Custom Clemente Check Display Finally!
 

Hello all,
After obtaining a Roberto Clemente Check a few years ago, and some strategic negotiations with my wife for wall space, I have finally been able to create a custom framed shadow box display that is a nice reflection of Roberto Clemente. I just got photos showing the pieces prior to being being completed and the completed product. Keeping my fingers crossed as it is being shipped to me for delivery tomorrow. Needless to say once my wife saw it, I have been granted more wall space..... for a few more Clemente Displays.

Marty

That’s awesome Marty!!! I should have picked up one of his checks before the price went up. I’d love to see more displays when they’re done.

1971 Pirates Action Photos
 

I learned of this set from this thread so I thought I would share it here. Before this thread I had only seen the Willie Stargell in my collection. I had no idea what it was prior to seeing the Clemente in this thread. 16 cards comprise the 1971 Pirates Action Photos set. It is pretty tough judging by the PSA population reports which show the Clemente as having the highest population at 10. There are no complete sets in the set registry in either PSA or SGC. I recently purchased a lot of 15 of these cards. Ironically the only card missing was the Stargell. This is now the only complete set I have ever seen. I can understand the rarity. They measure 4.5" X 7.125" and are condition sensitive as the paper stock is thin. It is essentially similar to that of magazine pages. Thankfully these managed to survive and good shape with the Clemente being in the best condition.

Awesome pick up Mike!
 

That IS a SUPER tough set. I think I posted the uncut sheet containing the full set I picked up at the national about 3 years ago.

Great pickup Mike!!! If that’s the one I’m thinking of, I had previously had that on my watchlist. Congrats

Just, wow. Congrats on the '60 Bazooka boxes Howard. That is pretty amazing.

Those 71's look sharp and in great condition from here.

Certainly not in the same league as Howard's Bazooka box but I'm happy nonetheless he to add this 1971 Bazooka box sans the tabs to my collection.

Nice pickup Mike, are you going to try and get the numbered version also?

Thanks, I just wanted an example from 1971 for my collection. I'll stick with this one. I have a lot of 1971 Clemente issues . Ironically I don't have a topps version.

article
 

Sorry, I guess this is a distraction from the thread intent, but it's such a great read I thought it worth sharing. Sent to me by a new email friend I made a purchase from recently. It's from a few years ago but I hadn't come across it before:

https://lithub.com/the-greatest-forg...n-of-all-time/

Thanks for sharing the article!
 

Great read. Interesting, I certainly had heard about and read about the feat before, but never stopped to contemplate the enormity of it!

So fitting that it was Clemente!

New member with my first posting to this outstanding site. Excited to share these 3 panels but just noticed this is an older thread.... I'll share anyway as they are very cool. Anyone else into this '72 Puerto Rican winter league sticker set?

Nice panels, thanks for sharing!

Welcome cornhusker. Older thread, yes, but there are a handful still following it routinely.

Very nice panels. I don't know much about the proper set of sticker cards, other than it is a bigger set than I thought it was once I looked into it further. There seem to be more of the recognizable names of bona fide MLB stars floating around than lessor known names. I do like the giant Clemente in panels.

I don't have any panels but do have an uncut sheet, from back when it seemed like the sheet was fairly scarce. Since PSA enlarged its slabs to accommodate items of that size, more of the sheets have come out in the open. Mine is still raw.

I can't recall if it was discussed before, but can anyone say whether, was it that the giant Clemente was issued in panels and that's why there are more of them than sheets? Making the sheets an aberration of sorts?

Michael,

I have seen a few uncut sheets, but mostly have seen the panels offered. The way the panels have the lines in them, I would assume that they were meant to be cut down further? Or maybe at one time they were folded. Maybe Howard would know. Does your uncut sheet have those lines present?

Best of my recollection....
 

The Clemente was issued in packs as 9 separate stickers/stamps - making up 1 of a couple of "puzzles" from the set. You will note on the back there are 9 individual numbers 201-209. They have been available as full sheets for a long time - not sure where/how the sheets originated. It was only when PSA started grading the " 3 stamp panels" that I recall seeing the 3 stamp panels. My educated guess is that people who had full sheets cut them into panels of 3 as that is the only way PSA would grade them at the time. The sheets are not easy, but findeable - considerably more expensive since PSA started grading them.

