Sodatheology - Part 6 : Christmas, Santa & Coca-Cola

Christmas just past 5 days ago...sure Mr. Santa just finish his jobs deliver the gift around the world and now maybe resting in tropical island enjoy the sunbath. This is the story of Mr. Santa and Coca-Cola.

Most people can agree on what Santa Claus looks like - jolly, with a red suit, white beard and pleasantly plump. But he did not always look that way. The image of Santa Claus ranged from big to small and fat to tall. Santa even appeared as an elf and looked a bit spooky.

Through the centuries, Santa Claus has been depicted as everything from a tall gaunt man to an elf. He has worn a bishop's robe and a Norse huntsman's animal skin. The modern-day Santa Claus is a combination of a number of the stories from a variety of countries. For example, the reindeer and sleigh are from Scandinavia, while the pipe and chimney are from Holland.

The Civil War cartoonist Thomas Nast drew Santa Claus for Harper's Weekly in 1862; Santa was shown as a small elf-like figure who supported the Union. Nast continued to draw Santa for 30 years and along the way changed the color of his coat from tan to the now traditional red.

The Coca-Cola Company began its Christmas advertising in the 1920s with shopping-related print ads in magazines like the Saturday Evening Post. The first Santa ads used a strict-looking Claus, in the vein of Thomas Nast.

Santa Claus made an appearance in our advertising again in 1930. Artist Fred Mizen painted a department store Santa in a crowd drinking a bottle of Coke®. The ad featured the world's largest soda fountain, which was located in the department store of Famous Barr Co. in St. Louis, Mo. Mizen's painting was used in print ads that Christmas season, appearing in the Saturday Evening Post on December 27, 1930.

In 1931, the Coca-Cola Company commissioned Chicago illustrator Haddon Sundblom to develop the image of a human-like Santa Claus, based on the positive public response to a magazine advertisement for Coca-Cola depicting such a character that appeared in late 1930. Prior to Sundblom's first rendition in 1931, people envisioned Santa Claus as leprechaun-like, or as a queer mixture of a gnome and a bishop. Over the next third of a century, Sundblom's Santa would be embraced by the public worldwide, and become a holiday tradition.

For inspiration in creating his Santa Claus, Sundblom turned to Clement Moore's 1822 poem "A Visit From St. Nicholas". Moore's description of the toy maker as "chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf" led to an image of Santa that was warm, friendly and human. Sundblom often used neighborhood kids, dogs and family members as models, changing their hair color, clothes, even genders to suit his subject. Sundblom's original model for Santa was his friend and neighbor Lou Prentice, a retired salesman. After Prentice died in the late 1940's, Sundblom would often find his model by looking in the mirror.

The remaining Santa paintings use Sundblom as his own model although he said he added the beard as he painted, rather than growing one.Haddon Sundblom painted 35 years of Santa portraits that were used in magazine ads and posters, and which now also appear in special exhibitions around the world."Of the thousands of pieces of art in our archives, none is as valuable as the Sundblom Santas," said Philip F. Mooney, the Company's archivist. "But their value goes beyond the worth of the paintings themselves."

Another one of Haddon Sundblom's famous creations for the Coca-Cola Company was the Sprite Boy, which was originally used to introduce the brand name Coke in 1942. The Sprite Boy wore either a soda-jerk's cap to promote fountain sales of Coke or a bottle cap to advertise bottled Coca-Cola. After 1949, the Sprite Boy would not appear with Santa again, and he disappeared altogether from advertising for Coca-Cola by 1958.

Haddon Sundblom, who died in 1976, created numerous illustrations used in advertising for Coca-Cola over the years, but is best known for the Santa and Sprite Boy characters.

Till then enjoy the Coca-Cola and Happy New Year 2006.

The Malaysia Chapter Of The Coca-Cola Collectors Club - Part 3

Just received another email from our fellow friend from The Coca-Cola Collectors Club (TCCCC), Pat Vaughan..

" Ezuddin - Yes, you are correct that the dues per primary members are $50.00 annually. However, discuss the options with your friends. And realize that there is a moratorium on new chapters being accepted with TCCCC. This moratorium is up for review next summer.

