There's one born every minute...

Sometimes it amazes me how stupid some dealers think their customers really are. I've written in the past about an antique market that is held on Sundays just down the street from me on the main stretch through town. Yesterday I took a leisurely walk to the antique market and by the time I left I was so mad at one dealer I was ready to kick his ass.

Well, not really... but here's the story.

The vendor in question had a few old glass soda bottles, nothing special. Then sitting on the sidewalk was a cardboard case that held a bunch of older Canadian 280mL cans. As soon as I picked one up, he rushed right over to me. "Those are 10 oz you know - very rare."

"Yeah," I said, "They don't make'um like that anymore."

Apparently that was this vendor's cue for the sales pitch that followed. "$4 each... there's 24 there, so that would normally be $100 but I'll work you a great price... $80 for them all." I smiled and told him I'd think about it. Really, there was no thinking to be done. These cans certainly aren't scarce in the collecting world. They were some of the Canadian 280mL Coca-Cola 'Cool Cans' from the 1988 promotion (and not even a complete set - only about duplicates of 3 from the series), and a few Christmas Canadian cans thrown in. Most were rusty, some top opened, and absolutely none in mint condition. I started walking away and the vendor continued...

"These cans are so rare you could sell them for $10-$15 each... I could put them on eBay and they'd be gone tomorrow. You could buy them from me for $80 and make a couple hundred dollars profit," he claimed. This was where the conversation turned ugly.

"They're not worth $15 each, or $10 each," I replied, annoyed. "They're not even worth $4 each. I'd maybe give you $5 for the entire case of 24 in the condition that your cans are in. Actually, you'd probably get more money if you carted them over to Quebec and cashed in your 5 cent deposit on each."

"I'm telling you," he persisted. "these things are rare as rare can be. You just don't know the true value."

I just shook my head in disbelief. "Actually, I do know the true value and it's vendors like you that give our hobby a black eye. How long have you been carting these cans around? They're almost 20 years old and lemme tell you, yours aren't getting more valuable with time."

But, my words just rolled off him with more customers walking by his booth. Our conversation was over, and it was obvious he couldn't care less about what I was saying since I wasn't going to be a paying customer. I continued through the rest of the market where I saw a gorgeous Orange Crush tin sign (that belonged to a completely separate vendor), vintage, for $1,800. Personally, I wouldn't pay that kind of money for that particular item, but it certainly looked authentic and the seller came over and seemed knowledgeable about it, its vintage & age, and where it came from. Two different vendors - like night and day at the same market.

So here's my nickel's worth of free advice to my fellow collectors out there, whether you're a subscriber of Soda Pop Dreams Magazine or not. Don't get suckered in by vendors who are only out to make a buck. Do your research, especially if what you're looking at is a big ticket item. Fortunately, this vendor was only trying to get $4 per Coke can - but he just as easily could have been peddling fake Coca-Cola Calendars from the 1920s, or $1,000 reproduction bottles and passing them off as vintage originals. You just never know. And please - if you run across a vendor who is obviously uneducated or trying to put one over on you, don't support him by buying any of his merchandise.

There are many reputable sellers out there - and there may be a sucker born every minute, but let's try not to fall prey to the occasional shady vendor.

A Rainbow of Flavors at Soda Pop Central

Right now, I'm enjoying my first taste of Hank's Premium Highland Berry Soda from a glass bottle. It's like nothing I've had before, but I do tend to say that after I try ANYTHING I haven't had before from Soda Pop Central.

For those of you who read the print edition of Soda Pop Dreams, you know all about Soda Pop Central in Whitby, Ontario. This shop, owned by soda pop guru Dave Repol, is a dream come true for soda pop connoisseurs. Imagine walking into a shop that carries hundreds of soda brands from across North America in a rainbow of varieties - and they're all in glass bottles, many with the old crown caps. This, dear readers, is what you'll find at Soda Pop Central.

As luck would have it, my wife Erin was flying to Calgary yesterday so I gave her a ride to her friend's house near Whitby. Of course, knowing in the back of my mind that Soda Pop Central was just a hop skip and a jump from there, I gladly made the 2 hour trip. Not only did I get to see her off as she leaves for a 2 week trip, I also got to stock up on some rare and fantastic gourmet sodas that will be long gone by the time she gets back.

This time around, I bought: Rat Bastard root beer; Gordon's Blueberries & Cream; High Mountain Huckleberry; Gray's Raspberry Cream Soda; Whoopie Citrus Smash; Henry Weinhard's Oranges & Cream; Filbert's Old Time Quality Peach; Jeff's Chocolate Soda (Amazing New York Egg Cream); Hank's Premium Highland Berry; Milligan's root beer, and a few bottles of Sparky's root beer (in my opinion, the best root beer on the planet). The idea was to get these gourmet sodas as a treat since they don't exactly sell for the same price as your run-of-the-mill Coke or Pepsi beverage. But so far today, I've taken care of a bottle of Sparky's, the Jeff's Chocolate Soda, and by the time I'm finished writing this column, the Hank's will be just an aftertaste as well.

For those of you who DON'T read Soda Pop Dreams Magazine (but let's face it, you really should), here's the scoop on Soda Pop Central. Dave Repol has a winemaking business and a while ago, he started stocking Vernors Ginger Ale in glass bottles. It wasn't long before people were buying it up by the caseload. Dave tapped into this nostalgic market of sodas in glass bottles, and now he stocks hundreds of brands from across North America including old favorites like The Pop Shoppe, Vernors, A&W in brown glass, Kick-A-Poo Joy Juice, Nehi, Faygo, Red Rock, Bubble Up, Moxie, Frostie, and a slew of others. And if you're a soda pop collector, you'll also appreciate Dave's hefty collection of Vernors memorabilia on display in the shop (cans, bottles, signs, advertising, clocks, and more)!

If you're out and about cruising the web and you come across their website (http://www.sodapopcentral.com), it really doesn't do the store justice. If you're ever in the Toronto area (in Ontario), drive a bit further to Whitby and drop in at Soda Pop Central. It's a soda pop dream that you'll keep coming back to.

For more information on Soda Pop Dreams Magazine, check out: http://www.sodapopdreams.org.