From Blair Matthews, Soda Pop Dreams Magazine : ALL BACK ISSUES CDs are on sale now! Missed an issue of Soda Pop Dreams or would you like to have your issues available on computer CD? Order one of 5 different back issues CDs for only $7.95 US funds INCLUDING SHIPPING... That's nearly 50% off the regular price!! This is for a limited time only if you purchase before Dec. 12, so don't delay! Go to: http://www.pww.on.ca/us.htm for details.

AND IF YOU MISSED EITHER OF THE NEW SODA SPECTRUM MAGAZINES (Vol. 1 Dedicated to Coca-Cola bottles) and Vol.2 Dedicated to 'everything' Coca-Cola), we have a special price for either of these magazines... For a limited time, you can buy either edition for only $5.95 US funds and WE PAY THE POSTAGE! Order before Dec. 12 to get this special deal - THESE ITEMS MAKE GREAT STOCKING STUFFERS!! Coke bottle magazine: http://www.pww.on.ca/soda-mag.htm or Everything Coca-Cola magazine: http://www.pww.on.ca/soda-mag2.htm

From Mark Rouley : I have a 7UP "Salutes" bottle collection I am looking to sell. There are around 30 bottles, some full, some not. Please contact me if interested and I will send list and photos of what I have. Contact: Mark Rouley, PH: (815) 519-5676 or by E-mail. 

From Richard Mix, Mix International : Only one NEW bottle offer this week: Jacksonville Coca-Cola 100th Anniversary, $3 each.

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

From James White : WANTED - 12-ounce KEEN ACL red/white with "Joplin, Mo." on the front. Bottle does not say "Root Beer." Contact: James White, 412 Geyer Road, Meosho, MO 64850; PH: (417) 451-4784; or by E-mail.

From Rick Humphreys : WANTED - Any FAN TAZ info or items. Looking for anything on dispensers, fobs, bottle openers, pumps, serving trays OR anything else. 

From Rob Epstein : WANTED - bottle of FLASH, manufactured /distributed by a small soft drink company that went out of business in New York in the late 1930s. The bottle is slim, dark green, with a lightning bolt emblem on the label. Contact: Rob Epstein PH: (301) 770-5060 or by E-mail. 

From Jim Burch, Orlando, Fla. : WANTED - large wax cup from the 60s. Not sure of size/ounces, but the cup would be 6 3/4" tall to fit into a hanging store display I have. Thanks for any assistance.

From Liss Michini : WANTED - straight-sided Coca-Cola bottles from: Atlantic City and Newark, N.J.; Kansas City and Clinton, Mo.; Albertville, Guntersville, Sheffield, Bessemer, Breweton, Dadeville, Demopolis, Frisco City, Gadsden, Jasper, Lineville, Nostasulga, Sylacauga, Tuskegee and West Blocton, Ala.; Amory, Belzoni, Biloxi, Houston, Leland, Clarksdale, Corinth, Sardis, Holly Springs or Tupelo, Miss. Also wanted to buy seltzer Coca-Cola bottle from any city in Miss. or Ala., except Montgomery, and any city in La. except Monroe.

From Aaron Kendrick : WANTED - 3 to 3 1/2-foot Frostie Root Beer round sign. I did find a 24-inch one, but it is far from the one I want. If anyone finds one, please let me know.

From Doug McCoy : WANTED - a 16-ounce Coca-Cola hobbleskirt from 1955 or 1956. Contact: Doug McCoy, 2851 Milford View, Marietta, GA 30008; Phone: (770) 435-9138 or by E-mail.

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

From SteveK : Coca-Cola is working on "Flavor Packets" to add flavors to sodas. Currently, they are testing chocolate, as well as one fruity flavor, which is either cherry or raspberry.

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

No Shows listed until January, 2004. Happy Holidays!

The Great Get Together is the largest annual Coca-Cola Collectors gathering on the west coast. The next convention will be held at the Piccadilly Inn, University in Fresno, California from February 12-15, 2004. Events will include regular and silent auctions, swap meet, banquet, breakfast and room hopping. For registration, please contact Patti McKernan, 7581 N 6th Street, Fresno, CA 93720. The Piccadilly Inn, University is located at 4961 N. Cedar Avenue, Fresno, CA 93710. Phone number: 1-559-224-4200.