Let me know the outcome of your meeting. If favorable, I would like to take your suggestion to our board meeting in January and see if they think a new chapter could be approved at all --- before you jump into this. I know that TCCCC would not want to have any federal conflict with your laws and TCCCC might be unable to approve your chapter. Keep in touch. " Pat Vaughan, District 4 RepresentativeTCCCC.

And the next email after the above reply...

" Ezuddin - I am not surprised that you couldn't get 10 collectors to join TCCCC. The $50 is quite high and I do understand. However, you should just go ahead and run your club as a local collectors club. BUT, do not use The Coca-Cola Collectors Club in any way in your name. Perhaps you can get F&N Coca-Cola Malaysia to sponsor your club. Good luck and keep in touch. Pat "

Due to this email, I did doing with other 6 fellow collectors a submission to Registrar Of Societies, Malaysia to register the club under name of " Kelab Pengumpul Coca-Cola Bahagian Malaysia " and by the end if we translate this name to English will come as " The Malaysia Chapter Of The Coca-Cola Collectors Club ". Do i break the laws ?

" Cola Wars - Part 3 " - Coke vs Pepsi Fighting for Foreign Markets

The soft-drink battleground has now turned toward new overseas markets. While once the United States, Australia, Japan, and Western Europe were the dominant soft-drink markets, the growth has slowed down dramatically, but they are still important markets for Coca-Cola and Pepsi. However, Eastern Europe, Mexico, China, Saudi Arabia, and India have become the new "hot spots." Both Coca-Cola and Pepsi are forming joint bottling ventures in these nations and in other areas where they see growth potential. As we have seen, international marketing can be very complex. Many issues have to be resolved before a company can even consider entering uncharted foreign waters. This becomes very evident as one begins to study the international cola wars. The domestic cola war between Coca-Cola and Pepsi is still raging. However, the two soft-drink giants also recognize that opportunities for growth in many of the mature markets have slowed. Both Coca-Cola, which sold 10 billion cases of soft-drinks in 1992, and Pepsi now find themselves asking, "Where will sales of the next 10 billion cases come from?" The answer lies in the developing world, where income levels and appetites for Western products are at an all time high.

Often, the company that gets into a foreign market first usually dominates that country's market. Coke patriarch Robert Woodruff realized this 50 years ago and unleashed a brilliant ploy to make Coke the early bird in many of the major foreign markets. At the height of World War II, Woodruff proclaimed that Awherever American boys were fighting, they'd be able to get a Coke. By the time Pepsi tried to make its first international pitch in the 50s, Coke had already established its brand name and a powerful distribution network. In the intervening 40 years, many new markets have emerged. In order to profit from these markets, both Coke and Pepsi need to find ways to cut through all of the red tape that initially prevents them from conducting business in these markets.

Coke and Pepsi in Russia: In 1972, Pepsi signed an agreement with the Soviet Union which made it the first Western product to be sold to consumers in Russia. This was a landmark agreement and gave Pepsi the first-mover advantage. Presently, Pepsi has 23 plants in the former Soviet Union and is the leader in the soft-drink industry in Russia. Pepsi outsells Coca-Cola by 6 to 1 and is seen as a local brand. Also, Pepsi must counter trade its concentrate with Russia's Stolichnaya vodka since rubles are not tradable on the world market. However, Pepsi has also had some problems. There has not been an increase in brand loyalty for Pepsi since its advertising blitz in Russia, even though it has produced commercials tailored to the Russian market and has sponsored television concerts. On the positive side, Pepsi may be leading Coca-Cola due to the big difference in price between the two colas. While Pepsi sells for Rb250 (25 cents), Coca-Cola sells for Rb450. For the economy size, Pepsi sells 2 liters for Rb1,300, but Coca-Cola sells 1.5 liters for Rb1,800. Coca-Cola, on the other hand, only moved into Russia 2 years ago and is manufactured locally in Moscow and St. Petersburg under a license. Despite investing $85 million in these two bottling plants, they do not perceive Coca-Cola as a premium brand in the Russian market. Moreover, they see it as a "foreign" brand in Russia. Lastly, while Coca-Cola's bottle and label give it a high-class image, it is unable to capture market share.

