In a simpler time, before the advent of fast food and drive-thru service, there existed in most towns a drugstore with a soda fountain. It was very basic setup. A long Formica counter lined with short metal stools welcomed patrons who enjoyed a cherry Coke or a root beer float that had been prepared, especially for them by a “soda jerk.”
It is the belief of many that the success of the local soda fountain was greatly aided by the passing of Prohibition in 1919. As the bars closed, people needed a place to gather. And while this may be true, it also became a destination for dating teens, weary moms, and ladies out for a day of shopping. Yes, everyone loved the soda fountain and from 1920 until the mid-1960s business was booming.
The opening of national chain drug stores (Super-X 1961 and CVS 1963) and large discount stores (Ayr-Way 1961 and K-Mart 1962), fueled by a buying public who demanded fast service and one-stop shopping, expedited the demise of the soda fountain. The once popular gathering place saw a sharp decline in customers and by 1970 it was only a memory.
In recent years soda fountain items have become highly collectible They are considered a sub-division of advertising memorabilia and are collected by category, age, company and location or origin. While trays, door pulls, clocks, thermometers and enamel advertising signs are all desirable, the top selling items for 2021 are soda fountain syrup dispensers.
The bulk of those offered online or at specialized auctions will have been manufactured from 1910-1940. You will find them made of stoneware, frosted or painted glass, Vaseline glass, fine porcelain and metal. These manually operated dispensers, given free of charge to soda fountains as a promotional tool, held a syrup concentrate which when mixed with carbon dioxide and purified water, made a refreshing soft drink.
Prices for this genre of collecting vary based on rarity. Ward’s dispensers that held Orange, Lemon and Lime Crush are among the more common finds. Collectors strive to acquire all three of the painted dispensers shaped like citrus fruit. In mint condition they are currently selling for $600-$800 each. Running slightly less are antique root beer syrup dispensers with recent auction results coming in at $450 for Buckeye and $425 for Hires.
Collectors are also on the look out for Cherry Smash and Grape Smash dispensers, from the Fowler Company of Arlington, Virginia. These bulbous dispensers are marked with the name of the soft drink and the words “The Nation’s Beverage” and current value on these will be in the $1,000-$1,200 range.
For those with slightly deeper pockets there are Coca-Cola’s 1896 urns/dispensers made of semi-porous white porcelain with gold leaf trim and the bright red company logo. If you are fortunate enough to find an original one in mint condition, be prepared to pay $3,000-$4,000!
If you have a dispenser you are trying to place a value on it may be a bit tricky. In doing the research for this column I found that much of the online pricing is 4-6 years old and current acquired prices have dropped considerably.
If you are using eBay as a guide make certain to only look at “sold items,” not to be confused with active auctions which reflect the “asking price.” Case in point: I found two identical early 1900s dispensers for a popular orange drink listed, one for $3,000 and one for $8,000. Neither one sold, neither one even took a bid. Why? The realistic expectation on one of these would be in the $600-$700 range! Until next time . . . Linda
Linda Kennett is a professional liquidation consultant specializing in down-sizing for seniors and may be reached at 317-258-7835 or lkennett@indy.rr.com
