Kraft Pop Up Baseball Cards: A Short History of a Collectible Phenomenon

In 1958, Kraft Foods first introduced pop up baseball cards as a promotional insert in random packages of Kraft caramels and other confectionary products. The idea was to promote both the baseball cards and Kraft snacks to kids and baseball fans alike. Little did they know it would spark a pop culture craze that would last for decades. These unique novelty cards utilized a simple yet ingenious folding die-cut design that allowed the card images to magically pop up into three dimensions when opened. It was a fun and interactive twist on the traditional flat baseball card that captured the imaginations of children and collectors. Over the next 15 years, Kraft would produce over a billion of these novel pop up cards, featuring some of the greatest players from baseball’s golden age. While several competitors tried variations on the idea, the authentic Kraft brand cards remained the most iconic and desirable in the eyes of the collecting community.

The original 1958 Kraft pop ups featured images of notable MLB stars like Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Ted Williams. Each colorful card measured roughly 3×4 inches when folded flat. To activate the pop up effect, kids simply pulled up on the dedicated tab on the front of the card. This revealed intricate die-cuts behind the scene, causing the central image and essential stats to suddenly spring up into the third dimension. Stadium backdrops and other extras also popped up at varying levels. It was a magical sight for young fans to see their favorite ballplayers seemingly jump off the card. These early vintage issues are now highly valuable to collectors, often fetching hundreds of dollars per card depending on condition and player featured.

While simple in design, the engineering and precision die-cutting required to make these novel cards was quite advanced for the late 1950s. Kraft enlisted the help of several paper converting companies to mass produce the pop ups on their behalf. Despite quality control issues in the early runs that led to creased or damaged pop ups, the basic template proved highly successful. By 1961, demand had grown tremendously, prompting Kraft to significantly expand production numbers to hundreds of millions of cards issued per year across multiple series. More ballplayers, managers, coaches and entire teams began appearing on subsequent 1960s Kraft cards in full color portraits.

In the mid-1960s, as the space race was in full swing, Kraft issued a series featuring astronauts and elements of the burgeoning U.S. space program on their cards. These proved very popular with kids. Fantasy cards were also produced imagining what some historic baseball figures like Babe Ruth might look like decked out in modern uniforms and equipment. Patriotic cards saluting American troops in Vietnam also found their way into Kraft packaging during this era. Meanwhile, technological improvements allowed for enhanced details, statistical breakdowns, and occasional 360-degree “spin” effects on many 1960s issue cards.

By the late 1960s, as a new generation came of collecting age, Bell Brand Snack Foods entered the fray with their own version of pop up cards under the “O-Pee-Chee” brand name licensed from Topps. While novel in presentation, they failed to achieve the same iconic status as authentic Kraft cards. During this time, in a push for more educational content, Kraft introduced biodiversity themed cards celebrating animals from around the world in their 1967 and 1968 series issues. These environmental-themed cards proved a curious anomaly but were still warmly received by young collectors.

Heading into the 1970s, Kraft pop up cards continued to evolve with the times. Bright new color seperations, action photography replacing some classic illustrations, and occasional oddball novelty effects like “flip” or “spin” card variants kept the inserts feeling fresh. Players from the expansion era MLB clubs included new cities like Montreal, San Diego and Seattle getting represented on cards for the first time. The 1973 and 1974 issues celebrated American Bicentennial themes with patriotic artwork and tributes to historic figures. These proved particularly iconic designs that are highly valued today.

Rising production costs and a market now saturated by the many competing baseball card manufacturers prompted Kraft to end their highly successful 16-year run of pop up cards in 1974. Their final series paid homage to the earliest stars of the game from the 19th century. While disappointed, collectors understood Kraft had helped pioneer an entirely new category of baseball memorabilia. In total, it’s estimated Kraft inserted well over one billion pop up cards into their snack products between 1958-1974, etched them firmly into pop culture history.

In subsequent decades, as the vintage Kraft cardboard became increasingly scarce and desirable, third party manufacturers attempted to reproduce the effect with new designs but never achieved the same authentic nostalgia or widespread popularity. The original large format Kraft cards in mint condition now command prices well into the thousands depending on the star player featured. Major auctions frequently see sensational prices paid for coveted “keys” to complete vintage sets. Meanwhile, counterfeiters seeking to profit off the demand has become a problem collectors must be aware of.

While a seemingly small novelty at inception, Kraft’s humble pop up baseball cards sparked a lifelong passion in countless fans and collectors during baseball’s golden age. Their ingenious interactive design invented an entirely new type of collectible novelties that still capture imaginations today. As one of the true pioneers of the modern sports memorabilia and cards category, Kraft left an indelible mark on pop culture history with this iconic 16-year run. Their authentic vintage issues remain amongst the most prized possessions of dedicated baseball memorabilia assemblers worldwide.