Collectibles: A Coca Cola Bottle and a Smile
Start Collecting a Piece of History for Fun and Profit
Apr 25, 2009
Most people seeking collectibles fall into one of two basic categories.
- Vintage collectors will often invest large amounts of money to obtaon rare items for their collections
- Hobbyists collect just for the fun of it
Whichever you chose to be, you will find a great variety of items to pursue, and many guides to help you.
Research First
As with any type of collectibles, a collector should research the history of the company or product of the items they seek. Many early items sell for several hundred to several thousand dollars. This often attracts dishonest dealers who try to sell fake merchandise. A promotional item from the early 1890s showing a bottle or can for a product that was not bottled until the late 1890s, or canned until much later, is obviously a fake.
History of the Product
The world is a thirsty place and to help quench that thirst Dr John Stith Pemberton, a pharmacist, created a then unique beverage to help quench that thirst. The date was May 8, 1866; and the place was Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia. The drink he introduced was Coca-Cola.
It was several years later after Dr Pemberton had sold his business to several partners that the idea of bottling the product actual came about.
History of the Container
The demand for Coca-Cola was so great at his soda fountain in Vicksburg, Mississippi, in 1894, that Joseph A. Biedenharn installed bottling machinery in the back of his store and began the Coca -Cola bottle craze.
The first Coca- Cola bottle was a squat 6-ounce glass container, which was sealed with a rubber gasket. Unfortunately the seal did not hold up well and these bottles were not used long. Finding such a stopper or bottle would be a great treasure for anyone interested in collectibles though the very first bottles were not embossed with the now famous trademark. Collectors now seek these bottles and those that followed as well as other collectibles such as bottle caps and promotional items that were widely produced since the 1890s. In fact some of these promotional items were produced in such great quantities in the 1920s, that they are still widely available today and of little monetary value.
If you are just starting out in the world of collectibles, now is a great time to do it. The Internet has opened up a worldwide marketplace that is available to everyone, no matter where they live. So sit back, open a bottle and smile!
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