The Other Phil Esposito Rookie

A while back I shared with you one of the bigger pick ups I have had in recent memory and that was my Phil Esposito Rookie. The card books at a whopping $400 usd in Nr Mint condition however, when it is found in the shape mine was in with a crease or two and some tiny paper loss it was very affordable but still nice on the eyes. According to most guides that represents his only rookie card. However, there was another Phil Esposito card released that year with the 65-66 Coca-Cola Set.

While it isn't an official rookie card, I have a slightly more liberal definition of the term and would definitely consider this card his OTHER rookie card. The condition of this one is much much better than my other but still has some rounded corners (2 of them) but much like the other card is very easy on the eyes. The book on this one is $40 dollars in Nr Mint condition so if you are looking to add a Phil to your collection from his rookie year this isn't a bad choice and won't break the bank. I believe I spent about 12 dollars in total on this one and it was definitely worth every penny.

65-66 Coca-Cola Phil Esposito Rookie

Here is the front. Like all cards from this set, they are b&w photos but look very nice in person. I really like the fact that it isn't a canned photo that you've seen on countless other cards before hand and is unique to this set. This is my third one from the set with Howe and Delvecchio being my first two.


Back side

I still love the back side of these cards. So much statistical information unlike the Topps version of Phil's rookie. Both minor, regular season and playoff stats plus some vitals make these cards winners in my eyes. I would love to try and build this set someday because I believe it would definitely make a beautiful set once completed and placed in a binder.

Anyone else out there chasing this set or have it already? Are there any food based sets out there that spark your collecting passion? Thanks for stopping by and Happy Birthday to Wayne Gretzky!

65-66 Coca-Cola Gordie Howe

Here is my second 65-66 Coca-Cola card and it is every bit as beautiful as the Delvecchio.

Love the posed photo on ice, this is how I always picture Gordie in my head. The card is in amazing shape with the only issue being the bottom right. These cards are also a little thinner than your average card too, I forgot to mention that in the last post.

 Here is the back, again lots and lots of stats and info. I really think it is amazing that he would play another 15 seasons after already what would be a HOF career. Because of his time in the WHA, he would only score another 489 NHL points and 206 of those would be goals. His WHA time would see him compile 174 goals, 334 assists and 508 points. Pretty amazing considering he was 37 when this card came out!

There you have it, my two Coke cards and my oldest Howe in my collection. This card is the most expensive in the set booking for about 60 bucks.

65-66 Coca-Cola Alex Delvecchio

Part of being an Alex Delvecchio collector means that I have to decide if I am going after some of the food and confectionery cards. The answer is yes! I have some Bee Hives already and now I have my first Coke.

1965-66 Coca-Cola Alex Delvecchio

 I love these cards! They are a little larger than your standard OPC or Topps card, but they are just as easy on the eyes. I have one more to share that is even cooler than this believe it or not. Just a perfect B&W headshot of Alex.

What I like most about this set is how complete the stats are on the back. Almost unheard of at the time to have complete NHL regular season and post-season stats. As you can see, Alex was good regardless of the time of year. Please forgive the pink tinge on the front and back, they don't actually appear on the card, but my old scanner for some reason tinged them. I should have scanned them with my new scanner, but alas I am limited on time and am pretty lazy. I do really like these cards and might some day consider tracking down the complete set of 108 cards which currently is books for about 400 bucks. Alex is by no means a super expensive card as it only books for about 5 bucks, but as I said before, I do have a fun one to share next post!