1981 Topps Pete Rose #180
Pete Rose · Topps · Base
Player
Pete Rose
Set
1981 Topps Baseball
Year
1981
Card #
#180
Condition Grade
PSA 7 (NM) - The card exhibits moderately sharp corners but shows clear left-to-right centering horizontal bias. The surface appears clean through the sleeve, but production-era color registration is slightly soft.
Category
Base
Manufacturer
Topps
Demand Level
Moderate - Pete Rose maintains a high floor of demand due to his historical significance, though 1981 is not a key rookie or premium-value year.
Valuation
Raw (Ungraded) Value
$5.00 - $12.00
Graded Value
PSA 6: $15-20, PSA 7: $25-35, PSA 8: $50-65
Comparable Sales
Raw copies in similar condition consistently sell for $6 to $10 plus shipping on eBay. PSA 8 copies have recently settled in the $50 range, while PSA 9s can reach $150+.
Description
This 1981 Topps Pete Rose #180 features the Hit King in his Philadelphia Phillies uniform. The design includes the classic circular portrait in the bottom left and an action shot of Rose in his signature batting stance. The card back features his career statistics up to that point, documenting his legendary pursuit of the hits record.
Key Features
Features MLB's all-time hits leader; popular early 80s Phillies 'powder blue' jersey era; high demand among Pete Rose completionist collectors.
Authenticity Indicators
High confidence. The card displays the correct card stock thickness for the era, 'Topps' logo font matches 1981 production, and the dot-matrix print pattern in the red borders is consistent with genuine 1980s thermal printing.
Flaws to Note
Centering is noticeably heavy toward the left border (approx 65/35). Potential for minor edge chipping common to the 1981 Topps card stock. The top-right corner shows slight softening.
Selling Guide
Where to Sell
eBay is the best platform for this specific card due to the high volume of vintage baseline collectors. For a quick sale, a local card shop (LCS) might offer 40-50% of the raw value.
Selling Tips
Do not grade this card. The cost of grading ($19-25+) currently exceeds the likely value increase for a Mid-Grade (PSA 7) specimen. Sell as 'Raw' or 'Ungraded' with high-resolution photos of the back to show centering. Ship in a cardboard-backed bubble mailer.