This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/15/2017
As is often the case with an inaugural collection that is produced many years removed from the last mainstream issue, the 1948 Bowman baseball series contains many "rookies" that had actually been in the league for years but never appeared on a card. One such player, and the key to the 48-card series, is the debut of Stan Musial. Though he made a brief major league appearance in 1941, he didn't appear in the final Play Ball set, the last nationally distributed collection before World War II put a halt to the baseball card market. By the time Stan "The Man" finally got his due on a baseball card, he was already a two-time National League MVP with a pair of batting titles under his belt. His '48 Bowman card is one of the most straightforward introductions of any card ever produced, a simple but serious black and white close-up portrait with a small bio of his already masterful achievements. The offered rookie card of Musial is graded SGC 96 MINT 9, one of only 2 to earn the MINT label with none graded higher. As with virtually all inaugural issues, the 1948 Bowman set is riddled with poor centering and print issues, but this phenomenal pasteboard is completely problem-free, offering up a central image of Musial that is uncommonly sharp for the issue, framed within a stunning white border that clearly outlines the card's outstanding centering. The corners show only the slightest of microscopic imperfections that might keep it from GEM MINT consideration but it easily meets the mark for MINT status. The reverse is of equal, elite quality, delivering deep black print on a bright cardboard canvas. There aren't many 1948 Bowman cards that offer the pack-fresh qualities of this beauty, and with Stan Musial's status as one of the greatest hitters of all-time, this is a piece that is sure to be in demand for any world-class collector.