Thanks for the info. A full Clemente is on my "want list" but I feel fortunate to have the strips. Pure speculation on my part but, the 3 card panels were folded to the size of one sticker (like an Hassan tripple folder) at some point in its life - probably to fit into a pack as some sort of insert bonus? The team panels are the same way. fold lines are not visible on Clemente full sheets that I've seen. I doubt anyone would cut down a sheet then fold it up. Possibly the full sheet was some sort of mail in program? I've never seen the team panels or Clemente panels cut down to singles so I'm assuming strips of 3 are as small as were produced? Team strips are usually cut vertically while Clemente cut horizontally. Fun set since it was printed in Spain and distributed in Puerto Rico making it a bit scarce in the states I guess. I'd welcome any reference info anyone may have on this particular set - I've just been stumbling around picking up what I can here and there. Would love to talk to the person who brought in hundreds of sets to PA :)

Roberto Clemente Arco Gas Proof?
 

I don't have a whole lot of post war, but I do have what I believe is a Clemente proof from the Arco set. Mine measures 9.75" x 10" (sorry for the weird photo angle - it is too big for my scanner).

The Arco Gas premiums are 8 x 10, have a caption that goes right to the border of the photo, and the photo is cropped tighter on all four sides compared to mine. And when I posted this in the memorabilia forum, 71buc kindly pointed out that I somehow missed that the location of the signature is different as well -- and told me that this thread is the place for my question (thanks Mike!).

I am curious if anyone has seen one similar to this and can help me figure out what it is. (Mine is the first photo, and Arco premium, which is not mine, is the second.)

Bryan,

Have not seen one of those before, but it seems like it could very well be some type of proof. Recent pickup?

Very interesting
 

1 really important question - is the signature real or facsimile? What type of paper is it on? Presuming blank backed? Couldn't be a "proof" for the issued Arco as the signature is in the wrong place. That said it is clearly somehow connected.

My best guess (not based on anything factual) is that the item may be some sort of layout, or proof, or whatever for the Arco card, but when they decided how the photograph would be cropped, they saw the signature was going to be much too close to the edge, so they repositioned it before finalizing it for printing.

Thanks for the feedback guys.

The signature is part of the photo, not an actual signature. (Unfortunately!)

This is also not an actual photo, but is a printed photo, which makes me think proof as it resembles the Arco printing as far as I can tell from looking at fairly high res scans of them I have found online.

The back is blank.

What type of details are you after for the paper?

follow up
 

The Arco issued Clemente is on a light to medium card stock. Wondering if yours is printed on the same type of material or photo paper, or?
I am 99% certain it is connected in some way to the Arco issue as I do not recall that image being used on anything else.

On the medium side of light stock. It definitely isn't photo paper.

Well.....
 

It appears to be the exact same photo with a slightly different crop. Even the autograph looks exactly the same, just with different placement. Yours is larger,blank backed and doesn't have Clemete's name beneath the photo. It sounds like it may be printed on the same paper stock as the Arco as well. While it is improbable to ever have 100% certainty, I would feel safe to say - it is 100% tied to the Arco issue - possibly a preproduction proof. Possibly the only of its kind. Thanks for sharing it!

I thought the same thing about the signature after comparing it to others I have (that are formally authenticated, at least ostensibly). They're all slightly different--how can they not be with as famously elaborate as his is--so if nothing else that unidentified piece seems designed incorporating the same version of signature captured and facsimiled in the Arco.

Thank you all for the input, it is greatly appreciated. As much as I don't like to see this question posted on a thread, I am going to ask - how much is something like this worth? It seems like it would need to go to auction to really know, but I am curious if anyone has a ballpark guess.

Very much a wildcard
 

Proof material value-wise in my experience varies widely. Obviously there is little to no supply, but I have found there is often not a ton of demand either (excepting something like 1968 3D proofs). Desirability is also tied to the issue to which it relates - the Arco is not exactly a rare or super desirable item. My educated guess - something like this should be in the $100-$200 range.

Thanks Howard, I appreciate that. When I picked it up I thought it was cool and probably unique, but also didn't think I would be turning it around to finish off my car payments or anything like that ( :D ) for the reasons you suggest. Thanks again for the help everyone.

