Clemente items highlight American Memorabilia July

Fresh off its June auction, American Memorabilia is currently conducting its next auction, known as its All-Star Auction. The auction contains 869 lots. Collectors may bid on items through July 13, and the bidding is already open.

Once again, game-used and autographed items dominate the auction. In American Memorabilia's June auction, a Roberto Clemente game-used bat graded PSA GU 8.5 used sometime between 1969 and 1972, received 16 bids and sold for $21,677.

Collectors who missed out on that bat have another opportunity to bid on a game-used Clemente bat. The game-used Clemente bat in the current auction has been traced back to the 1965-68 seasons, which included two of his best seasons in the big leagues. The bat is graded PSA GU 8.

Clemente collectors will have plenty of other items to bid on in this auction. A very unique Clemente item available is a Clemente signed contract, his first as a professional. The signature is graded PSA 9. The four-page contract, in Spanish text, contains Clemente's signature in black fountain pen.

Other Clemente items include: a 1955 Topps Clemente signed rookie card; a 1972 signed personal check graded PSA 9; a 1972 Clemente multi-signed final home run ball with letter and Oct. 10 full ticket graded PSA EX 5; a Pirates multi-signed ball with Clemente's signature; a 1966 Pirates multi-signed ball with Clemente's signature; a 1961 Clemente two-page, handwritten letter with the signature graded PSA 9; a Clemente signed and inscribed photograph and other Pirates memorabilia; and a Clemente poster signed by 47 Hall of Famers including Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Sandy Koufax, Eddie Mathews and Don Drysdale to name a few.

Game-used bat collectors will take notice of the many other game-used bats available. After the Clemente game-used bat, a 1950s Ernie Banks game-used bat is bound to gather a lot of attention from collectors. The bat is not graded, but is described as having light-to-moderate use, primarily in the form of several ball marks on the left barrel. A crack is visible, but a spiral wrap has rendered it minor in intensity.

Other game-used bats include: an early 1930s Frank "Lefty" O'Doul; a Eddie Mathews signed; a Lou Brock signed (PSA GU 7); a 1985 Cal Ripken; a mid-1980s Pete Rose signed "#4156" (PSA GU 7); and a late-1980s Nolan Ryan.

Plenty of other game-used baseball items are available in the auction, including: a mid-1980s Robin Yount signed fielder's glove; a pair of 1971 Willie Mays San Francisco Giants road flannel pants; a 1970 Chris Short Phillies jersey; a mid-1980s Nolan Ryan Astros rainbow knit jersey; a 1984 Dale Murphy Braves complete home uniform; a 1997 Vladimir Guerrero rookie era Expos jersey; a 1986 Mark McGwire signed rookie A's jersey; a 2005 Roger Clemens Astros jersey; a 1960s Leo Durocher signed Dodgers jersey; and an early 1980s Steve Carlton Phillies helmet.

There are 219 lots of baseball signed items in the auction. Some of the highlighted autographed items include: a 1968 Thurman Munson handwritten signed letter with envelope (PSA sig graded 9); a Ty Cobb signed magazine photo; a 1934 Lou Gehrig signed Goudey card (No. 61) PSA authenticated; a Thurman Munson endorsed Yankees expense check (PSA sig graded 9); a Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig signed ball; a Rogers Hornsby sweet spot single-signed ball; a Joe DiMaggio signed check "Joseph DiMaggio"; and a Grover Alexander signed ball.

The game-used football items in the auction are a mixture of items from old-timers and current players. But just like in it's June auction, the highlighted game-used football item in this auction is a jersey of a player that was drafted in the 2006 NFL Draft. In this auction, it is a home USC jersey of quarterback Matt Leinart. The jersey was worn during Leinart's junior season, the season that saw Leinart win the Heisman Trophy, and USC winning the National Championship game.

Other highlighted football items include: a 1972 Lance Rentzel game-worn Rams jersey; a Jason Witten game-worn Cowboys uniform; a 2005 La'Roi Glover game-worn Cowboys uniform; a Lofa Tatupu game-used rookie uniform; a 2002 Marshall Faulk game-worn, signed Rams jersey; an early 1980s Jack Youngblood game-worn Rams jersey; a 1996 Dan Marino game-worn Dolphins jersey; a 1976-77 O.J. Simpson game-worn Bills jersey; a 1970s Larry Little Dolphins road jersey; a 2005 Julius Jones game-worn jersey with heavy use; and an early 1990s Cris Carter game-worn, signed Vikings jersey.

Highlighted game-used basketball items include: a 1987-88 Michael Jordan game-worn Bulls uniform; a 1998-99 Kobe Bryant game-worn Lakers jersey; a 1996-97 Patrick Ewing game-worn, signed Knicks jersey; a 1997-98 Tim Duncan game-worn, signed Spurs rookie jersey; a 1995-96 Charles Barkley game-worn, signed Suns jersey; a 1997-98 Scottie Pippen game-worn jersey; a 1997-98 Karl Malone game-worn Jazz jersey; a 1997-98 Karl Malone game-used, signed, notated Finals jersey; and a 2000-01 Vince Carter game-worn Raptor jersey.

There are plenty of other items available. For more information, go to www.americanmemorabilia.com.