Coca Cola items of many types have been popular among collectors for years, but the biggest

single category of Coca Cola collectibles is the trays.  Many versions were manufactured from

1897 to the present in many categories including:  vehicles, colleges, cities, national

conventions, Santas, Norman Rockwells, women (Gibson Girls), and the Olympics. 

Here's an example of a tray from the 1984 Olympics.  The 2nd photo shows the

Olympic Records listed on the back of the tray.

  
Nice piece.  Is it valuable?  Nope.  You will see why below.


The trays come in many sizes and shapes: round, oval, square and rectangle.  Telling the difference

between an original and a reproduction can be tricky, so this guide will focus on that discussion.

Authenticity  -  Is it the REAL thing?

The oldest trays in pristine condition are the most valuable.  The 1897 Victorian lady tray is

known to have sold for as much as $12,000.   Finding a tray in really good condition is tough

since people used them, and wet glasses of refreshing Coke created lots of rust.  Mint

condition trays are unusual, and command high prices. Prices for the common trays from the

1950’s and later have fallen substantially.  For example, I've known the 1950s Menu Girl tray

to sell for well over $100 years ago, but have seen her go for MUCH less recently on eBay. 

Prices and trends go up and down with the times and the economy.  Another original I bought

at auction years ago for $150 (a deal) with a book price over double that at the time is now

selling for substantially less.  That tray was made in 1939 and is pictured below.

         <==artist name (Sunblom) is in turquoise area,
                                                                                                        in very tiny lettering in the silver line reads:

                                                                               "Coca-Cola Company 1939  American Artworks Inc. Coshocton, Ohio Made in U.S.A."

How to know if it is original REAL thing tray:

The back of the tray has no print, and is usually black in color.  However, some repros have

blank backs, too.  Look very carefully at the capital C in Coca-Cola, for the lower tail of

the C will have a registered trademark.  Inspect the front and sides of the tray carefully

for very tiny lettering or a copyright date (as in tray above).  It might appear near the

bottom or on the lip edge, and sometimes so small that a magnifier might be needed to read

it (I need one :-)  This lettering might state a date or the origin where it was made, for example

Coshocton, Ohio is printed on many original trays.  Originals made between 1910 and 1942 were

all marked with a date.  The words 'Made in U.S.A  American Artworks, Inc.Coshocton, OH'  will

often be found on originals, but not all.   The reproductions have the year written at the edge of the artwork

This is often on the rolled lip edge. Some unscrupulous sellers will scratch this off and attempt to chalk it up

to 80 years of wear.  These trays were produced in many places including Canada and even Mexico, Italy,

and Taiwan.  Originals will also usually include the artist name in the lower left corner, and one of the most

common is Sundblom.  Haddon Sundblom passed away sometime in the late 50s or early 60s, and the last

tray I know of bearing his signature was a Santa tray issued in 1962.  This was a promo for Long John Silver,

and the artwork depicts Santa in front of mantel reading a note saying 'Santa Please pause here. Jimmy' with

two youngsters hiding in the shadows.
                     
Reproduction Coke Trays

During the 1970s when Americana was a popular decorating motif, Coca-Cola issued

reproductions of some of their most popular early trays. These reproductions will be marked

as such on the backs. In the 1980s, they did the same, in honor of their 100th anniversary. 

The repros tend to have very bold coloring compared to originals.  Some even have a bar code

on the back, a dead give-away that it is a repro.  The photo below is one example of a nice

Norman Rockwell tray called 'Barefoot Boy' but there's a bar code on bottom right of the back.

The 'original' of same sold recently on eBay for $280 and looked nowhere near this nice, but

mine is worth only $10 or so as a repro.

         


Sometimes the writing on the back might even say something like...'authentic reproduction' 

which brings a smile.  Well technically it IS, since they were made by the Coca-Cola Company

as a reproduction of earlier times.   An example below ... This Betty tray is marked on the rim

or lip edge of the tray, a good sign...until you realize the words say ...'authentic reproduction' ...




While these are authentic trays, they are considerably less valuable than their vintage counterparts,

generally worth only around $10 each.  Some collectors do not take these repros very seriously

and you might see discussions about the 'unauthorized' or 'fantasy' tray.  However I have several

repros in my collection that are beautiful pieces, one favorite shown below.

     
    Above is an example of a beautiful repro tray of Hilda from 1975 and a story

appearing on the back, a 75th anniversary tray.  Maybe worth a little something but I

doubt a significant price to a collector.  She's numbered, silver strip on bottom indicates

that, but I'm not real sure whether that is authentic either.  At least she doesn't have the

dreaded bar code... guess even bar codes will be antique SOMEday.   :-)


There are current books that can be consulted to learn the value of any given tray, however

these must be used with caution.  First, prices stated in those books refer to MINT

condition, so any wear or even a small scratch reduces value.  Also, prices fluctuate along with

other trends in the economy, so by the time a book is published it is possible that the market has

changed for many prices in it.  Also, consider the range in pricing due simply to geography and

source of sale.  For example, a sale in New York City or LA would bring in much higher pricing

than a flea market in some rural area.  Of the pricing books, I particularly like Petretti.

Two Important Eras of Coca Cola Trays

The first era of production of these beautiful Coca Cola trays ended in the late 1960s, with

the modern era beginning in 1970.  The two eras together include examples spanning over 100

years.  Prices for trays made prior to 1968 ranged from a few hundred to many thousands of

dollars.  By the early 1970s a new era in tray products began.  New materials and lower costs

made it possible for more collectors to afford this investment.  So that 1970 year is crucial

in terms of overall value for collectors...still I'd say if you like it, it's the REAL thing.   :-)



About the author:

My dad worked for Coca-Cola his whole life, so I grew up around Coca-Cola stuff.  None meant

much to me beyond the trays, and especially the Gibson Girls trays - my personal favorite category.

I've collected maybe 30 or so trays, however only a handful of mine are 'authentic' which matters little

since I doubt I'd ever sell my favorites either way.

Update December 2008:  I found a blog posted online with some excellent photos and detailed comparisons of original trays to repros.
eBay will not allow outside links here, but easy to find if you just type the address below  in your browser, this guy did a great job
on both photos and descriptions to help learn to spot repros.  He even discusses how sometimes even collectors are fooled
by certain trays, and according to him the Tarzan, Johnny Weismueller tray is the most difficult to distinguish, yet he does a
good job of describing these in detail at his site.
cocacolafaketrays.blogspot.com



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