After publishing my Potential Baseball Card Hobby Monsters article on June 30th, one of the most compelling responses came via X. While many collectors were surprised by the fact that there are three PSA 10 copies of the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle but no PSA 10s of cards like 1981 Topps Fernando Valenzuela, what really caught my attention was a reply from @AllAcesCards highlighting that the 1948 Leaf #93 Bob Feller doesn’t just lack a PSA 10, it doesn’t even have a single PSA 9 either.
As of now, there are six PSA 8s in the pop report.
One of those PSA 8s sold for $45,000 on eBay in December 2020, then again for $72,000 in REA’s April 2021 auction. However, in the Spring of 2025, REA re-sold it for just $37,200
Here are three of the others (let’s leave the debate about whether each would grade that if submitted raw today; it can be tough to judge a card by a scan).
In November 2018, Heritage sold serial number 06028782 for $38,400.
Heritage also sold serial number 03020046 for $43,200 in November 2017.
And in December 2006, Memory Lane Inc sold serial number 03020018 for $24,612.
Given the combination of rarity, condition sensitivity, and Bob Feller’s standing in baseball history, a PSA 9 could be a low-six-figure card, depending on timing and presentation. And with seven different collectors holding PSA Set Registry entries that average a 5.5 or better, there’s definitely built-in demand.
Of course, we’ll leave the broader mysteries and quirks of the 1948 Leaf set for another day; this isn’t the time to dive into short prints, skipped numbers, or variations. Today is about Bob Feller and the kind of card that would rock the hobby if a higher-grade copy ever surfaced.
Happy Collecting!
P.S. There’s another monster hiding in plain sight, the 1957 Topps Hank Aaron. No PSA 10s. Just 34 PSA 9s. That would absolutely be a million-dollar card. I’ll get to that one soon.
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