From Dexter Combs : For sale: Collection of soda bottles, nearly 300 in all. Included are some hard to find ACL bottles, such as: Pine Spring, Skipper and Topper. E-mail or call 870-437-2331 (home); 870-480-6638 (cell).

Also if anyone else has bottles or other soda-related items to offer, E-mail and let us all know.

From Randall Knight :  I am looking for any bottle from Morristown, Tenn. The main ones are Cleo Cola, Big Victory Chief, and Williams bottling Co. Also I would like to here from anyone who has or has seen a Donald Duck Cola ACL from Morristown, Tenn.

From Geri: I would LOVE to have an old small Grapette bottle.  My address is Geri Kindelon, 1067 Mill Run Way, Marietta, Ga.  30068.  Thank you.
I had promised Geri a Grapette bottle, but after searching, I found I didn't have any extras (I had several TIP bottles, and that is what I confused it with when I made the promise.). If anyone can help me out here, I'd appreciate it.

Do you have a particular item, or items, that you have been looking for a long time to complete part of your collection, or something you want - but have not as yet been able to find? Send it so all of us can help you look. You never know where it may turn up! E-mail it to My Missing Item

The Coca-Cola Company is planning a promotion for the 2004 Summer Olympics using global positioning satellite (GPS) technology. US buyers who happen to purchase special cans of Coke products equipped with transponders will be located by satellite. The winners will receive prizes such as the Hummer H2 sport-utility vehicle and $1 million in gold. 

New bottles or cans, or anything soda, in your area ?
Please send the info so all of us can know @ Whats New

OCTOBER 10-11  - MORRISTOWN, TENNESSEE
The State of Franklin ABCA & the Morristown Parks & Rec. Dept. presents their 1st Antique Bottle Show & Sale at the Talley-Ward Recreation Auditorium in Morristown, Tennessee, October 10th, Noon to 6 PM set-up, October 11th, 7-9 AM set-up. Doors open FREE to the Public at 9 AM on the 11th. Early Buyers $10. INFO: BILL HENDERSON, PH: (423) 581-8386, E-mail: showprobill@charter.net or CHARLIE BARNETTE, PH: (423) 368-1437, E-mail: brisbotls@chartertn.net. 

OCTOBER 10-11  -  MESA, ARIZONA
Phoenix Antique Bottles & Collectibles Club’s Annual Show & Sale (Fri. 2 PM – 5 PM early admission 11 AM - 4PM; Sat. 9 AM – 4 PM) at the City of Mesa Community & Conference Center in the Superstition Ballroom of the Rendezvous Center, 263 N. Center St., Mesa, Arizona. INFO: MICHAEL MILLER, 9214 W. Gary Rd., Peoria, AZ 85345; PH: (623) 486-3123, E-mail: helgramike@earthlink.net.

OCTOBER 11  -  BURNSVILLE, MINNESOTA
Burnsville Nicollet Junior High School’s 7^th Annual Benefit Antique Bottle, Advertising & Stoneware Show & Sale (Sat. 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM) at Burnsville Nicollet Junior High School, 400 E. 134^th Sat., Burnsville, Minnesota. INFO: STEVE KETCHAM, 400 E. 134^th Sat., Burnsville, MN  55337, PH: (952) 707-2653, E-mail: sketcham@burnsville.k12.mn.us.  

OCTOBER 11  -  MANCHESTER, IOWA  ~NEW~
Manchester Insulator & Bottle Show (Sat.  9 AM – 3 PM) at the Manchester Golf Club, 18175 222nd St. (south of Hwy 20 exit 277), Manchester, Iowa.  INFO: LARRY WHITLOCK, 935 West 14th Ave., Marion, IA  52302, PH: (319) 377-4708,  E-mail:  tramps2@msn.com.

OCTOBER 11-12  -  SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA 
Northwestern Bottle Collectors Association’s 37^th Annual Show & Sale (Sun. 9 AM – 3 PM, early admission Sat. noon) at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds Finley Hall Bldg., Santa Rosa, California. INFO: NBCA, P. O. Box 1121, Santa Rosa, CA  95402 or BEV SIRI, PH: (707) 539-1169.

OCTOBER 12  -  BEDFORD, PENNSYLVANIA
Bedford County Antique Bottle Club’s 26^th Annual Show & Sale (Sun. 9 AM – 1 PM, early admission 7 AM) at the Bedford County Fairgrounds, 4H Building, Bedford, Pennsylvania. INFO: LEO McKENZIE, PH: (814) 623-8019 or SALLY CORLE, PH: (814) 733-4598.

OCTOBER 12  -  KEENE, NEW HAMPSHIRE 
Yankee Bottle Club’s 36^th Annual Show & Sale (Sun. 9 AM – 3 PM, early admission 8 AM) at Keene High School, Arch St., Keene, New Hampshire. INFO: CREIGHTON G. HALL, 382 Court St., Keene, NH  03431, PH: (603) 352-2959.

