1962 Topps Bucks - This issue is one of my favorites, and is fairly rare. It is the first year Clemente was included in one of Topps insert sets. He had finally broken into the group of baseball stars. The 60's in general were years in which Topps had explored different ways to get their product out to the public. These Topps Bucks generally had a fold mark that divided the card into 2/3 and 1/3, because the card is longer than a standard card and was inserted into regular packs of cards. Roberto also received a $5 card, which tells me he was more valuable than others in the set. The paper is thinner than a typical card and has a texture similar to real paper currency. They are rarely in great shape and they are typically off-center as this card is.
1962 Topps Stamps - Topps had issued stamps in a few other previous years and this is the first to feature Clemente. It is using the same portrait as the Topps Bucks issue. This stamp is in fairly good condition and still has the glue intact. It might be cool to transfer this image to a larger poster for display on a wall.
1963 Topps Peel Offs (Instructions on back)
1963 Topps Peel Offs (Blank back)
Both of these stickers are in great shape. The instructions back has a dinged corner. While his portrait is featured prominently, it is one of the few photos that Topps ever used where he was not wearing a cap. I'm not convinced it is a great thing.
1964 Topps Giants #11 - Also commonly known as oversized cards to those that try to sell the cards and have no clue what they are. Not to be mistaken with the Topps Super cards of 1970 & 71. It is one of the earliest insert cards I purchased of Clemente. It is fairly common and inexpensive, yet features a photo on the front and back and has a great write up on the back as well. This is a set that I also have the complete set. It is one of Mantle's easier cards to obtain at a decent price and I like the challenge of getting the short print cards. Without the internet, I could imagine that would be an almost impossible task.
1964 Topps Stand Ups - While the image isn't as great as some of the other players in this set, I like this card. It is fairly rare in this condition. Most of them were actually punched out and stood up as they were designed to do. We often forget why cards were originally produced, and that was to provide entertainment for kids. If money was no object, I wouldn't hesitate to try and finish this set. I recently got this card and it has some wear on the bottom edge, but otherwise is a good specimen and I am not really looking to replace it.
1965 Topps Embossed #19 - This is another set that is fairly inexpensive and easily obtained. This set though is very susceptible to damage. The profile of the faces are "embossed into the card. They raised portions therefore get rubbed more often, even if they get put into protective sleeves. The face of the card is also covered in foil, and that is very easily impressionable. Corners are also usually damaged. This card does have some wear on his face, but the corners are great. I might consider trying to get this entire set. Clemente's profile is a good rendition and I do like the uniqueness of this card.
1965 Topps Transfers - So I was finally able to snag one of these in very good condition. They commonly have creases or other maladies due to the frail constitution. I do try to keep a strict guideline of only buying a card for the low value in the most recent price guide. Sometimes I have been forced to pay higher and this was one of those times. I think the price guides are not always in tune with the market, and this issue seems to be much more rare than most others. Also, this one was one of the least attractive for me, so it never made it high on my priority list. Well, I finally got one, so I can move on to other items. I actually found this one on COMC, and I rarely find vintage cards in good shape or at a reasonable price on there. Recently, I have found a couple vintage cards which I consider steals, so I will keep looking on there for sure. This transfer is just too simple and the cartoon image isn't that great. I'm sure plenty of kids plastered the Clemente and Mantle on the clothes dresser or school binder back in the day.
1966 Topps Rub Offs - This issue was one of my later acquisitions as I am usually one to try and stick to my guns and stay really close to the low book value. This issue usually sells higher than that level, as it must be somewhat rarer in good condition. They are also susceptible to being miscut in the factory. I do like this image and as it is a type of tattoo, it is a reverse image. Topps liked to change up the inserts every year, which is a good thing in my book. The only difficulty is in remembering what a "Rub Off" is compared to a "Tattoo" or a "Transfer" or even a "Peel Off" or stickers and then knowing which year corresponded with which insert.
