Although he does not have a spot in Cooperstown, a 1963 Topps Pete Rose rookie card appears to be on its way to the Hall of Fame. An eBay auction for a PSA 9 Mint copy of the card is reaching $150,000. The highest price ever paid for a sports card at public auction is for a 1951 Bowman Joe DiMaggio card that sold for $1.56 million in 2014.
The card features Rose's face in the middle of the front cover with his name and hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, below that. He had just finished his first season with the Reds and was considered one of the best hitters in baseball. This particular card has been certified by the grading company as being perfect or near-perfect (9).
The card was issued in two versions: one with white space on the back where future rookie cards would be printed and another with no such space. About a hundred of these "blank backs" are still available today, and they often command higher prices than regular cards because people think you can never get more than one version of any card.
Pete Rose was born on January 4th, 1931 in Canal Winchester, Ohio. He got his nickname "Rose" when he played high school football and was given the ball with the score tied during one game and was able to run it in for a touchdown.
This card shows four players, but it's Rose who makes it worthwhile to own because it's his official rookie card. This Pete Rose rookie card is a must-have for any collector if you can find a nice one. His most valued card, a PSA 10 Gem Mint duplicate, went for $717,000!
The card features an unsigned player photo taken before the 1977 season. The writing on the back of the card states: "Pete Rose, Cincinnati Reds." It also includes the date he made the team - September 1, 1976 - and the issuing club - Cincinnati Redlegs.
Rose debuted with the Reds on April 8, 1976. He hit.429 (51-for-116) with 12 doubles, 4 homers, and 48 RBI in 49 games during his first season with the club. The Redlegs finished last in the league that year with a 65-97 record.
He was named the National League Rookie of the Year awards after hitting.341 with 26 HR and 102 RBI. In 1978, when the NL expanded to eight teams, Rose was voted into the All-Star Game. That same year, he became the first player to hit 400 homers when he hit number 401 against San Diego. On August 5, 1978, he broke the all-time hit record when he hit number 609. He ended up breaking the record again on August 9, 1978 when he hit number 630.
Despite his lack of durability in athletics, there is one item that has stood the test of time: his 1986 Topps Tiffany Traded baseball card. According to the PSA Card website, it is presently valued $2,250. Given how brief his career was, that is rather astounding. It is estimated that he lost over 50 games due to injuries.
Tiffany's card is #852 of 4500 issued by Topps. The card features a photo taken before the start of the season with Tiffany wearing a Toronto Blue Jays uniform. He is standing in front of his locker with all of his equipment visible, including his huge shoulder holster holding his gun. On the back of the card is an article about him being elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.
He spent only three seasons in the major leagues, but during that time, he showed many signs of greatness. In 1987, he had 32 saves and a 1.88 ERA, while batting.293. His 324 strikeouts are second only to Tom Seaver. That same year, he had five saves in as many attempts and had a 0.93 ERA.
In 1988, he had 22 saves and a 2.13 ERA, while striking out 93 batters in 79 innings. He finished his career with 94 saves and a 2.63 ERA. Overall, Tiffany earned a total of 3 awards during his playing days.
The '63 Topps has an image of Pete Rose, as well as Ken McMullen, Pedro Gonzalez, and Al Weis, and is regarded as the definitive Pete Rose RC. Their heads have been shaved and pasted onto red circles, with a solid yellow backdrop and a blue area at the bottom stating that they are "1963 Rookie Stars."
More information about the Sportlots Baseball Card ValuesGuide may be found here. Baseball Trading Card Values by Pete Rose Card Details: NM EX/NM EX VG GOOD Topps # 537, 1963 Pete Rose is worth $36.25. Topps #125, 1964 $65.03 $140.53 $52.95 $25.26 Pete Rose Topps Coin Inserts #82 from 1964 Pete Rose was paid $5.12 in 1965. #207 O-Pee-Chee $169.95 $159.80 $97.53 $30.53 Pete Rose
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 is a solid yellow background and a blue section at the bottom that notes that the players are "1963 Rookie Stars."
GOOD Topps # 537, 1963 $36.25 for Pete Rose Topps # 1 25 1964 $65.03 $140.53 $52.95 $25.26 Pete Rose Topps Coin Inserts #82 from 1964 Pete Rose was paid $5.12 in 1965. #207 O-Pee-Chee $169.95 $159.80 $97.53 $30.53 Pete Rose Topps # 207, 1965 Pete Rose $100.53 $66.92 $25.53 $66.92 $66.92 $66.92 $66.92 $66.
The value of Pete Rose baseball cards might skyrocket if he gets inducted into the Hall of Fame before his death. If Pete Rose is inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame, we should expect a 20 percent to 50 percent spike in the top Pete Rose baseball cards (maybe even more).
1979 Topps # 16 PSA 10 Estimated Value: $30,000. Ozzie Smith's 1979 Topps rookie card is the key to a collection brimming with Hall of Famers. Along with the 1978 Topps Eddie Murray, 1978 Topps Molitor/Trammel, and 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson, it's one of the vintage era's final excellent rookie cards.
Ozzie is depicted posing in his defensive position, which he would be well-known for during his career, winning 13 gold gloves. The Family Fun Centers emblem and mascot are included near Ozzie's nameplate at the bottom of the card.
It's just one example of what a PSA 10 grade can accomplish for the value of particular sports cards. Due to its scarcity, the Ozzie Smith rookie card in this collection and the Rickey Henderson rookie card from the next year command exorbitant premiums on PSA 10 specimens.
There are 8 Hank Aaron baseball cards on sale for Serious Collectors.
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