Coke and Pepsi in Romania: Romania is the second largest central European market after Poland, and this makes it a hot battleground for Coca-Cola and Pepsi. When Pepsi established a bottling plant in Romania in 1965, it became the first U.S. product produced and sold in the region. Pepsi began producing locally during the communist period and has recently decided to reorganize and retrain its local staff. Pepsi entered into a joint venture with a local firm, Flora and Quadrant, for its Bucharest plant, and has 5 other factories in Romania. Quadrant leases Pepsi the equipment and handles Pepsi's distribution. In addition, Pepsi bought 500 Romanian trucks which are also used for distribution in other countries. Moreover, Pepsi produces its bottles locally through an investment in the glass industry. While the price of Pepsi and Coca-Cola are the same (@15 cents/bottle), some consumers drink Pepsi because Pepsi sent Michael Jackson to Romania for a concert. Another reason for drinking Pepsi is that it is slightly sweeter than Coca-Cola and is more suited for the sweet-toothed Romanians. Lastly, some drink Pepsi because, in the past, only top officials were allowed to drink it, but now everyone can. Coca-Cola only began producing locally in November 1991, but it is outselling all of its competitors. In 1992, Coca-Cola saw an increase in Romania of sales by 99.2% and outsold Pepsi by 6 to 5. While Pepsi preferred to buy its equipment from Romania, Coca-Cola preferred to bring equipment into Romania. Also, Coca-Cola brought 2 bottlers to Romania. One is the Leventis Group, which is privately owned. Coca-Cola has invested almost $25 million into 2 factories. These factories are double the size of the factory Pepsi has in Bucharest. Moreover, Coca-Cola has a partnership with a local company, Ci-Co, in Bucharest and Brasov. Ci-Co has planned an aggressive publicity campaign and has sponsored local sporting and cultural events. Lastly, Romanians drink Coke because it is a powerful western symbol which was once forbidden.

Coke and Pepsi in China: Coca-Cola originally entered China in 1927, but left in 1949 when the Communists took over the country. In 1979, it returned with a shipment of 30,000 cases from Hong Kong. Pepsi, which only entered China in 1982, is trying to be the leading soft-drink producer in China by the year 2000. Even though Coca-Cola's head start in China has given it an edge, there is plenty of room in the country for both companies. Currently, Coca-Cola and Pepsi control 15% and 7% of the Chinese soft-drink market respectively. The Chinese market presents unique problems. For example, 2,800 local soft-drink bottlers, many of whom are state-owned, control nearly 75% of the Chinese market. Those bottlers located in remote areas have virtual monopolies (The Economist, 67). The battle for China will take place in the interior regions. These areas are unpenetrated as most of the foreign soft-drink producers have set up in the booming coastal cities. China's high transportation and distribution costs mean that plants must be located close to their markets. Otherwise, in a country of China's size, Coca-Cola and Pepsi risk pricing their products as luxury items. In China, it is easier and politically safer to expand through joint ventures with local bottlers. It is expected that, in China, the company that wins the cola war will win based on the locations of their bottling plants and the quality of the partners they choose (The Economist, 67). Coca-Cola is bottled at 13 sites across China; five of these are state-owned. Also, Coca-Cola owns 2 concentrate plants in China. By 1996, Coca-Cola and its joint venture partners will have invested nearly $500 million in China. Pepsi is planning a $350 million expansion plan that will add 10 new plants. Both companies are ploughing profits straight back into expansion. They reason that any returns will not come until the next century.

Both Coca-Cola and Pepsi are trying to have their colas available in as many locations in the world and but at a cost which consumers would be willing to pay. The concepts which are becoming more important in Eastern Europe include color, product attractiveness visibility, and display quality. In addition, availability (meeting local demand by increasing production locally), acceptability (building brand equity), and afford ability (pricing higher than local brands, but adapting to local conditions) are the key factors for Eastern Europe. Both companies hope that their western images and brand products will help to boost their sales. Coca-Cola has a universal message and campaign since it feels that Eastern Europe is part of the world and should not be treated differently.

