Collecting 101: Coca-Cola
Collectors today can find an enormous selection of Coca-cola memorabilia and collectibles, Coca-Cola collectors divide themselves up into smaller groups of collectors. There are those who specialize in bottles, cans, clocks, signs, toys, trays, and many other groups. Some collectors focus on just one group of items while others collect a little bit of everything. There are several items you can start your Coca-Cola collection with including bottles, wooden crates, metal serving trays, and calendars.
Coca-Cola Bottles
Coca-Cola did not originally intend to sell its products in bottles. In fact, the first man to bottle Coca-Cola did so without the permission of the company; in 1894 Joseph Biedenharn began to bottle Coke so customers could take the carbonated drink to picnics and other spots outside of the soda fountain. There are many styles, and even colors, of Coca-Cola bottles. The earliest bottles had very different shapes from the contour bottles we see today. Most bottlers produced clear bottles, but some bottlers went with light green, a widely used and less expensive color. Because bottles were still hand-blown into molds until about 1910, irregularities were common. In addition to the embossed “Coca-Cola” on the bottles themselves, bottlers also glued a diamond-shaped paper label to the side of each bottle to further identify its contents. Dating Coca-Cola bottles made after 1916 is relatively straightforward, thanks to the manufacturer’s numbers on the base or bottom of the bottle. These four-digit numbers, which are separated into pairs by a dash, identify the bottle mold (the first two numbers) and the year of its manufacture (“30,” for example, would indicate 1930). Newer bottles also have four-digit numbers, but they provide even more information. In these bottles, the first digit represents the year, the second indicates the mold, the third is the manufacturer’s symbol, and the fourth identifies the plant where the glass bottle was blown.
Coca-Cola Wooden Cases
Wooden cartons were generally used in the 1940s while paper was in relatively short supply due to the outbreak of World War II. These wooden cartons come in a variety of shapes and sizes with different designs. Coca-Cola also made wooden crates meant to hold a dozen bottles as well as wooden carriers for six-packs, often made out of planks of wood but in some cases made of bent veneers. There are often a wide variety of cases and crates available on Ebay.
Coca-Cola Metal Trays
Coca-Cola began distributing tin serving and change trays to soda fountains in 1897. Trays produced from that date until 1968 belong to the first, or classic, period of Coca-Cola trays. Because trays made from 1970 onward were often reissues of older trays or were made from new materials, these trays belong to the modern age of Coke trays. The earliest trays often have the slogan “Delicious and Refreshing,” but slogans changed over time, with phrases like “Drink Coca-Cola,” “Coke Refreshes You Best,” “Here’s a Coke for you,” and “Be Really Refreshed!” Some trays had no slogan at all, only the familiar Coca-Cola logo.
Coca-Cola Calendars
The earliest known Coca-Cola advertising calendar was issued for 1891. Using the latest printing technology, the company published a beautiful full-color lithographed calendar with an image of a pretty young woman drinking Coke. It’s believed that Coca-Cola distributed at least one calendar every year, although calendars from 1905 and 1906 have never been found. Early calendars promoted the “health” benefits of Coke; for example, the 1897 calendar called “Victorian Girl” reads, “Delicious and Refreshing. Relieves Mental and Physical Exhaustion. Cures headaches.” A 1904 calendar is unusual because it features a little girl, breaking an unspoken rule of the era that discouraged using children in advertisements. The 1908 calendar contained the slogan “Good to the Last Drop,” which was later trademarked by Maxwell House Coffee.
Check out Collectors Weekly for more great info on collecting Coca-Cola.
Vintage Designer Spotlight: Hattie Carnegie
“Beauty is my Business!” Hattie Carnegie-1942
Hattie Carnegie 1951, Vogue
Hattie Carnegie (1889 -1956) was born in Vienna, Austria. Her name was Henrietta Kanengeiser. In 1900, she immigrated to the United States, and settled with her family in New York City. By the time she was 20 she had adopted “Carnegie” as her last name after Andrew Carnegie who was, at the time, the richest person in America. As a teenager Henrietta worked at Macy’s as a salesgirl, she became a student of women’s clothing and her job in the hat department earned her the nickname “Hattie.”
Hattie Carnegie Ad 1934
In 1909 Hattie opened her first shop with her friend, seamstress Rose Roth; Carnegie-Ladies Hatter. Initially Roth developed the dressmaking side of the business while Hattie focus on the hat design. In 1919 Carnegie bought Roth’s share of the business, taking over the clothing design. This was the beginning of Hattie Carnegie Inc. which would lead to a chain of exclusive boutiques across the United States and eventually an $8 million fashion empire.
