Subtitle: A look into Pete Rose's 1970s baseball cards, encompassing Topps and various food-related releases, highlighting their rarity.
Meta Description: Explore the 1970s Pete Rose baseball cards from Topps, Kellogg's, Hostess, and more. Discover their rarity and collector value.
Content:
What’s New
Known as "Charlie Hustle," Pete Rose holds the record as Major League Baseball's all-time hit leader with 4,256 hits across 24 seasons. The 1970s were pivotal years for Rose due to his impressive career feats and the diverse range of baseball cards issued. This era experienced a surge in collectible cards, featuring both traditional Topps releases and food product collaborations such as Kellogg's and Hostess. Cards from this time are highly coveted among collectors, with their value largely influenced by rarity and condition.
Configuration at a Glance
- From 1970 to 1979, Topps annually released base sets showcasing Pete Rose.
- Specialty releases included cards from Kellogg’s, Bazooka, Milk Duds, Hostess, O-Pee-Chee, and various disc collections.
- Several years featured unique multi-player and leader cards, highlighting batting leaders and All-Star picks.
- Hand-cut and test releases (Bazooka, Hostess, Deckle Edge) enhance scarcity and value.
- Autographs and memorabilia were not common in this era, becoming standard in later decades.
Key Inserts & Parallels
- 1970 Topps #61 NL Batting Leaders (Pete Rose/Bob Clemente/Cleon Jones) - a multi-player leader card.
- 1971 Bazooka Numbered Test #32 and Unnumbered #5 - hand-cut test releases.
- 1971 Milk Duds #60 Pete Rose DP - a food issue card.
- 1973 Topps Candy Lids #44 - a test release with a distinctive round shape.
- 1974 Topps Deckle Edge #16 - a black and white card with a scalloped edge.
- 1975 Hostess #29, Hostess Panels, and Hostess Twinkie - hand-cut food issues.
- 1976 disc cards (Blankback, Buckman, Carousel, Crane, Dairy Isle, Isaly, Orbakers, Red Barn, Safelon) - round disc-shaped releases.
- 1976 Safelon Superstar Lunch Bags #10 - a novelty issue featuring players.
- 1977 disc cards (Burger Chef, Chilly Willie, Customized, Dairy Isle, Detroit Caesars, Holiday Inn, MSA, Pepsi Glove, Saga, Wendy’s, Zip’z) - company-branded disc releases.
Autographs & Relics
During the 1970s, autograph and memorabilia cards were not typical. Pete Rose cards from this decade are all non-auto and non-relic. The emphasis is on base cards, leader cards, and specialty issues from food and promotional products. Value and rarity are influenced by print runs, condition, and special editions like test issues and hand-cut cards.
Collector Notes
- 1970s Pete Rose cards offer a wide array of traditional and food/promotional issues, increasing variety for collectors.
- Condition is crucial in determining value, especially for hand-cut and test issues such as Bazooka, Hostess, and Deckle Edge cards.
- Topps cards from the 1970s often face centering and cutting challenges, making high-grade examples more valuable.
- Food and disc issues are usually hand-cut and may have uneven edges or manufacturing flaws.
- The 1975 Topps #320 Rose is particularly popular for its design and value spectrum.
- Specialty and regional releases (discs, lunch bags, candy lids) are rarer and can fetch higher prices based on rarity and condition.
- Most cards from this era are non-auto and non-relic, as these features were introduced in later years.
- Prices vary greatly: some issues are available for under $10, while rarities and high-grade cards can reach several hundred or even thousands of dollars.
Source: https://www.sportscardportal.com

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