Lessons Learned: Coca-Cola pub mirrors

In past “Lessons Learned” posts, I’ve talked about selling Coca-Cola collections and finding out the value of Coke bottles.

Today I want to tell you a bit about Coca-Cola mirrors. If you have a mirror, it’s likely one of two kinds: a large (roughly 2- or 3-feet wide) mirror that hangs on the wall, or a small (roughly 2-inch tall) pocket mirror.

This post is about the wall mirrors, often called “pub mirrors.”

Question: I have a large mirror with a really old Coke picture on it. How much is it worth?

Answer: Here’s the surprise: Though there are many pub mirrors on the Coca-Cola collectibles market, they are from the last 40 years (or newer). There were no Coke pub mirrors created in the early years of the Company.

The pub mirrors you see today largely are from the 1970s or 1980s. Some of the mirrors were created by authorized ad specialty companies or licensees to evoke a nostalgic feeling, but some of the mirrors are outright fakes, trying to capitalize on the popularity of Coca-Cola collectibles.

Many of the mirrors feature archival images, but they do not date back to our early days. Most also have wood frames, and the wood often can look quite aged. But the mirrors aren’t very old for Coke items!

One of the most popular mirrors is from 1977 and features portraits of two men (creator of Coca-Cola John Pemberton and early leader Asa Candler), along with a picture of a Coca-Cola ceramic urn in the center. This mirror generally sells for around $400.

That price is not typical for the other mirrors, though. Most Coca-Cola pub mirrors sell for $10 to $75. They have nostalgic images, often of “Coca-Cola girls” from early calendars. The mirrors are great for decorating and in Coca-Cola rooms, but they won’t fund your child’s college fund!

I hope you’ll check back for more information on Coke collectibles, and for a later “Lessons Learned” post about pocket mirrors.

Lessons Learned: How to sell a Coke piece
Lessons Learned: How much is this bottle worth?
Lessons Learned: Newer Coca-Cola collectibles