Vogue 1958
Carnegie’s designs,whether it was hats, clothing, or jewelry, were coveted by Hollywood stars and celebrities including; Tallulah Bankhead, Joan Fontaine, Lucille Ball, and Joan Crawford. Carnegie had an inherent instinct for American women would desire. She flew to Paris on a regular basis to research the latest French fashion; returning home to adapt the look to meet American sensibilities.
Carnegie Ad – 1943
Despite the depression of the 1930’s Carnegie’s business thrived as she continued to add more departments to her store; it was said that a lady could be dressed from “Hat to hem” at Hattie Carnegie. By the 1940s Carnegie’s store was actually a department store; it included a handbag department, where a customer could order a specific bag to match an outfit, the fur salon, a millinery department with a ready-to-wear hat section, a costume jewelry department, an antique furniture and glass department, a cosmetics department and ready-to-wear designs from other design houses.
By 1940, Carnegie’s operation was so large that it employed over 1000 workers. Most of them worked in the manufacturing of her ready-to-wear lines, but her custom shop continued to be the foundation of her business and reputation. Carnegie became known as a woman of taste, and she was so renowned that she was often featured in her own ads.
During the 1950s, Carnegie continued to make the types of clothes that women across the country had come to expect from her chic but conventional dresses and suits. She especially liked the little black dress, and was known for using a particular shade of blue; “Carnegie Blue.” She continued to make hats, accessories and jewelry. Carnegie also produced ballgowns at this time, often adapted from the French couturiers.
Carnegie Ad 1950’s
Hattie Carnegie died in 1956. Although the business remained open after her death much of the desirability of the label lay in the woman herself and eventually the label lost its appeal. The Custom Salon was closed in 1965 with the company continuing to produce jewelry, hats and accessories until 1976 when the business closed for good. Hattie Carnegie’s jewelry is highly prized and collectible today.
Vintage Movie Profile: Alfred Hitchcock
1935 “39 Steps” Poster
Rebecca 1940
Hitchcock’s films during the 1940s were diverse, ranging from the romantic comedy Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941) to the courtroom drama The Paradine Case(1947) to the dark and disturbing film noir Shadow of a Doubt (1943). Suspicion (1941) marked Hitchcock’s first film as both a producer as well as director. Although the film was set in England Hitchcock used the north coast of Santa Cruz, California, for the English coastline. This film was Cary Grant’s first picture with Hitchcock, and it is notable as one of the few times that Grant would be cast in a sinister role.
Suspicion 1941
The 1950’s was an amazingly productive decade for Hitchcock. He made several films that would become minor classics including; Dial “M” for Murder (1954), Strangers on a Train (1954), and To Catch a Thief (1955). He also made four movies that are considered to be some of his best work: Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), and North by Northwest (1959).
Rear Window 1954
North by Northwest 1959
In 1960 Hitchcock created his best known film, Psycho. Psycho was a low budget film for Hitchcock with a budget of $800,000; it was shot in black-and-white on a sparse set. The unprecedented violence of the shower scene, the early death of the heroine, and the innocent lives snuffed out by a disturbed murderer became the defining hallmarks of Hitchcock’s new horror genre. Psycho was followed by The Birds (1963) and the romantic psychological drama Marnie (1964).
Psycho 1960
The Birds 1963
By the 1970’s Hitchcock’s career was winding down. Frenzy was released in 1972, a tale centered around a string of “Necktie Murders”. His final film was released in 1976 with Family Plot.
Alfred Hitchcock
Vintage Style: Vidal Sassoon
Vidal Sassoon was a revolutionary; he completely changed the relationship women have with their hair. Before Vidal Sassoon came on to the scene in the late 1950’s weekly hair appointments were mandatory in order to have your hair “set”. Nights were spent sleeping in uncomfortable curlers.
1940’s Hair Salon
Mr. Sassoon’s revolution was to emphasis the cut. He brought a modern eye to hair dressing that saw the hair cut as architecture. He designed and cut his clients’ hair into geometric shapes with sharp angles in order to complement the bone structure of their faces. These modern, short and striking styles embodied a new type of sexy. These styles were easy to care for and maintain establishing the wash-and-wear look. This new style would go on to drive the revolution of youthful fashion that took over London, America and the rest of the world in the 1960’s.