On Sept 24, 1971 the Mets hosted the Bucs at Shea. That night Puerto Rican politicians, dignitaries, celebrities, and NY businessmen sponsored Roberto Clemente night. The Mets Spanish speaking radio station WADO 1280 hosted the event. They handed out a limited number of these buttons. The ticket stub is from that game. The photo of Roberto and Vera is a Type 1 from that day. Today I picked up this program. Judging by the contents they were given out to guests invited to attended a private dinner for Clemente held at the NY Commodore Hotel following the game. This is the first one I have actually seen. It consists of about 50 pages detailing Clementes prowess and social activism. I have to be believe they are pretty rare the fist page is an introduction from the Senator from Puerto Rico and is signed in ink. The only color images are on the front and back. I likely over paid for this item. But when you see something for the first time in 45 years of collecting you pull the trigger...and don’t tell your wife.

I agree . . . don't tell the wife.

(if it can be helped; and besides, everyone already has enough on their minds these days)

Great pickup Mike! I haven’t seen that program before. Nice grouping of items. Not long ago I picked up my 3rd WADO pin. One of my favorite pin backs of Roberto.

https://photos.imageevent.com/docpat...DOPinbacks.jpg


https://photos.imageevent.com/docpat...F9A72EB3F.jpeg

I didn't scour the thread to see if it has been posted before (I gotta imagine someone beat me to it), but I stumbled upon a video of Roberto Clemente's last(?) interview and thought I would add it to the thread. I am only a couple of minutes in, but it's great seeing him speaking. Awesome really...and man, he still looked so young. The man never seemed to age.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFEH5nxSoKc


Edited to add: He pulled a 'Pretty Woman' at the furniture store 20 years before the movie came out!! That must've been the inspiration for Julia Roberts' character!!!!

Phillips 66 Pitch,Hit &Throw Competetion
 

Picked up this booklet-Clemente is featured showing the youth of America how to Throw.

Phillips 66 Pitch,Hit &Throw Competetion
 

Great interview, thanks for posting! Will show that to my kids.

Cool booklet. He did have one heck of an arm.

There was something, perhaps unnoticed by most, rather interesting in the video I posted, and I forgot to mention it. The interviewer repeatedly (respectfully) addresses Clemente as Roberto. And when he mentions how the press skipped over his 3,000th hit, he says something to the effect of, "Roberto Clemente only got a line or two in the magazine," etc. But at times when they're chatting, he unhesitatingly calls him "Bobby." They were clearly friends, or friendly towards each other. The demeanor between the two, the body language, etc., shows warmth, if not affection. These days (in hindsight), people love to bring up how 'racist' it was that he was called 'Bob' on many of his baseball cards (those same people just ignore the fact that a gazillion other players of all colors named Robert or William were called 'Bob' or 'Bill' on their cards, as that's clearly the accepted American shorthand for those names.) But if the people around him were using 'Bobby' when they conversed, then you have to wonder if that specifically ever really was as big an issue as some would have you believe.

(Please, for the love of God, no one start a friggin' argument about this. I'm just noting something that has puzzled me the last couple of years since I first heard that particular claim. While growing up, not once did I ever hear that 'Bob' Clemente was a racist thing.)

On a side note, I did a quick ebay search for "1964 Topps Bob" and came up with this long list of other (baseball) players who had the name 'Bob' or 'Bobby' on their cards that year. Surely, some of these 33 players went by Robert (or some other name) in their everyday lives, right??

Bob Allen
Bob Allison
Bob Aspromonte
Bob Bailey
Bobby Bolin
Bob Bruce
Bob Buhl
Bob Chance
Bob Duliba
Bob Friend
Bob Gibson
Bob Heffner
Bob Hendley
Bob Johnson
Bob Kennedy
Bobby Knoop
Bob Lee
Bob Lillis
Bob Meyer
Bob Miller
Bob Perry
Bob Priddy
Bob Purkey
Bob Rodgers
Bob Sadowski
Bob Saverine
Bob Shaw
Bob Skinner
Bob Taylor
Bob Tiefenauer
Bob Tillman
Bob Uecker
Bob Veale

Thread needed a bump!
 

