Advertising Collectibles

Collectibles from the world of advertising are part of a quickly growing industry. The Antique Advertising Association of America (AAAA) is the country's largest club for collectors of popular as well as antique advertising, and has been operating for more than a dozen years. With members in North America, Europe, and Asia, the AAAA is dedicated to preserving paper, wood, and tin advertising collectibles from a range of eras.Collectors are drawn to specific ads for a number of personal reasons, but some companies--Coca-Cola, for instance--transcend individual appeal and resonate with entire cultures. From its earliest years, Coca-Cola has been an innovative marketer. While the cola wars are still waging, Coke's early merchandising campaigns have become part of American culture.A century ago, after the magical ingredient of cocaine was removed from the recipe, Coca-Cola created a number of products emblazoned with the now-famous white script against a red background: clocks, napkins, posters, calendars and a slew of signs and other promotional materials. The famous bottle came out in 1915, and the shapely fountain glass was introduced in the '20s. In 1985, the company produced 300 Challenger Space Shuttle Cans.Coke merchandising is so successful that some of it cannot be collected--it's impossible to put the song 'I'd like to buy the world a Coke' in a frame on the wall. The physical advertisements, though, from six-pack containers to upright vending machines, are a hot commodity. A word of warning: be wary of fakes and reproductions of this world-famous brand.