultra-rare chase cards now included league leaders, All-Stars, team cards, and even a Nolan Ryan card commemorating his 5000th strikeout. Distribution was massive, with BK locations across America completely sold out of kids’ meals on many summer days. The cards had truly taken on a life and value of their own outside of the restaurant promotion.
1992 marked the beginning of the end for All Pro Baseball at Burger King. While another excellent 150-card base set was produced along with more variations, distribution was reduced significantly for the first time. Many speculate BK was trying to scale the promotion back to avoid over-saturation. Still, the cards remained highly desirable collector’s items. The following year, 1993, would be the last for All Pro at Burger King. One final 150-card set was inserted, bringing the six-year run to a close. By this point, the cards had cemented their place in the history books as one of the most beloved and collected sports promotions ever.
In the decades since, Burger King All Pro Baseball cards have taken on an almost mythical status among collectors and fans of the late 80s/early 90s baseball card boom. The designs remain fresh and classic even today. Complete sets in high grade can fetch thousands of dollars. Individual stars like Ken Griffey Jr., Cal Ripken Jr., and Barry Bonds have become especially valuable. The promotion is remembered nostalgically as “the cards that came with your Whopper.” It showed how a savvy licensing deal between a food brand and trading card manufacturer could create a true pop culture phenomenon. While we may never see their like again, the All Pro Baseball cards will always have a special place in the history of both the hobby and one of America’s most iconic fast food chains.
The Burger King All Pro Baseball card promotion of the late 1980s and early 1990s was a true success story in the sports and entertainment world. By partnering with Topps, BK created one of the most iconic and beloved sports card insert sets of all time. For six consecutive summers, kids across America eagerly awaited their chance to pull stars or rare variants from their BK kids’ meals. The cards captured the nostalgia and excitement of baseball season and cemented their place in hobby history. Even decades later, All Pro cards remain a touchstone for fans and collectors alike. It was a promotional win for both Topps and Burger King that showed how savvy licensing could create pop culture magic.
