Essential cards of Stan "The Man" Musial
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Rarely can you point to one man and say without a doubt that he was one of the best players of his generation but also one of the kindest. That's what we had in MLB Hall of Famer Outfielder Stan Musial. He always had time for the kids and to give an autograph - and always had a kind word for his fellow players, including the players coming over to MLB from the Negro Leagues. His play on the field was also something to behold - a 3-time MVP who served in World War 2 and also had a .376 batting average when he returned. Just unbelievable stuff. His baseball cards are still highly valued all these years later- let's take a look.
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BOWMAN 1948 STAN MUSIAL
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The 1948 Bowman set has the distinction of being the first set of baseball cards produced without any sort of tie-in to another product like dog food or chewing gum. Stan Musial's rookie included in this set is just a classic. The black and white photo adds that vintage touch, while the up close portrait shows a young Musial full of the potential that he exceeded over the coming years. The example seen here, graded 4.5, recently sold for around $1,500.
LEAF 1948 STAN MUSIAL
The 1948 Leaf set is one of the most revered and popular in the hobby, all these years later. The production of the cards left something to be desired; many of the cards struggle with color and centering issues - others are are out of focus. This example, graded PSA 5, sold recently for over $4,000. The vibrant colors and great shot of Musial's swing make this an iconic card.
SCORE THE FRANCHISE AUTOGRAPH 1992 STAN MUSIAL
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The 1992 Score set marked Musial's first autograph card inserted in packs. Back in 1992, the idea of an autographed card at all was somewhat new to the hobby. The signature in gold really sets this card apart and is well worth the search. Mickey Mantle and Carl Yastrzemski also signed cards for the set and there are 500 that include the signatures of all three.
FLEER 3,000 CLUB JERSEY/BAT 2000 STAN MUSIAL
What a cool card - a tribute to the 3,000 hit club members, die-cut and included a swatch of game used jersey and game used bat, numbered to 975. But wait, there's a third 0 that something could fit into, you say? Relic cards don't come much nicer than this. But wait, there's a third 0 that something could fit into, you say? There is a parallel triple relic version that inlcudes swatches of bat, hat and jersey numbered to just 25.
Brian Hough became a fan of the hobby by opening packs of 1986 Donruss and 1987 Topps baseball with his dad and little brother. He has been writing about the collectibles industry for years, initially as a price guide editor for Tuff Stuff Magazine, which was a monthly sports magazine focused on sports cards and collectibles, particularly known for its price guides and checklists, that initially launched in April 1984.