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Old 05-19-2018, 10:43 PM
Empty77 Empty77 is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2017
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The '62 regular issue brings back memories for me. It was the first real Clemente I ever acquired (not counting the '87 Kmart card, etc).

Late '80s, begged mom to drive 45 min across town to a card shop I learned existed, the only one around and I had never been to one before. It was called "collector's corner" (which at the time seemed unique and remarkably clever [it was actually on a street corner]).

Was probably going for Griffeys, not Clemente, which I think I figured wasn't possible anymore, but then here was this magical place that had all sorts of stuff, not just new stuff, but old stuff too, which prior I just hadn't imagined, only experiencing wax packs from the supermarket aisle.

Then there in a top loader under the glass beside Mays' and Mantles, etc., was a '62 T Clemente (even then the wood grain border made it easy to remember which year was which from price guide pics). The sticker price was $8, and as I recall it had fairly rounded corners and so in hindsight was fair to moderately overpriced, but to me seemed like such a great find (I was not in Pittsburgh at the time and was hours from a major metro area with a serious sports culture).

Long story short, it took several years of saving up b-day money and summer neighborhood jobs to complete a basic issue run, but I did. I don't really recall which one I picked up second or beyond, but I'll always remember that the '62 came first.
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