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

The holidays are just around the corner, and like everyone this time of year, there are thousands of things to be done during this time. One of those "things" for me is getting my house closed down in Singapore and my things either sold off, given away, tossed or shipped back to USA. Somewhere during all this, the next edition of The Soda Fizz Magazine will be printed and mailed, a wedding attended, a turkey baked and eaten, presents wrapped and opened - and probably 999 other things done - SO, I am going to take a break, and also give you one, from the Fizz E-zine. The next edition should be the January 3rd one.

Also, I would like to take a moment to mention one thing - email addresses. During the last couple of weeks, I have noticed an increase in returned emails due to mailboxes being over their quota and having "no such user." If one of your New Year resolutions is to obtain a new ISP or Internet Provider, please let me know, so I can keep my mailing list current - you won't miss anything. 

Also, I am getting many comments from some people that the Fizz is being received sometimes, and then - sometimes not (mostly with those on my mailing list that are with AOL). The only conclusion (guess?) I can come up with is the increased load of spam (I get at least 300-500 of them EVERY DAY) and the results of an effort to curtain this "problem" - spam filters and anti-spam software. 

From frustration - I began testing different anit-spam softwares about 2-3 weeks ago, and have settled on one that seems to work for me. It may be a double-edged sword that could be causing me to miss some emails that I would want in the process - and if you are using similar software in an attempt to stop your own spam, it may also be the culprit of the missing Fizz for some of you. SO.....all of the Fizz e-zines from September 2002 to the present are archived online, so if you feel you have missed one, or if yours doesn't display properly in your email software, let me know. 

Do remember the EXPO in Memphis next August, 2004. It will be here before we know it. I am excited about it and want you to be too! Do mail me if you are interested in participating in ANY way.

Until next time, Happy Holidays and Happy Collecting!

Next year, I have many plans for both the Soda Fizz e-zine and The Soda Fizz Magazine. Some of those include articles about many different aspects of the hobby. During the past year, my first as editor for Bottles & Extras, I have learned quite a bit about the hobby as a whole. Although the Federation (FOHBC) covers all aspects of collecting bottles and glass, including milk bottles, inks, whiskey and beer - plus many others besides sodas, being a part of this organization has opened up much knowledge that I had never even thought of. 

During the past year, I have also been working on obtaining as many of the magazines from previous groups and organizations as possible, and have built a few nice shelves full of them. For a listing of some of what is available, begin <<here>>. There are magazines listed here, article-by-article, back to 1963. I have some others which are not listed, as well. The listing at the link above (of the magazines prior to 2003) was put together by Cecil Munsey, in Poway, Calif., for the FOHBC webpage, as he has all these magazines as bound volumes, so he has the ones I am missing.

One thing that being a part of the Federation as a board member and editor is having access to veteran collectors and the availability of information out there, and their willingness to seek it out and make it available to everyone interested in collecting bottles and glass. The majority of the collecting FOHBC members seek information on items that are over one hundred years old - our bottles are "new" in comparison. I figure if they can dig up information on something that old, then we can do it for our bottles also.

Recently, during a conversation among a group of collectors, I overheard someone say that another person knew all about a soda brand we were discussing, had even interviewed the family that owned the bottling company - BUT WOULD NOT TELL ANYONE A WORD OF IT! I was stunned, and thought - why on earth would someone go through that much trouble and then not share the information???

I have thousands of bottles - BUT the ones which are my favorites are the ones I know at least some of the history about! Without the history - it is just another pretty bottle! The history is what makes it interesting.

It must be interesting to other people also - because most of the questions I get about bottles are in regards to the company and the bottle's' history - not the value.

My request is: if any of you have information to share - even if it is only a few lines, or some short notes - photos - dated advertisements - ANYTHING - then please share it with all of us. You may have a few notes, someone else has a few more, and in the process, enough pieces could be combined to make a good tidbit of history on a brand, bottling plant, soda, etc., that we'd otherwise not have. After all - isn't that what the Fizz is all about?

Also, anyone who submits a story that is published in The Soda Fizz Magazine will receive a year's membership to the PSBCA.

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