UNCUT 4-CARD w/ "MONTY" CLAY...
I've only seen this Monty Gum-Clay (aka: "Perfetti" Italy distributed) as a single before that recent 4-in-1 panel post. I'm speculating, but believe they were issued as factory-cut singles; the 4-in-1 panel likely being a sample sheet, or part of some larger uncut multi-card sheet. Anybody know differently, it'd be much appreciated if you would share so with us.
May I ask what fully was offered as an eBay description for that 4-in-1 panel?
There was a seller on eBay some time back liquidating a HUGE, extremely diverse issue years and topics' selection, Monty Gum card collection for an overseas friend of his, aged late 80s, who'd been collecting Monty issues for as long as that friend could remember. Among them were also uncut sheets, so we do know Monty either let such go or persons had access to them. I have to wonder if Monty would let such uncuts or partial panels also go to Italy except as possible sales samples.
The first time I ever saw one of these Monty-Clays was in 1996; my friend Bill Deaett (now deceased) had one he gotten off some (undisclosed) contact in Italy, saying he'd been sitting on it for a couple of years before then trying to find out more info about it first. He and I both attended the IBHOF Inductions in NY that year, with exhibitor tables at its Collector Show.
He showed me the card just before we two separately made the trip (and only because he intended to bring the card there to the show anyway, not for sale--but just to see if anyone knew anything about it.) Nobody did, but one big and highly advanced Ali card collector who saw it displayed made an offer for it that Bill said later he simply "couldn't refuse": $1,500.00
Since then, I've seen and tracked at least around (9) different other examples of it myself by chance. Only (3), and not counting Bill's which was NrMt, I would say were in the highest grade conditions. The real and full story completely behind this "Monty Produced" Clay still remains clouded.
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