1956 Topps #33 White and Gray back

 This is a beautiful card and Clemente's second year card. It features the same portrait that was used for his rookie card, but a much better action image (making a spectacular leaping catch at the wall). Ballparks today generally do not have the kind of unique character as depicted on this card, with Wrigley and Fenway being the exception, as they have lasted through the age of destroying our history for the sake of larger profits. Another thing to note is that Topps used his full name "Roberto" and it fits nicely with the horizontal format. The white back is more off center than I generally like, with just a sliver of a border at the bottom, but beggars can't be choosers and I got a great price for that card. The corners are good and there are no creases, so I think it is a great deal. It also makes it more authentic to me, as there is a lot of reprints out there to watch out for, and reprints aren't made off center usually.

On the backs, most collectors probably just get one version and figure they have finished. The white back is more typical for the lower numbers of the 1956 set. For some reason, Topps ran out of the white stock and had to use a cheaper gray stock. I finally got both versions. The fact that it is #33 shows that Clemente had not quite proven his baseball talents. The cartoon on the back does a good job of telling the story of how Roberto ended up on the Pirates team, a team he would be with for his entire career. The other thing that makes these cards unique if you happen to get one for your own collection is the size. They are larger than the cards from all of the later years of any card company. The standard became 2-1/2" x 3-1/2" after this year. It makes it more interesting in getting the odd sized holders. I couldn't find any of the magnetic variety which are easier to handle in my opinion and even of higher quality. Oh well, I did find some holders and they do protect cards better than a hard plastic sleeve. Even the hard and soft plastic sleeves barely allow these larger cards to fit. I'm happy to have found these two cards though and they fit nicely in my collection.