This countertop cooler is from Mexico. The embossing on the front and back reads “Tome Coca-Cola”, or “Drink Coca-Cola”. The manufacturer is unknown. It was probably produced in the 1950s. The design is rather unique, with the very thin, flat lid that covers the entire top of the cooler. We got this cooler in pretty poor condition and have restored it to new condition.

The first Latino countries to be given permission to bottle Coca-Cola were Cuba and Panama in 1906. Coca-Cola was first bottled in Mexico starting in 1926 and is still very popular there today.

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby of collecting and restoration. We also enjoy sharing the photos of the many items we have restored over the years.

The Glascock Junior was a single case cooler, capable of holding 36 chilled bottles. This makes it the same size as the Glascock countertop. The Junior had storage beneath for two cases of bottles and came on legs with casters.

It was equipped with a bottle opener. The sides were covered in removable panel inserts that could be changed out for different soft drink brands or messages, such as “Please Pay the Clerk”. They were painted a distinct Moroccan green that the Glascock coolers became known for. The bottles of Coke were kept cool with ice water.

Glascock was the first manufacturer to produce officially approved coolers for the Coca-Cola Company. The Junior model followed its predecessor, the Standard and was intended for stores with limited floor space. Coca-Cola was vended simply by lifting the lid of the cooler and removing a bottle. The customer then paid the store clerk for the soft drink. The original price for the Junior was $7.95.

Dimensions: 30”H x 17 1/2”W x 17 1/2”D
Produced: In the early 1930s

Manufactured by:
Glascock Bros. Manufacturing Co.
Muncie, Indiana

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby of collecting and restoration. We also enjoy sharing the photos of the many items we have restored over the years.

These are a series of brochures for some vinyl Coca-Cola picnic coolers with dates ranging from about 1939 to 1957. The dates are determined by the slogans used. “Whoever you are, whatever you do…” was used by the Coca-Cola Company beginning in 1939 until about 1942. “Sign of good taste” was slogan used in 1957.

These coolers were made of plastic, or what we refer to now as vinyl. Some of the brand names of these products are “Ideal”, “Werner-Freeman” and “Nappy”. These must have made super picnic coolers, since they were insulated to keep food and drinks cool and the waterproof plastic could easily be wiped clean. The Coca-Cola Company promoted these coolers in order to make it more convenient to have cold Coke on hand, no matter where you happened to be going. These also served as an additional mode of advertising for their soft drink. All the coolers look as if they were made to accommodate two six-packs of Coca-Cola bottles: either side-by-side or with them stacked one over the other.

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby of collecting and restoration. We also enjoy sharing the photos of the many items we have restored over the years.

The pages pictured here are from an old Coca-Cola Company equipment brochure, describing some of the equipment available for use by the vendors of Coca-Cola soft drinks. These are mobile, or stadium cup vendors that could be utilized at various events, such as sports, fairs or others gatherings. These appear to be manufactured by the same company as a stadium cup vendor we already blogged—the Glasco Corporation. They were all produced in the 1950s.

The first vendor featured on these pages is the 400-drink mobile dispenser. This vendor was designed as a pushcart and had space for four soda tanks and ice to keep the drinks cold. In addition to the Coca-Cola tanks, it would have also been necessary to add a cylinder of carbon dioxide for carbonation. The cold Coca-Cola was dispensed into the paper cups that were stored on the cart.

The 100-drink mobile vendor was a smaller version of the Coca-Cola pushcart. It could carry 1 tank of soft drink in an insulated compartment. There wasn’t any room for ice on this one, so the tanks had to be pre-cooled (for approximately 8 hours) before the vendor set off.

The last vendor is a carry pack. It was able to dispense 50 drinks from a pre-cooled tank that was inserted into an insulated compartment. This carry pack was equipped with a heavy-duty strap so it could be worn over the shoulder. The pack also had a compartment for paper cups as well as a small platform for the cup to sit on while the Coke was dispensed into it.

These are all clever designs, and The Coca-Cola Company appears to have gone to great lengths to get their product out to where people were seeking relaxation and entertainment—and getting thirsty. We believe these would not have been manufactured in very large numbers. If you have more information about vendors like these, please blog-in and share your thoughts.

This is a picnic cooler made by the Progress Refrigerator Company in the 1950s. It is embossed with the Canada Dry logo and this model is referred to as the Progress A1. Canada Dry is just one of the many companies Progress produced coolers for. Some of the other soda companies they made coolers for were Royal Crown, 7 Up, Dr. Pepper, Squirt and Barq’s. The cooler is made of steel with two handles that locked together for carrying the cooler. There is a bottle opener mounted on the side and a drainage spout on the front. This model was built to hold 24 bottles of soda. Collectors will be aware that A1s with the Canada Dry embossing are not that easy to find. Some years ago we restored this cooler back to its original glory, but please note we are no longer in the restoration business.

Dimensions: 18”L x 13”W x 19”H

This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby of collecting and restoration. We also enjoy sharing the photos of the many items we have restored over the years.

Here are some photos of a great Gulf Oil display we once owned. We really did not do much to it as far as restoration goes besides giving it a good cleaning. This is an unusual piece and I would guess it could have been found in the corporate offices of a refinery or maybe given as an award to certain dealers? If you have any information please blog-in and let us know. We do not own this anymore but had the photos and wanted to share them.