There was a new manufacturer of NFL trading cards in the mid-1960s, a time that gave rise to the Super Bowl era and some top rookie cards.
1964 Philadelphia Gum Football Set
After its bid to produce player cards for the National Football League, ending an eight-year run by Topps, the Philadelphia Gum company got to work with its 1964 set. The company was headed by Edward Fenimore, a former vice-president at Bowman Gum, so creating a trading card set wasn’t anything new.
Philly Gum created a simple 198-card set and would continue with that format throughout its four-year run. The sets checklist was created by team, in alphabetical order. The last two cards in the set were checklists.
Top rookie cards in the set included Willie Davis, Merlin Olsen, and John Mackey. Interestingly, Jim Brown, the most valuable card in the set, is pictured kneeling in front of his car, which was parked on the street next to the practice field.
1965 Philadelphia Football Set
Philadelphia’s second set was a marked improvement from their first issue with better quality, posed photographs. Key rookie cards include Paul Warfield, Mel Renfro, Paul Krause, and Charley Taylor.
Distributed in nickel packs and 10 cent cello packs, the set has more than 20 Hall of Famers. The 1965 Philadelphia cards seem to be more prevalent in the marketplace than the other three issues.
1966 Philadelphia Football Set
The 1966 Philadelphia football set is the most valuable of the four produced by the company and it’s primarily because of two players: the rookie cards of Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers. Chicago’s 1965 draft produced the two Hall of Famers, who made their debut on cardboard the following season. Bob Hayes and Bob Brown are two of the other significant rookie cards in the set.
1966 marked the last football card of Jim Brown, who opted to retire after the season. It also showcases cards from the first Super Bowl champions, Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers.
The checklist opens with a logo card for the league’s new expansion team, the Atlanta Falcons and follows the alphabetical pattern from there on.
1967 Philadelphia Football Card Set
Philadelphia put a little color into its design in 1967, with a yellow border that makes them stand out in a stack. With no Jim Brown to chase, the cost of completing the ’67 set drops a bit, but there are still a bunch of Hall of Famers on the checklist and several notable rookie cards including Lee Roy Jordan, Dan Reeves, and Leroy Kelly.
Philly Gum Legacy
Philadelphia Gum produced some non-sports sets during the 1960s too, but its football sets stand as its greatest legacy. At 198 cards, they are not too challenging to complete as long as a collector has the ability to afford some of the major stars. Focus on buying the highest quality you can afford and remember to buy based on overall eye appeal. The 1960s was one of the most memorable eras in NFL history and its trading cards capture some of the great names still fondly remembered today.
You can see Philadelphia football cards on eBay by clicking here.