1948-1949 Leaf Display Box with Original Wax Wrapper and Premium Album

Sold For:

$27,000

Year:

1948

Auction:

2018 Spring

Lot #:

1123

Category:

Postwar Baseball - 1950s Cards

Presented is an extremely rare original five-cent display box from the 1948-1949 Leaf baseball series accompanied by an original 1948-1949 Leaf wax wrapper. Also accompanying is a 1948-1949 premium album made to store the Leaf cards. 1) Five-Cent Display Box: This original store display box, featuring a generic infielder on the cover, once housed twenty-four five-cent wax packs (each containing five cards). This is, of course, just the empty box (no packs are included!), but it is one of the rarest and most desirable of all postwar display boxes. This is one of only a few surviving examples of this rare display box that we have ever heard of, and it is only the second example we have ever offered! In extremely fine shape for a 1940s store display box, it has survived with its original colors and pieces largely intact. The top panel of the box, which features the ballplayer's image, the set name ("All Star Pictures Bubble Gum"), and the advertising text ("5 Pictures of Your Favorite Baseball Stars in Each Package"), is entirely clean except for a couple, insignificant creases near the top edge. A 1949 copyright is printed on the side panel. The side panels of the lid each display a small tape remnant where the box was held closed more than sixty years ago. All the joints of both the top and bottom piece of the box are intact, although it does appear that at one time the back panel of the lid was loose at two joints and has been reinforced with glue (there is a small tear in this same area on one of the joints). These minor imperfections do not detract from the overall Excellent display value of this extremely rare point-of-sale store display box. 2) Wax Wrapper: The original wax wrapper features red and blue repeating "All Star Pictures Bubble Gum" text, along with stars and manufacturer information on each side, against a white background. Flattened to dimensions of 3-5/8 x 6-3/4 inches, the wrapper displays normal folds line and scattered wrinkling but retains an overall Excellent appearance and outstanding display value. 3) Premium Album: The premium album, which measures 8-3/8 x 11 inches, was designed to hold the cards issued as part of Leaf's baseball-card set devoted to the era's greatest ballplayers. The album, which is made of black construction paper with "My Collection of Baseball All Stars" emblazoned on the front alongside a sketch of a generic infielder, is bound by two staples and contains a total of fourteen pages (in addition to the front and back cover) with slots for the issued cards. The back cover contains a detailed history of baseball. It is bright and clean, with just light wear at the corners. This is a tremendous trio of rarely seen material from one of postwar-card collecting's greatest classics, which would be worthy companions to any complete set of 1948-1949 Leaf cards or additions to any advertising or display-box collection. The display box, in particular, is an extraordinary rarity! Total: 3 items. Reserve $500. Estimate (open).