The Annual Beach Party sponsored by the Old Dominion Chapter of the Coca-Cola Collectors Club will be held October 16-18, 2003 at the Sandcastle Oceanfront Resort Hotel in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Events will include a welcome party, auction, swap meet, social hour, banquet and room hopping. For more information, please contact Greg Dail, 1204 Masters Row, Chesapeake, VA 23320, Phone: (757) 547-4918 or coke1sthe1@aol.com. The hotel number is 1-800-233-131 and its website: www.sandcastle-vabeach.com. 

The 29th Annual Minnefest will be held October 17-18, 2003 at the Holiday Inn MLPS-West, 9970 Wayzata Blvd, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55426. This year's theme is "Fill'er Up with Coke." Events will include private collection tour, silent and regular auctions, swap meet, banquet and room hopping. For more information, please contact Mike Geiser, 7827 Irish Ave S. Cottage Grove MN 55016. Holiday Inn phone number is +1-952-593-1918 or +1-800-HOLIDAY.

The Arkansas & Oklahoma Chapters of the Coca-Cola Collectors Club are hosting a Swap Meet at the Settle Inn (800-677-6906) in Branson, Missouri October 23rd through 25th. For information, E-mail Ken Cottrell at: beartul@earthlink.net, or call (918) 357-3067. Mention the Coca-Cola event when making reservations to get the special room rate of $65.

The Great Lakes Chapter of the Coca-Cola Collectors Club is holding its annual Fall Fest at the Battle Creek Inn, Battle Creek, Michigan from October 31 through November 2, 2003. Events will include welcome party, auction, banquet, swap meet and room hopping. For more information, please contact Sandy Wilson, 8101 Creston Drive, Freeland, MI 48623-8722, or call +1-989-692-0551, or e-mail cokesantalady@yahoo.com. Battle Creek Inn is located at I-94 & Capital Avenue and its toll free number is +1-800-232-3405.

If you would like to view the full 'events calendar,' I now maintain  < click here>.
Any new events  in your area? E-mail it so all of us can know, to: Upcoming Events

For those of you in my area (East Tennessee) - do plan to get by the Morristown, Tennessee show October 10-11th - it is looking towards being a VERY good show for bottles - and of course, I will be there. We are hoping to make this the bottle show that the Knoxville Show used to be before it went primarily antiques. (The last show, in June 2003 had only 21 tables of bottles out of the 200+ tables that were sold.) I will have some of the 3rd Edition ACL books with me, so be sure to stop by and say "HI" if you make it there. I'd love to see you!

Also, don't forget to consider setting up a display for the EXPO at Memphis in August 2004. It would be a great opportunity to share information about ACLS, etc. to those who plan to attend. In addition, remember to get in touch with me if you'd like to contribute in any other way, such as suggestions for speakers, etc. Let's make this informative and fun for everyone.

There are many shows during this Fall season. Make plans to attend one - not only for the bottles you may find at a great price there - but for the camaraderie among fellow collectors, which is priceless. Every time I go - I make new friends!

Last, but not least - please take a moment to add your name to the collectors database list, so those who share your collecting  interests can easily find you. 

Until next time, Happy Collecting!

Coca-Cola unveiled one of the world's biggest and most sophisticated billboards today in the heart of the West End. The 99-foot-wide neon colossus can respond to the weather and interact with people looking at it from the ground. The billboard was switched on at dawn September 30th in Piccadilly Circus, lighting up with the message "Hello London" in the drinks giant's trademark red and white. 

It's the biggest billboard in Britain and the widest in the world, beating even the monster Coca-Cola sign which reigns over Tokyo's Ginza shopping district. The billboard is three times bigger than the previous Coke sign on the same site. 

Coca-Cola has described the billboard as "an intelligent sign, with state-of-the-art computer technology, built-in cameras and an on-board heat sensitive weather station." The sign can respond to weather and movement. 

"When it's raining, big drops will appear on the screen and when it's breezy, the Coke sign can ripple as if it's being blown by the wind," a spokeswoman for the company said. It will also be able to recognize if people are waving at it from the ground below and, eventually, will be able to respond to text messages from mobile phones. 

Coca-Cola has had a billboard at Piccadilly Circus, the advertising heart of London, since 1954. 

The lights in the circus have been switched off only five times since then, including in 1974 when a miners' strike triggered electricity shortages and in 1997 for the funeral of Princess Diana. 

Did you know?
That in 1992 Hawaiian Punch´s cute little mascot ran for president?  While "Punchy" didn't win the election, his popularity soared among young and old alike. He still has the punch!

What's in a name? 
The main ingredients of the first Hawaiian Punch recipe were shipped from the Hawaiian Islands, thus the origin of the name.

Although the name Hawaiian Punch had been originally trademarked by a company from Chicago during the 1920s, the Pacific Hawaiian Products Co. claimed the expired trademark in 1954.

If you have a soda-related subject that you would like to see here as an "FYI" article, or have information you yourself would like to contribute, don't be shy, send it to: FYI Idea