Breakfast In America - KELLOGG'S 3-D Baseball Cards

One of my fondest memories of breakfast time as a kid was getting FREE stuff inside the cereal box. These items ranged from plastic scuba divers to rubber band aircraft carriers (remember those ?).

 

Mornings of swilling milk and sweet oats were intertwined with "reading" the front, back and sides of the specially marked cereal box.

 

But being a sports fan was extacy, staring at these boxes, and wondering who's card was buried deep inside the crunchy sweetness. When the treasure was finally extracted from the bottom of the sea of cereal, I would have a second bowl of breakfast and gaze at the 3 dimentional awesomeness of the baseball card. 

 

The bluest of sky and the whisps of clouds - distanced in the backdrop of a brightly covered athlete. These were almost like a magic window to a magical baseball diamond outside.

 

This week up sprung for two 1974 Kellogg's cards from the evil of the bay (ebay). Not that I am an advocate of PSA or their mystical registry sets (another evil), but I have found it convenient to track my collection on their web site. I have a good number of Kellogg's cards - including the complete elusive 1971 set. However, none of them are graded.

A few years ago I traded for about a half dozen PSA 9 Kellogg's cards from the 1974 set. This only included 1 Hall of Famer - Orlando Cepeda.

 

Picking up the Reggie was great because I was a fanatic Jackson and A's collectors in my hey day. Billy  Williams was once with the Oakland A's, but he is best remembered as a Chicago Cub. Cubs fans are a sad lot - examplfied by the disgraced behavior and treatment of a fellow fan who only reached out to catch a baseball*.

 

Although I am in no hurry to finish anything these days, I would like to trade for more of these 3-D cards. I have a wealth and variety of cards to swap, so if you have any of these, please contact me - tell me what you collect.

 

DO YOU LIKE THE 3-D KELLOGG'S CARDS OF THE 1970'S ?

 

* I refrain from putting THAT fan through any more pain by mentioning his name. If you want, you can look it up. (Cubs fans)

1970's Swingin' Oakland A's in 3-D

Over at The Chronicles of Fuji, my fellow blogger waxed on about his favorite player RICKEY HENDERSON. The 1980's found the hobby a growing monster of collecting madness. Every entrepreneur was getting in the act of baseball trinkets. 

This medallion coin was produced for Rickey Henderson breaking Lou Brock's base stealing record.

This reminded me of my affinity for the 1970's Oakland A's - a team filled with some of the best names ever printed on baseball cards - Rollie Fingers, Vida Blue and "Blue Moon" Odom to mention a few.

But besides the cardboard cards, there was the mornings with the cereal box and 3-D cards.

Part of my collection included these favorites made for the KELLOGG'S breakfast company:

1970 Kellogg's - REGGIE JACKSON

After featuring Hall of Famer REGGIE JACKSON in Kellogg's debut, the 1971 set was oddly devoid of any the stars that would be part of the A's three World Series (1972-1975).

1971 Kellogg's  - PAT DOBSON - how Pat made it into this set while Jackson was left out is curious. It must be based on his career high 16 wins in 1970.

1971 Kellogg's - DON MINCHER - his 5th year reaching 20 or more HRs made Don a star for the Kellogg's set. He hit 27 HRs, a career high, in 1970.

1971 Kellegg's - FILIPE ALOU - Filipe would not even finish the 1971 season as an "Oakland Athletic" before being traded to the Yankees. 

1971 Kellogg's - RICK MONDAY - made his fame with another California team, playing 3 World Series with the L.A. Dodgers (1977, 1978, 1981).

1972 Kellogg's - VIDA BLUE - the reigning Cy Young winner and A.L. Most Valuable Player.

1974 Kellogg's - REGGIE JACKSON - MVP season

1974 Kellogg's - "CATFISH" HUNTER - won 21 games for the 3rd season running. This was the middle of 5 consecutive 20 win seasons. Hall of Fame in 1987.   

1975 Kellogg's - REGGIE JACKSON - always looked good in the green and gold. But would soon be a Baltimore Oriole (not a great look).

Great cereal. Great cards. Great memories.