Pelé
Date of Birth: 10/21/1940
Rookie Card Year: 1958
Investment Rating: 9.5
Overview
Pelé is the greatest soccer player in history and a top ambassador for the modern game. Like Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan and other greats in the respective sports, Pelé is synonymous with the worldwide awareness of soccer. While the soccer card market is still not as established as other sports, especially in the United States, cards and memorabilia for Pelé are very popular.
Although he spent nearly his entire playing career in his home country of Brazil, Pelé made good use of his World Cup appearances to establish his global recognition. Pelé helped lead Brazil to three World Cup titles and his club team, Santos FC, to multiple championships. He ended his professional playing career with the New York Cosmos.
Pelé has several early cards, but most are obscure regional productions manufactured in various locations all around the world. Understandably, several originated in Brazil, and these are some of the rarest and most valuable. Since there is no official card designated as his rookie, collectors are left to decide for themselves. Some of the options can be seen below, but this is by no means all the early Pelé cards.
Also, take a look at some of his best cards in our Pelé top list.
Check out the most popular Pelé card auctions currently on eBay.
Until recently, collectors had very limited options for acquiring a certified authentic autograph from Pelé. Topps and Panini have made this considerably more easy by featuring Pele autographs in their various soccer sets.
Pelé's autographed memorabilia commands strong value, as well, but these options are not nearly as common.
Pelé Rookie Card Checklist Gallery
1957 Oliveira & Benassi Balas Equipe Pelé #54
1958 Alifabolaget Pelé #635
1958 Alifabolaget Brazil Team #649
1958 Americana LTDA Pelé
1958 Colecao Titulares Pelé #50
1958 Colecao Titulares Pelé #86
1958 Colecao Titulares Brazil Team #88
1958 Editora Aquarela Pelé #10
1958 Swedish Rekord Journal Pelé #NNO
1958-59 Tupinamba Ltda. Quigol Pelé #109
1958-59 Edizioni V.A.V. Pelé
1958-59 Heinerle Pelé
1964 Panini Calciatori Coppe Pelé
 | Making purchases through affiliate links can earn the site a commission |
Autograph Guide
Pelé Autographed Memorabilia Buying Guide
Below you will find an example of what Pelé's authentic signature looks like. This can be used as a first point of reference for determining the legitimacy of autograph memorabilia, but is not a substitute for having your items authenticated by a well-respected professional autograph authentication company. Some of the trusted sources within the sports memorabilia market include the following companies: PSA, JSA, and Mounted Memories.
Pelé Cut Signature Exemplar:
Pelé Key Signature Attributes: An authentic Pelé signature autograph will exhibit several distinguishing characteristics, regardless of the item signed or when it was signed. Look for the following signature features:
- The signature begins with an over-sized "P" and every letter is legible in the signature
- The "P" includes a spiral top and the interior resembles a lowercase "E"
- The "L" is written more like a large lowercase "E" and tends to be the most variable of the letters
- The final "E" is smaller than the first and can resemble an "I" because of the accent mark, which is similar to a dot
Pelé Signed Soccer Ball Pricing:
View Active eBay Listings for Pelé Signed Soccer Balls
Pelé Signed Jersey Pricing:
View Active eBay Listings for Pelé Signed Jerseys
Pelé Signed Photograph Pricing:
View Active eBay Listings for Pelé Signed Photographs
| Making purchases through affiliate links can earn the site a commission |
