COCA-COLA ANTIQUES
MAKE SURE IT'S THE REAL THING!
After fighting for the confederacy
during the civil war, John Pemberton moved to Atlanta, Georgia
where he specialized in the mixing and vending of various
patent medicines. The pharmacist claimed that one of his
recipes, a Bordeaux laced with caffeine (from the seed of an
African kola tree) and cocaine, would cure sluggishness,
nervous disorders, headaches, internal plumbing, and improve
sexual performance. Not surprisingly, French Wine of Coca, was
his best seller.
In November 1885, Atlanta voted to become a dry city.
Experimenting in a three-legged brass kettle in his back yard,
Pemberton's various non-wine coca kola concoctions proved
bitter tasting. He added sugar, vanilla, caramel, orange,
lemon, nutmeg, lime juice, cinnamon and coriander oil.
Finally, Pemberton arrived at a caramel colored syrup he
merchandised by hauling in a jug to a local pharmacy called
Jacob's, where it was sold at the soda fountain as a
"Delicious and Refreshing" drink for five cents a glass.
That same year, the world's most
famous trademark-white Spencerian
Coca-Cola handwriting on a red background-was introduced by a
printing innovator Frank Robinson, who contracted for an
interest in the company and was instrumental in launching it.
In 1886, sales of Coca-Cola averaged nine drinks per day.
Unfortunately, Pemberton proved to be his own best customer. A
drug addict, he began selling interest in the floundering
business (including Robinson's) and died in 1888.
Shortly thereafter, Atlanta entrepreneur, Asa Candler, at the
urging of hoodwinked Robinson, purchased sole proprietorship
rights to Coca-Cola for $2,300. He removed cocaine from the
recipe in 1903. With innovative bottling systems in place and
merchandising genius Frank Robinson rehired, Candler expanded
consumption of Coca-Cola to every part of the nation within
four years.
Since its inception, Coca-Cola has been a world leader in
innovative merchandising and advertising policies. By 1905,
they had already produced calendars, stationary, booklets,
logo decorated ceramic syrup urns, post cards, coupons,
bookmarks, trays, a plethora of signs, advertising clocks,
fans, napkins, banners, posters, novelties, and the once
familiar Coca-Cola flare glass. The bell shaped fountain glass
would become standard in 1929. The Root Glass Company
introduced Coca-Cola's famous contoured 6.5-oz. bottle in
1915. Coolers and wooden and cardboard six pack containers
were introduced in the early 20's. Upright vending machines
were introduced in the 40's. Flat top cans were invented for
soldiers in 1956. And, at a cost of a quarter million dollars,
300 Challenger Space Shuttle cans were produced in 1985. On
July 31st of that year, Coca-Cola became the first carbonated
beverage to be drunk in space.
Legendary advertising campaigns include: "Coca-Cola Revives
and Sustains," (introduced in 1905), "The Great National
Temperance" (1906), "Three Million a Day" (1917), "Thirst
Knows no Season" (1922), "Six Million a Day" (1925), "Around
the Corner from Everywhere" (1927), "The Pause the Refreshes"
(1929), "When you think of Refreshment, think of ice-cold
Coca-Cola" (1942), and "The only thing like Coca-Cola is
Coca-Cola itself. It's the Real Thing" (1942). "Coke" was
registered as a trademark in 1945. "The Cold, Crisp taste of
Coke," was implemented in 1958, "Things go Better with Coke,"
(1963), and "I'd like to buy the world a Coke," was first sung
in 1971.
Anything old (and it doesn't have to be real old) and
authentic having to do with Coca-Cola is highly collectible.
World wide, the name is synonymous with America herself.
Unfortunately, reproductions in all categories abound. Perhaps
the best place to locate the world's most popular line of
collectibles is in your own attic. The worst place is flea
markets where fake trays and ashtrays sell briskly as the
beverage. Toward determining if a particular item is "the real
thing," ask yourself this question; was it made to sell
Coca-Cola, or fabricated to sell you?
by
AntiqueTalk.com
Reprinted with permission
Copyright by Wayne Mattox ©
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