Top Pete Rose Baseball Cards of the 1970s
Beckett Pete Rose Baseball Card Series:
Part 1 – Top Pete Rose Baseball Cards of the 1960s
Part 3 – Top Pete Rose Baseball Cards of the 1980s
For baseball fans, “Charlie Hustle” needs no introduction, after all Pete Rose is Major League Baseball’s “Hit King” with 4,256 scattered across 24 seasons. Not only was Rose one of the game’s best all-time hitters, but he was also one of baseball’s most accomplished all-around players earning two Gold Gloves (OF), a Silver Slugger, 1973 NL MVP, 1975 World Series MVP, Natoinal League Rookie of the Year in 1963, and was part of three winning World Series teams.
The switch hitter inspired generations of players with his grit and determination on the diamond, and despite his troubles with baseball that kept him out of the Hall of Fame, his early card values remain high.
In the Beckett Online Price Guide there are 7,091 items featuring Pete Rose that are recognized… truly something out there for everyone in the hobby.
The 1970 Season
Coming off back-to-back batting titles, Rose cooled off a bit, hitting .316, but was still tops in the league with 205 hits. Now 29 years old, there is an often-overlooked aspect of his game – his fielding. In 1970, Rose played all three outfield positions, spending 155 games in right. Cumulatively, he committed just one error in 318 chances with 309 putouts.
Going into the ‘70s, companies were looking for more ways to market their products, leading to more collecting opportunities then and now. What would continue well on into the 1990s, player cards in food products, besides bubble gum, became more prevalent. One company that would make fun collecting cards into the ‘80s was Kellogg’s. The 1970 Kellogg’s #2 Rose can be found raw on secondary markets from $8 to $60 in mint condition.
The 1970 #580 Rose is the marquee pull from this year with raw-mint values at $400 or more. But the cool three-for-one card is #61 1969 NL Batting Leaders/Pete Rose/Bob Clemente/Cleon Jones. Cards in good condition can bring $30 raw up to $250. Clemente and Rose on the same card… a little slice of baseball card collecting heaven.
*Buy 1970 Kellogg’s #2 Pete Rose and 1970 Topps #61 NL Batting Leaders/Pete Rose/Bob Clemente/Cleon Jones on eBay and Amazon.
1971
By his standards, the ’71 campaign was really good but subpar from what we’ve come to expect from Charlie Hustle. Still, he hit .304 with 192 hits that included 27 doubles, 4 triples, and 13 home runs. Even in a down year, his WAR was 5.1.
Getting quality cards from 1971 can be hard enough, add some hard-to-find collector’s items in the mix, the chase has gotten even tougher. Four different Bazooka cards featuring Rose were released in 1971:
- 1971 Bazooka Numbered Test #32 Pete Rose
- 1971 Bazooka Numbered Test Panels #31 Bert Campaneris/32. Pete Rose/33. Orlando Cepeda
- 1971 Bazooka Unnumbered #5 Pete Rose
- 1971 Bazooka Unnumbered Panels #4 Bert Campaneris/5. Pete Rose/6. Orlando Cepeda
The Unnumbered #5, hand cut, graded as a 10 most recently sold for $808. The Numbered Test #32 Pete Rose can earn $800 in raw mint form.
Another fun one to chase is the 1971 Milk Duds #60 Pete Rose DP – more product-themed material for the kids. The Milk Duds #60 graded as a 4, very good/excellent, can range from $72 to around $170.
The most popular is the Topps #100 Rose.
1972
A change in the batter’s box came in 1971 that was even more noticeable in ’72, Rose’s plate discipline became even greater. For the first time in his career, with 680 at-bats and 752 plate appearances, Rose struck out fewer than 50 times (46). During the ’69 season, he started a 19-year streak that ended during his final season in ’86 of walking more times a season than striking out. For the fourth time in his career, Rose again led the league in hits (198).
More noteworthy mentions, the All-Star Game passed on Rose in ’72 and he hit .450 in the NLCS against the Pirates.
*Buy 1972 Topps #559 Pete Rose and 1972 Topps #560 Pete Rose IA on eBay and Amazon.
MVP Season
While some players may start slipping 11 years into the career, Rose masterfully mixed his experience with talent producing an NL MVP season. Rose led the league in hitting again, batting .338, with a league leading 230 hits. His MVP year was a career personal best 8.3 WAR. Rose only got five games in the postseason in ’73 but hit .381 off eight hits in 21 at-bats. He also clocked two dingers against the Mets.
Looking for that odd collectible to get the Rose fan in your life something? Try the 1973 Topps Candy Lids #44 Pete Rose. The candy lids were a test set featuring 55 color player portraits. Called “Baseball Stars Bubble Gum” upon release, the bottom lids were 1 7/8” in diameter, capping a small tub of gum balls. The candy lids can range greatly on pricing depending on the seller. Expect to pay a minimum of $150 up to $400 if trying to secure this rarity.
Although from his MVP season, the Topps #130 Rose can be a little bit easier on the pocketbook to purchase raw, from $25 to $200. The catch, finding cards that are not horribly miscut.
*Buy 1973 Topps #130 Pete Rose and 1973 Topps Candy Lids #44 Pete Rose cards on eBay and Amazon.
The Overlooked Season
Rose was an All-Star again but perhaps did not receive full attention due for the season produced. For the first time since 1964, his batting average was below .300 (.284) but he led the league in doubles (45) and runs (110) while scattering 185 hits.
The ’74 cards featuring Rose are more reasonable for the everyday collector to purchase. The O-Pee-Chee #300 Rose can be purchased for around $20 in excellent condition. Looking for the Topps version, one can expect to pay about $5 more. If found in mint condition, pricing can be as high as $200.
