What’s It Worth: Coca-Cola Radios

BY STEVE JOHNSON ()

One of the largest areas of interest to many collectors is anything distributed or licensed by the Coca-Cola Company. Just about everything, including vintage advertising items, old bottles, point-of-sale items, toys, and radios, are sought after by collectors. Some items are truly rare, while many others are collectibles produced in mass quantities, reproductions of earlier items, or fakes (typically known as fantasy items).
Radios licensed and distributed by the Coca-Cola Company are no exception.

There are hundreds of different Coca-Cola radios that were licensed, copied, and faked on the market. Of course, some of the originals licensed by Coca-Cola and distributed to vendors as promotions are very valuable while the more recent items manufactured by the thousands as collectibles have little or no value.

One of the earliest Coca-Cola radios was manufactured by Crosley Radio Corporation for the Coca-Cola Company. It was shaped like a classic Coca-Cola bottle and stood 2 feet tall.

The 1933 Crosley Coca-Cola Bottle Radio.

The Crosley Coca-Cola bottle radio was manufactured in 1933 for the Coca-Cola Company. It was made from Bakelite and contained a vacuum tube AM radio. Unfortunately, the radio circuitry was not the best and the bottle performed poorly as a radio. Nevertheless, this is most likely the rarest Coca-Cola radio and by far the most sought after by both Coca-Cola memorabilia collectors as well as radio collectors. As far as value, prices at auction vary but are usually well over $2,000 if the bottle is in good cosmetic condition. Collectors’ books list this radio's value over $7,000, but that may be wishful thinking unless you find one in the original shipping box and never used. Because this early bottle radio was designed primarily for display, it is more important to most collectors that it is in its original condition. Rebuilding the radio to working condition with non-original parts may actually decrease its value.

As with many other Coca-Cola items, the 1933 Crosley Coca-Cola Bottle radio was copied. A reproduction was manufactured that looked similar but has distinct and easy-to-spot differences. The bottle cap on the original radio has a split between the front and the back while the copy has a one-piece cap glued to the top. The bottom of the original is open, showing the radio chassis, while the copy has an enclosed bottom with the power cord opening in the center. Although the copy is a fake and was never licensed by Coca-Cola, it is rare and has some value. I would expect one of these reproductions in good cosmetic condition to sell for several hundred dollars at auction.

There are also later transistorized AM Coca-Cola bottle radios that were the size and shape of a typical Coke bottle. These usually sell for between $10 and $20 as they were sold as collectibles by the thousands.

The 1940s Point Of Purchase Displays Coca-Cola cooler radio.

Point Of Purchase Displays Inc. produced a radio in 1949 in the shape of a Coca-Cola Cooler. Measuring about 12 inches wide and 9 inches tall, this was also an AM-only vacuum-tube radio. This cooler radio is not as rare as the original bottle radio produced in 1933 and is quite easy to find today. In good working condition with no chips or cracks and with the original back in place I would expect it to sell in the $350 to $600 range depending on the condition of the red paint and white lettering.

As with the early bottle radio, the cooler radio was also copied. It is very easy to tell the reproduction from the original. Where the original Coca-Cola cooler radio was AM, the later reproduction is AM/FM. The reproduction also has a cassette player, which may be accessed by lifting the lid of the cooler. The reproduction is very common and there are usually several for sale at any time online. Most Coca-Cola and radio collectors are uninterested in this reproduction and typical selling prices reflect this. It's not hard to find one for around $30 to $40 in like-new condition.

There is a version the original cooler radio that has a clock face in the front between the volume and tuning controls. Although the clock covers some of the Coca-Cola lettering and looks like it was added on later, it is original. Although collectors books list this as somewhat higher in value than the original plain AM cooler radio, I would expect it to sell in the same price range even though it is a little harder to find.

Crystal radios that need no batteries were also popular in the 1950s. A small crystal radio you can hold in your hand in the shape of a Coca-Cola cooler is an interesting find. It contained and earphone and a wire with an alligator clip which the operator could connect to a larger metal object to act as an antenna. There are several newer versions of this crystal radio but an original from the 1950s may sometimes be found in the $150-$250 range. Most newer versions sell below $100.

A typical Coca-Cola collectable vending machine radio.

Several transistorized Coca-Cola vending machine radios were produced from the 1960s through the 1990s. The early 1960s versions have some value, but may be found for under $100 on occasion or even less at yard sales. Most of the later vending machine radios are plentiful and may be frequently purchased for under $50. These were manufactured as collectables not as promotional items, so their value is generally less.

For more information and examples of early electronic technology, view my collection at StevesAntiqueTechnology.com