What’s Next for Pete Rose? : Memorabilia: Market for baseball cards tumbles except for mint ’63 rookie. Election to Hall of Fame could change all.

The market for Pete Rose baseball cards has gone pfffft. It’s taking a beating that started when Rose pleaded guilty to income tax evasion in April, and it’s not likely to stop until Rose has been in and out of prison.

For instance, Rose’s 1965 Topps card dropped from about $140 to $90 in less than a month, and all his cards from 1966 to 1972 are showing losses of between $5 to $25.

“Pete Rose cards are as dead as a doornail,” said Doug Kale, editor of The Sports Card Trader monthly price guide. “The big investment dealers say they can’t get rid of them.”

Although no one wants Rose’s 1963 Topps rookie card right now, it continues to hold its value of $500 to $600 in near-mint condition. “It’s so scarce that it hasn’t been affected,” Kale said.

The likelihood of Rose cards rising again is directly linked to his chances of being elected to the Hall of Fame. As long as he remains eligible, there’s little chance that any Pete Rose cards will wind up as fodder for bicycle spokes.