Welcome to my blog
I'm Phil Mooney, director of the Archives at The
Over the last three decades, I have documented the history of the Company and its impact on commercial, social and cultural history. This blog gives me an opportunity to share some of those stories with you.
This is our first Company blog – but definitely not our last. We're starting with the Company's heritage – not just the history, but the love people have for Coke. We'll talk about people who collect Coke memorabilia, the items they collect and the stories they tell. We'll talk about recipes made using
We hope to give you a look into the Secret Formula of
You can comment on what I say and send me questions – and I hope you do! You can even email a photo of a Coke piece you have and wonder about. We'll do an appraisal on this site and I'll tell you what I know.
Because I focus on Coke's history and heritage in my work, please limit your questions and comments on those themes.
So please talk to me and let me know what's on your mind. Thanks!
My name is Phil Mooney, and I've served as the historian/archivist for 
Welcome to Digital!!!!!! I'm glad to be one of the first to post ... brilliant that we're entering the future by honoring Coke's past.
Posted by: Jorge | January 23, 2008 at 01:14 PM
CONGRATULATIONS PHIL!
Un abrazo desde México
Eduardo Romo
Posted by: Eduardo Romo | January 23, 2008 at 01:23 PM
Wanted to know if there was a catalog for buying out of the Coke Store in Atlanta if so how could I get a copy
Posted by: BIG TEX | January 23, 2008 at 01:25 PM
Phil, congratulations on having your very own Blog. It should be interesting to be able to see the questions that you get about Coca-Cola collecting - and even more interesting to see how you answer them. Of course you know there are thousands of us "experts" out here. Good luck and I hope it works out to be a great way to explore the FUN part of collecting Coca-Cola memorabilia. Karleen and I wish you the best.
John
Posted by: jkbuch | January 23, 2008 at 01:49 PM
This site is terrific, Phil. I am looking forward to accessing it frequently.
Questions always come up on New Coke versus Classic Coke. Will you be covering that part of our history in this blog ?
Posted by: Andy | January 23, 2008 at 02:00 PM
Hello Phil, congratulations! I'm sure I will be a "caserito" (frequent visitor)on your blog.
Saludos desde Peru.
Hernan
Posted by: Hernan Lanzara | January 23, 2008 at 02:14 PM
Phil,
Fantastic Blog site! Very informative and easy to use. It is great to see information on The Coca~Cola Collector Club here, too. I can't wait to see the new World of Coke in April at Springtime in Atlanta. Keep up the good work.
Sincerely, Steve & Becky Bowman
Posted by: Steve B in VA | January 23, 2008 at 02:16 PM
Great initiative, congrats.
Do you know if there's a plan to launch another one in spanish anytime soon?
Posted by: Daniel Serra | January 23, 2008 at 02:29 PM
Andy - Definitely we'll talk about "new Coke." We even have a display on new Coke in World of Coca-Cola! - Phil
Posted by: Phil Mooney | January 23, 2008 at 05:39 PM
Steve & Becky - We look forward to seeing you in Atlanta in March! For those who don't know, Springtime in Atlanta is a Coca-Cola Collectors Club convention held here each year the week before Easter. -- Phil
Posted by: Phil Mooney | January 23, 2008 at 05:42 PM
Daniel - We don't have the specifics on future blogs, but I'm glad to hear you'd like to see more. And as a global company, it's a great idea for us to think about posting in other languages. Too bad Latin is the one I studied! -- Phil
Posted by: Phil Mooney | January 23, 2008 at 05:44 PM
Congratulations Phil!! keep giving us those great stories about our brands!
Posted by: Alejandro Ferrer | January 23, 2008 at 06:06 PM
Wow!! Nice job Phil. Just think. You started out writing about Coca-Cola with a tablet and chisel. Then the pencil came along, then ink, the Underwood and then Selectric. Now a computer and your own blog. You've come a long way. Congratulations !! You're now on our "favorites list"
Posted by: Billcoke | January 23, 2008 at 07:38 PM
Wow Phil! To see the evolution of The Greatest Brand in the World must be amazing.
"Understanding and learning from our past ensures we have a bright future"
Posted by: IB2 | January 23, 2008 at 07:53 PM
Hello Phil,
My congratulations for the site. I must say that here in Cyprus, Coca-Cola as a brand and as a product has played a good part in various cultural layers. Looking forward on becoming a “witness” through this site to the transformation of the product to a brand and then to culture.
