Most everyone everywhere recognizes the ever so popular Coca Cola logo. Every day people from all over the world are snatching up coca cola collectables and adding them to their collection. Even with all the present day collectables, Coca Cola memorabilia still seems to become very valuable and heavily sought after.
So what are considered Coca Cola collectables? Basically they are specialty items which include signs, plush toys, beanie babies, trays, tins, playing cards, matchbooks, patches, pencils, pens, thimbles dishware, phone cards, clothing, and that’s just to name a few. The condition and availability of any particular Coca Cola item ultimately determines the value and what you can expect to pay. In 1965 a grading scale was established by Sheldon Goldstein and has been used as the official Coca Cola Collector’s Standard every since. One thing to keep in mind is that Coca Cola cans and bottles should always be unopened and full unless specified otherwise.
Any Coca Cola collectables that were produced prior to 1904 are considered to be rare class items. For an item to be considered in mint condition it should be unopened, in its original packaging and in an unused state. Items that have minor marks and that are fairly close to their original state would be considered near mint condition. For items to be marked as excellent condition the packaging is usually opened but still intact and will have minor nicks and/or scratches on the edges or outer rim. Very good items will have torn packaging or no packaging at all and will have minor flaking, small rust spots and minimal surface scratches. To receive a grading of good it will have moderate pitting or rust, facing, scratches, dents, and flaking. Fair items will have bad chipping or flaking, a lot more major scratches and fading, and more rust spots and dents. And finally you guessed it; poor condition is very badly worn, rusted, chipped and flaked, torn, pitted and dented.
When looking for Coca Cola collectables it’s best to seek out limited edition pieces because a large majority of items are 
mass produced. Coca Cola has produced several reproductions and their value will never be the same as their original. You will know a reproduction because it is usually stated on the back of the item. Coca Cola bottle caps have been used for special additions and during promotions and therefore are considered quite valuable. Coca Cola once ran a contest where the winner received free cases of Coke for collecting a bottle cap from every state of the union. If you were a Coca Cola collector and had a complete set of these bottle caps then you would be one happy camper.
An excellent source for locating hard to find Coca Cola collectables are online auction sites. Flea markets and antique shops are another great source for finding Coca Cola memorabilia. The great thing about these places are you can always negotiate on the price. You can even find estate sales where a private collector will have some excellent pieces priced from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.
There are some serious collectors out there that have a room totally devoted to Coca Cola collectables and sometimes several rooms. You’d be surprised at what a collector can put together with a little time and effort. One thing for certain, Coca Cola collectables will always be highly sough after and make a great investment.
