PSA Magazine

PSA Set Registry: Baseball Cards for Breakfast - Collecting the 1970-1983 Kellogg's Trading Card Sets

Kevin Glew
May 23, 2020

PSA Set Registry

Baseball Cards for Breakfast

Collecting the 1970-1983 Kellogg's Trading Card Sets

By Kevin Glew

"They're grrrrr-eat!"

Tony the Tiger's sentiments about Frosted Flakes also describe how a devoted group of collectors feel about Kellogg's baseball cards.

For many years in the 1970s and early '80s, kids feverishly fished through Kellogg's cereal boxes to pull out a card. In fact, these breakfast treasures were so popular that some considered them equal - perhaps even superior - to Topps cards.

"The Kellogg's cards were exceptional cards made of high-quality stock that were protected by plastic, so they were very different than the Topps cards," noted Steve Peltz, who owns the No. 4 Current Finest Kellogg's 1970-1983 Mega Set on the PSA Set Registry.

Veteran Kellogg's collector Greg Gay, who operates the Night Owl Cards blog, says he doesn't consider these cards to be inferior to Topps.

"We didn't think of them as substandard just because they came in cereal [boxes]," said Gay. "We just thought it was a different set of cards coming through a different source."

One of the trademark features of the Kellogg's cards (with the exception of the 1973 series) is their 3D design.

"I've always loved the 3D sets, and the colors and graphics on the Kellogg's cards are pretty sweet," said Jim Klopmeyer, who owns the No. 8 Current Finest Kellogg's 1970-1983 Mega Set on the PSA Set Registry.

The 3D effect was generated by placing a color photo in front of a blurred background (in most cases a stadium) underneath ribbed plastic. Kellogg's also changed the sizes of their cards several times, ranging from 1-7/8" by 3-1/4" to the standard 2-1/2" by 3-1/2".

"I like that they're different sizes," say Matt Haffner, founder of the Run-Fore! Kellogg's Baseball Cards blog. "I think it works well."

The design of the fronts of the Kellogg's singles was also altered over the years, but a posed player photo and facsimile autograph were common components. The backs share the player's full name, personal data, yearly statistics and an extensive bio. The bottom flaunts the copyright information. All of the cards were produced by the XOGRAPH company with the exception of the 1973 singles, which were printed by Visual Panographics Inc.

Aside from the 1981 and 1982 series which were only available as factory sets, the cards were distributed one per box of select Kellogg's cereals.

Haffner notes that from 1970 to 1978 the cards were inserted in a white, see-through wrapper.

"In 1979, the wrapper seemed to change a bit. It was much more prone to discoloration," he said.

The following year the white wrapper was changed yet again, and not for the better.

"The 1980 wrapper was a disaster," explained Haffner. "It was created as two separate sides that had some sort of cheap glue to hold them together. Those wrappers have not held up over time like the other years."

It goes without saying that unless you sent away for the factory sets, you would have had to consume a lot of cereal to complete one of these sets, which ranged from 54 to 75 cards.

"I remember I had my relatives and friends on the lookout for them," said Peltz.

To receive a factory set via a mail-in offer, collectors had to send in money as well as some sort of proof of purchase. For example, the 1979 factory set could be obtained if collectors mailed in $2 and two box tops. Four years later, the price for a factory set was upped to $3.95 and two UPC symbols or proof-of-purchase seals.

One of the biggest assets of the Kellogg's sets is that they focused on stars. But finding these cards in high grade can be tricky.

"Cracking on the cards can be a huge issue over time," said Peltz. "It wasn't a problem when they first came out because the plastic was kind of pliable. These have a lenticular front, which is even more solid than just a regular plastic front, but as they aged, they got more brittle. And now it's hard to find one of those early cards in raw form that isn't curved pretty badly. They would curve with the heat and cold, and when you tried to straighten them out, they'd crack."

Klopmeyer has had a similar experience.

"Most of the cards exhibit bending, cracking and scratching," he added. "They're very prone to cracking and scratching; that's what Kellogg's cards are known for."

Most Desirable Kellogg's Baseball Sets

1970

Kellogg's 75-card debut remains one of its most popular sets. These cards fashion a pure and simple design that incorporates a posed player photo with a facsimile autograph running across it, surrounded by white borders. The player's team, last name and position are highlighted in a white ball design in the upper right.

Not only does this issue include cards of superstars like Pete Rose (#2), Tom Seaver (#7), Willie Mays (#12), Roberto Clemente (#27), Reggie Jackson (#32) and Ernie Banks (#40), it also boasts some of Kellogg's toughest common cards. The Carlos May (#16), Bill Singer (#17), Rick Reichardt (#18), Mike Epstein (#24) and Tim Cullen (#30) singles have all been cited as difficult to track down.

