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Posted 11 months ago
TGBWC
(185 items)
A few weeks ago, I received an email from a man in Nebraska. He found my name by doing an online search. He told me that when he was in his teens in 1975, his grandmother gave him this 1898 Coca-Cola calendar and he kept it in an envelope since then, never having it displayed.
He's not a collector so he wanted someone who is a collector, to enjoy it. He originally dictated the price that he wanted to sell it for. I counter-offered and we agreed. On Thursday, I paid for it via PayPal and yesterday, he mailed it via FedEx and it just arrived this morning.
Amazingly, it's in much better condition than his photos showed. While there are condition issues (no, it's not minty-minty) like a few creases, tears held together by old tape on the back, and a small piece missing, the color is vibrant. Plus this cardboard calendar is beautifully embossed.
As luck or bad luck would have it, the day after I received the email from this man, my wife found out that she was losing her job. So...if immediate financial needs come up....if she doesn't secure a new job soon, this may not be in our possession for very long. But for now, I'm just staring at it all day...like a kid who received a new bike!
BTW, if you have Petretti's 12th edition Coca-Cola Price Guide handy, this is shown on page 47, book-valued at $25,000.
Coca Cola CalendarsThe earliest known Coca-Cola advertising calendar was issued for 1891. Usin…
Very nice, and thats all ill say :)
Now that's a once-in-a-lifetime acquisition right there. Historic Find. Early pieces like your calendar, the fact that they exist at all in original form, is amazing, super rare. She's an old beauty, congrats Ray!
When you reach 114 years old, you'll wish you had only a couple creases and such!!! Definitely a beauty!
I had to think about that for a minute. Right, this is 114 years old. Amazing. Also amazing that it's been stored away since 1975. Makes ya wonder what other early items are still stored away. I'm thinking...once baby boomers parents are passing on, we'll see a lot more rare items surfacing.
Beautiful piece Ray, & sorry to hear about your missus losing her job , I'm sure she'll find something before you have to start liquidating. Best of luck to you both,(you're already lucky ,finding her, and this great piece)!!
Looks fake to me :)
Ouch! I'll take that with a grain of salt from a guy who bought a faded festoon. :)
Hopefully you won't have to sell it.
Who said anything about selling? I never specifically used that "S" word. We don't say that word on here...or the "B" word, buying. No, no.
I figure it will end up in your closet along with all the other rare stuff you've forgotten about! Or under the bed in the spare bedroom!!!! In 10 years you'll post it again "Oh Yeah, found this 1898 calendar in my sock drawer, forgot all about it... " Sheeesh!!!!
You know what I meant
Yes, I know what you meant. I'm kidding with ya.
Oh, I get it now. ;)