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Pete Rose (04/14/54) is a former player and manager who is best known for being the all-time MLB leader in hits (4,256), games played (3,562), at-bats (14,053), singles (3,215), and outs (10,328).
Rose has three World Series rings, was named the NL Rookie of the Year in ‘63, and made 17 All-Star appearances in a record five positions.
He later went on to coach the Cincinnati Reds, until he voluntarily accepted a permanent place on baseball’s ineligible list in 1989 following allegations about gambling.
Pete Rose Rookie Year Stats: 157 games | .273 avg. | 6 home runs | 41 RBIs | 13 stolen bags
Here’s everything you need to know about the top five Pete Rose cards, as well as investment advice if you’re thinking about picking up a couple in the future.
Best Ten Baseball Cards
The majority of older Rose cards were released by Topps Baseball, although he hasn’t been featured on one of their baseball cards since 1989. We’ll begin with one of the earliest options, which also happens to be the most expensive overall.
1. 1963 Pete Rose Topps Rookie Card #537 (buy on eBay)
Considered to be the definitive Pete Rose RC, the ‘63 Topps features an image of Rose, along with Ken McMullen, Pedro Gonzalez, and Al Weis. Their heads have been lopped off and stuck onto red circles, while there are a solid yellow background and a blue section at the bottom that notes that the players are ‘1963 Rookie Stars’.
Trending: Rookie Cards That Could Double Your Money
As it’s an extremely popular card, there are large numbers of counterfeits on the market, so pay special attention if you find one selling for a price that seems too good to be true. We’d advise looking at graded cards only, especially when looking at expensive vintage options such as this one.
2. 1964 Pete Rose Topps All-Star Rookie #125 (buy on eBay)
On the subject of expensive vintage options, the next card on the list comes in just one year later, but it’s decidedly more affordable than the RC above unless you’re looking at mint versions.
The ‘64 Topps has a strong profile shot of Rose, smiling at the camera in a release that honors his Rookie of the Year win. A large All-Star Rookie Cup badge is featured on the front of the card, and while it’s not as exciting as his earlier option, it’s still fairly popular with vintage collectors.
3. 1965 Pete Rose Topps #207 (buy one eBay)
Skip ahead another year, and there’s a great entry-level option to be found. The 1965 Topps features a posed shot of Rose with his bat at the ready, alongside a stadium background and a simple blue border design.
His name and position are listed in black text near the bottom, set against a blue backdrop. It’s an iconic set in the history of the hobby, and Rose is one of the key players to look out for.
4. 1965 Pete Rose Kahn’s (buy on eBay)
Released as part of the limited 1965 Kahn’s Wieners baseball set, you’d hardly be able to tell this was a collectible if not for the player info found on the reverse. It features a great posed shot of Rose with one hand on the ground, crouched as he looks at the camera.
It was the first time that Kahn printed full-color cards, and there’s also a copy of his autograph found across the middle.
5. 2016 Panini Pete Rose #PSQ-PR /99
If you’re in the mood for something a bit more contemporary, this card is from the 2016 Panini Pantheon set. It celebrates retired MLB stars like Rose, with a number of high-end options to choose from.
The Pantheon Scripts Quads card features a stunning quad patch on the front, with the landscape design allowing for a strong on-card auto-filled in blue ink.
You’ll find a serial number located on the reverse, and even the base card only comes with 99 copies overall.
It’s cheaper than the majority of vintage Rose cards, but that’s because there are fewer gem mint versions of the older editions, even considering the low print numbers seen with this release.
Parallels: Gold (/25), Bronze (/5), Holo Silver (1/1)
6. 1970 Pete Rose Baseball Card #580
7. 1970 Topps #61
8. 1970 Kellogg’s #2
9. 1971 Pete Rose Baseball Card #100
10. 1972 Pete Rose Baseball Card #559
What are Pete Rose Baseball Cards Worth?
The value of Pete Rose baseball cards could see a huge spike if he is elected into the Hall of Fame at some point before his death. If Pete Rose was elected to the Baseball HOF that would be huge news and we would expect a 20% to 50% increase on the top Pete Rose baseball cards (maybe even more).
