1960-1969 Hockey Cards

The 1960s were another big decade for hockey cards. The 1960s hockey cards offered collectors the most mainstream choices compared to any other period to date. In addition to Topps and Parkhurst, O-Pee-Chee rejoined the ranks.

The 1960-1969 hockey sets include the rookie card for Bobby Orr, which is the most popular rookie from the decade. Other top rookie offerings include Stan Mikita, Dave Keon, Rod Gilbert, Jean Ratelle, Bernie Parent, Jim Pappin, Phil Esposito, Gary Cheevers, Tony Esposito, and Serge Savard.

1965-66 Coca-Cola NHL Players Trading Card Set

At a time when Topps offered the only mainstream hockey series, 1965-66 Coca-Cola Hockey filled a niche with a series that stands the test of time.

The mid-60s were a tough time to be a hockey card collector.

Product Details

After starting out with four straight years of two manufacturers pumping cards into the marketplace, Parkhurst dropped out of the picture after their epic 1963-64 release, leaving Topps as the only game in town. The New York-based confectioner came on strong with the 1964-65 Tall Boys set, one of the most iconic, and valuable, of the decade but a one-set season meant hockey card collecting had just a short window…and was over far too soon.

Fortunately, the following season offered another series to pursue. While not a classic “cards in pack with stick of gum” product, it was wildly popular with collectors while offering its own unique challenges. And all it took to build was a willingness to down a lot of specially marked bottles of Coca-Cola or Sprite.

Distribution

The 1965-66 Coca-Cola hockey card series was a brilliantly executed promotional scheme that encouraged hockey fans to guzzle down the soft drinks and collect specially marked bottle caps with an NHL team’s nickname on the liner. Once a collector acquired 10 caps featuring one team’s nickname, they could mail them in for an 18-card perforated strip of player cards from that team (along with a 19th card that could be redeemed for a now highly sought after collector’s album).

The unnumbered cards themselves were fairly plain and printed on thin paper, offering a black-and-white image on the front with the player’s name along the bottom. On the back were player vitals, including their complete stats in the NHL. Not the most visually striking collectibles, but what they lacked in eye appeal was made up for with inclusivity.

It all added up to a 108-card series that was nearly as representative of the league as Topps’s 128-card series that season. There are a number of noteworthy cards in the set, including rookie year issues of Gerry Cheevers, Phil Esposito, Yvan Cournoyer, Ed Giacomin, Paul Henderson, Dennis Hull, Ken Hodge and more. It also features a single of Bernie Parent that pre-dates his 1968-69 Topps/OPC RC by three years and pictures the future Hall of Famer with his first NHL team, the Boston Bruins.

Enduring Popularity

The contemporary popularity of the series upon its release is evident by how readily these singles can be found online and at major card shows. That makes them surprisingly affordable for a set that’s more than half a century old and is highly subject to condition sensitivity. All told, the Coke cards are an easy entry point for collectors looking to venture into vintage collectibles.

                                                             How We Grade:

Gem Mint (GMT): (10.0) A flawless card. To be in Gem Mint condition, a card’s borders must have a ratio of 50/50 side to side and top to bottom. 

Mint (MT): (9.0-9.5) A perfect card. Well-centered with parallel borders which appear equal to the naked eye. Four sharp, square corners. No creases, edge dents, surface scratches, paper flaws, loss of luster, yellowing or fading, regardless of age. No imperfectly printed cards – out of register, badly cut or ink flawed – or card stained by contact with gum, wax or other substances can be considered truly Mint, even if new out of the pack. Generally, to be considered in Mint condition, a card’s borders must exist in a ratio of 60/40 side to side and top to bottom. 

Near Mint/Mint (NM/MT): (8.0-8.5) A super high-end card that appears Mint 9 at first glance, but upon closer inspection, may exhibit a very slight wax stain on reverse, slight fraying at one or two corners, or a minor printing imperfection. Centering must be app. 65/35 to 70/30 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse. 

Near Mint (NM): (7.0-7.5) A nearly perfect card at first glance, but upon closer inspection, may have slight surface wear, slight fraying on some corners, slightly out-of-register picture focus, a minor printing blemish or slight wax stain on reverse. Centering must be 70/30 to 75/25 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse.

Excellent/Near Mint (EX/NM): (6.0-6.5) Card may have visible surface wear or a printing defect. A very light scratch. Corners may have slightly graduated fraying. Picture focus may be slightly out-of-register. Card may have minor wax stain on reverse, may have very slight nothing on edges. Centering must be 80/20 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse.

Excellent (EX): (5.0-5.5) Corners are still fairly sharp with only moderate wear. Card borders may be off center as much as 85/15. No creases. May have very minor gum, wax or product stains, front or back. Surfaces may show slight loss of luster from rubbing across other cards. Dark bordered cards may have one or two small nicks.

Very Good/Excellent (VG/EX): (4.0-4.5) Shows obvious handling, but still looks nice. Corners may be rounded or have minor creases. No major creases, tape marks or extraneous markings or writing. Surfaces does exhibit loss of luster, but the printing is intact. May have paper wrinkles. May show major gum, wax or other packaging stains. All four borders visible, though the ratio may be as poor as 95/5. Exhibits honest wear. 

Very Good (VG): (3.0-3.5) A well-worn card, but exhibits no intentional damage or abuse. May be “Mis-cut or Off-Center” with no border visible. May have major or multiple creases, however, creases are not so deep as to show the underlying paper. This card is completely readable, has not been written on, and has no tape marks or holes. Corner rounding may extend well beyond the border. 

Good (GD) (2.0-2.5) Shows excessive wear, along with damage or abuse. Will show all the wear characteristics of a Very Good card, along with such damage as thumb tack holes in or near margins, evidence of having been taped or pasted, perhaps small tears around the edges or creases so heavily as to break the cardboard. Backs may show minor added pen or pencil writing or be missing small bits of paper. Still basically a complete card. 

Poor (P): (1.0-1.5) A card that has been tortured to death. Corners or other areas may be torn off. Card may have been trimmed, show holes from a paper punch or have been used for BB gun practice. Front may have extraneous pen or pencil writing, or other defacement. Major portions of front or back design may be missing. Not a pretty sight.