[Box-Cards]

In my opinion, prejudiced as it admittedly is, almost all of Muhammad Ali's early cards (read: pre-1990s) continue to be undervalued, especially those from the 1960s-70s. Further, although the many of the more recent Sport Kings/Ringside and resurrected Leaf Company's issues which had certified Ali autographs incorporated into them may have realized some decent prices off and on, I think that in the not so far distant future those prices will be looked back upon as having been undervalued in worth over all...especially if, when and after the inevitable comes to Ali as it comes to all of us eventually. Compare what even Ali's earliest cards currently go for with certain star athletes in the other main sports and especially Michael Jordon's rookie cards. Among my favorite Clay/Ali cards are:

1. 1965 "Orange Background" Clay--tooted as being produced in Sweden, very few are ever seen and even less have survived in any real kind of great overall condition. While these may have been imported into Sweden and also distributed there, this card was actually produced in Holland originally, mislabeled here as being of Swedish origins in slabs by grading companies.

2. 1967 "Serie M.L.H." 3 known Clay cards; #s 48, 49 & 50. These were also produced in Holland and say so; backs with a "Cowboy Gum" graphics. These were originally produced by the Dandy Gum Company.

3. 1967-69 "Monty" Clay- here in the US suddenly referred to as "Perfetti" of Italian candy origins, but if any were distributed with Perfetti Italian candies, they were imported into Italy and used yet were actually produced in Denmark by Monty Gum. Both Holland's Dandy and Denmark's Monty companies produced HORDES of 'candy/gum' cards from among which many were imported by other countries' companies for their own marketing uses. That makes these other countries "distributors" of them, not originators. They exported their productions to Sweden before the Swedes began producing their very own "candy card" series; known to have done so into Canada, France, and Italy as well...who sometimes added their own stamped graphics or whatnot to their blank backs.

4. 1967 Spanish "Campeones Y Estrellas" album card is another favorite; still don't know who produced it originally though.

5. For U.S. favorites, I've always liked the 1975 large size two cards issued by "St. John's Ice Cream." This pair one seldom sees offered either.