Currently, it is difficult to say who is winning the cola wars since the data from the relatively new market research firms focusses on major cities. Pepsi had a commanding 4 to 1 lead in 1992 in the former Soviet Union. Without this area, Coca-Cola has a 17% share versus Pepsi's 12% share in the soft drink industry. While both companies have been in Eastern Europe for many years, the main task now is to develop the market. Coca-Cola and Pepsi are in a dogfight, but both will end up as winners. In the end, the ultimate winner will be the Eastern Europeans who will have access to some of the world's best soft drinks.

The new battleground for the cola wars is in the developing markets country. With Coca-Cola's and Pepsi's investments in these countries, not only will they increase their sales worldwide, but they will also help to build up these economies. These long-term commitments by both companies will raise the level of competition and efficiency, and at the same time, bring value to the distribution and production systems of these countries. Many issues need to be overcome before a company can begin to produce its goods in a foreign country. These issues include political, social, economic, operational, and environmental topics which must be addressed. When companies like Coca-Cola and Pepsi effectively analyze and solve these problems to everyone's liking, new foreign markets can translate into lucrative opportunities in the long run.

Sodatheology - Part 5 : Vanilla Coke & The Lifestyle Circle

" I don't know if we have ever taken out a flavor and brought it back to the market, but the landscape continues to change and we want to be as flexible as possible to adapt to the changing landscape" said Scoot Williamson, a spokesperson for Coca-Cola at the day that the world's largest soft drink announce that it would phase out its Vanilla Coke, Vanilla Diet Coke and Diet Coke with Lemon beverages in the United States by end of this year. The announcement came a day after Coca-Cola said it would phase out Vanilla Coke and Vanilla Diet Coke in the United Kingdom early next year. The company said sales have declined.

How it happen to Vanilla Coke?. The real story of Vanilla Coke started back to 23 years ago when The Coca-Cola Company form a secret team of 8 people to develop a new soda flavors. But due to "New Coke" disaster, the plans for "Vanilla Coke" were shelved and the team of 8 was disbanded.

As the member of 8 coke employee learned of the new Vanilla Coke coming out in May 15,2002 he wondered if it could be the formula he and his secret team worked on years ago. Due to the jealousy, he came out with his own version of Vanilla Coke and make around 2,000 bottle, completed with flashy " V-Coke " logo in a 600ml pet bottle. He created a website where he shamelessly promote HIS Vanilla Coke. He said it would only be a matter of time before Coca-Cola shut him down with legal action.

But the trouble and hoax with all of this is that it's not real. The real truth behind the real truth is that The Coca-Cola Company just created its very first alternative marketing campaign with a site so real until some people couldn't tell the difference.

" Essentially, the whole concept of V-Coke and their activities are actually part of an experimental underground marketing program to help create buzz around Vanilla Coke. It's a brand new brand that there is a lot of buzz about anyway, so this seemed like a good thing to try with Vanilla Coke. So, everyone can choose to believe what they want to believe and what they want to drink. Many companies 'create' underground marketing program to build the interest and attention toward their products. There are individuals whose real stories are cleverly maneuvered by companies. In the end, for me, I am truly getting what I wanted all along....a huge interest and new found success for one of my best achievements. Either way, I am satisfied" said Susan McDermott, a Coca-Cola spokeswoman confirmed that Coke was behind the whole thing.

Officially, on the 116th birthday of Coca-Cola, The Coca-Cola Company making the first official delivery of Vanilla Coke to the United States market. At the time of launch, packaging graphics of Vanilla Coke will feature for the first time ever, the "Coke" brand name in the unique script of the Coca-Cola trade mark. The dynamic ribbon device or "wave" also returns to reinforce the connection to the Coca-Cola brand.