"I remember with Carlos May, it took me forever to find one," said Peltz. "So, I think they must have been short prints, because at the time, remarkably enough, you could find Willie Mays and Juan Marichal fairly easily, but some of these other guys were just so hard to find."

Of the 253 Carlos May cards submitted, there have been just 25 PSA GEM-MT 10s. One PSA 10 sold for $495 on eBay in December 2019.

The Reichardt single (#18) is almost equally elusive. It has only 24 PSA 10s.

"If you were sitting there eating breakfast, looking at your cereal box, hoping to get one of the superstar players and you get a common, you'd be disappointed," explained Klopmeyer, when asked why common players like May are so tough to track down. "And like with a lot of sets, the commons are usually the last ones to get graded."

The 1970 Clemente single (#27) is one of the most sought-after Kellogg's cards. But it also represents one of the Pirates legend's most affordable cards from his playing days. Of the 726 submitted, there have been 36 PSA 10s, one of which fetched $485 on eBay in September 2018.

The Mays single (#12) is also in demand, but it's more abundant in top condition. Of the 961 evaluated, there have been 82 PSA 10s.

Another interesting note about the 1970 set is that the cards were also marketed in six-card, 49-cent packs with two iron-on team patches. Haffner has opened several of these packs and he says it's not a random distribution of cards.

"There's a consistent pattern in that the numbers don't vary far from the first card [in the pack]," he said.

1971

The 1971 Kellogg's set is the toughest to complete. This is largely because it's the only issue that did not have a factory set that was available via a mail-in offer. This overall scarcity has resulted in star singles from this series commanding more than their 1970 counterparts.

Take the Clemente card (#5): one of the 27 PSA 10s of his 1971 single commanded $1,593 on eBay in July 2018 - that's nearly four times what a PSA 10 Clemente from the 1970 set realized on eBay in the same time frame.

According to the PSA Population Report, the 1971 cards are also the hardest Kellogg's issue to complete in top form. Less than 10% of the submissions have received a PSA 10 grade. Haffner says one of the reasons for this is the 1971 cards tend to lose their color over time.

Other major stars in this series include Seaver (#2), Mays (#10), Banks (#50) and Bob Gibson (#51).

1973

As noted earlier, the 1973 Kellogg's set was the only issue that did not feature 3D cards. Like the other sets, however, these singles boast posed player photos and facsimile autographs. The set name ("Pro Super Stars") is showcased in white inside a red frame at the top, while the player's position and last name are highlighted at the bottom. Nine blue stars adorn the top and bottom borders of the cards.

It's unclear why Kellogg's elected not to produce 3D cards in 1973, but some believe it was a cost-cutting measure. The set is also only 54 cards, which ties it with the 1972 and 1974 sets for the smallest regular Kellogg's offering between 1970 and 1983.

"In 1973, Kellogg's didn't have a contract with the same provider (XOGRAPH) that did all of the other sets," explained Haffner. "They went with some company called Visual Panographics. I like the '73s, but most people don't."

On a positive note, the set boasts Nolan Ryan's Kellogg's debut (#16). There have been 137 PSA 10s of this popular card, one of which fetched $75 on eBay in November 2019.

Among the other major stars highlighted in this series are Rose (#6), Jackson (#22), Carlton Fisk (#27), Seaver (#46) and Al Kaline (#52).

Peltz says the 1973 cards are easier to uncover in top grade than other Kellogg's cards.

"I found that it was easier to find nicely centered cards [from the 1973 set], and of course, they didn't possess curving or cracking issues," he said.

One unique feature of the 1973 series was that when collectors sent away for the complete factory set, they often received the cards in three-card panels. Many of these cards were later separated, but those that remain in panel form tend to command a premium.

1975

Measuring 2-1/8" by 3-1/4", these cards fashion a posed player photo with a facsimile autograph inside of a blue rectangular frame with white stars in it. The player's position is indicated in a red block at the top and their last name is in a similar block near the bottom.

Hobbyists say the 1975 set is one of the most challenging to assemble and the PSA Population Report statistics back them up. As of press time, 10,619 of the 1974 Kellogg's cards and 9,036 of the 1976 cards have been submitted, but just 5,371 of the 1975 singles.

Haffner rarely sees factory sets from this year, so that may partially explain the scarcity.

