From the moment Joseph Biedenharn first bottled Coke in 1894, the world found the soda irresistible as well as the countless collectible items connected to it. All kinds of things ranging from containers to posters or almost any thing one could dream up has been linked with the Coke trademark and Coke collectibles are some the most prevalent for collectors. If something is a Coke antique of any sort, it is almost inevitable that someone will purchase it.
When you speak of Coca Cola collectibles, you naturally begin with the famous bottles. The earliest ones have the greatest value. They were hand blown and mismatched as to color, form, and even size. The earliest of all had a rubber seal and a cap with a wire. However, since the taste of the drink was affected by the rubber, this closure didn't last very long. By 1910, the glass containers were machine crafted and standardized. The Coca Cola bottle shape everyone recognizes was adopted in 1916 and has endured since then.
Coca-Cola bottles are valuable not just because of their age, but also because many of these bottles were issued as commemorative items. The advent of the aluminum can in the 1960's also made commemorative cans to be collectible items, and much more so if they are unopened.
Another collectible item is either the carton or the case that was used for Coca-Cola products. Coke started using the first cardboard holder that held six bottles in 1928. If you can find one of these first holders they can be worth a lot of money. Another package that is valuable is the wooden cases. Another collectible is the combination of old bottles with new packaging.
Coke caps, which have also been used in advertising promotions and special additions, can sometimes be valuable, too. For example, free cases of Coke were once offered as prizes for those who were able to collect caps from each US state. A complete set of these caps would be valuable today. Some Coke collectors focus on specific areas and would be thrilled to have such a set.
Coke licenses many other items that are not beverage items. Things like china, glasses, sweatshirts, t-shirts, key chains, stuffed animals, and many other items have all been created by The Coca-Cola company. The internet has opened up many ways to find memorabilia, by using a search engine you can find thousands of sites to purchase products from. There are also a lot of these items listed on online auction sites. This is a great hobby for buyers and sellers.