B.J. Summers' Guide to Coca-Cola: Identifications, Current Values (B. J. Summers' Guide to Coca-Cola: Identifications, Current Values, Circa Dates) [Hardcover]

B. J. Summers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2002 | Series: B. J. Summers' Guide to Coca-Cola: Identifications, Current Values, Circa Dates

Two new features, titled 'My Hometown Bottler,' and 'My Favorite Coke Collectible,' have been added to this fourth edition. Both of these features include superb color photos with related articles. Collectors can submit information about their favorite collectible or bottle for possible future inclusion. Over 1,600 color photos and updated listings; snippets of information are interspersed througout the book, giving the collector not only values, but also facts relating to their favorite collectible. Each listing is keyed to allow the collector an insight into the origin of a value. AUTHORBIO: B.J. Summers continues to compile essential references for advertising and Coca-Cola collectors. His popular books include Pocket Guide to Coca-Cola, Summers' Guide to Coca-Cola, Soda Pop Memorabilia, Antique & Contemporary Advertising Memorabilia, and Value Guide to Gas Station Memorabilia. His books have become standard references in their fields. REVIEW: Aside from being all color and very beautiful to look at, this book allows collectors to get estimates for items they couldn't find anywhere else. Just because certain items have been produced in the past 30 years, it doesn't mean that some of them are not extremely collectible, as Summers demonstrates. Any serious Coca-Cola collector needs to add this book to their library to be able to round out their references. -John P. Williams

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Collector Books; 4th edition (August 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574323121
• ISBN-13: 978-1574323122
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,654,264 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #57 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Antiques & Collectibles > Advertising

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars OK, but could be great, September 26, 2003

By 

Bluesy200 "Bluesy200" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: B.J. Summers' Guide to Coca-Cola: Identifications, Current Values (B. J. Summers' Guide to Coca-Cola: Identifications, Current Values, Circa Dates) (Hardcover)

*****April 2005 UPDATE: "Could be great" but after seeing the 5th edition, the publisher has taken a book with great potential and flushed that potential down the toilet. What they did was gloss up the paper and make it look old-fashioned (it doesn't work for me, but maybe it will for others), but the huge mistake is that they actually dropped a significant number of items from the book and went overboard hiking up the price values! If you are a serious collector, browse through the 5th edition at a bookstore, before buying it. END UPDATE*****

This guide has great potential, but somebody should do some usability studies on it to make it better. It's a chore finding a specific item. For example, collector trays: I still can't figure out what logic was used to arrange/order them in the book. By title? By name? The index at the back of the book is incomplete and often worthless. For example, there's a whole section on blotters in the front index, but try finding "blotter" in the back index.

Prices are conservative. Unrealistically low in many cases.

There are items that aren't found in other guides, and the color pix are exceptional. I really like this guide, but it has design flaws that need to be fixed.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good as a companion to Petretti's, February 8, 2005

By 

T. Swift (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: B.J. Summers' Guide to Coca-Cola: Identifications, Current Values (B. J. Summers' Guide to Coca-Cola: Identifications, Current Values, Circa Dates) (Hardcover)

Pros: Extensive selection of signs and cardboard items with lots of nice colour photos throughout. Many items in this book aren't in Petrettis, so it makes a good companion. All up I am happy with this book and use it regularly to price and check items.

Cons: The book is hoplessely laid out and it can be very hard to find items as it seems there is no logic to the order items are listed or displayed. It seems the entire book is largely made up from the collection of one or two private collections and as such prices can be inflated compared to market values, plus many items are missing simply because these collectors didn't feel they are important enough. As with most other Coca-cola collectors books this one is entirely US centric with very little information on foreign items.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente guia para el coleccionista, October 6, 2002

By 

Fernando de Alba (Merida, Yucatan, Mexico) - See all my reviews

This review is from: B.J. Summers' Guide to Coca-Cola: Identifications, Current Values (B. J. Summers' Guide to Coca-Cola: Identifications, Current Values, Circa Dates) (Hardcover)

Este ha sido uno de los mas completos libros que he visto sobre coleccionables de Coca Cola, aunque la mayoria de ellos nunca los haya visto en mi pais. Muy recomendable para darse cuenta del amplisimo mundo de los productos relacionados con esta marca.