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How to Tell a Vintage Coke Tray

Coca-Cola items such as trays have been very popular with collectors and antique buyers since they were first created in 1886. You'll also find ashtrays, calendars, clocks and even a 45 rpm record of Eddie Fisher's old time show "Coketime" in the mid 1950s. Many back issue magazines of that time period have full page advertisements for Coca-Cola.

Being able to tell the difference between an original older tray and a new one is a learned skill.

Instructions

- 1
  Look at the paint on the tray. Older paint is slightly dull. The color may look the same as a new one at first but newer trays or reproductions will have much brighter paint.
- 2
  Examine the tray for flaked paint or tiny rust spots. A tray that looks perfect but is supposed to be old may be a reproduction.
- 3
  Check the tray for written information, such as a date, the name of the tray, the manufacturer or the year. Some reproduction manufacturers will not acknowledge that their items are reproductions, which can be misleading.
- 4
  Check the back of the tray for any other manufacturers name or mark. Some items may state that they are licensed by Coca-Cola or that they are copies of an earlier tray.

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