Like most Kellogg's sets, this offering also houses numerous Hall of Famer cards, including Johnny Bench (#7), Fergie Jenkins (#22), Ryan (#26), Joe Morgan (#27), Carl Yastrzemski (#51), Jackson (#54) and Mike Schmidt (#56).

Similar to the 1971 cards, Haffner says these singles tend to lose color over time.

1976

This is Gay's favorite Kellogg's set. The cards present a posed player photo surrounded by a psychedelic blue and red frame with the words "3-D Super Stars" breaking up the frame at the top.

The 1976 series is notable because its first three cards - Steve Hargan (#1), Claudell Washington (#2) and Don Gullett (#3) - are short prints.

"Those cards are much harder to find," said Peltz. "They're also impossible to find centered."

Haffner has heard that these three cards were only available in factory sets and not individually in cereal boxes.

With just 15 PSA 10s, the Hargan is the most difficult to uncover in top grade.

Aside from the short prints, this set offers Kellogg's usual large volume of Hall of Famer cards, including Jackson (#8), Yastrzemski (#24) and Bench (#36), as well as early singles of Jim Rice (#10) and Gary Carter (#34).

This set also contains a rookie card of Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley (#19). This Eckersley rookie can be purchased for much less than his 1976 Topps rookie (#98), despite the fact that it's tougher to find. Of the 381 submitted, there have been 75 PSA 10s.

1978

Gay considers the 1978 set a landmark offering because it was the first to incorporate the Kellogg's logo into the design on the card front.

"It was on the 1978 cards for the first time and remained on there for the duration of the issue's existence," said Gay.

Once again, this Kellogg's set is loaded with Hall of Famers, including Schmidt (#3), George Brett (#6), Dave Winfield (#11), Seaver (#27), Jackson (#40) and Ryan (#51).

The 1978 set also boasts the Eddie Murray rookie (#25) which, like the Eckersley rookie, is a cheaper alternative than his 1978 Topps #36 debut. There have been 18 PSA 10s.

"It has been extremely difficult to find cards from the 1978 set in [PSA] 10," said Peltz. "Every card that I've sent in [for grading] has either come back a [PSA NM-MT] 8 or [PSA MINT] 9. I have probably three quarters of the set completed, and all but two cards are [PSA] 9s."

Peltz says poor centering is generally what hampers these cards.

Variations

There are numerous variations in these sets. The 1971, 1972, 1976 and 1979 offerings have the most errors and corrections. Most of the variations are simple statistical errors or minor text miscues.

Peltz notes that some of the 1976 variations can be especially elusive.

"Jim Kaat has two 1976 cards and there's one that I have never found," said Peltz. "Kaat was on the Phillies and then he got traded to the White Sox, so the White Sox card [the version with the White Sox logo on the back] is much harder to find."

Haffner notes that the 1979 series also has a number of variations, including on some of the star cards.

"For those who want to get the [1979] variations, it can be difficult since the Pete Rose and Reggie Jackson variations are in short supply," he said. "Player collectors enter the mix when those type of stars are involved."

Some variations will generate a significant premium. For example, a PSA 8 example of the rarer 1979 Rose variation that mistakenly lists his number of triples in 1978 as 33 was being offered for $91 on eBay in October 2018, while the corrected version of the Rose indicates he had three triples in 1978 sold for $12 in the same grade that same month.

But high dollar prices are generally not common for Kellogg's cards. Collectors will tell you that one of the major appeals of pursuing these cards is that they remain relatively inexpensive. You can buy a high-grade example of a star card for a fraction of the price of their regular Topps card in the same grade.

"There are a lot of semi-stars in these sets and a lot of players that were considered top ballplayers at the time but just didn't get into the Hall of Fame," said Peltz. "The Kellogg's cards are a great way to start a [vintage] collection. Take a player like Willie Mays. If you try to buy a Mays Topps card in PSA 9 or PSA 10 from his playing career, it will be very difficult and expensive, whereas the Kellogg's cards are still relatively reasonably priced for cards issued during his playing days."

Klopmeyer offers a similar assessment.

"They're very inexpensive compared to the Topps cards; there's no doubt about it," he said. "And there are a lot fewer of them to go around. You'd think that some of these food issues, like Kellogg's, would command a higher price because so few have been graded."

For more information on Kellogg's baseball cards, please visit PSA CardFacts.


Please feel free to contact Kevin Glew at [email protected] if you have any additional information or comments. Thank you to William Lamb for providing his entire collection to be imaged for this article. Please note the PSA Population Report statistics and Set Registry rankings quoted are as of April 2020.