The 1948 R406-1 baseball card set is considered one of the most iconic and valuable sets from the post-World War 2 era. Issued by Bowman Gum, the 1948 set featured players from both the American and National Leagues in their vivid color portraits. With its vibrant colors and focus on star players of the time, the 1948 Bowman set helped reinvigorate the baseball card market and reestablish the hobby’s popularity after a lull during the war years.
While production numbers for the original 1948 Bowman set are not precisely known, estimates suggest only about 200 complete unopened wax packs may still exist today, making individual cards extremely rare. The set includes a total of 72 cards issued in series ranging from R401 to R406. Within these series, the R406-1 subset featuring the set’s biggest stars in vibrant color portraits have become the most coveted and valuable cards for collectors.
Some key details on the iconic 1948 R406-1 subset that helped drive early post-war baseball card mania include:
The R406-1 subset featured 16 of the game’s biggest stars at the time, including Ted Williams, Stan Musial, Bob Feller, and Jackie Robinson in his rookie card year. Robinson’s appearance in the set was especially significant as one of the first widely distributed black baseball cards.
Cards were printed using a vivid four-color lithograph process that gave the portraits a bright, almost cartoon-like quality. This set the visual standard for many 1950s sets that followed in highlighting players’ facial features.
Production was limited, with experts estimating fewer than 50 examples survive in pristine gem mint condition or better for some of the superstar R406-1 cards. The rarity greatly multiplies their value today.
The cards had no statistics or biographical information on the back, instead featuring a simple “return address” style back with the Bowman Gum company information. This clean design allowed the focus to remain on the large color portraits.
When it comes to pricing some of the key 1948 R406-1 stars, the following details showcase just how significantly condition and grade can impact a card’s potential worth from a few thousand to over $1 million:
A PSA GEM MT-10 graded Jackie Robinson rookie in the R406-1 subset recently sold at auction for over $3.12 million, setting a new record price for a baseball card. Even a lower grade PSA 8 example could still fetch $200,000+.
A Ted Williams or Stan Musial R406-1 in PSA 8 condition would sell for $50,000-$100,000 depending on bidding activity. Still gems but in lower PSA 6-7 grades could go for $15,000-30,000.
Star pitchers Bob Feller and Warren Spahn in PSA 8 would sell in the $15,000-25,000 range, while a PSA 10 Feller could potentially break $100,000.
Lessor stars in the subset like Phil Cavarretta or Eddie Waitkus can still sell for $3,000-8,000 in top PSA 8-9 grades given their rarity. Lower grades would be $1,000-3,000.
When factoring in things like a player’s fame, the importance of their 1948 performance, and overall population statistics, the 1948 R406-1 subset became the true blue chip vintage cards that could sustain or increase in value over time. While condition is critical, simply owning any example from this hallowed 66-year old set is a true highlight for any serious baseball card collector. With its place in memorabilia history secure, the 1948 R406-1 cards will assuredly remain a pinnacle that many aspire to in building their collections.
