From Don Norman : I have found two cases of Little Tom bottles, both full except for one missing bottle. Twenty-four of the bottles have the red and white label, and thirty-four have the white only label. Also for offer are the two cases. Make me an offer: LittleTomBottles@thesodafizz.com
NOTE: If you are not familiar with this bottle, you can see an example of both of these (from my own collection) by  << CLICKING HERE >>

From Richard Mix : I have just bought 3 large soda collections in the last week - look for lots of new (old??) "fresh" stuff coming to ebay between now and the end of year. I will once again begin posting non-bottle soda collectibles on Tuesdays beginning next week - signs, trays, mixcellaneous stuff - GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFTS!!! ~ click here to see ~

From Rick Holt : Are you a collector?
Join us and share your obsession.
http://www.utahcollectors.com

Cool Mountain Gourmet Soda
The idea was first conceived for Cool Mountain classic flavored sodas by reflecting upon childhood memories for inspiration. It was a time when every market had its local sodas, when pop shops developed uniquely distinctive flavors and colors as brilliant as rainbows were stacked in clear glass bottles across shining silver counters. These sodas have passed into history and along with them the richness of their tastes and the incredible quality and care of their handcrafted formulation.

As Cool Mountain explored the idea of rediscovering these classic sodas, They learned that the formulas of those amazing tastes still existed among flavor providers. They had simply been abandoned and ignored in the rush to corporate streamlining of mass produced flavors. Thus, the Cool Mountain quest began.

From Steve Troch, the President of the Flemish Coca-Cola Collectors Club, Gent, Belgium : Our info:
E-mail: flemishcccc@pandora.be
Website: www.theflemishcollectors.cocacolaclub.com
Address: The Flemish CCCClub, Ghent-Belgium, Hogepontstraat 28-D, 9050 Gentbrugge, Belguim
NOTE: This site is not in English, but the pictures speak any language. Enjoy!

Coca-Cola India announced that it will be launching Georgia brand tea and coffee beverages in New Delhi. According to Sanjiv Gupta, Deputy Division President of Coca-Cola India, a cup of Georgia hot tea will be priced at four rupees, or 8 cents, and a cup of Georgia coffee at five rupees, or 11 cents. Georgia brand beverage is the leading packaged ready-to-drink coffee in Japan first introduced in 1975 by Coca-Cola Japan.

The Coca-Cola Company announced four new vitamin-enhanced, flavored versions of its Dasani brand bottled water. The four flavors are mandarin orange, lemon tangerine, wild berry and pear cucumber. Added vitamins and minerals range from vitamin C to B-12. The initial product launch is in three cities: New York City, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Charleston, South Carolina. General availability for the rest of the United States is planned for 2003.

Coca-Cola purchases between 288,000 to 338,000 tons of sugar each year from local suppliers in southern Africa. Coca-Cola is the largest single consumer of sugar production in South Africa. The company has recently engaged in heated battle over the prices of sugar due to tariffs levied by South Africa's protectionist policies. Coca-Cola in South Africa demands that the price be reduced by 24% or it will source its sugar from Brazil, the world's lowest-cost producer.

Following its recently completed acquisition of the company, Pepsi Bottling Group is to close the Kitchener Beverages bottling plant in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. The plant, which employs 65 people, will close at the beginning of January. However, spokesperson Kelly McAndrew said there would be opportunities for some staff to transfer to plants in neighboring areas, such as Hamilton, Mississauga, London and Owen Sound.

Sony Music Entertainment and PepsiCo are planning a joint marketing campaign for the US, which will include radio, television and retail advertising. Although no financial terms of the deal were disclosed, it is apparent that the deal will see advertising for Pepsi brands featuring special sneak previews of songs from Sony artists. There will also be a series of Pepsi-sponsored TV specials featuring Sony performers and co-branded sales efforts at non-music retail outlets, such as grocery stores, restaurants and gas stations. The campaign will begin next summer. 

From Rachel : New bottles! I just purchased a 6-pack of 8-ounce Coca-Cola bottles that have "Hook'em Horns" with TEXAS LONGHORNS 5-TIME NCAA BASEBALL CHAMPIONS 1949 1950 1975 1983 2002. They are currently on the shelves at HEB in Texas.

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

The Coca-Cola Company and the High Museum of Art are presenting a pictorial history of the modern Santa Claus in a new holiday exhibit, Inventing Santa: Art and Advertising, opening December 3, 2002. The exhibition will run through Sunday, January 5, 2003 at the High Museum of Art. The exhibition will consist of a selection of 18 paintings by Haddon Sundblom, an illustrator commissioned by The Coca-Cola Company in 1931 to develop an advertising image for the holidays. The High is located at 1280 Peachtree Street at 16th Street, MARTA “Arts Center” (N5). Hours: Tuesday–Sunday, 10am–5pm. Call 404-733-HIGH or visit www.high.org for more information.

