These Classic Coke Bottles Are Worth More Than You Think

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Tossing your bottle after downing a Coke may be an automatic response in the 21st century. But there was a time when Coke bottles were more than just a vessel for fizzy cola. The era of vintage glass Coke bottles produced some of the most valuable collectibles in the world, thanks to a combination of elegant design, rarity, and undeniable nostalgia. In those days, collectors knew they had something special on their hands, and their foresight has resulted in some major payouts for classic Coke bottles.

While the world of disposable plastics and recyclable aluminum has all but eliminated the charming notion of modern Coke containers pulling in a ton of money at auction, these older glass models have proven to be quite lucrative. It turns out the best way to drink a Coke is with an eye on the future value of the bottle it comes in. A few sales have resulted in mind-blowing money being moved between collector and dealer, with some numbers even reaching the six-figure mark. Here's a quick rundown of the most staggering sums reaped by vintage Coke bottles and what makes these old-fashioned soda holders such a treasure in the world of antiques.

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Not just any glass Coke bottle can bring in six figures at auction. But the Earl R. Dean prototype — the model for the voluptuous shape the modern Coke bottle came to embody — is a singular template, the artful ancestor of future soda bottles and an eye-catching piece of design in its own right. Dean was the designer of the bulbous bottle for the Root Glass Company, which created one of the first versions to incorporate the outward curves and green glass that make these collectibles so iconic in 1915.

The bottle that sold in 2011 was one of two in existence, according to Brad Dean, the creator's grandson, driving up the value and launching a bit of a bidding war. When the gavel at Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills came down for the last time, the going price was a staggering $240,000. The original drawing of the design also went for $228,000.

The value of vintage Coke bottles like this one demonstrates the lasting thirst for Coca-Cola memorabilia, with bottles sparking particularly fervid interest. Even if the hottest sales have nothing to do with Coke as a beverage, knowing there are collectors willing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a bottle representing the earliest era of Coke's popularity is enough to inspire a search for other bottles that might be worth more than a dime at the bottle return station.

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The Root Glass Company prototype is a six-figure-fetching Coke bottle that set off sparks when it went to auction via Morphy's in 2019. This came over 100 years after the company first submitted its design to the Coca-Cola company, hoping the bigwigs at the soda manufacturer would adopt the shape as a styling upgrade. According to the Coca-Cola website, the design brief was simple: create a "bottle so distinct that you would recognize it by feel in the dark or lying broken on the ground."

Earl R. Dean modeled its submission after the shape of the cocoa bean. The design was chosen as the winner and became the iconic pleated hourglass shape that Coke bottles have been associated with ever since. The prize for being chosen? $500 — which adjusted for inflation would have amounted to almost $16,000. The collectible Coke bottle that fetched this phenomenal amount was a true find, having not been seen for over 100 years at this point, until it was found among a collection kept by one of the former Root Glass Company workers. Thanks to a relatively sequestered existence, the bottle was unscratched, making it even rarer among the remaining examples of this prototype bottle.

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While most collectible Coke bottles of value have been emptied of their contents, one particular valuable version was unopened and reeled in $29,900 in 2020. Beyond simply having its contents intact, the 1974 vessel is shrouded in a bit of mythology among the collecting set. According to Rarest.org, the bottle is said to contain a syringe in addition to the original Coca-Cola. Whether or not this is fact or rumor didn't stop the collector from shelling out a small fortune to add it to their trove.

Unlike many of the other high-priced Coke vessel sales, it wasn't a fancy auction house that delivered the upper echelon price tag for this rare bottle. An eBay seller was able to garner the funds for their fascinating find, shifting ownership to someone who either knew what they had on their hands or had an unyielding devotion to collectible Coke bottles, regardless of their actual value. One way or another, this item is now one of the most valuable Coke bottles in history.

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There's no denying the thrill of a cheap flea market find that racks up an exorbitant sum from a knowing collector. In 2014, one particular Coke bottle that was originally purchased for $4 turned into $13,750 for lucky shopper Jim Vergo of Albuquerque, New Mexico, who found a Pemberton's French Wine Coca bottle among the other trinkets at the market. It turned out to represent the earliest iterations of Coke, before it became known as Coca-Cola and while it was still infused with actual cocaine.

The value from just these factors is pretty obvious, even to non-collectors. An original version of anything is bound to bring a pretty penny once you find the right buyer. But this particular bottle is one example of only three that contain embossing, and it happens to have most of its label intact, which made it even more valuable. With a selling price of $11,000 at Heritage Auction in May 2014, plus a $2,750 buyer's premium, the bottle brought in 3,437.5% more than Vergo paid for it. That's a refreshing return and a peak price for a Coke bottle in the world of antiques and collectibles.

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Coca-Cola was marketed in the Hutchinson-style bottle from the mid-1890s to the early 20^th century, making the bottles a premium discovery thanks to their relatively limited existence. These bottles have gone for between $2,500 and $4,000, making them some of the most coveted collectibles in the Coke bottle world. The scripted logo is a notable feature that helps drive up the value, with only about 12 varieties from Southern states, which means collecting them is a job in and of itself.

As much as it was a part of Coke's earliest stylings, this straight-sided bottle in particular was a unique creation in the world of carbonated drinks. The metal stopper that sealed the top opened with a popping sound, helping give rise to the term "soda pop" that became a pop culture moniker. So, beyond simply purchasing a valuable bottle, collectors are also acquiring moments in history that moved the story of Coca-Cola forward and made it an indelible element of American culture.

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Maybe all you need is love in the world of The Beatles, but in the world of Coke, you just need an unopened set of the band's collectors' edition bottles to reap your due rewards. There's no image of the Fab Four on the labels or the box, just the names of each member on their own bottles, and a fifth bottle with the name "The Beatles" emblazoned across it in the classic Coca-Cola font.

The box set is a circa-2015 twist on the Share a Coke campaign that adds common names to the labels to encourage interaction among Coke lovers. For this particular collection, Heritage Auctions was able to acquire a sweet $325 for a collector with nostalgic tastes in both music and beverages.

Though some Coke products turn out to be massive fails, Share a Coke is a lasting promotion that continues to spark interest. Still, the idea that a five-pack of glass bottles bearing only the first names of some of the most famous musicians in the world could garner more than $100 is a little mind-blowing. You can imagine what bottles with names of today's current popstars might bring in 20 years down the line. Pick up a Taylor or a Justin bottle and keep it in mint condition, and you might be holding onto a future fortune.