Completely different sets, for sure.
The differences between the '62 JELL-O and Post are stark. The difference between them in '63 is apparent, but does nothing to make the JELL-O more appealing with a distinctive visual contrast. A few gents really go after the '63 JELL-O because some of the cards are very challenging due the fact they were only issued on box flavors that were not very popular, or larger boxes that were not purchased as often by thrifty mothers.
As for the Hostess, I loved them. As for the individual Twinkies packages, I hated them. Every one I ever saw at the store was stained, often badly. If I couldn't get it in MINT condition at the time it was issued, I simply didn't want it. If it was more scarce than the Hostess, so what. In my mind, if it was stained, it was ruined. Now, if I had had an "in" at the printing facility who did the Hostess cards, that would have been an entirely different matter.
For many of the cards I lovingly wrote about in my recently-released book on postwar regional / food issues, NEVER CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN, the existing ultra-high grade PSA and SGC specimens may be traced to an adult collector who ravenously pursued a given set back in the day, or a pack rat who squirreled away left-over prizes that were later to be brought into the marketplace as major hobby finds. I wrote of the provenance, for instance, of the find of a mint 1954 Wilson Franks set back in the mid-70s, from whence came the sole PSA 9 MINT Ted Williams specimen. The card sold through a Mastro Auction early in this millenium for about $109,000! A whopper of a price, indeed.
Getting off the subject. You are not alone to regard the great Post Cereal cards, and their beautiful JELL-O counterparts, as separate sets. Another germane example. Very, very, very frequently you will run across an example of the 1963 JELL-O Mickey Mantle, but seldom will you encounter the Post Cereal. Especially an ultra high-grade PSA / SGC - graded specimen. There is a good reason for this, to be found in my book. My book doesn't cover the Hostess / Twinkies, as they appeared from 1975 - 1979. The era for my book is 1947 - 1971.
Nice topic. Hope you get lotsa responses. ---Brian Powell
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