But after just around 3 1/2 years on the market, the Vanilla Coke will say goodbye to Coke lover in the United States and United Kingdom...but which other country will do a same action next ?. For Malaysia and as confirm by the Brand Manager of Coca-Cola Malaysia " Thank you for your interest in our product. Malaysia will continue to market Vanilla Coke in 2006, as the product is very successful in Malaysia".

Sodatheology - Part 4 : eBay - The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

"How does eBay affect the way you collect?". The answer to this question will split. It seems that some like what eBay has to offer, while others have a less then favourable opinion.

ebay has been both good and bad. On the one hand it has brought to collectors in most convenient way, access to items of interest otherwise undiscoverable and inaccessible. For average collectors eBay was the appeal of a large selection of things from which to choose, where to find rare, unusual of cans or bottles or others releted items without searching a lifetime and travelling hundreds of kilometers. For coke collectors also it mean paradise.

On the others hand, it has unflated the prices of the items, due to the auction process. So, if you are the collectors with full of buckets with cash, no doubt that one will say unequivocably that eBay has been good for the hobby but otherwise......At the same time, eBay is causing values of some coke collectibles to drop substantially. But it all depends on whether you consider your coke collection an investment or as a hobby. Although wonderful in that you can find so many items at your fingertips that you would not normally have access to, eBay tends to take the fun out of the shopping and searching part of the hobby.

eBay can be a pleasant experience, or not but either way, it does have its good points, as well as its bad. It is up to the collectors to decide if eBay online auction are for you or not. I belive if you collect something you should do so because it brings you pleasure. So, enjoy what you are collecting.

Sodatheology - Part 3 : Advertisement Display In Malaysia

Coca-Cola : Satu Kesegaran Untuk Semua Perayaan (Coca-Cola : One Refreshment For Every Festival)

I am so lucky to get this display board that only for retailer use. But the way to get it not so easy as I think early. It take me at least almost 30 minutes to convenience the Coca-Cola Delivery Man why I need that advertisement board for my collection.

This advertisement board is used by F&N Coca-Cola Malaysia for the promotion on the main Malaysia Festival i.e Deepavali for our Hindu friends, Hari Raya Aidilfitri for our Muslim friends, Christmas for our Christian friends and Chinese New Year for our Chinese friends. Each festive is show by the special hat that worn by Coca-Cola bottle to represent each festival.

'' Cola Wars - Part 2 '' : The Next Step Action From Coca-Cola

" Coca-Cola Blak is not just a flavor extension. It is a blend of unique coke refreshment with the true essence of coffee and has a rich smooth texture and has a coffee like froth when poured. We believe we have created a new category of soft drink - an adult product in a carbonated beverage - and a whole new drinking experience. This brand is ideal for any part of the day when people are looking for renewed energy or simply to take a break " - Marc Mathieu, Vice President Global Brands, The Coca-Cola Company.

The Coca-Cola Company announced that they will launch this brand in January 2006 in France, then will cross the Atlantic Ocean to several countries including the United States. Hope this brand also will reach Malaysia soil (please someone at F&N Coca-Cola Malaysia do something by bring this flavor to Malaysia) at the end.

For me, maybe this is the answer to Pepsi when they introduced "Pepsi Cappuccino" (at world side) or "Pepsi Tarik" in Malaysia or just a new brand when they phase out Vanilla Coke from UK and USA by end of this year (I will come out with this on special note). And I also believed that the keys to the Coca-Cola Company future success in 'Cola Wars ' laying in product innovations.

Sodatheology - Part 2 : Got A Sick Can....?

So, you are a coke cans collector, welcome to the neighborhood - welcome to my neighborhood. When I got started collecting cans in 2000, I was by myself,....the stranger in a stranger land type thing looking around alone the cans. I would buy a cans, put it on my shelf and yahoo! I had a collection. Geeeee....was I in a shock years later when my cans made a sticky green and dark fuzzy mess on my shelf and floor. I discovered that cans LEAK!. Not exactly rocket science, but of major importance just a same.

