1948-1949 Leaf #8 Satchel Paige Rookie Short Print SGC Authentic

Sold For:

$13,800

Year:

1948

Auction:

2022 October

Lot #:

31

Category:

Postwar Baseball - 1950s Cards

Modestly graded example of 1948-1949 Leaf #8 Satchel Paige. This is one of card collecting's iconic classics. Paige’s Leaf rookie card is one of the rarest and most significant of all postwar baseball cards. Chicago's Leaf Gum Company produced the first multicolor baseball cards of the post-World War II era in 1948-1949. Forty-nine cards in the set are considered "standard," and the additional "short print" series of forty-nine cards in the set are so rare that "Rare Leafs" has long been a formal card-collecting hobby term. Leafs are without question one of the toughest postwar sets to complete because of all the rare cards. Paige is not only the key to this rare series, he is also the key to the 1948-1949 Leaf set. The Leaf card is also Paige’s most valuable. This card displays vibrant colors and a crisp image of Paige. Encapsulated as Authentic by SGC due to a number of visible condition issues, most notably due to the card missing a sizable chunk along the right edge and spots of added paper. Despite these flaws, this card presents a rare opportunity to acquire a relatively affordable example of one of the classic postwar baseball cards. Reserve $10.