Post Cereal Company Baseball Card Promotions: Collecting the Complete Sets
The Post Cereal Company began including sports trading cards in their breakfast cereals all the way back in 1909 with cards featuring famous baseball players of the day. For over 65 years, Post produced and distributed hundreds of different baseball card sets in cereal boxes, promoting some of the biggest stars in the game and driving sales of their products. Collecting a complete set of Post Cereal cards from throughout their multi-decade run can be a challenge, but it’s a rewarding hobby for any baseball card enthusiast.
One of the earliest and most iconic Post Cereal baseball card sets is the T206 White Border cigarette card series from 1909-1911. Highly coveted among collectors today, these vintage cards featured over 500 players in the early years of the game. Though only about 100 cards in each yearly series were inserted into Post cereals like Grape-Nuts and Wheat Krispies, others could be found in cigarette packs. With scarce print runs and fragile condition over a century later, collecting the entire T206 set is an impressive feat. Highlights include rare stars Honus Wagner, Nap Lajoie, and Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown.
Post continued including baseball cards with various designs in their cereals through the 1920s and 30s. In 1933, they launched what would become their longest running and most collected set – the 1933 Goudey Gum Company cards. Distributed in their Bran Flakes cereal, this set featured 161 major league players from that season. Notable hall of famers in the set include Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Jimmie Foxx. The 1933 Goudey cards had an art deco design that remains iconic today. Collecting the entire base set is achievable for many, though tougher variations like the #107 Lou Gehrig ‘League Leader’ parallel make it challenging.
Several other smaller Post Cereal sets were issued in the 1930s and 40s, including 1933 Post Wheaties All Americans, 1938 Post Toasties, and 1948 Post Cereal All Americans. The 1948 set stands out with its vivid full color photography and stars like Bob Feller and Joe DiMaggio. Though short print runs make these harder to collect in full, they offer more affordable options for new collectors.
Post truly hit their stride during the golden age of baseball cards in the 1950s. Major sets distributed in their cereals included 1952 Bowman, 1953 Topps, and 1954 Topps. Known for classic designs featuring players in action shots and fun facts on the rear, sets like 1954 Topps with over 500 cards are hugely popular. Rarer high number cards prove challenging in graded mint condition. During this decade, Post also distributed regional sets unique to different markets across the U.S.
In the 1960s, cereal boxes contained iconic 1960 and 1961 Topps sets among others. The 1961 issue stands out with its memorable cartoony drawings of players on the fronts. Highlights of these runs include rookie cards of future hall of famers like Reggie Jackson and Tom Seaver. Post additionally produced smaller regional sets distributed only in certain states over this decade.
Later Post cereal cards from the 1970s on focused more on specific teams or leagues rather than complete sets. Notable multi-year issues included 1972-74 Topps Traded, 1973 and 1974 Topps, and 1975 Kellogg’s 3-D Baseball cards. While these offered fewer total cards than the golden era sets, highlights included rookie cards of stars Dave Winfield, Mike Schmidt, and Nolan Ryan.
Today, completing a Post Cereal baseball card collection from 1909 through the 1970s can seem like an insurmountable challenge. With dedication and careful hunting, a motivated collector can track down the key pieces over time. Building year by year with common examples is a good starting point before tackling scarcer high numbers and variations. Online group forums offer invaluable assistance connecting collectors. Ultimately, owning an example of each iconic Post set brings the thrill and history of America’s favorite pastime straight to the breakfast table. The memory of pulling cards from cereal boxes remains deeply ingrained in generations of baseball fans.
