September 2017

Lot #56:

Exceedingly Rare 1948 Leaf Boxing Unopened Pack Group of (3) Packs

In our hobby it's always nice to encounter something that you, or for that matter, no one else has ever seen. Such is the case with the offered lot of three (3) 1948 Leaf Boxing packs. I was at the National Sports Collectors Convention when I got a phone call from a fellow dealer friend of mine who asked me to come to his table to take a look at something. I hurried over to his table and when I got there I encountered these little treasures along with the exceptionally rare 1948 Leaf Boxing display box which is also being offered in our auction. Each of the packs are exceptional in there own right and are tightly wrapped with a stunning and red and green wrapper with the words "Knock Out Bubble Gum With Pictures" The packs themselves measure 2 15/16" x 2 3/8" which is identical to the Baseball pack and most presumably the Football issue as well. When looking at a pack of the offered age it's really exceptionally difficult to put into context a true value for an item. One needs to look at the possible contents of the item which in this case is extreme with the possibilities of Joe Louis, Jack Dempsey, Ray Robinson and on the very exceptionally rare chance the exceptionally rare Rocky Graziano (it should be noted that ourselves as well as others do not know if the Graziano card was ever inserted into packs and we are in no way sure if this exceptionally rare card is even a possibility in these unopened packs) As well an enthusiast needs to look at the extreme rarity of a pack being preserved in an unopened state. For some context in pricing packs of this age it should be noted that a 1948 Leaf Baseball Unopened pack sold for $57,000 in REA's Spring auction while we sold 19 packs of 1948 Bowman Baseball packs for an astounding $521,000 in our June auction. Obviously these are prices for Baseball and the offered packs are Boxing but it really is the only context of pricing we can provide on unopened packs of this age. A stupendous offering that should be given great consideration.