So. Kind of a surprise, kind of not - this wound up happening at LCS #2 yesterday. I am focusing set collecting efforts more towards 1963 and away from ‘67 lately - as I realized in the end it’s a lot easier to pay $10 or $15 for no-name high numbers than it is $100 or more. You’ll notice this is well below my usual grading standard for postwar vintage. Whatever, maybe it’s getting older as a collector, maybe it’s something else, but I’m just not spending $2K or more on a PSA 5 or 6 range example. This card won’t win any beauty contests, but here’s one of life’s true facts about the Pete Rose rookie card - neither will most high grade copies! The ‘63 floating heads are among Topps’ stranger choices I guess. I don’t think the cards are downright ugly, but it’s hard to make a case the other way that they are gorgeous as well. The Rose, as has other examples of rookie cards throughout history - became iconic regardless while not necessarily being the Mona Lisa. While this is no doubt a well deserved 1 (multiple creases, corners are gone, surface crap) I think it still retains decent eye appeal for what it is. Either way - this represents a huge check mark on my list for ‘63 Topps. Of course when discussing that set, the invariable question comes around - “Do you have the Rose?” Also trying to forget at the moment the MUCH nicer copy of this card I briefly had for about the same price point circa 5 years ago. Oy…
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