Definitely, one of the largest areas of Coca-Cola collecting
is the serving tray. Many thousands of collectors consider these
tin lithographed beauties as the mainstay to their collection.
Ever since the first tray was issued in the late 1890’s (1897
is thought to be the first year), it has remained highly
collectable. Finding and displaying these pieces of art
can be very rewarding and exciting. Searching flea markets,
yard sales, and antique stores is just part of the fun.
Obviously, condition is one of the most important factors
when deciding whether or not to buy a particular tray, but
most importantly; does it appeal to you? I mean, you should
collect it because you like it. Age and price are other
deciding factors. Trays from the late 1940’s to the 1980’s
are fairly easy to find, but not in Near Mint condition. If
you are trying to obtain one from each year they were made,
consider buying a tray if you need it, even if it isn’t in
the condition you would like. Sometime down the road, you
will come across this piece in the desired condition, and
you can pick it up. Then you can sell the other tray
(probably at a profit). Trays dated before the 1940’s are
more difficult to find, especially in nice condition. If
you are lucky enough to come across one of these trays,
and you need it, consider seriously about adding it to
your collection.
Of course, never make a purchase without being informed!
You should know something about trays before you go spend
your hard-earned money on them, only to find out later you
were ‘ripped’ off. Many older Coke trays have been
reproduced, and are worth very little. To a novice
collector, these may be hard to distinguish from the
original. Most of the originals had "Trademark Registered’
written in the tail of the C in Coca-Cola, while most of
the reproductions have "reg US Pat Off" under the logo.
This is not always the case, so make sure you have some
kind of guide to refer to. One of the best is; Petretti’s
Coca-Cola Collectibles Price Guide. He has pictures and
descriptions of almost every tray made. I take mine along
when I am out browsing the flea markets and yard sales.
I leave it in the car, and if I see something I am
interested in (try not to look to interested!) and
I don’t know much about the piece, I go to my car
and look it up. Then I can go back and make a better
decision, and reasonable offer.
Remember; a good collector is an informed collector.
Another place that might be good to find a tray is
an auction. But beware, it is easy to get caught up in
the heat of the bidding. Know how much you are willing
to pay for a piece, and stick to it! If you don’t get
it, you will find it down the road sometime. Remember
to look over the piece well during the viewing sessions.
The auction house may be trying to sell off a reproduction
as an original. Most auction houses have trained appraisers
on staff, but even they can make mistakes if they don’t
know Coca-Cola paraphernalia well.
When you purchase a tray that can use a little
cleaning, be very careful. If a damp cloth can’t remove
the dust or scuff marks, I would hesitate to clean it
further. You might just cause more damage. A little paint
pitting, or some scratches are better than taking off
large pieces of paint. Touching up trays is also a
‘touchy’ subject. If you are planning on maybe selling
it in the future, it is best to leave it alone. Most
collectors don’t want a tray that has been tampered
with. Remember to dust off, and wipe down your trays
periodically, as dust will collect on the bottom edge
of the tray and can, over time, become very difficult
to remove.
Storage of the trays is really up to the individual.
Things that work well are china cabinets that have a
groove along the back edge of the shelf that hold the
plates. Table top plate holder’s work well also, but
I don’t like to keep my trays out where they can
accidentally be damaged. I like to use hanging plate
holders, as I can decorate my walls. Make sure you
use quality plate holders that have rubber
protectors on the places that touch the tray.
I hope this information has been helpful. If you have any
questions, feel free to contact me at:
