Top 5 Iconic Baseball Cards from the 1940s

When the United States entered World War II after Pearl Harbor, the War Production Board rationed paper and cardboard for the war effort. Between 1942 and 1947, baseball card production came to a standstill. Kids had nothing new to collect as companies like Goudy and Play Ball shut down.

With cardboard off-limits, some kids cut player photos out of newspapers or magazines to make their own “cards.” When production finally returned in the late 1940s, the hobby was reborn. The first Bowman and Leaf sets arrived in 1948, although most baseball card historians believe “1948 Leaf” was actually printed and distributed in early 1949.

The 1940s featured excellent prewar cards as well. Below are five of the decade’s most iconic baseball cards. Iconic baseball cards from the 1940s are defined by their historical significance. For variety, only one card per player is included. Each card helps tell the story of baseball’s survival through the war and its rebirth in the years that followed.

Honorable Mention: 1948 Bowman Yogi Berra #6 (Rookie Card)

PSA 4 Price and Population: $1,026 (364)

Total Population: 3,791

Why This Card is Iconic: This card symbolizes the quiet beginning of one of baseball’s most decorated careers. Yogi collected ten World Series rings and three MVP awards as a member of multiple Yankees dynasties. As the sole rookie card of Lawrence Peter Berra, many vintage collectors are pleasantly surprised when they learn that this card is relatively affordable in lower grades.

Historical Context: No mainstream baseball card sets come out from 1942-1946 and only a few regional/food-based sets came out in 1947 (1947 Tip Top Bread, 1947 Homogenized Bond Bread, and 1947–1948 Exhibits). That meant that Yogi did not have a rookie card come out during his actual rookie season in 1947 (he also played a few games for the Yankees in 1946).

5. 1941 Play Ball Ted Williams #14

Ted Williams 1941 Play Ball — Card Ladder

PSA 4 Price and Population: $2,575 (211)

Total Population: 2,121

Why This Card is Iconic: 1941 was the year Williams hit .406, a batting average no player has matched since. Williams is considered by many as the greatest hitter ever, and this is his most popular card from the 1940s. The 1941 Playball set is one of the most popular pre-war baseball card sets in the hobby because of it's beautiful design and color.

Historical Context: Released just months before America entered World War II, this card represents both the peak of prewar baseball and the end of an era. Williams would soon trade his bat for a flight suit, serving as a Marine pilot for the American military. He was an outstanding and decorated fighter pilot, flying missions during WWII and the Korean War.

4. 1948 Bowman Stan Musial #36 (Rookie Card)

PSA 4 Price and Population: $1,291 (409)

Total Population: 4,060

Why This Card is Iconic: This is the rookie card of Stan the Man, easily a top 10 player of all time. The simple black-and-white design of the 1948 Bowman set reflects his understated personality. It is the cornerstone card of Bowman's first ever set.

Historical Context: Musial had already won multiple batting titles and MVP awards by the time this rookie card was released. The seven-year pause in major card production during World War II meant that Musial did not have a "mainstream" card before this one, despite making his debut in 1941. (Some may consider the 1946 Propaganda Montiel as Musial's first rookie card, but this is a rare black-and-white Cuban card that was never distributed in the US.)

3. 1941 Play Ball Joe Dimaggio #71

Joe Dimaggio 1941 Play Ball — Card Ladder

PSA 4 Price and Population: $3,359 (155)

Total Population: 1,670

Why This Card is Iconic: 1941 was when Dimaggio was at his peak and it is the year of his legendary 56-game hit streak. This card features a hand-painted portrait of DiMaggio against a blue background and is one of the most visually striking designs of the prewar era. Its rich colors and realistic detail set it apart from the simpler black-and-white Play Ball cards that came before.

Historical Context: Just months after the release of this card, paper rationing and wartime priorities brought baseball card production to a halt, making this one of the last nationally distributed cards collectors would see for several years. DiMaggio’s 1941 Play Ball card is a symbolic closing image of prewar baseball.

2. 1948 Leaf Satchel Paige #8 (Rookie Card)

PSA 4 Price and Population: $47,580 (23)

Total Population: 287

Why This Card is Iconic: This was Paige’s first mainstream baseball card and his only major issue during his playing days. Even though it was Paige's rookie card, Paige was a 42 year old rookie in 1948 (the oldest MLB rookie ever). As a "rookie" in 1948, he helped the Cleveland Indians win the World Series. Paige dominated the Negro Leagues for two decades before this card came out.

Historical Context: When the 1948 Leaf Satchel Paige card was released, baseball and America were both undergoing transformation. Jackie Robinson had just broken the color barrier the year before, and Paige’s arrival with the Cleveland Indians in 1948 made him the first African American pitcher in the American League. The Leaf card helped give Paige his long-overdue national spotlight.

1. 1948 Jackie Robinson #79 (Rookie Card)

Jackie Robinson Rookie Card — Card Ladder

PSA 4 Price and Population: $12,500 (249)

Total Population: 2,859

A less mainstream rookie card of Jackie Robinson does exist (1947 Bond Bread Jackie Robinson), but this card was distributed regionally with loaves of Bond Bread. It was not sold nationally in gum packs. It was printed on thin paper stock with multiple poses (portrait and batting), and it is far more rare than his Leaf rookie card.

Historical Context: The 1948 Leaf Jackie Robinson card came out at a time when baseball cards were returning after a six-year wartime hiatus. The Leaf card was Jackie's first nationally distributed appearance, introducing him to collectors across the country and solidifying his role as the defining figure of the postwar era.

Iconic 1940 Baseball Card Honorable Mentions:

Several other cards from the 1940s narrowly missed the top five but remain essential pieces of the decade’s collecting history.

1948 Leaf Stan Musial

Musial’s other true rookie card and a cornerstone of Leaf’s debut set.

1948 Bowman Warren Spahn

An often-overlooked Hall of Fame rookie card from Bowman’s debut set.

1948 Leaf Babe Ruth

This card was a posthumous tribute to the most best and most famous player in baseball history.