1955 Topps Roberto Clemente ROOKIE #164 MBA PSA 9 MINT (PWCC-A)

Imagine a child born in 1945 as World War II was ending. They live in Pittsburgh, so they are a Pirates fan. Perhaps they have even been to a few games. It is 1955 now and that child is ten years old. A new outfielder from Puerto Rico has joined the team. He is the Pirates brightest prospect since Honus Wagner. The child’s parents take them to the local convenience store to buy a pack of baseball cards. They flip through the pack hoping to get the new rookie. And there it is. Such a fantastic photo. It even comes with a cartoon and a pirate. The child yells, “I got a Clemente!” They bring it home, put it with their other cards in a rubber band, and handle it a few hundred times over the next few years with their friends. They root for Roberto for the next 18 seasons as he helps the Pirates win two World Series titles. He becomes their favorite player. They are devasted when he is killed in 1972. The child is 28 now and still has the card from their childhood. This is what it is like to be a fan of the game and a card collector. It is a story that millions of children could tell, and it is the reason cards will always hold a special place in the hearts of sports fans. The day that card came out of a pack somewhere in Pittsburgh, it probably did not look as good as this example. You could search for this card in this condition for years and not find it. PSA has only awarded 10 other examples a PSA 9, and there is only one PSA 10. PWCC has only seen a few examples that measure up, so you are looking at one of the world's best examples of Roberto Clemente’s rookie card. Clemente’s rookie card is an iconic national treasure in any condition given his remarkable career as a fielder and hitter, philanthropy that inspired millions, and status as the game’s first Latin American star. Add the fact that he died in a plane crash delivering food and medical supplies to people suffering from an earthquake's aftereffects, and it makes for a story that will forever maintain the highest level of interest in his cards. He only has one rookie card. This is it. And this is it in head-turning condition. We expect the interest in this crown jewel to span the far reaches of the globe. Whatever the final price, this card is priceless.