Twice in a lifetime!?
Some of us chase after the rare and obscure. I am definitely one of those people. My collection focuses primarily on playing days issues of Roberto Clemente. I especially love pursuing complete as issued boxes – most with known populations that can be counted on a single hand, sometimes a single finger. For 30 years prior to August 2020 at the top of my want list was a complete 1960 Bazooka box with Clemente. You can read the story of that incredible find here:
https://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=286980
Within a half hour of my posting this once in a lifetime find, a board member asked the question: So what’s next?
In short order I responded that a 1962 Jell-O Clemente complete box (for those unaware, the 1962 Jell-O was a test issue of sorts with limited regional distribution and are quite hard to find today – even in cut card form) or 1962 Post Canadian complete box with Clemente could be “next”. I had never seen or heard of the existence of either one. I took the time to enjoy the Bazooka box for a few weeks (literally pinching myself a couple of times while holding it), then started giving real thought to what was theoretically possible. In addition to the ’62 Jell-O and 62 Post Canadian, I added a complete 1961 Post box, complete 1963 Post box and/or complete 1962 Post box with a “blue line” Clemente. I started putting out some feelers for any of the aforementioned. I hadn’t seen nor heard of any of them existing.
Brian Powell reached out and shared a copy of an SCD advertisement by Lew Lipsett from 1985. Lew sold a collection of
uncirculated (never had Jell-O in them!) 1962 Jell-O boxes. There was a single example of a number of different players including Clemente. The box existed! Did it still? Where was it? Did someone cut it to try to get a “high grade” single? The hunt was on.
I reached out to a number of people I know who might know its whereabouts. I reached out to a retired Lipsett who did not recall who purchased the box. I checked the grading company population reports. Nothing. I continued checking auctions, Ebay and a number of other sales channels. Nothing. The search paused as I had turned over all the stones I could think to turn over.
About a month ago I was pricing out a group of cards including a 1962 Jell-O Clemente single. I often check the graded population for cards I know to be low population. As I was navigating to the 1962 Jell-O listing in the grading company database, just above it was the “1962 Jell-O complete box” listing. “Just for fun” I clicked on the complete box listing – my eyes popped out of my head when I saw the Clemente listed there!!! It wasn’t there last time I looked! Now to find it……
I frantically started posting on Facebook and Net 54 looking for it. I emailed a number of contacts. Shortly after I posted on Net 54 I received a text from Nicolo (Raulus) with a link to the Clemente box coming up in a major national auction! Oh Crap! Now I need to take down all my posts so as not to bring any more attention to the box than a major national auction invariably will already have! I deleted all my posts and sent follow up emails that I had located the box.
In addition to the 1962 box, the auction also had an uncirculated 1963 Clemente Jell-O box (I already have one – though nowhere near as nice and a different flavor Jell-O (which I didn’t realize till after the auction) and 1962 post Alpha Bits Clemente partial box (the fact it was only partial made it less interesting to me).
When the dust settled (and my pocket was quite a bit lighter), I was the winner of the 1962 box! I received it yesterday. I believe it is a one of a kind and the same box sold by Lipsett in 1985.
Ironically, it was slightly anti-climactic in the shadow of the 30 year search for the 1960 Bazooka box as I had “only” searched for 3 years. Had it been on my radar, I could theoretically have been searching for it longer than the Bazooka box. That said, I feel humbled to have been able to add this incredible, likely 1 of a kind box to my collection!
Anyone happen to have a 1962 Post Canadian complete box (or complete panel) with Clemente…..
?