Q & A

G.R. of Calgary, Alberta writes:

I have a coca-cola tray that seems to date from 1937. I found it in my mom's basement and she's not sure where it came from. There's a very small inscription at the bottom of the tray that says: THE COCA-COLA CO. OF CANADA. LTD. 1937 (bottom left) THE AMERICAN ART WORKS. INC.,COSHOCTON. OHIO (bottom centre) MADE IN USA (bottom right).

Does this seem to be authentic or is it a replica made more recently? Also, do you believe it might be worth something?

We asked Ed Locke to respond:

From what you have said in your note and from looking at the picture, I would say your Coca-cola tray is from 1937. This is called "The Hostesss" tray and was issued in the United States in 1936. The Coca-Cola Co. in Canada very often ran different advertising campaigns from its American counterpart and the 1937 date on the bottom shows the date of Canadian issue.

In very good condition this tray is worth $400.00 to $500.00. Damage from normal wear or abuse can greatly decrease this value. The tray appears to have some edge chips & some small flaws in the picture of the girl, so it’s probably worth between $250.00 & $350.00.