Classic Vidal Sassoon Cuts
The original version of the quintessential Sassoon style was known as the five-point cut; a snug, sleek helmet with a W cut at the nape of the neck and a pointed spike in front of each ear. He went on to develop a range of geometrical bobs including The Box Bob, The Inverted Bob, the Long Bob and The Asymmetrical Bob. He also gave us the Pixie Cut which was showcased on Mia Farrow in the movie “Rosemary’s Baby”.
Inverted Bob on Nancy Quan
Mia Farrow being styled by Vidal Sassoon
Mr. Sassoon became a pioneer in business as well by creating a line of hair products under his name. His shampoos, conditioners and other hair care products were famously sold trough a series of television commercials featuring women with lustrous hair and the handsome and suave Mr. Sassoon at their side declaring, “If you don’t look good, we don’t look good.” Sales reached more than $100 million annually before he sold the company in 1983.
“If you don’t look good, we don’t look good.”
Vidal Sassoon continues to have a profound influence on hairstyles and hair dressers and his work will live on forever. His legacy includes, in addition to the haircuts, a full line of Vidal Sassoon products, his autobiography and a book; “Cutting Hair the Vidal Sassoon Way“.
Vidal Inspired Cuts on Rhianna
Pixie Cut on Natalie Portman
Modern Bob 2013
Collecting 101: Avon Bottles
During the mid 1960’s Avon began marketing novelty containers and the first Glass Car Decanter is introduced in 1968. This is followed over the next 25 years with hundreds of interesting novelty and figural decanters in both Men’s and Women’s lines. The product line itself grows to includes Fancy Soaps, Scented Candles and Holders, a complete Children’s Line of plastic toys filled with soaps and bubble baths, Stationery items, Christmas ornaments and Special Occasion gift packs, even Avon Jewelly introduced in 1971 and Family Fashions in 1973.
There are many Avon Collector Clubs in North America that can be contacted, and several books with history and information on Avon available.
Here are some items to inspire your collection:
Avon 1970's "Baby Owl"
Avon 1973 Asian Girl
Avon 1970's 'Remember When' School Desk
Avon 1972-1975 Rolls Royce Decanter
Collecting 101: Cookie Jars
Starting a Collection
Betty Boop Character Cookie Jar
Coca~Cola Cookie Jar
There are animal cookie jars created with every type of animal lover in mind. Whether it’s an owl, rooster, dog, cat or bear, animal cookie jars exist with your favorite animal. Many animal cookie jars are crossover collectibles with characters from pop culture, like Garfield or Snoopy.
Collecting 101: Vintage Salt and Pepper Shakers
Holt Howard
Napco used a wide array of marks for its head vases—some transfer marks and some paper labels. The paper labels feature various wording, such as: “A Napco Collection,” “Napco originals by Giftware,” “National Potteries Co., Cleveland, OH, Made in Japan,” and “Napcoware, Import Japan.”
Lego Imports-Goldman Morgan, the company’s full name, which represents a fusion of the first and last name of the company’s president: Leo Goldman. Based in New York, the manufacturer is known for distributing a variety of collectibles, including bar accessories, figurines, and mugs. The company’s head vases feature a paper label that reads: “Fine Quality Lego Japan.”
Enesco Imports
One of the largest head vase manufacturers in the world, Enesco was founded in 1959 by Eugene Freedman. Originally operating a small plastics and figurine company in Milwaukee, Freedman soon joined a Chicago-based import company, which had spun off of a prominent wholesale merchandising operation, N. Shure Co., the name of which morphed into N.S. Co.—and ultimately, Enesco.
The company began by marketing Southeast Asian giftware out of its modest Elk Grove, IL facilities; by the 80s, Enesco had expanded its presence throughout the U.S., and into Canada, Puerto Rico, Hong Kong, and Europe. Most designs of Enesco head vases were made by Japanese pottery makers and are marked exclusively with paper labels
Coming Soon…
Ok so I’m still getting a feel for WordPress since moving from Blogger. As soon as I figure out what’s what here I’ll be posting some articles on vintage owls, collecting those owls and various other vintage and owl related topics.
I hope to share some of the knowledge I have gained over the last 2 1/2 years since I inherited my grandmother’s owl collection. I’ve learned about not only vintage owls but the owls actual owls they represent. I have met lots of owl fanatics over the years and I am hoping to share some of their stories with you.
If you love owls and or vintage feel free to contact me if you have a great story to tell about your chosen obsession.
