Coca Cola, a Humble Beginning :

It was in a small Atlanta Pharmacy that Coca-Cola was first conceived by Dr. John Pemberton. Drinks were offered at Jacobs' Pharmacy for five cents a glass -- but that first year only nine drinks a day were served!

When Asa Candler became the sole owner of the product in 1891 his belief in an advertising blitz paid off. Sales increased dramatically. Candler gave away thousands of coupons for free glasses of Coca-Cola and also distributed numerous other items with the brand name, such as fans, clocks, urns and calendars.

1891 -- Earliest Calendar :

Coca-Cola calendars were among the first items produced by the company and apparently tennis was a popular sport at the time. A calendar from that time has a young lady holding a wooden tennis racket. As Phil Mooney, Director of Archives for Coca-Cola, states in his article, Collecting Calendars, "The background scenes serve a documentary role in the calendars. A 1919 calendar subtly informs us that World War I had just concluded by showing the military figures in the background and biplanes in the sky."

Calendar Values:

As with any collectible, calendar values can vary widely. But calendars from the company's early history can be worth thousands of dollars. e.g. The 1891 tennis calendar mentioned above has a value of $18,000.

Paper is Fragile and Rare:

Because of the nature of the calendar and it's intended use, early calendars are hard to find, especially in good condition. Remember that in the beginning, only small numbers of calendars were produced, not the hundreds of thousands produced today.

Reproductions:

As with all popular collectibles, Coca-Cola items are a target for reproduction and fantasy items. Do your research and find out more about sizes, colors and variations before spending big bucks on an item you are not completely familiar with. Petretti, Coca-Cola Collectibles, stresses checking the sizes to be sure calendar has not been trimmed and making sure the calendar has the correct pad attached.

A Book about Coca-Cola Calendars:

Interested in learning more about Coca-Cola Calendars? Pick up a copy of the Allan Petretti, Chris H. Beyer book Coca-Cola Calendars published in 2000 will be a great help. It's no longer being printed, but copies can be found for under $10!

Yearly Free Calendars :

Even today, 120+ years after they first started the promotions, Coca-Cola still gives away free calendars. You just have to call the company at the right time! Keep an eye out in October for the next year's calendar.

Coca-Cola and Advertising:

Starting in 1891 Coca-Cola saw the benefits of what an advertising campaign can do for a company. And they haven't stopped or slowed down since. Over the years Coca-Cola has sold or given away millions of products proudly displaying the Coca-Cola logo or name.

They've kept their campaigns current, reflecting the times and mood of the country. Today Coca-Cola is not only the most recognizable soft drink in the world, the brand most likely boasts the largest collector base in the world of advertising collectibles.

After all, who doesn't have at least a few things Coca-Cola?