From Gary Ross : FOR SALE: ACL, full Coca-Cola bottles - most are "common" but do have some "premium" and 10-ounce talls. These bottles are extras that I have started collecting around 1995.  The commons are cheap, but do need to move them. Premiums are for trade or sale at book value. If interested, please email for list.

From Joe Morales : Please take a moment and visit my eBay auctions: Black Cat Trading. Thank you.

From Dexter Combs : FOR SALE: Bottle collection, ACL and embossed. Email for list.

From Richard Mix, Mix International : I am selling off about 100+ ACL old soda bottles   Many with Indians, multi colored logos - some unique ones... Watch my spot on eBay for the listings in the current and  future weeks. --ebay--click here to see Mix International auctions--

From Mark Rouley : I have a 7Up Salutes bottle collection - around 30 bottles, some full, some empty - that I am interested in selling. E-mail or call 815-519-5676.

From Matt Dempsey : FOR TRADE - Jayhawk l/w, Smile o/w/l, Torah o/b quart, rare yellow and black Squeeze 7oz., Swan l/w condition 2/2+, Pepsi Grand Pop 1-/2+, Pepsi r/w/l single dot 1-, Desert Cooler, Barron's, Blue Ribbon, Duffy's Diet Delite. Contact Matt Dempsey by E-mail or call 615-297-7732.

From C. A. Weide : I have a large ACL trader list (nearly 1000 items) available on-line at: http://home.alltel.net/cweide/textfiles/sodatrad.TXT. 
Or send two stamps for hard copy to: C. A. Weide, 1590 Gately Rd., Jacksonville, FL 32225.

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

From Sandy Montero :  I am looking for a gold-tone Coca-Cola metal watch. I have found the gold plastic watches, but they seem to discolor quickly. Does anyone know if there are metal ones out there? 

From Sam : I am looking for Zill's Best Soda, Hill's Beverage Company, Rapid City, S.D. bottles.

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. (Note: corrected email address for Liss.)

From David Kapsos : WANTED: bottle caps from Fox Head, Red Fox, Silver Fox and Fox Spring. The cap must have a illustration of the fox head on it. 

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. (Note: corrected e-mail address.)

From Matt Dempsey: WANTED: I love Lemmy and Squeeze ACL soda bottles and would like to purchase or find information about, or get photos of, rare versions of these two brands. Also wanted green glass Nehi ACLs. Contact by E-mail or Phone: 615-297-7732.

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 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

Unamed, an unsigned band based in New York, will rock out in the Rocky Mountains as the winner of a national battle-of-the-bands competition sponsored by Hard Rock Cafe, SoBe Beverages and Steamboat Ski Resort. The band will take the stage in Steamboat, Colo., opening for Simple Plan at the “The Ultimate Altitude Buzz” concert on January 24, 2004. Unamed beat out over a hundred local bands from ten U.S. cities to win the top prize.

Beverage Brands, L.L.C., in a move aimed at enhancing Cott’s capabilities and expanding its customer base in the Mid-Atlantic region. In addition, Cott has signed long-term manufacturing agreements with Quality Beverage Brands’ affiliate company, bottler Independent Beverage Corporation. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“We’re very pleased to enter into this relationship with Cott”, said Cliff Ritchie, Quality Beverage Brands’ chief executive officer. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Quality Beverage Brands and Independent Beverage Corporation supply many major retailers in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Cott Corporation also announced that Frank E. Weise, chairman and chief executive officer, asked the Company’s Board of Directors to reduce his base salary to $1.00 for 2004 and to re-direct his pay to help fund a college scholarship program for dependents of Cott employees. Cott’s Board of Directors has approved the move at its regularly scheduled meeting. 

Re: last week's FYI about A&W: 
From Larry McRay : There's also an A&W drive-in on U.S. Highway No. 31, several miles below Birmingham, Ala.  I believe it is in the Pelham/Alabaster area.
From Gary : Salem, Oregon has an A&W drive-in also.

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

JANUARY 17  -  JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI
Mississippi Antique Bottle Show & Sale (Sat. 9 AM – 4 PM) at the Mississippi Fairgrounds, Jackson, Mississippi. INFO: JOHN SHARP, P. O. Box 544, Louisville, MS  39339, PH: (662) 773-7880, E-mail: johnsharp49@aol.com.

JANUARY 18  -  BLETCHLEY, ENGLAND   
National Society of Collectors Fair’s Annual Winter National (Sun. 11 AM – 4 PM, early admission 9 AM) at the Bletchley Leisure Center, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, Bucks, England. INFO: PAMELA BALL, 2 Pound Cottage, Blackthorn, Bicester, Oxon, England OX25 1TE, PH/FAX: 011 44 1869 241107

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. 

The 13th annual Tex-Fest will be held at the Radisson Hotel in Richardson, Texas from Feb 12-14, 2004. Events will include welcome banquet, bingo, auction, swap meet and room hopping. For registration, please contact the Lone Star Chapter, PO Box 631097, Irving, TX 75063. The hotel is located on Central Expressway (I-75) at Campbell Road in Richardson, Texas. Phone number: 1-972-644-4000. For more information about the Tex-Fest, please contact: 1-972-475-7428.

The 21st annual Ohio Winterfest will be held at the Holiday Inn in Zanesville, Ohio from February 25-28, 2004. Events will include Longaberger tour, Coke Bingo, silent and regular auctions, scavenger hunt and room hopping. For registration, please contact Juanita Merritt, 1601 Shrine Road, Springfield, Ohio 45504. The Holiday Inn is located at I-70 at exit #160, 4645 East Pike, Zanesville, OH 45701. Phone number: 1-937-324-8586.

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

It seems it is easy nowadays for me to forget what day of the week it is. Some how, some way, I lost track of it. So, for me, today is Saturday, while for the rest of the world (at least in this time zone) it is Sunday.  I suppose I can try and blame it on a "blonde moment." 

Do remember the EXPO in Memphis in August. It will be here before we know it. I am excited about it and want you to be too! 

Until next time, Happy Holidays and Happy Collecting!

From Dennis Fewless

Happy New Year to everyone. 

Chris Weide, myself and a number of fellow collectors are operating as a non-profit group trying to preserve information on the soft drink bottlers of the United States. Our informational book is titled, "Soft Drink Bottlers of the United States". It is like a glorified phone book, without the ads. It will be printed so that additional information can be added at any time. It will also be user friendly.

At the present time, there are 13.000 pages on approximately 22,000 bottling companies and their brands. We have gotten help from many different sources and collectors. Our greatest help has come from NSDA in Washington, D.C., Marie Cavanagh, director, information services. A true help in what we are doing.

Chris Weide and Mike Elling are also adding information. Bill Lockhart, has contributed from the southwest. Libraries across the country have helped.

We receive information inquires and answer all that we can. Our information is open at no charge. Have you ever picked up a bottle and wondered where it came from. those are the questions we like to answer. Our project will benefit the collector or anyone seeking information on soft drink bottlers of the United States.

To make our book valuable, we need any and all help - any little bits and pieces of information is a treasure. Is there a chance you can help?

We are seeking your endorsement and could use your suggestions, knowledge and information to complete this project. Information we are seeking: company name, address, phone number, props, city-state, brands, dates and if the flavor is printed (ACL) on the bottle. Do you have any older books that we could use? I would pull out the information and send it back to you, paying postage both ways. Can I answer your question, please?

Contact: Dennis Fewless

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