Elusive Pepsi and Coca-Cola antiques just sold at auction and the going price surprised even the experts involved.
Several of the “historically important” collectibles are from the early days of the iconic soft drink companies. Still, no one thought it was possible for one of the items’ top bids to be four times that of its estimate.
Rare Pepsi and Coca-Cola Items Sell at Auction
An “elusive” tin Pepsi-Cola sign and a rare Coca-Cola bottle, each over 100 years old, were among the priciest collectibles sold at Morphy’s Soda Pop, Advertising & General Store Auction in August, according to a Sept. 5 news release.
The single-sided embossed tin sign for Pepsi-Cola (circa 1910) in good condition, featuring a soda bottle and the phrase “Drink Delicious Pepsi-Cola / Very Refreshing,” sold for $19,200 against an estimate of $3,000-$6,000.
Related: Pepsi Officially Acquires Cult-Favorite Soda Brand in Massive Deal
A clear glass bottle with original paper label advertising John Pemberton’s French Wine Coca, which would later become Coca-Cola in 1886, was estimated to go for $6,000-$12,000, but it actually rocketed to $31,980, making it the “top lot of the sale.”
Other collectible items sold include:
- A 1933 Coca-Cola double-sided porcelain sign with a Christmas bottle graphic and detailed filigree adornment across the top, branded “Tennessee Enamel Mfg. Co. Nashville.” It was estimated to go for $10,000-$20,000, but sold for $30,750.
- 1910s-1920s single-sided lithographed printer’s proof on paper depicting a man swimming up to a dock to grab a fountain glass of Coca-Cola from a friend. According to the auction house, the proof would have served as the basis for a die-cut cardboard window display. It sold for $27,600, far exceeding the estimated range of $10,000-$20,000.
- A circa-1920s one-gallon fountain syrup jug bottled in New Bern, N.C., detailed with an image of a young boy drinking Pepsi from an early fountain glass and a horizontal-strip image of women and children at a soda fountain counter attended by two men in white pharmacy-style coats. Estimated at $3,000-$6,000, the winning bidder took it home for $27,060.
- Several Coca-Cola advertisements from the late 1880s, estimated at $8,000-$16,000, sold for $24,600.
- A single-sided cardboard sign, circa 1914-1916, promoting Coca-Cola chewing gum landed in its estimated range (not provided) but still sold for a whopping $20,910.
In total, the 1,780-lot selection of rare Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola antiques helped deliver an “effervescent” $2.4-million result.
This stream of success might be hard to replicate, but Morphy has several other auctions slated to take place before year-end for hobbyists looking to add to their collections. It’s hosting an Automobilia & Petroliana Auction Oct. 4-5, Coin-Op & Advertising Oct. 16-18, The Wayne & Lori Edens Fishing Lure Collection Oct. 25, Toys & General Collectibles Nov. 12-13, and Fine & Decorative Arts Collection Dec. 10-11, just to name a few.
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