Vintage Baseball Card Debate: Pete Rose Rookie vs. Reggie Jackson Rookie
In this story:
Vintage baseball card collectors are constantly forced into tough decisions. With a fixed budget, every hobby purchase means passing on another iconic card.
Imagine you have $2,500 to spend. You are able to buy the 1969 Topps Reggie Jackson rookie card in a PSA 7.5, one of the hobby’s most iconic rookie cards from the 1960s. Or you can choose a PSA 5 1963 Topps Pete Rose rookie card, an even more recognizable rookie from the 1960s featuring baseball’s all-time hits leader.
There are 1,066 PSA 5 Pete Rose rookie cards with approximately 3,300 graded higher. There are just 78 Reggie Jackson rookies in PSA 7.5, with roughly 880 graded higher. The Rose rookie has a total graded population of 11,003. The Jackson rookie's total population is 21,944.
Both cards and players have passionate fans and compelling arguments. Both cards can be purchased for around $2,500. If you could only own one, which card would you choose?
The Case for the 1969 Topps Reggie Jackson Rookie Card
1. Reggie Jackson Was the More Impactful Player
Jackson hit 563 career home runs, which ranked sixth all-time when he retired. This is more than three times Pete Rose's total of 160 home runs. Reggie's 74 career WAR is only 5.6 behind Pete Rose's 79.6, despite playing 742 fewer games. Even though Rose accumulated over 4,000 more career at-bats, Jackson generated more Offensive WAR because home runs create runs at a much faster rate than singles.
There may not be a player more closely associated with postseason success than Jackson. His nickname, "Mr. October," remains one of the most fitting nicknames in sports. Jackson's .755 World Series slugging percentage ranks third all-time behind only Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. He hit .357 in the World Series with 10 home runs and won five championships in six World Series appearances. Pete Rose was an outstanding postseason player as well, but Reggie's October heroics elevated him into another category of World Series folklore.
2. Reggie Has the Yankees Factor
The Yankees have the largest collector base in the hobby. While Jackson spent more years with the Athletics, it was his time in New York that transformed him into a national celebrity. Jackson's popularity extended beyond baseball.
Because of his time with the Yankees, he appeared in movies, television shows, commercials, and even had his own "Reggie!" candy bar. His public disputes with Billy Martin in the 1970s helped make him one of the most recognizable faces in baseball. Few players of his era became larger pop-culture figures.
3. Reggie Has the Cleaner Legacy and Better Looking Rookie Card
For many collectors, legacy matters. While Rose's accomplishments on the field are undeniable, Jackson's reputation is largely built on what he accomplished in World Series games. There are no gambling scandals with Jackson, and he is considered by many to be an "inner-circle" Hall of Famer. He got into the Hall of Fame in 1993, receiving 93.6% of the vote on his first ballot.
The bright colors, clean 1969 Topps design, and solo-player format have made Reggie's rookie a hobby favorite. Rose has to share his rookie card with three other players, and he only has a tiny floating head in the lower-left corner of his card. Additionally, the Reggie Jackson in a PSA 7.5 is a very clean looking card and looks nicer to display.
The Case for the 1963 Topps Pete Rose Rookie Card
1. Pete Rose is the Hit King
The strongest argument for Pete Rose begins with a record that may never be broken. Rose accumulated 4,256 career hits, making him Major League Baseball's all-time hits leader. No active player is remotely close to threatening the record.
Rose was a 17-time All-Star, Rookie of the Year, National League MVP, World Series MVP, three-time World Series champion, and the last true player-manager in Major League Baseball history. His accomplishments place him among the most important and best players of the entire post-war era.
2. Charlie Hustle is More Popular
Fans connected with Pete Rose differently than other players. Jackson could hit baseballs farther than almost anyone, but Rose was a player fans felt they could actually relate to. He wasn't known for extraordinary power, elite speed, or special physical gifts. He became famous for effort, toughness and relentless competitiveness. Rose squeezed every ounce of production from his abilities. When the average fan pictured themselves playing in the Major Leagues, they envisioned themselves playing the way Rose did.
His nickname, "Charlie Hustle," originated from sprinting to first base on a walk during a spring training game. Whitey Ford called him 'Charlie Hustle' as a joke, but it became his identity. In many ways, Rose was the baseball equivalent of a player like Steph Curry. Fans looked at him and thought, "Maybe I could do that." He wasn't built like a superhero. He just tried harder than everyone else. This made him popular, which is ultimately what matters in the baseball card market.
Additionally, Rose is the most famous and talked about player in Reds Franchise history. Reggie Jackson is not the most popular player in Yankees history (Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle, Jeter, etc.) or Athletics history (Rickey Henderson). This means Jackson is collected less by team collectors, despite the fact that he was on the Yankees.
3. A Hall of Fame Induction Could Give Pete Rose Cards a Price Boost
Pete Rose could soon make the Hall of Fame, which would have a major impact on the price of his cards. Following his death, discussion surrounding Rose's Hall of Fame candidacy has intensified. Many collectors believe the Veterans Committee will eventually elect him.
If Rose is eventually inducted, his rookie card could receive an additional boost in demand because many in the hobby try to collect rookie cards of Hall of Famers. The attention a Pete Rose induction would bring would be significant.
The Verdict
As a Yankees fan, I would take the Reggie Jackson rookie card 10 times out of 10. That is admittedly personal bias. Jackson is one of the most iconic Yankees, and I think his rookie card looks better. The 1969 Topps design appeals to me more than the four-player "floating heads" layout of the Pete Rose rookie card.
That said, if I were to remove my fandom from the equation and think purely as an investor, I would lean toward the Rose. Rose is the bigger name, his rookie card may be more recognizable to the average collector, and the possibility of a future Hall of Fame induction creates an interesting potential boost.
Also, there are times when I can't completely separate the player from the person when building my collection. While many collectors focus exclusively on what happened on the field, I personally have a difficult time collecting players whose off-field actions I strongly disagree with. Rose's gambling scandal is only part of that equation.
That doesn't mean I don't understand why so many collectors love Pete Rose. His accomplishments on the field were extraordinary, and many fans admire the way he played the game. They don’t overcomplicate their baseball card collections by judging the morals of every player (many of the greatest players, in every sport, were not saints off the field). I respect that perspective.
For me, the answer is Reggie Jackson. But I think Pete Rose’s rookie will perform better over time.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
David is a collector based in Georgia and a lifelong fan of the New York Yankees, New York Giants, and New York Knicks. He is an avid sports card collector with a strong passion for vintage baseball cards and vintage on-card autographs. David enjoys obtaining autographs through the mail and loves connecting with other knowledgeable collectors to discuss the history and evolution of the hobby. He also previously wrote about the New York Giants for GMENHQ.com