1948-1949 Leaf #8 Satchel Paige Rookie Short Print PSA VG-EX+ 4.5

Sold For:

$27,600

Year:

1948

Auction:

2019 Fall

Lot #:

1042

Category:

Postwar Baseball - 1950s Cards

Graded VG-EX+ 4.5 by PSA. Offered is an extremely attractive and strong mid-grade example of 1948-1949 Leaf #8 Satchel Paige. This is one of card collecting's most iconic classics. Satchel Paige’s Leaf rookie card is universally recognized as 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. The offered example is bright and clean, with bold colors, light corner wear (more so the bottom left), and centering slightly toward the bottom left. The centering, along with a very minor registration issue (just around the back of his cap, mentioned for accuracy) are common problems encountered with the Leaf set. It has been downgraded in large part due to the evidence of a faint diagonal crease in the lower-right portion of the card. The crease does not break the surface and is not particularly obtrusive when viewed head on. It is much more noticeable when viewed from the back. The card presents very strongly and is a particularly attractive example for the grade, without any significant imperfections affecting Paige’s image. The back is surprisingly clean, with virtually no surface wear, and boldly printed text centered to the far bottom left. This card presents a rare opportunity to acquire an extremely attractive example of one of the most classic of all postwar baseball cards. Reserve $5,000. Estimate $10,000/$20,000++.