So, all you rookie cans collectors stop right now and go empty your cans before the mess come to you. My suggestion is to poke at least one hole in the bottom of the cans or underneath the pull ring. Value is determined by the outside of the cans not by the can's contents. Then I have also found the need to keeps cans out of the sunlight, extreme heat, humidity and free from friction. Sunlight will fade them over time as will heat. Constant handling, or poor packing will scratch them and moisture will cause them to rust and corrode.

If you have been the victim of leakage or other unfortunate cans damage, I have some tips and tricks to help repair or rejuvenate your cans.

1. Drain all new cans before display them in your collection.

2. If you cans has leaked, but nothing else, drain the rest - it will contain a moldy slime that will eventually eat a hole in the bottom.

3. If your cans has faded, the only thing you can do is take it out of direct light and heat and protect it.

4. If your cans is dented, you might try a) applying gentle pressure to the outside of the cans to manipulate it back into shape b) having poked a hole already, attempt to blow in the hole and inflate it like a balloon c)fill can with soda, plug the hole, shake it and allow pressure to push it into shape d) fill cans with water, plug hole, place in freezer and allow water to freeze and expand the cans.

5. If your cans has expanded on the top, be sure it's empty, then get a hammer, screwdriver and piece of cloth - set the cans upright, lay the cloth on the cans top, place screwdriver on the dent/hump and gently tap the deformation back into shape. Be sure not to hit too hard.

6. If your cans has expanded on the bottom, be sure it's empty, then get a small rubber mallet or ball pen hammer and a cloth - place the cans upside down, gently tap the dent back down enough or allow the cans to sit flush.

7. If your cans is missing a pull tab / pull ring, get a replacement part from others cans, removing it with tweezers, bending it gently back and forth until it comes off. Then using clear glue and tooth pick lightly coat both the inside edge of the mouth of the cans and outside edge of the tab-laying it gently in place on the glue. Use the pick to adjust the position and allow this to dry.

8. If your cans is rustly maybe you can apply a coating of oxalic acid or you can use model paint to retouch up the missing paint.

As you can see, cans collecting is a little more involved then bottle collecting but can be a really rewarding experience just the same. Till then happy collecting.

The Malaysia Chapter Of Coca-Cola Collectors Club - Part 2

There is no new news since last October about the chapter. There is so many problems again to establish the local chapter. Just recived the respond from The Coca-Cola Collectors Club District 4 Representative, Pat Vaughan about the procedure how to join the world chapter.

" Hi Ezuddin! It is nice to hear from fellow collectors around the world. I am glad to hear that you might like to start a local chapter of our club. I would be most happy to assist you with this. The first item of business is to ask if you or any of your 20 fellow coca-cola collectors from Malaysia are members of The Coca-Cola Collectors Club? That is our first requirement. You need at least 10 members who are primary members of TCCCC. A primary member is one who pays the full amount of dues and not considered an associate.

We have a form that you would need to fill out which asks several questions of the potential chapter. Your officers have to be either primary or associate members. Once we have this information, I would then take it to our board meetings and review the information. If approved, we would then send you a chapter guide which would assist you with policies/procedures of our club, as well as, with writing the by-laws for your chapter. We do not charge any money to be a chapter of our club.

You may not use our design logo nor call yourselves a chapter of TCCCC until you have been approved as a chapter of The Coca-Cola Collectors Club. You may also not use the name of a country in your chapter name. Hope this helps. Let me know if you want to pursue starting a chapter and I will send you the appropriate form to get started with. Thanks and happy collecting! Pat "

From the mail it look very difficult for me and other fellow Malaysian collectors to establish the local chapter. Why....be a member of TCCCC need a huge investment at least USD50 per person per year then multiple by 10 persons and you will get around USD 500 time RM 3.80 in exchange rate and it will cost us RM1,900. I am not sure for amount of RM 190 per years as a fees is high or not for other my fellow collectors. Let time decide......Or agian worst to worst just summit it as a local club with the Registrar Of Soceity Malaysia and run the club according to Malaysia Soceity Act 1966 and at least it is a legal club in Malaysia.