1968 Topps Game #6 - This is my favorite insert card and was the first insert I purchased. It has the same image as the 1967 Base Set, with a perfectly placed facsimile autograph. Unlike the 1966 Base Card though, Roberto signed his full name. I am very drawn to cards that are used to play a game, even though I have yet to play any of the games. I will have to make another blog just on game cards, because I have begun collecting some of the early game cards. I also have the Milton Bradley sets, except for 1972. This card is not rare or expensive. Topps does a good job of bringing back some of the nostalgia and details that were intrinsic to those early game cards, like the design on the back of the card. It reminds me of the 1952 Red and Blue backs. This card is highly graded, even though not by PSA, and it is centered well, which is usually a problem with this set.
1969 Topps Decals - Smaller than the 1969 Base Set, and the name is in a green circle, unlike the red on the card. It does have the same image. A detail that I didn't notice before is that it says it was printed in U.K. This decal is in pretty good condition.
1969 Topps Deckle Edge #27 - I am not a huge fan of this issue. The edge really does nothing for me, and usually lends itself to premature damage. It really can't be compared to the die cuts of recent manufacture. I do like the image though and somehow they managed to get a blue pen autograph to help with the contrast. This set is also very reasonably priced. I will do a future blog on the OPC issue, that is basically the same but has a low rent version of the deckled border.
1969 Topps Stamp Album #1 Pittsburgh Pirates - This is the album that was issued to paste the 1969 stamp in. This album was unused, and in acceptable condition. The middle pages are loose, but the cover is in pretty good shape. This seems to be the precursor to the Red Team set Topps put out in 1972 with the facsimile autograph page on the back. I like that there is a grayed out photo of each player so the place is held even though the stamp is not present. It's also nice that they included stats, even though the vertical arrangement is odd. It looks like if Jim Bunning had been able to put together a better year similar to his early career, the Pirates could have won the pennant. Blass can go 18-6, but Bunning is at 4-14? Even Ron Kline was 12-5. Clemente also had an injury filled season and ended up with a very sub-par stat line.
1969 Topps Stamps - This is the stamp that would be placed in the album. It took me forever to finally get one of these. They were usually not available in decent shape, because they were often on the edges of the lot which lends itself to being miscut or damaged. They also tend to have a blurry image. This one isn't too bad. They also tend to be overpriced, which makes me think they are a little on the rare side.
1970 Topps Super #12 - I'm not sure how this card received an 8, but it did. I'm not a fan of these cards even though I decided to complete the entire set. They usually have a curl with creases. They also tend to be miscut, which this card is. They just seem to be a bad product before you even open up the package. I'm wondering if anyone got fired over these cards. I can just see it now, a Topps manager coming up with this junk idea, finding out they can't be made correctly, then he gets fired and they are forced to put it out to market anyway. Seems plausible, except this...
1971 Topps Super #37 - They made another whole set of these monstrosities. I do like the back design on these cards. Another portrait was added, similar to the 1971 Base Set. I also have this complete set, but all of the same design issues remained from the 1970 set. A factoid on the back points out that Clemente led the league in outfield assists five times, and was the active player leader in triples. He is actually the career leader in right field assists and is currently the #27 in career triples. Carl Crawford is the current active leader in triples, 44 less than Clemente's total. Most everyone above him played in the dead ball era with cavernous ballfields. Roberto himself even had an advantage of playing in Forbes Field for the majority of his career.
1971 Topps Tattoos - Similar to the 1969 Topps Stamp, I finally was able to land one of these. The worst thing about this one is the noticeable chunk out of the left border. It wouldn't actually affect the tattoo portion though. I am looking for an upgrade though. I often see these offered as an entire strip with team pennant tattoos and Thurman Munson. The portrait used for this matches the back of the 1971 Topps Super. Those guys at Topps always keeping us on our toes with their random and unique photos. I'm wondering if this tattoo would still work, or if there is a shelf life. It's over 40 years old.
