(LOT 221)
1955 Topps #164 Roberto Clemente Rookie PSA 8 NM-MT
PACK-FRESH CLEMENTE ROOKIE!!! The highly coveted 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente Rookie is presented here in a sparkling PSA 8 NM-MT holder, with only 15 specimens, or 0.2% of the 6,600+ encapsulated examples, managing to exceed this magnificent offering! It's no secret that extremely high-end rookie cards continue to achieve staggering values, with one MINT 9 Clemente actually fetching an extraordinary $1.1 million in the Spring of 2021 and a PSA 8 exceeding the six-figure mark in 2022. Clemente's magnificent accomplishments include a .317 lifetime batting average, 3,000 career hits, the 1966 regular season MVP award, four batting titles, 12 consecutive Gold Glove awards, and if that isn't enough, a 1971 World Series MVP when he dominated the Baltimore Orioles via his stellar hitting and fielding prowess. Similar to Clemente's uncanny playing superiority is this remarkable offering that appears as if it has just been pulled from a 1955 wax pack. A gleaming surface includes the legendary portrait and batting poses, both exhibiting superb resolution and vibrant, sparkling hues.

Fine centering only reveals a modest partiality towards the lower left corners between four dazzling white borders; no glaring surface flaws are evident, and the sharp perimeter depicts four pinpoint corners. Roberto Clemente coined the eloquent phrase, "Any time you have an opportunity to make a difference in this world and you don't, then you are wasting your time on Earth", living his sanctified life to the tune of that hallowed quote. No truer words were ever spoken, and it comes as little surprise that the immortal Clemente would utter such a quote. He truly represented the embodiment of human valor, well demonstrated via his courageous actions that would tragically claim his life on the final day of 1972 in an effort to assist stricken individuals. It is with bittersweet irony that, for all of Roberto Clemente's world-class diamond achievements, the HOF right-fielder's iconic legacy will forever be linked to his heroic death. That said, we cannot imagine a finer testament to the unparalleled Clemente than this momentous PSA 8 Topps rookie card exhibiting an abundance of pack-fresh qualities!

MIN BID $15,000
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