I believe this is the first time in history a "run" of Clemente bazooka boxes has been assembled! Reorganizing and enjoying some stuff this morning I figured it would be kind of cool to have them pose for a picture. Here is what is pictured:

1960 20 piece variation
1962 20 piece variation
1962 25 piece variation
1963 20 piece variation
1963 25 piece variation
1964 20 piece variation
1965 20 piece variation
1966 20 piece variation
1967 20 piece variation
1968
1971
1971 numbered test panel

I am still looking for 25 piece variations from 1960, 1964-1967 - anyone?

That’s quite a “bump” Howard, beautiful stuff

Amazing Bazooka collection Howard!

My Clemente collection is mostly on the back burner as I’ve shifted my focus (once again) and that’s where most of my $$$ are going.

I’m envious, I’ve never had one of those. What’s your new focus?

Mike,

I have never been able to stay completely focused on a single area/player without becoming distracted at some point along the way. I would say in the last 25 years, Clemente has on and off been my main focus. But at times, as you most likely already know, when having a narrow focus, it becomes difficult/expensive to acquire new items. And that’s when a new focus would emerge.

For example, after a long run of many years of collecting mostly Clemente, I sort of got burnt out. So for the next 8-10 years, I shifted to collecting pre-war cards. In that time, I was able to put together a near master set of 1909-12 PX-7 Domino discs, a near set of 518 T206 & about 3/4 or so of the T205 set. Pre-war postcards were another sidetrack. I also, during this time, would pick up Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner cards and memorabilia that I liked and could afford. I eventually returned to Clemente items. But again, finding new items became a bit tedious again.

So, to answer your question, the latest side track is a actually a return to one of my previous endeavors... basketball cards (primarily 1980-present). Luckily, I already had Jordan’s Fleer Rookie, Bird/Magic and all of the big rookies from the 1980s-1995. However, prior to the start of the whole pandemic last year, I did not own a single LeBron card. So in the past 10 months or so, I have managed to pick up around 40 LeBron rookies among other cards that just catch my eye (some Kobe, Curry). I thought collecting Clemente/pre-war was expensive, but the whole basketball market is crazy right now. A couple of PSA 9 Jordans sold for over $40,000 each on eBay yesterday. It is an expensive segment of the hobby to re-enter right now, but I’m having more fun with the hobby than I’ve had in the last ten years or so, and I guess that’s what it’s all about.

Sorry for the long winded response, hope that answers your question:D

Good luck with the new endeavor. I understand completely. Although Roberto and the 1971 Bucs have been my focus for many years I too have dabbled in other areas of the hobby to include photos, post war Baseball cards, autographs, bats, advertising and game worn items. I have even chased El Cordobes and Pancho Villa items. Thankfully I have been lucky enough to stumble upon rare Clemente items often enough to keep my focus at least on the periphery. I just found a rare memorial bust. The only other one I have seen is in Howard’s collection. I’m going to have to invest in some restoration but I’m still thrilled to have found one.

Modern Basketball cards have gone crazy. About 8 years ago I found 6 unopened boxes of 1976-77 Topps basketball cards. I paid $20 a box for them and them to BBCE for $600 each. Sometimes I regret doing so. Nonetheless I was able to add a large number of items to my collection I would not be able to afford today. I suppose such things keep us all in the hunt and serve to stoke our desire to collect this silly stuff.

In all the years I’ve been collecting, I only have one selling regret. The “good” pickups have always outweighed the sold cards for me.

Here’s a recent pickup. Never seen this one before, although I think Howard posted a similar one.

1987 Exhibition game ticket...





https://photos.imageevent.com/docpat...tionTicket.jpg

https://photos.imageevent.com/docpat...onTicketBk.jpg

with apologies...
 

With apologies to any other Mike(s)/Michael(s) who follow here and may have been in the running, I present my new favorite item:

(I used to wonder who would ever want and therefore pay money for pre-personalized items like this, thinking they seemed sort of useless. Well, duh, I get it now!)

LOVE THAT MIKE!!! Congrats on a great pickup. I have tried to win similar signed postcards but have come up short. Very nice!

What year is it dated 1955ish?