Coca-Cola collectors invade Milwaukee

The Wyndham Milwaukee Airport Hotel will host the Coca-Cola Collectors convention Sunday, July 4 through Sunday, July 10. The 36th annual Coco-Cola Convention is expected to attract more than 600 collectors from the U.S. and other countries.
According to Hilda King, president of the central-Florida Coco-Cola Collectors Club nearly 700 people will come from all over the United States, and countries like Australia, England, France and Japan.
“We turn our hotel rooms into mini stores and basically Monday through Friday we sell and trade among ourselves,” King said. “We also have the opportunity to participate in a silent auction with 300 items and a live auction with an another 250 items.”
The convention also includes seminars about collecting, appraisal opportunities, and a trading center where no money is exchanged, King said.
“The Coca-Cola Collection crosses every avenue from calendars, knives, to coasters, to bottles,” King said. “You name it and it’s probably been made with a Coca-Cola label on it, so there are endless collector’s items to see here.”
The public is invited to attend the convention’s ‘Sea of Red’ on Saturday, July 10 from 10a.m. until 2 p.m. in the ballroom at the Wyndham. Attendees will fill tables of the ballroom with collectibles of all kinds and club members will be on hand to appraise items brought in by the public. The event is free to attend.
According to Dave Fantle, vice president of public relations for VISIT Milwaukee, the economic impact of the convention will be $1.5 million.
According to King, the Coca-Cola Collector’s club is one of the oldest collecting clubs in the United States and memorabilia dates back to the early 1900’s.
“The hobbiest and collectors market is a very desirable market and a market that works really well in Milwaukee,” Fantle said. “Milwaukee is geographically central and its getting easier and easier to travel here.”
The convention overlaps with The National Model Railroad Association’s national convention which will be held at the Frontier Airlines Center in downtown Milwaukee July 8 through July 18.
The economic impact of the railroad association conference is expected to be around $3.8 million, said Fantle.