Playboy Buddy Rose and a Ham Sandwich

Yesterday, I highlighted Buddy Rose signing a guitar for the Guitar Guy. Today, I am presenting Buddy Rose again. This time, Rose is pictured with something a little more familiar to him, a big ham sandwich.
Rose is truly a wrestling lifer. He never gained huge fame, but he had a solid and lengthy career. Early on, Rose had a fairly muscular physique.
Later as age and food consumption caught up with Rose, he incorporated it into his gimmick. The WWF (now WWE) ran a series of vignettes featuring Rose selling the Buddy Rose Blow Away diet plan. Rose had fun with the weight jokes, using them to his advantage to build his character. (Oh for the days when a wrestler built his own character...).
There is one other important thing to note about Rose. Despite his girth, he always was a great worker. He never let the weight get in the way of his in-ring work.
I met Rose for the second time at the Wrestling Reunion in Tampa in 2005. He participated in a 6 man tag match consisting of him, Col. DeBeers and Bob Orton Jr. against Rowdy Roddy Piper, Jimmy Snuka and Jimmy Valiant, which would turn out to be his last match to date.

Buddy Rose (with a ham sandwich) and me in Tampa, FL-January 2005.

Playboy Buddy Rose and a Guitar

Playboy Buddy Rose was a professional wrestler for over 30 years. Rose wrestled primarily for the WWF (now WWE), the AWA and Pacific Northwest Wrestling. Rose was a hard worker and a great heel, both in the ring and on the mic. Rowdy Roddy Piper credits his feud with Rose as the feud which made him (Piper) a name in the business.
I met Rose for the first time in Las Vegas (NV). Rose was there for a Cauliflower Alley Club reunion.
There weren't many fans there, as it is more for the wrestling community. One guy who was there was the 'Guitar Guy'. I don't know who the guy is, but his hobby (passion?) is getting signatures on guitars. At this event, he was trying to assemble a wrestler guitar.
Usually collectors get signatures on things related to the celebrity signing (like baseball players signing baseballs). When there is no tangible signable thing related to the celebrity, 8x10 photos are usually the next option. Obviously, you can't bring a turnbuckle for the wrestler to sign.
Then there are the exceptions. There are a few collectors out there who decide to build their autograph collection in an offbeat way. I have seen collectors building autograph collections on tshirts, hats, homemade banners and books. I even saw a guy with a professionally made robe just for signatures.
The Guitar Guy has one of the most offbeat collections. Guitar Guy gets guitars signed. Apparently, he has many guitars signed according to various themes or events. When I saw him in Las Vegas, he used the reunion as a theme for one guitar.
I am not really mocking this guy (although the Robe Guy is another story). He has every right to collect whatever he wants. I just don't understand the draw. Wrestlers on a guitar? Additionally, I would think a collection like this takes a lot of space and costs a lot of money. Of course, the logistics in carrying around the guitar would seem to be troublesome. I'd love to talk to this guy and ask him several questions.
Getting autographs is challenging enough at these such events. I wonder how he explains it to the people as he approaches them. Does it help? Do they even care? So many questions.

Buddy Rose and the Guitar Guy in Las Vegas, NV-early 00's.