Andreas
Posted by: Andreas | January 24, 2008 at 04:07 AM
Phil,
Best of luck with this "newfangled technology"! This might be almost as hard as being a soccer referee! Even after 23 years myself, I look forward to learning more about "my company". Thanks.
Debbie
Posted by: dcherryko | January 24, 2008 at 04:40 AM
Now this is where we need to be. Blogging is the media of our time. I for one, get a lot of my daily knowledge and news from blogs and feeds. Would love to contribute from an African perspective if that opportunity ever arises.
Oh....and Phil? - I didnt even know that we had a historian?!! ;-)
Posted by: Gareth | January 24, 2008 at 04:45 AM
Dear Phil, congratulations! Who better than you to be in charge of this?!
Posted by: maurício bacellar | January 24, 2008 at 07:29 AM
BIG TEX - We have something even better! Check out
The Coca-Cola Store. -- Phil
Posted by: Phil Mooney | January 24, 2008 at 09:47 AM
Thanks to everyone for the good wishes! I'm thrilled to be our Company's first blogger! -- Phil
Posted by: Phil Mooney | January 24, 2008 at 09:48 AM
Phil. Great Blog. I see many comments from Latin America where we live and breathe the brand. All the best and we'll be checking in on a regular basis.
Felipe
Posted by: Felipe Burgaz | January 24, 2008 at 08:51 PM
Hi Phil,
I'm very excited about this! Congratulations for a great accomplishment and tool. You have always been so great to share information in a very interesting way that it is fantastic that you can do so on a consistent basis and with such a broad range. I will share with the staff here in Vegas!! Way to go!!
Posted by: Cheryl | January 29, 2008 at 06:20 PM
Like to see more pictures of collectors coke rooms!
Your doing a great job!
Pinklady
Posted by: Pinklady with Coke | January 30, 2008 at 02:56 PM
Pinklady -- We definitely want to see photos of people's Coke collections -- yours included! There are more than 3,000 members of the Coca-Cola Collectors Club, and we know many more people have Coke rooms in their homes. Anyone can send us a photo to "cocacolaconversations@na.ko.com". Thanks -- Phil
Posted by: Phil Mooney | January 30, 2008 at 04:43 PM
Hi Phil, Just bought a 1941 Stinson 10A airplane that was purchased by Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of S.E. Arkansas, out of Pine Bluff, AR. (Purchased from Ozark Airlines, Springfield, MO on 6/3/45 and sold 7/1/51; tail number NC-36709 serial #8109)
Would you happen to know anything about these airplanes that were used by Coca-Cola executives? Looking for any pictures that show paint schemes, etc.
Thanks for your time,
Elaine
Posted by: Rudolph | February 02, 2008 at 03:22 PM
Hi Phil,
I have often wondered, do you or any of your staff ever find items on eBay, or at Collector Conventions, and purchase them for the Archives? I realize it would have to be an extremely rare and/or unusual piece of memorabilia. Just curious. Thanks for a great site!!
Jim T.
Posted by: jimcola | February 03, 2008 at 11:28 PM
Jim T. - While it doesn't happen often, we will occasionally buy items for our collection at auctions or Collectors Club conventions. Thanks for your message! -- Phil
Posted by: Phil Mooney | February 04, 2008 at 12:15 PM
Rudolph (Elaine) - Unfortunately, that was an airplane owned and operated by one of our bottlers, and I don't have any information about it. Thanks -- Phil
Posted by: Phil Mooney | February 04, 2008 at 12:33 PM
My name is Rennie Scarborough, and I was one of the original Talentsville USA contestants in 1960. I was the high tenor part of a barbershop quartet from Roswell New Mexico. We named our quartet after the state bird, "The Roadrunners". We were talented enough to make it all the way to the grand national finals, at Town Hall in New York City. I have my copy of all the trophies and certificates awarded,and much of the miscellaneous items now considered collectors items. I would like to know how I could go about getting these items archived. I would not take anything for them, and have been a collector for many years myself. I still am in contact with the rest of the members and we recently performed as the featured entertainment at my 40th and 45th High school class reunion. As you can probably imagine we were the celebrities of the moment in early '60s Roswell. And from grassroots hometown harmonies to alien autopsies I am sure we still hold the hearts of the days. You can look us up as the coverboys of the October 26th 1960 issue of Practical English magazine. I would love to share photos and memories from the past of Coca-Cola. Thanks to Mr. Mooney for the opportunity to share.