(Note : This note is published early at www.ezuddin.blogspot.com)

" Cola Wars - Part 1 " : Pepsi Came Out With Innovative Product...What The Next Step Action From Coca-Cola

Just flip back yesterday newspaper, "The Star" page 7 StarBiz.....what so surprise..Pepsi thru Permanis Sdn Bhd, the Malaysia manufactures and bottler of Pepsi came out with another new innovation product called "Pepsi Tarik"...(yaaak sound suck) but at least a new addition to Pepsi collectors in Malaysia and maybe another rare for collectors from other side of the world.

"Pespi Tarik" is a second cola innovation released this year after "Pepsi Fire" and "Pepsi Ice", which Pepsi launched in conjunction with the Chinese New Year in Malaysia (seee another different product again). "Pepsi Tarik" as claim by Pepsi people has a quality of Pepsi but with a shot of cappuccino test and would be available for a limited period of time. This is not a new from them as the early they also came out with "Pepsi Twist", "Pepsi Blue" and "Pepsi X".

But now what Malaysia Coca-Cola collectors will get or what the next action taken from F&N Coca-Cola Malaysia ?. Wait and see...hope as a Coca-Cola collectors we will get something new....if not a new product maybe just enough if we can get a different packaging Coca-Cola cans and bottles.

(Note : This note is published early at www.ezuddin.blogspot.com)

The Malaysia Chapter Of Coca-Cola Collectors Club - Part 1

It is so hard to establish the local chapter. Why...? The local holder of trade mark F&N Coca Cola Malaysia Sdn Bhd is not willing to give their permission to use Coca-Cola word. Now the only way that we can do it...be part of world chapter under The Coca-Cola Collectors Club, Atlanta USA who got permission to use trade mark from The Coca-Cola Company then establish local chapter under them. But again it is not easy jobs. We need at least 10 local members register with mother club but did local collectors willing to pay USD50 per year as an annual dues.

Or, just sent the application to Registrar of Societies according to Malaysia Society Act 1966 and see what they will say....or worst to worst, just run the chapter in illegal way.....finish...enjoy the Coca-Cola among the members collectors.......and done.

(This note is published early at www.ezuddin.blogspot.com)

Sodatheology - Part 1 : Collecting The Real Thing - Coke...After Coke...After Coke !

How does it all start ? One day you look behind and wonder how you got to this place and smile. When I look back, I remember that my passion to Coke collecting started with just an imagination of Exciting....Fun.... and Challenging. All of these words describe the hobby of collecting. People collect things for various reasons. Some collect as an investment ; others simply for the aesthetic value of an items. Some collections are quite specific in nature, while others are very generalized.

I am one of those ecclectic collectors who will nab anything with the Coca-Cola logo on it, but cans and bottles being my main obsession!. For a small-time collector started back to early 2000 such as myself, that total years are nothing compare to some of the others collector out there with long numbers of years.

Coca-Cola bottles (including pet bottles) and cans collecting has become a popular past time in recent years. No one is quite sure when it actually began, but there have probably been Coca-Cola bottles and cans collectors as long as there have been Coke bottles and cans!. Although the Coke bottles has been around for over a century now and Coke cans around half a century, its collection really didn't blossom until the past twenty years or so.

Dedicated clubs and newsletters began popping up everywhere then and since the internet has become the media that it is, many collectors have taken their collecting and trading worldwide. These websites are a great resource when building or adding to your collection. As the number of collectors steadily increases and the demand for certain rare bottles and cans exceeds the supply, these bottles and cans are only going to go up in value.

But one thing I always remember : this is something to do because I love it, and get enjoyment from it. When it becomes an "investment" only or when it comes to picking up a bottles and cans only for its worth, and it is no longer a hobby. I hope that never happens to me, or anyone who loves what they are collecting now.

Last, but definitely not least, is the fellow collectors you meet who share this interest. I have meet either in persons or just meet in "cyber space" some of the best people in the world because of my collecting hobby. From all over the Malaysia, Singapore, China, Netherlands, Australia - the list goes on and on. It is very exciting to share stories with other collectors, and learn tips and tricks. So, enjoy your hobby and happy collecting.