Any new events  in your area? Mail so all of us can know, to: Events@thesodafizz.com

    The 5th Annual Illiana 2002 Antique Bottle & Pottery Show & Sale was held Saturday, November 9, 2002, in the Terre Haute South High School Cafeteria.  Terre Haute, Indiana is located in the Wabash River Valley along I-70, a major east-west highway near the Illinois state line.  Show Chairman, Tony Stringfellow reported some 250 people attended the all-day sale and exhibit.  There were 57 tables sold to 39 dealers from 7 states.  In addition, there were 8 educational display tables where all viewers voted on the most significant display for a prize.

    Special glazed pottery pitchers, hand- made by popular local potter, Larry Gilliam, were given to all exhibitors.  These pitchers were in natural clay decorated with blue laurel fronds and printed "Exhibitor Indiana Bottle Show Terre Haute 2002."  The most votes, and the award ribbon, went to a table-top display of Indiana Chero-Cola Bottlers.*

    Chero-Cola was a major soft drink sold throughout the state from 1914 to the post war 1940's. Michael Elling, of Sharon, Tennessee, exhibit owner, explained that if you were in high school in the mid-1920's, and your father owned the local pharmacy, confectionary, or vaudeville/movie theater in town, he may have installed carbonated bottling equipment as a sideline. With these, he would sell flavored soft drinks and cola's during the warm weather months.  

    This business was so successful, that by the end of the decade soft drink bottling operations became a respectable year round business that offered full- time employment to many young people.  Bottlers sprang up in most cities and towns across the nation during this period.  Elling exhibited typical soda bottles from 18 different bottlers across Indiana.  Chero-Cola was re-formulated in 1934, with the ending of prohibition, and became Royal Crown Cola.

    The other exhibits included displays of Porcelain High Voltage Insulators of Early 20th Century; Paper Labeled Pluto Water Products; Display of Terre Haute manufactured bottles and pottery food containers; Early Hutch Sodas of Brazil, Indiana; Terre Haute pre-Prohibition Etched Shot Glasses; and an extensive collection of Wister's Balsam for Consumption of the Lungs.  This exhibit included some 20 different labeled glass medicines, trade cards, and advertising bills, all devoted to this product of the late 19th Century.

    Delbert Roley, of Stewardson, IL, found some outstanding soda bottles at the show. Included were 7-ounce green glass Tater's "Pale Dry" Jamaica Root Ginger Ales with unusual almond/brown colors.  There was also a 1954 Owens-Illinois bottle from Fitchburg, MA, and a 12-ounce clear glass Cino Beverage CHARM block label soda in blue/white paint made in 1951 by Ober-Nester for the Sharonville, OH bottler.  But his top find was a Jeffersonville, IN, Indiana Club Pale Dry Ginger Ale showing a couple in ballroom dancing clothes in brilliant yellow/red colors.  This little green glass 7-ounce is a definite eye catcher.  An Owen-Illinois Glass product, it has perfect color and seam registration, dated 1951, and was tagged at $140.00.

    Jeff Cummins, of Clear Creek, IN, is a Coca-Cola commemorative bottle specialist and spotted a post 9/11 surprise.  It was a very rare New York City 75th Anniversary 10-ounce clear glass bottle with red paint.  He left it on the table tagged at $380.00

    Popular bottle dealer, Tom Feltman, was definitely impressed by the vast selection of 19th Century pottery food containers available at this show.  He commented, "You rarely see more than three or four pieces outside of a national event."

    The bargain of the day was a number of 1994 books by the late Dick Roller, now out- of- print, entitled Indiana Glass Factories Notes.  This excellent reference of early glass- making facilities throughout the state were being sold by the local club as a fund raiser for $15.00 each.  The book is spiral bound soft cover and is 136 pages of glass makers by towns throughout Indiana.  Indiana attracted glass makers because of its rich natural gas reserves during the 19th and 20th Centuries.
 ________
    * Bottler cities included:  BEDFORD, BRAZIL, EVANSVILLE, FLORA, FORT WAYNE, FRANKFORT, KOKOMO, LEBANON, LINTON, MUNCIE, OSGOOD. OSGOOD & SEYMOUR, ROCKVILLE, SEYMOUR, SULLIVAN, TELL CITY, TERRE HAUTE, AND VINCENNES.

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@thesodafizz.com

Until next week, Happy Collecting! CokeGirl