Posted by: Rennie Scarborough | February 06, 2008 at 11:54 PM
Who is the ad agency that created the superbowl commercial this year?
Posted by: JC | February 07, 2008 at 01:43 AM
JC - Both ads were created by Wieden + Kennedy out of Portland. Thanks -- Phil
Posted by: Phil Mooney | February 07, 2008 at 04:47 PM
Rennie - Thanks for telling your story. I'm so impressed you made the finals! Talentsville USA was the 60s equivalent of American Idol, with a huge following. Did you remember that the ultimate winner of the competition was an opera singer from Carrier Mills, Indiana? I'll post more info on Talentsville in the next few weeks. -- Phil
Posted by: Phil Mooney | February 07, 2008 at 04:51 PM
Wow...you sure know a lot about coke!!! So here is my question for you. Why did they replace regular sugar in sodas to high fructose corn syrup? They just don't taste as good. My friends said they bought coke in Mexico where they still make coke with sugar and the coke tasted so much better. I also heard they make coke without hfcs around Passover. Also I have been reading about hfcs and it is very bad for people to drink. Thank you very much.
Posted by: hateshighfructosecornsyrup | February 09, 2008 at 03:53 AM
Phil, During early 1943 I wa assigned to a Minesweeper USS Tide being built in Savannah. While waiting for the ship to be built I was temperally assigned to a yacht used to patrol the Georgia coast out of Cockspur Island. It was rumered that this boat was the Coca Cola Co yacht. Could yoy confirm this.
Posted by: Jimmy G | February 10, 2008 at 02:02 PM
I have a crate pendalum coca-cola clock. I believe it pre-dates 1940. It needs some repair. My father had this clock for advertising in l940's in his retail meat market, in Moultrie, GA. Can you please tell me something about the history of these type of clocks? It has to be wound with a key.
Sincerely, G. May
Posted by: G. May | February 10, 2008 at 03:45 PM
Jimmy G - That's a really interesting story, but The Coca-Cola Company has never owned a yacht. A Coke bottler, however, could have been the owner of a yacht off the Georgia coast. Unfortunately my records aren't so detailed that I could confirm that. Thanks -- Phil
Posted by: Phil Mooney | February 11, 2008 at 10:39 AM
G. May - Pendulum clocks used to help promote Coca-Cola go back to the 1890s. If you'd send me a photo of the clock you have, I can tell you more about it. Please send us a photo to "cocacolaconversations@na.ko.com". Thanks -- Phil
Posted by: Phil Mooney | February 11, 2008 at 10:42 AM
Hateshighfructosecornsyrup - Because of rising sugar prices, bottlers in the U.S. began using HFCS as the sweetener in the mid-1970s. Whether HFCS or cane sugar is used varies around the world, and, as you mentioned, in many areas of the U.S. cane sugar will be used for Passover. For more information about HFCS, please see (http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/ourcompany/al_high_fructose_corn_syrup.html). -- Phil
Posted by: Phil Mooney | February 11, 2008 at 11:04 AM
Phil - I'd like to see Coca-Cola re-introduce household
items used on a daily basis
for the bath and kitchen and
it sure would be terrific if
a new line of collectibles
came about as well. Somehow,
it would be terrific if
Coke marketing would tie a
great past with a promising
future.
Posted by: timbrennan123 | February 14, 2008 at 01:49 PM
Our family was involved in the Coca-cola company way back when it originated. My mother told us stories about our grandfather William Conrad Bucher who sold coke when the company was brand new and was served in drug stores. Somewhere one of my sisters have old letters written back then between my grandfather and Sam Dobbs. (I think I have that name remembered correctly. She may also have letters from a man named Asa Candler. Or maybe they just discussed him in their letters. So long ago. I think we have always felt a part of Coca-cola history. to bad we didn't keep stock!
