Lot # 883: 1948-1949 Leaf #8 Satchel Paige Rookie Short Print PSA VG 3

Graded VG 3 by PSA. Appealing 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 49 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 card has bright colors, a slightly out-of-focus image, honest corner wear, and centering toward the bottom left. Boldly printed reverse has a touch of paper loss. This card presents a rare opportunity to acquire a modestly graded but visually pleasing example of one of the classic postwar baseball cards.