1948 Bowman Stan Musial #36 Rookie Card Value & Price Guide

Stan Musial spent 22 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, won seven National League batting titles, three MVP awards, and three World Series rings. He finished with a .331 lifetime batting average and 3,630 hits, making him one of the five greatest hitters in baseball history. His 1948 Bowman #36 is recognized as his rookie card, even though he had been in the major leagues since 1941. The 1948 Bowman set was the company's first baseball issue, and Musial's card, rendered in a distinctive black-and-white artistic style, is one of its two most important cards alongside Yogi Berra.

Quick Value Summary

Detail	Info
Item	1948 Bowman Stan Musial #36
Year	1948
Set	1948 Bowman Baseball (48 cards)
Category	Sports Cards (Baseball)
PSA 1 (Poor)	$350 - $500
PSA 2 (Good)	$600 - $1,000
PSA 4 (VG-EX)	$2,000 - $3,500
PSA 5 (EX)	$3,500 - $5,000
PSA 6 (EX-MT)	$3,500 - $6,000
PSA 7 (NM)	$8,000 - $15,000
PSA 8 (NM-MT)	$30,000 - $60,000+
Record Sale	~$72,000 (PSA 8, Heritage Auctions)
Rarity	Scarce in high grade

The Story

Stanley Frank Musial was born on November 21, 1920, in Donora, Pennsylvania, the same small steel town that would later produce Ken Griffey Jr. Musial signed with the Cardinals organization as a pitcher in 1938 but hurt his shoulder in the minor leagues. He switched to the outfield, and the Cardinals called him up in September 1941. He hit .426 in 12 games. By 1943, he was the National League MVP.

Musial's 1948 season was arguably his best. He hit .376 with 39 home runs and 131 RBI, winning his third MVP award. He was so feared by opposing pitchers in Brooklyn that Dodgers fans gave him the nickname "Stan the Man" after watching him terrorize their team.

The 1948 Bowman set was a landmark in card history. It was Bowman Gum's first baseball card release, featuring 48 cards printed on relatively thin cardstock with artistic black-and-white renderings of each player. The set was small but included several Hall of Famers: Musial, Yogi Berra, Bob Feller, Phil Rizzuto, Ralph Kiner, and Warren Spahn.

Musial's card (#36) shows him in a hand-drawn portrait style, facing slightly right. The artistic rendering, while charming, makes the card more difficult to grade than photographic cards because printing inconsistencies are harder to distinguish from actual flaws.

How to Identify It

• Card number: #36, printed on the back

• Design: Black-and-white artistic portrait of Musial from the chest up, facing slightly right

• Set identification: "Bowman" appears on the back with 1948 copyright

• Card stock: Thin cardstock, notably thinner than later Bowman issues

• Size: Approximately 2-1/16" x 2-1/2" (smaller than modern standard)

• Back: Includes brief biographical text and statistics in black text on white/cream stock

Common Confusions

• 1948 Leaf Stan Musial #4: Also considered a Musial rookie card, produced by a competitor. Color card, different design. Both are recognized as rookie cards.

• 1949 Bowman Stan Musial #24: Second-year Bowman card. Color photograph rather than black-and-white rendering. Worth less than the 1948.

Value by Condition

PSA 1 (Poor) to PSA 1.5 (Fair)

Significant wear, possible creasing, paper loss, or writing. Even in poor condition, the card holds value due to Musial's stature. PSA 1 copies sell for $350 to $500. A PSA 1.5 sold for $565 in February 2026.

PSA 2 (Good)

Heavy wear on corners and edges, possible light creases. Still recognizable and complete. PSA 2 copies sell for $600 to $1,000.

PSA 4 (VG-EX)

Moderate wear, rounded corners, possible light crease. Card retains most of its original appearance. A PSA 4.5 sold for $3,050 recently. PSA 4 copies trade for $2,000 to $3,500.

PSA 5 (Excellent)

Light wear on corners and edges, sharp image. A solid collector-grade card. PSA 5 copies sell for $3,500 to $5,000.

PSA 6 (EX-MT)

Minor corner wear, clean surfaces, good centering. A PSA 6 sold for $3,120 in June 2025 on Fanatics Collect. Values range from $3,500 to $6,000.

PSA 7 (Near Mint)

Sharp corners with minimal wear, strong impression, clean back. PSA 7 copies command $8,000 to $15,000. The thin cardstock makes this grade difficult to achieve.

PSA 8 (NM-MT)

Virtually flawless with excellent centering and no visible wear. PSA 8 is the highest realistic grade for this card due to the thin stock and printing process. PSA 8 copies sell for $30,000 to $60,000. A PSA 8 sold at Heritage Auctions for approximately $72,000.

Population Report

The PSA population report reveals the grading difficulty:

Grade	Population	Notes
PSA 9	Very few (under 5)	Extremely rare
PSA 8	~25-30	Highest practical grade
PSA 7	~60-80	Scarce
PSA 6	~100-120	Sweet spot for many collectors
PSA 5	~130-150	Most popular grade
PSA 4	~150-180	Good entry point
PSA 3 and below	~300+	Bulk of submissions

Authentication and Fakes

• Trimming: The thin cardstock is vulnerable to trimming (cutting edges to remove wear). Grading services check for this.

• Reprints: Modern reprints of the 1948 Bowman set exist. They are typically printed on different cardstock and have slightly different dimensions.

• Cleaned cards: Some sellers clean or erase pencil marks from card backs, which can leave telltale marks visible under UV light.

For any purchase above $500, buy only PSA, SGC, or BGS graded copies.

Where to Sell

• Heritage Auctions: Premier venue for vintage baseball cards. Deep collector base for pre-war and early post-war issues.

• eBay: Active market with transparent pricing. 13% total fees.

• COMC: Consignment platform for graded cards.

• Local card shows: Good for mid-grade copies. No platform fees.

Grading costs: PSA charges $50 to $100 for standard submissions depending on turnaround tier. For a card potentially worth $1,000+, grading is strongly recommended.

Have a 1948 Bowman card? Upload a photo to Curio Comp for identification and condition assessment.

Explore More

Stan Musial's 1948 Bowman rookie sits alongside Berra and Feller as the key cards of the set that launched Bowman's baseball card empire.

Browse all Sports Cards →

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