Posted by: mary | February 14, 2008 at 02:17 PM
timbrennan123 - There is a terrific site (http://www.coca-colastore.com/coke/) where you can find a lot of what you're looking for, including collectibles. Thanks -- Phil
Posted by: Phil Mooney | February 14, 2008 at 04:49 PM
Wow! What a site. I found this just as I was going off-line. I'll have to come back and spend the day.
I am an avid coca cola collector. Everything from a-z, mostly modern things. I once owned a 27'pontoon that I painted red and named the COKE MACHINE. Everything on board was a genuine coke item or decorated to look so.
I have two questions. I have a full size cc canoe, red with white lettering. There are some amateur patches like those done on an auto. That leads me to believe it is fiberglass. But it isn't very heavy as I have known fiberglass to be. I was told a store owner received it from coca cola. Display? Prize? I can't send a photo because it is now under about three feet of snow. Can you tell me anything about the canoe and it's value without the photo. I have searched the internet with no success.
The other item I'd like to know about is a hand carved wooden 6 pack of coke complete with carrying case. The case is not signed. The bottles are signed with a large S with a line going through it, like a dollar sign with one line missing. Three are dated 3/96. One is 7/96, one 10/96, and one 7/95. Can you tell me anything about this set?
Once again, no photo. I could take some but don't know how to include with a post.
So glad I found your blog!
Posted by: Judy L | February 14, 2008 at 07:53 PM
mary - Thank you for sharing your story with us! Asa Candler was president of our Company, and Sam Dobbs was in charge of advertising. If you have access to the letters and can share them, we'd love to see them.
And, yes, it's too bad that you didn't keep the stock. You'd be a rich woman today! -- Phil
Posted by: Phil Mooney | February 15, 2008 at 10:22 AM
Judy L - Thanks for your kind words about the blog, and I hope you do come back and spend the day!
The items you've described are very difficult to evaluate because they are not the kinds of things we regularly see sold at auction. The canoe in particular is difficult to value because, for many people, acquiring a canoe isn't even an option. (Someone with a small New York apartment can't even consider it!) The only way to determine the value of items like this is to offer them for sale. The market will determine the value. (The canoe was a promotional item distributed by a Coke bottler.)
And the hand-carved six-pack seems to a be a one-of-a-kind piece created by an artist. The marketplace would determine the value of it as well. Thanks -- Phil
Posted by: Phil Mooney | February 15, 2008 at 10:27 AM
Phil - What is the value of a metal 72 bottle carrier with hinged lid and is embossied with "Coca-Cola Bot. Co., Danville, Va."?
Posted by: Susan | February 16, 2008 at 09:00 AM
I was at a garage sale yesterday and bought 8 coca-cola bottles that are COCA COLA BOTTLE / PAT. D-105529 / 6 FL. OZS. / LOGAN UTAH. They are in great condition and are in a red plastic cocacola holder - not in great condition. I have no idea what they are worth.
Thanks! Lisa
Posted by: Lisa | February 17, 2008 at 04:16 PM
many years ago at a garage sale I purchased a heavy metal red/white painted embossed cocacola cooler with handle. Under the logo it reads US pat. Can you tell me anything about this cooler? it appears to be quite old. It is approximately 18"x12"x6"
Posted by: Gina Barone | February 17, 2008 at 07:56 PM
Susan - It sounds like you have a metal carrier used to carry Coke on railroads. We see many of these carriers with the Danville imprint. Without knowing the condition of your piece, it's hard to estimate the value, but a carrier like yours in good condition would be in the $200-$300 range. Thanks -- Phil
Posted by: Phil Mooney | February 18, 2008 at 10:03 AM
Lisa - Thanks for your message. In the collectibles market, the real value of an item is established when someone is buying or selling it, as you did this weekend. Typically, however, we see these contour bottles selling for around $5 each. Thanks -- Phil
Posted by: Phil Mooney | February 18, 2008 at 10:07 AM
Gina Barone - Though it's hard to tell without seeing your piece, it sounds like you have a Coke "airline cooler." In the 1940s, special coolers were developed to serve bottles of Coke on airplanes. Flight attendants carried the coolers down the aisle and offered bottles of Coke to passengers. While value greatly depends on condition, an airline cooler in great shape could be worth $550. Thanks -- Phil
Posted by: Phil Mooney | February 18, 2008 at 04:08 PM