Manufacturer: Leaf (Chicago Leaf Gum Company)
Set Size: 98 Cards (actual numbers spanned between 1 and 168)
Card Size: 2-3/8” x 2-7/8”
Set Notes: The 1948 Leaf baseball card set holds a truly unique and somewhat enigmatic place in the history of the hobby. It’s renowned as the first widely distributed post-World War II baseball card set to feature color images, a significant leap from the black-and-white cards of Bowman issued the same year. Despite its innovations, it’s also famous for its production quirks and scarcity, making it one of the most challenging and desirable vintage sets to complete. The 1948 Leaf baseball cards feature players on bright color backgrounds with bold player name on black under photos. The back of each card includes player bios and limited stats.
Key Rookies From 1948 Leaf: #4 – Stan Musial | #8 – Satchel Paige | #11– Phil Rizzuto | #32 – Warren Spahn | #38 – Ted Kluszewsk | #79 – Jackie Robinson
Pricing chart includes raw card price & some graded card value estimates.
These values are collated from a variety of resources including recently sold listings, sales averages and a variety of other sports card pricing data sources. Please see full disclaimer on “Terms Page” for more information.
(Rookiecardprices.com only shows values for regular base set cards. No prices are shown for errors, parallels, subsets, misprints or other cards unless noted.)
DISCLAIMER: This data is not intended as financial advice and should not be used as such. Please do your own research before making any investment or selling/buying decisions.
(–) : No Pricing Data Available | ($) USD Price Value | (¢) USD Price Under $1
1948 Leaf Rookie Card Prices
| Rookie | Card # | Raw | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stan Musial | 4 | $750 | $750 | $1,675 | $2,650 | $4,000 | $4,200 | $4,400 | $12,500 | $40,000 | $260,000 |
| Virgil Trucks | 5 | $180 | $180 | $215 | $220 | $430 | $575 | $900 | $950 | $3,900 | - |
| Satchel Paige | 8 | $5,000 | $24,000 | $23,000 | $35,000 | $36,000 | $63,500 | $70,000 | $110,000 | $432,000 | - |
| Phil Rizzuto | 11 | $100 | $130 | $135 | $360 | $400 | $450 | - | $850 | $2,000 | - |
| Hank Sauer | 20 | $275 | $275 | $300 | $325 | $360 | $450 | $900 | $1,200 | $2,750 | - |
| Billy Goodman | 30 | $100 | $120 | $400 | $420 | $500 | $510 | $530 | $1,300 | $2,500 | - |
| Warren Spahn | 32 | $350 | $432 | $450 | $660 | $960 | $1,125 | $1,525 | $3,000 | $7,200 | - |
| Ted Kluszewski | 38 | $40 | $45 | $60 | $120 | $160 | $230 | $275 | $620 | $720 | - |
| Ewell Blackwell | 39 | $20 | $25 | $30 | $40 | $50 | $70 | $85 | $225 | $360 | - |
| Alvin Dark | 51 | $150 | $150 | $190 | $210 | $855 | - | - | $1,100 | $1,575 | - |
| Bob Elliot | 65 | $20 | $25 | $30 | $30 | $35 | $60 | $85 | $100 | $500 | - |
| Jackie Robinson | 79 | $5,500 | $5,700 | $9,800 | $10,000 | $18,000 | $20,000 | $35,000 | $80,000 | $325,000 | $500,000 |
| Dave Philley | 85 | $30 | $40 | $225 | $270 | - | $600 | - | $900 | $2,200 | - |
| Ralph Kiner | 91 | $120 | $130 | $155 | $200 | $300 | $325 | $400 | $1,075 | $1,500 | $18,000 |
| Marty Marion | 97 | $20 | $25 | $30 | $45 | $80 | $100 | $150 | $335 | $500 | - |
| Hal Newhouser | 98 | $2,000 | $2,500 | - | - | $2,600 | $7,000 | - | - | $48,000 | - |
| George Kell | 120 | $175 | $175 | $400 | $1,100 | - | - | $3,000 | $3,500 | $15,600 | - |
| Johnny Pesky | 121 | $150 | $150 | $220 | $375 | $450 | $1,350 | - | - | $4,800 | - |
| Larry Doby | 138 | $500 | $660 | $3,000 | - | - | $6,600 | $7,250 | $12,200 | $18,000 | - |
| Danny Murtaugh | 142 | $120 | $200 | $320 | $400 | $450 | $500 | $600 | $2,300 | $4,500 | - |
| Harry Brecheen | 158 | $100 | $150 | $175 | $360 | $400 | $480 | $675 | $2,200 | $16,800 | - |
| Vern Stephens | 161 | $75 | $80 | $110 | $160 | $500 | - | $600 | $875 | $2,350 | - |
| Fred Hutchinson | 163 | $190 | $250 | $275 | $300 | $530 | $560 | $700 | $1,600 | - | - |
| Dale Mitchell | 165 | $150 | $160 | $200 | $300 | $365 | $430 | $615 | $800 | $2,500 | - |
| Data Updated: February 2026 | |||||||||||
Overview of 1948 Leaf Baseball Cards
Colorized Images: The defining characteristic of 1948 Leaf is its vibrant, hand-colorized player portraits or action shots, set against solid, often vivid, single-color backgrounds. This splash of color was revolutionary for its time and ushered in the “post-war” era of card collecting.
Set Size and Skip-Numbering: The set nominally ranges from card numbers 1-168, but it actually contains only 98 different cards. This “skip-numbering” was a tactic often used by card manufacturers to encourage kids to buy more packs in search of seemingly missing cards.
Short Prints (SPs): Adding to the challenge, nearly half the set (49 of the 98 cards) are short prints, meaning they were produced in significantly fewer quantities than the common cards. This scarcity makes completing the set, even today, a formidable and expensive endeavor.
Condition Sensitivity: The cards were printed on coarse cardstock, and production quality was inconsistent. Issues like poor centering, print defects, and color registration problems (where the colors don’t line up perfectly) are very common, leading to hazy images and making high-grade examples extremely rare and valuable.
Card Dimensions: The cards are smaller than later Topps and Bowman issues, measuring approximately 2-3/8″ x 2-7/8″.
Copyright Date: Although many cards bear a 1948 copyright date, it’s widely believed that the set was primarily released and distributed in early 1949.
The 1948 Leaf set remains a perennial favorite for serious vintage collectors due to its historical significance, unique aesthetics, and the intense challenge of acquiring high-grade examples.
Key Rookie Cards From 1948 Leaf Baseball