The most expensive Pete Rose baseball card is the 1963 Pete Rose rookie card #537
If you are lucky enough to own a Pete Rose baseball card or three and would like an estimated value please DM us on the Gold Card Auctions Facebook Page… cheers!
Checklist
Here is the only COMPLETE Pete Rose Baseball Card Checklist (if you found a Pete Rose card that is not on this checklist please email us at info@goldcardauctions.com or comment in this article).
- 1963 Pete Rose Topps Rookie Card #537
- 1964 Topps #125
- 1966 Topps #30
- 1967 Pete Rose Baseball Card #430
- 1968 Topps Game #30
- 1968 Topps #230
- 1970 Pete Rose Baseball Card #580
- 1970 Topps #61
- 1970 Kellogg’s #2
- 1971 Pete Rose Baseball Card #100
- 1972 Pete Rose Baseball Card #559
- 1972 Pete Rose Baseball Card #560
- 1973 Pete Rose Baseball Card #130
- 1973 Topps Candy Lids Pete Rose Card
- 1974 Pete Rose Baseball Card #300
- 1975 SSPC #41
- 1975 Topps #320
- 1975 Topps Mini #320
- 1976 Topps #240
- 1977 Topps #450
- 1978 Topps #20
- 1978 Pete Rose Baseball Card #100
- 1980 Topps #540
- 1981 Topps #205
- 1981 Topps Baseball #180
- 1981 Kellogg’s #63
- 1982 Donruss Pete Rose Baseball Card #168
- 1982 Topps All-Star #337
- 1983 Topps #100
- 1984 Topps Traded #103T
- 1984 Topps Autographed
- 1985 Topps #600
- 1985 Topps Pete Rose Signed Autographed Baseball Card
- 1985 Topps Tiffany #6
- 1985 Topps Tiffany #547
- 1985 Donruss #254
- 1986 Topps #1
- 1986 Topps #741
- 1986 Sportsflics
- 1986 Donruss #62
- 1986 Donruss #684
- 1989 Topps #505
- Pete Rose Manager Baseball Card
Pete Rose Rookie Cards?
- There are two Pete Rose rookie cards recognized in the hobby;
- 1963 Pete Rose Topps RC #537
- 1964 Pete Rose Topps Cincinnati Reds All-Star RC #125
Pete Rose Manager Baseball Card
The baseball world was so obsessed with Charlie Hussle that he even had a few manager cards.
Pete Rose Manager Baseball Cards are not worth all that much but are still pretty cool cards… all are produced by Topps.. (correction one is by OPC).
- 1985 Topps #547
- 1985 O-PEE-CHEE #116
- 1986 Topps #741
- 1987 Topps #393
- 1988 Topps #475
Buyers Guide & Investment Advice
It’s hard to argue with Rose’s CV, and he’s always going to be seen as a legend in the game, even if he’s effectively been banned for life.
Investment Rating: Buy/Strong Buy (4.5 out of 5)
Ownership Disclosure: None
Best Pete Rose Baseball Card: 1963 Topps Rookie Card #537
The way he split with the Reds is a black mark on his career, and he has unsuccessfully applied for reinstatement three times over the years, to no avail. Commissioner Rob Manfred was the latest to reject his request back in 2015.
He’s still a three-time World Series winner, even if he’s ineligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame. Rose was still inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2016, highlighting that they will always see him as a hero.
In terms of his collectible cards, vintage options have held their price well in recent years, while the supply continues to deplete ever so slowly. As many of the cards we’ve mentioned were released in the ’60s, it’s tough to find gem mint copies, and prices continue to rise for now.
If Rose does get elected to the Hall of Fame his 1963 Topps RC will be the one to have and could pop like BITCOIN
You’ll have to look to later options if you want serial numbers and rare parallels, but the real money is always going to be found with his earlier releases.
There’s an investment piece to suit almost every budget, so we’d recommend checking them out if you don’t mind holding onto them for the foreseeable future.