A Stern Pafko

Here are a couple of my recent Andy Pafko PC collection additions. The first is an autographed 8 x 10 photo of a stern looking Handy Andy. Pafko was known for his positive attitude on the field and nearly all of his baseball cards feature a broad smile (including his famous 1952 Topps #1) and so when I came upon this signed photo with a very serious expression I had to add it to the collection.

The other pickup was a graded 1957 Spic and Span Andy Pafko in excellent condition. These promo cards were originally available from a chain of dry cleaners in Wisconsin and they are pretty rare to find in good shape. I was willing to spend a little bit on a nice graded copy (in a huge PSA plastic case by the way) and take a Pafko card off of my needs list.  

Shaking Like A Leaf #1: Larry Jensen/Jansen #56

Chronicling my quest to build a 1948-1949 Leaf Baseball set. 

PLAYER: Larry Jensen ... well, actually it was Larry Jansen. This first of many spelling errors to be included in the set with several of them corrected. Jansen doesn't appear to have received a corrected version on the checklist.
CARD NO.: 56
TEAM: New York Giants
OF NOTE: This is my first 48-49 Leaf card in my quest to build the set. I do have several copies of Andy Pafko's card but  that I already have. Jansen was probably the best pitcher from the late 1940's that you probably aren't familiar. His rookie year in 1947 included a 21-5 record and a second-place finish in the Rookie of the Year voting. He went 23-11 in 1951, was named an All-Star and received MVP votes. He would later becoming a pitching coach for the Giants and would shepard the early career of Gaylord Perry and Juan Marichal. Jansen was included in just about every important post-war set including 1947 Bond Bread, 1948-1954 Bowman, and 1951-1952 Topps.
CARD PRICE: $6.77 eBay delivered.
TOTAL SET PRICE SO FAR: $6.77
SET PROGRESS: 2/98 or two percent complete.

1948-1949 Leaf Baseball Needs List

The 1948-1949 Leaf set is one of my all-time favorites and it offers some of the most beautifully simplistic cards ever made. The set checklist includes the fun problem of skip numbering and so although the set is numbered to #168 there are really only 98 cards in the set (plus some variations). It must had driven collectors of the day absolutely crazy looking for card #2 in the set!

The set also features some of the most valuable cards ever made which makes building a truly complete set probably impossible. So for many of these I will be looking for reprint placeholders, particularly the Satchel Paige, Jackie Robinson, and Babe Ruth cards.

The set also features one of Andy Pafko's earliest cards. It is also one of my personal favorites from his baseball card biography.

Last updated: 7-16-18

1948-1949 Leaf Baseball Reprints Needs List

1 Joe DiMaggio
3 Babe Ruth
4 Stan Musial
8 Satchel Paige RC SP
32 Warren Spahn
38 Ted Kluszewski RC
70 Honus Wagner
76 Ted Williams
79 Jackie Robinson RC
91 Ralph Kiner
93 Bob Feller SP
138 Larry Doby RC SP

1948-1949 Leaf Baseball Needs List

1 Joe DiMaggio
3 Babe Ruth
4 Stan Musial
5 Virgil Trucks RC SP
8 Satchel Paige RC SP
10 Dizzy Trout
11 Phil Rizzuto
13 Cass Michaels RC SP
14 Billy Johnson
17 Frank Overmire RC
19 Johnny Wyrostek SP
20 Hank Sauer SP
22 Al Evans RC
26 Sam Chapman
27 Mickey Harris RC
28 Jim Hearn RC
29 Elmer Valo RC
30 Billy Goodman RC SP
31 Lou Brissie RC
32 Warren Spahn
33 Peanuts Lowrey RC SP
36 Al Zarilla SP
38 Ted Kluszewski RC
39 Ewell Blackwell
42 Kent Peterson RC - Blue Cap
42 Kent Peterson RC - Red Cap
43 Ed Stevens RC SP
45 Ken Keltner RC SP
46 Johnny Mize
47 George Vico RC
48 Johnny Schmidtz RC SP
49 Del Ennis RC
50 Dick Wakefield RC
51 Alvin Dark RC SP
53 Johnny Vander Meer
54 Bobby Adams RC SP
55 Tommy Henrich SP
56 Larry Jansen
57 Bob McCall RC
59 Luke Appling
61 Jake Early RC
62 Eddie Joost SP
63 Barney McCosky SP
65 Robert Elliott
66 Orval Grove RC SP
68 Eddie Miller SP
70 Honus Wagner
72 Hank Edwards RC
73 Pat Seerey RC
75 Dom DiMaggio SP
76 Ted Williams
77 Roy Smalley RC
78 Hoot Evers RC SP
79 Jackie Robinson RC
81 Whitney Kurowski RC SP
82 Johnny Lindell
83 Bobby Doerr
84 Sid Hudson
85 Dave Philley RC SP
86 Ralph Weigel RC
88 Frank Gustine RC SP
91 Ralph Kiner
93 Bob Feller SP
95 George Stirnweiss
97 Marty Marion
98 Hal Newhouser RC SP
102 Gene Hermanski RC - Hermansk
102 Gene Hermanski RC - Hermanski
104 Bud Stewart RC SP
106 Lou Boudreau MG RC
108 Matt Batts RC SP
111 Jerry Priddy RC
113 Dutch Leonard SP
117 Joe Gordon RC
120 George Kell RC SP
121 Johnny Pesky RC SP
123 Cliff Fannin RC SP
125 Andy Pafko RC
127 Enos Slaughter SP
128 Buddy Rosar
129 Kirby Higbe SP
131 Sid Gordon SP
133 Tommy Holmes RC SP
136 Cliff Aberson RC - Full Sleeve
136 Cliff Aberson RC - Short Sleeve
137 Harry Walker RC SP
138 Larry Doby RC SP
139 Johnny Hopp RC
142 Danny Murtaugh RC SP
143 Dick Sisler RC SP
144 Bob Dillinger RC SP
146 Pete Reiser SP
149 Hank Majeski RC SP
153 Floyd Baker RC SP
158 Harry Brecheen RC SP
159 Mizel Platt RC
160 Bob Scheffing RC SP
161 Vern Stephens RC SP
163 Fred Hutchinson RC SP
165 Dale Mitchell RC SP
168 Phil Cavaretta RC SP