Pete Rose Cards...
 

With the news of Pete Rose being reinstated, thus now eligible for the HOF, will we see any effects on his post-war vintage cards? Everywhere I look this is hot news, and this is being debated. Will demand go up, now...or if/when he makes it to the HOF? Prices follow?

I was born in 1970...so when I started collecting in 1978 and through the 80's, his cards were my era's Mantles. I remember I was able to get a mint 1965 Topps Rose in Junior High, brought it to school...I was the coolest kid for the day. That card still evokes a smile from me, probably why I have like 10 of them. His rookie card was THE holy grail (aside a 52 Mantle) and dream card of myself and my buddies. I've now owned a couple, and I still hold my card and can't believe I have one.

https://i.ibb.co/RKjjPMb/63-Rose.jpg


Seems to me his "HOF" premium has already been baked into the cost of his cards. I've always been a fan of him getting into the Hall, I believe what you do on the field should matter for a museum...but I'll admit his behavior soured me on him as a person a long time ago. I admittedly was sad when he died thought without getting into the hall, although I can see where he was his own worst enemy.

Anyway, thought it was odd that one of the larger than life post war hero's doesn't have a card thread after the big news...



I'll add, I bought this Rose pre-covid for $650. It's clearly been a great investment already...with no idea where it will go in value. At the time I had an SGC 5 that I sold as I liked this 4 better, and sold that for $625. Funny how that worked, but hey, the card not the holder. My 5 was definitely over graded.

While I have one of his rookie cards, and one of the infamous fakes, I have never liked that card. I do like his 64 and 65 cards. But his worse in his 1968 Super.

To me, food is always the best explainer... :D

After I cook a pizza, I slap a whole bunch of extra pepperonis on it as it comes out of the oven.

Legend:
- Original pizza with pepperonis: Pete Rose's card values with his HOF-worthiness already baked into them.
- Additional pepperonis: The bump his cards will now get based on the possibility of him actually getting into Cooperstown.

Ha...good one especially considering the rookie card looks like some pepperoni pieces!


I agree Al, his rookie is not attractive. Too bad a full set of 63 Fleer cards weren't made, that would have been a cool card. And I also agree, that 68 Super is super ugly! What a poor pic selection.


My favorites are the 64 and 65 base Topps cards, especially the 65.

https://i.ibb.co/qY1WJ2Gk/64-65-Rose-Small.jpg

Not my card, but one I'd like to pick up one day...probably should do it soon just in case. And isn't it that mentality that drives demand and price? Ha


https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/DJMAA...vH/s-l960.webp

I go back and forth over Rose. He was one of my early baseball idols and the only non-Yankee I ever wrote a fan letter to when I was a kid. I have never seen a competitor like Rose. He did some stupid stuff, but I have a hard time believing that he ever tanked on the playing field. I guess the lawyer in me says that a lifetime ban ends at death. If a killer is sentenced to life plus 100 years we don’t keep the corpse around for a century. Since Rose never got a vote put him in the regular ballot rotation instead of the asterisk committee and see what happens. Let the voters decide.

And a card I like:

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...Rose%20599.jpg

A few of mine

I got this, weeks after I sent a letter to Pete Rose's Restuarant in Cincinnati when I was in High School back in 1978

Some more Pepsi and Safelon lunch bag

My lone Rose. Picked up a couple of weeks before the news broke.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...ac4edb44_c.jpg

No.

I agree.

I'm guessing your junior high was in Cincinnati.

:)

In addition to being the Hit King, I am of the opinion that Pete was also the 'Auto King', in that he signed more autographs than any other ballplayer during his lifetime.

He’s definitely way up there, but no one will ever beat Feller.

I think Stan Musial is also in that top 3. I don't think there's any player in the top 15 players of all time that sell for 20 bucks, except Stan. Red Schoendienst also signed an immense amount and his career spanned 76 years at ballparks, he was known to never say no to an autograph. So I'd also think he is a candidate.

I could put those three on my Mount Rushmore of signers quite comfortably, lol.

Don't forget about Cal Ripken

I'm not a Rose collector per se. I think he was obviously amazing on the field, and had a drive and persistence that will be matched by only a small fraction of a percent of players. He wasn't the best or even close to it by virtue of sheer physical talent. Like Cobb, he willed himself to be the player he became. So for that, I admire him.

As for the off-the-field stuff, I think at some point the rule of "not knowing your heroes too well" comes into play. Clearly the guy was no saint. But neither was Mickey Mantle, or a host of others. How far does our judgment extend?

As for the '63 rookie card, I was screwed because '63 is my favorite set of the '60's. My bread and butter since I was a kid in the late 80's has been postwar vintage. 1950's - 1980. Regardless of what I think of Rose, the set is not complete without that card. And regardless, to say it's a not huge card in the vintage hobby is just a falsehood. Rose's notorious status at this point makes it an iconic card even if the guy was mostly bad.

So - (horrible timing) this past weekend - I finally picked up the '63 Gonzalez / McMullen / Rose / Weis in an SGC 4 to add to my set. I've owned the card before, but as this was the first time I have really gotten serious on the set building end of things, this one is for keeps. I hope that Pete one way or another is finally at peace now from his turbulent life. Regardless of what you think of him, he was significant.

Congrats on your 63 Rose pick up (or re-pick up) John...your right, none of the noise matters, that card is simply iconic. It was a dream of mine when I was a kid, a card I thought was only a fantasy to own. I covet my own SGC 4 (pictured above) and much like yours, isn't going anywhere. Mine is also my second Rose...I had an SGC 5 first, sold it, regretted it, picked this one up when I was pursuing the set. Congrats!

Thanks! I had a PSA 5 before as well, sold it at the beginning of the pandemic for well less than half of what it would go for now. Whoops.

Given my current pace of set building I should be starting on 1963 by the end of '26 - I am holding out hope that by then, the speculators, gamblers and other rogues will have left the hobby to us collectors and set builders and prices will have come down by 50%.

Or am I being too optimistic?

LOL, I hope that every day. I'd love to buy $50 raw Mantle base cards and $15-20 cards of other HOF'ers.

I don't believe in reality this will ever happen. But it's a nice thought anyway.

1964 Reds Photo Card

I don't know. I think if prices went down 50% I would still spend as much, the cards would just take up twice as much room in my house.

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