Looking to make some money off your collection? Selling a 1974 Topps Deckle Edge #16 Pete Rose can help. An 8-grade sold for $3,850 on eBay on Sept. 26, 2025.
*Buy 1974 O-Pee-Chee #300 Pete Rose and 1974 Topps Deckle Edge #16 Pete Rose on eBay and Amazon.
World Series Title No. 1
As great as the career has been for Rose, looking back, in a way, it was just getting started. During the regular season, Rose was back above .300, hitting .317, and once again led the league in doubles (47) and runs (112). Of the 162 games played, 137 were as the Reds’ third baseman.
Taking on Pittsburgh in the NLCS, Rose batted .357. In the Fall Classic, Rose earned MVP honors after hitting .370 through seven games with 10 hits and three runs scored against the Red Sox.
Another one-off from the traditional baseball card, Hostess produced three items of Rose in ’75. Finding a 1975 Hostess #29 Pete Rose hand cut in good shape can run from $4 to $15 on secondary platforms. The other two Hostess labeled cards: 1975 Hostess Panels #28 Bert Campaneris 28/Pete Rose 29/Buddy Bell 30 and 1975 Hostess Twinkie #29 Pete Rose.
The value card is from the iconic 1975 Topps set. The two-toned cards are a favorite among most collectors. While previous ‘70s Topps Rose cards were a little cheaper in value, the ’75 #320 Rose ranges from $30 in excellent condition to $250 raw mint.
*Buy 1975 Hostess #29 Pete Rose and 1975 Topps #320 Pete Rose cards on eBay and Amazon.
Back-to-Back Champions
The Big Red Machine was in high gear in 1976 with Rose helping lead the way. Rose hit .323, leading the league in hits (215), runs (130), and doubles (42). The ’76 season would be the last time Rose led the league in runs. Rose clobbered Phillies pitching in the NLCS hitting .429. Against the Yankees, his average dropped to .188, but he still produced three runs in the four-game sweep.
Released to collectors in 1976 were multiple discs with Rose on them: Blankback, Buckman, Carousel, Crane, Dairy Isle, Isaly, Orbakers, Red Barn, and Safelon. On the front, all the discs look the same, yellow sides, brown stitching with a picture of Rose on a white backdrop. Most of the discs have four stars across the top, the Crane discs reads “CRANE” in place of the stars. Of them all, the Red Barn Discs #51 Rose is considered the most valuable.
Looking for something really different, get the 1976 Safelon Superstar Lunch Bags #10 Jim Hunter/Pete Rose!
The wanted card in the collection is the Topps #240 Rose… that is one intense game face.
*Buy 1976 Isaly Discs #51 Pete Rose, 1976 Safelon Superstar Lunch Bags #10 Jim Hunter/Pete Rose, and 1976 Topps #240 Pete Rose cards on eBay and Amazon.
1977
Now 36 years old, there was no slowing down for Rose on the diamond. For a fourth consecutive season, he played in every regular season game and, of course, hit over .300 (.311). The season is also notable as Rose’s ninth crossing the 200-hit milestone (204).
For collectors, there were seemingly even more discs to collect: Burger Chef, Chilly Willie, Customized, Dairy Isle, Detroit Caesars, Holiday Inn, MSA, Pepsi Glove, Saga, Wendy’s, and Zip’z. Again, all the discs look the same, the difference is the card back writing denoting the company.
Collectors looking for a mint ’77 Topps #450 raw should be able to find one for under $60.
*Buy 1977 Topps #450 Pete Rose and 1977 Wendy’s Discs #56 Pete Rose on eBay and Amazon.
1978
The ’78 season was important for Rose and his fans for multiple reasons. 1) Against the Expos on May 5, Rose became the 13th player in MLB history to amass 3,000 hits, 2) Rose had a 44-game hitting streak, 3) he led the league in doubles (51), and 4) it was his last season in his prime as a Cincinnati Reds player. Rose would return to the Reds in 1984 until his retirement in 1986.
In a “Topps Now” moment then, Rose’s 3,000th hit was memorialized on an O-Pee-Chee #240 and a Topps #5.
In 731 plate appearances, 655 at-bats, Rose only struck out 30 times, a personal best at that point in his career.
Rose’s base card from Topps’ flagship starts at $6 in excellent condition raw going up to $40 in mint.
*Buy 1978 O-Pee-Chee #240 Pete Rose and 1978 Topps #20 Pete Rose cards on eBay and Amazon.
Year 1 in Philadelphia
Perhaps with something to prove, Rose was a beast again at the plate hitting .331 while leading the league in on-base percentage at .418 with the Phillies. In 1978, Rose made the full-time move from third to first base with Mike Schmidt holding down the fort at the other corner. The new position worked well with just eight errors in 1,519 chances.
Topps and O-Pee-Chee marked Rose’s pending free agency in their ’79 sets. The Phillies made Rose the highest paid player in team sports, signing him to a four-year, $3.2 million contract. Getting later in his career, Rose’s cards are much cheaper to collect with the #343 O-Pee-Chee ranging from $6 to $40 based on condition.
The Topps #204 is even cheaper with a range of $5 to $30.
*Buy 1979 O-Pee-Chee #343 Pete Rose and 1979 Topps #204 Pete Rose cards on eBay and Amazon.
Protect Your Collection With:
- Penny Sleeves — On Amazon | On eBay | On Fanatics
- Top Loaders — On Amazon | On eBay | On Fanatics
- Binders — On Amazon | On eBay
- 9-Pocket Card Pages — On Amazon | On eBay
