How to Buy Coca-Cola Collectibles

It originated as a patent medicine in Reconstruction Atlanta. It rose to be the dominant consumer beverage of the century and the most recognized trademark in the world. It's the Real Thing. Here's how to become a collector.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Coca-Cola Collectibles

1. Learn about the history of Coca-Cola. Generations of entrepreneurs, hustlers, swindlers, ad men and con men played a role in the history of the bottle of sweetened caramel-colored soda water whose story is a metaphor for the growth of modern capitalism itself.
2. Acquaint yourself with the basics of Coca-Cola memorabilia. Each object - from rare clocks to more conventional promotional objects - is linked to the history of the company and anchored in a particular time.
3. Investigate the financial side of collecting. Collectors recognize more than 100 official categories of Coca-Cola collectibles - from calendars to uniform patches - and prices vary significantly according to rarity and condition.
4. Look before you leap if you've got an eye on future values. This is a popular and very well-established collectible category, and buyers and sellers tend to know their stuff. If you're collecting because you love Coke, that's all well and good.
5. Decide what you want to collect, and why.

Tips & Warnings

• If you're collecting for the fun of it, don't neglect new products. Barbie and Coca-Cola have teamed up to create a replica '50s drive-in, while FAO Schwartz offers a replica of the classic vintage soda machine, perfect from its rounded case to its trademark red color.
• True collectors not only trace the history of advertisements and promotions and the evolution of the Coca-Cola logo, but also identify celebrities who have appeared in Coke ads over the years.