1948 Bowman Baseball Card Set Overview

Card Specs: 2" x 2.5”  |  48 cards  |  Black & White |  Classification: Postwar/Vintage

With only 48 cards, the 1948 Bowman baseball set is modest in size but monumental in significance. Mainstream card production halted during WWII, and Bowman's 1948 release offered a return to normalcy, a revival of The Hobby, and kicked off what was to become baseball card collecting's golden age. The set represented Bowman's first baseball cards under its new name, after rebranding from Gum, Inc., which had produced the popular Play Ball sets before wartime production halted.

Key rookie cards in the 1948 Bowman include Yogi Berra, Stan Musial, Warren Spahn, and Ralph Kiner. The latter three made their diamond debuts earlier in the decade, but since card production had stalled during WWII, these are their first mainstream appearances and generally accepted as their rookie cards.

1948 Bowman Ralph Kiner, Phil Rizzuto, & Red Schoendienst

1948 Bowman Card Design

Distributed in penny packs with Blony Bubble Gum, the black-and-white 1948 Bowman baseball cards feature straightforward, tightly cropped player portraits, the simplicity a result of lingering postwar production restraints and an emphasis on affordability as the economy recovered. This is in stark contrast from Bowman's contemporary, the 1948-49 Leaf set, which was distributed in 1949 and featured full color illustrations. Printed on 36-card sheets, each card’s back lists player bio details, statistics, and an advertisement for Blony Bubble Gum.

1948 Bowman Warren Spahn, front and back

1948 Bowman Card Value

Examples of Yogi Berra, Warren Spahn, or Stan Musial grading 8 or 9 can reach $20,000- 40,000 at auction. There is one PSA 10 Berra in existence, last sold for $192,000 in 2017, likely to double or triple that if it went to market today. Lesser Hall of Fame caliber players can reach $5,000, with prices dropping below fourfigures in mid grade. Common card values top out around $500 in the very best grades, with mid-grade dropping under $100.

Recent 1948 Bowman Auction Sales

1948 Bowman Warren Spahn PSA 9- $40,590 - 2025 Fall Auction

1948 Bowman Yogi Berra SGC 9 - $28,800 - 2025 Spring Auction

1948 Bowman Stan Musial PSA 8 - $23,140 - 2025 Fall Auction

1948 Bowman Bob Feller PSA 9 - $5,412 - 2025 Fall Auction

1948 Bowman Complete Set - $4,674 - 2025 Fall Auction

FOR MORE AUCTION RESULTS, SEARCH "1948 BOWMAN" IN OUR AUCTION ARCHIVE.

How to Sell 1948 Bowman Baseball Cards

The 1948 Bowman baseball card set is a foundational piece of postwar collecting, and highly desirable among our bidders. We have unmatched experience selling single graded cards, near complete sets, and can help with grading and authentication of raw examples. If you'd like to learn how we can help maximize your 1948 Bowman cards' value, reach out today to connect with a specialist for a free consultation.