Dr Pepper formula

When what is widely considered to be the original formula for Dr Pepper crosses the auction block at Heritage Auction Galleries on May 13 , the world will finally get a chance to see just what it was that originally gave one of America’s three greatest soft drinks—and certainly its first—that distinctive, so-hard-to-identify flavor.

It will also be the culmination of one of those stories you hear only on radio or TV about a seemingly random find that ends up being a one-of-kind treasure.

“I was driving back home to Tulsa from a business trip in Texas when I stopped to look in some antique shops late in the afternoon in Shamrock,” said consignor Bill Waters. That’s Shamrock, Texas, by the way, a little town just outside of Waco. “I’ve always been a rare-book and manuscript aficionado, so the woman at the place brings out an old box of stuff. It was a neat old medicine-bottle crate with an old book stuck in a plastic bag wedged in the back of it.”

Waters bought the notebook, not knowing what was in it, but knowing that it came out of the estate of L. B. Woods, who at one point owned and operated a shoe store out of the same space as the Old Corner Drug Store in Waco, Texas, well known as the birthplace of America’s first soft drink, Dr Pepper.

“Two months later, I was actually getting ready to list it on eBay, trying to figure out how to show people what I had there,” Waters said. “I thought I should say something about the store it came out of, with reference to that store at one time being the Old Corner Drugstore. I popped it up on Google, and the first thing that came up was Dr Pepper. I started saying to myself, ‘wait a minute.’”

Old Corner Drugstore

Within a few days, however, Waters knew what was going on and realized that what he had in his possession was a notebook containing the original formula for “Dr Peppers Pepsin Bitters,” or Dr Pepper, written in the hand of its inventor. That notebook has now made its way to Heritage in Dallas and is one of the highlight lots of the company’s May Political & Americana Auction.

“It’s an exciting thing, obviously,” said Mary Beth Webster, collections manager at the Dr Pepper Museum in Waco. “We hope that somewhere along the line, someone would see fit for this rare and important piece of history to reside here at the museum for others to see and for its research potential for both Dr Pepper and Waco.”

The humble creation of pharmacist, and University of Texas graduate, Charles Alderton, an employee of Wade B. Morrison at the Old Corner Drugstore—circa 1885—Dr. Pepper was welcome refreshment to the harried citizenry of Waco, then a major cattle and train transportation hub.

What gave it that distinct flavor, alternately sweet and spicy, became a source of great debate over the course of the next century across Texas and the nation. Only Alderton and Morrison knew, and soon the syrup was parlayed into a soft-drink empire that, for a time, rivaled the market share of competitors Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola. If that market share has since diminished, the curiosity about that distinguishing taste has not.

The notebook in which the Dr Pepper formula was written

“It’s safe to say that the formula represented in this original notebook is not the same formula that Dr Pepper uses today,” said Tom Slater, director of history at Heritage. “The original formula called for ‘denatured rum’ and vanilla, among other things. The Dr Pepper Co. insists that the current formula contains neither of these things. Still, though, this is an amazing piece of American pop culture and commerce, not to mention its secondary value as a great piece of Texana.”

The formula is written in Alderton’s unassuming hand, on pages 14 and 15 in a notebook labeled “CASTLES FORMULAS.” Morrison, who bought the drugstore from John W. Castles at some point in 1883, hired Alderton in 1884. While experimenting with different soda formulas in the store, Alderton came up with a unique flavor that both he and Morrison found to be to their satisfaction. More importantly, when they tried it on the public, they found excellent results. The exact date of Dr Pepper’s conception is unknown, but the U.S. Patent Office recognizes December 1, 1885, as the first time it was served.

“Dr Pepper is not only the first of the big three American colas,” said Slater, “it’s the only major soda invented west of the Mississippi. It’s a native Texan.”

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Campaign button sales as a predictor of election results? Jim Warlick, Political Worthologist has been conducting this unscientific poll since 1988 and his results have accurately predicted the president every year except for 2000. WorthPoint’s Dan Borsey caught up with Warlick at the Atlantique City Show in Atlantic City, New Jersey to find out who the next president will be according to the USA Button Poll.

WorthPoint – Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Jim Warlick.
(http://www.worthpoint.com/worthpoint-worthologists/jim-warlick).
The results are based on his historically accurate, but unscientific,
USA Button Poll. Since 1988, his poll has correctly predicted the winner
for every presidential election except for 2000. The poll was based on
thousands of button sales at political events, nonpolitical shows, sales at
Washington, D.C., locations and political conventions since late June.

Warlick is a member of WorthPoint’s expert Worthologist team. WorthPoint
(http://www.worthpoint.com) is an Internet-based data-and-media company that
offers a vast database of sales records on art, antiques and collectibles.
WorthPoint helps collectors understand the worth of their items and provides expert advice on how to preserve, buy and sell them.

“Campaigns may have gone high-tech, but old-fashioned political-campaign
buttons are as popular as ever, not only increasing in value, but helping to
predict presidential elections,” said Warlick. “In over 40 years of
collecting and selling campaign buttons, I have never seen such interest.
The possibility of electing the first woman president or the first African
American drove many to people to purchase those candidates’ buttons that
otherwise may not have been the case.”

Warlick notes that while Obama merchandise is highly popular, John F.
Kennedy memorabilia is still the most prized. Other popular presidents
include Franklin Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, Teddy Roosevelt and Dwight
Eisenhower.

What makes a button valuable? According to Warlick, the popularity of
a president, the quantity of buttons produced and the design content are key
factors. Buttons with photographs are always more sought after by
collectors. Buttons that include both the presidential and vice-presidential
candidates are called jugates and are highly prized, especially if they
include photographs of the candidates.

As for the most valuable button, that distinction goes to Ohio Gov.
James Cox and former Assistant Navy Secretary Franklin Roosevelt. They ran
against Warren Harding in the 1920 presidential campaign — before Roosevelt
was stricken with polio. Although six different Cox and Roosevelt designs
were created, it is now believed that all were just manufacturers’ samples
and were never ordered in large quantities. Of all six designs, only 50
buttons are known to exist. In a private sale a few years ago, a 1-1/4-inch
Cox and Roosevelt jugate went for a reported $135,000.

For would-be button collectors, Warlick offers the following advice:
“Casual collectors should choose a candidate they like or admire and enjoy
studying. Investors should choose based on past sales history, quality of
button and historical significance of that particular election or
candidate.”

In addition to getting campaign-button information from sites like
WorthPoint, Warlick recommends contacting the American Political Items
Collectors (APIC), an organization devoted to the collecting of political
memorabilia.

About WorthPoint
Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Atlanta, WorthPoint
(www.worthpoint.com) is an Internet-based data-and-media company that offers
a vast database of sales records on art, antiques and collectibles from more
than 400 auction houses. Members can share their insights, knowledge and
passion and build collecting communities. WorthPoint helps collectors
understand the history and value of their items and provides expert advice
on how to preserve or sell them. While it does not facilitate the bidding of
any items, WorthPoint provides information about upcoming auctions at its
partner auction houses.

A Pennsylvania coin fancier sent in three different hub doubled die varieties on the reverse of the 2007-P Wyoming state quarter to the National Collectors Association of Die Doubling. Here is another oddity to watch for, and perhaps hold onto for future investment return.

All three of the doubled die pieces involve the lower portion of the saddle horn, where a secondary image of that design element can be seen to the south to a greater or lesser degree.

These double dies, like most all others of the 21st century, are restricted to the very center of the design and believed to be the result of a tilted die that was seated into proper position by the pressure of the hubbing process.

Tilted Hub Doubling restricted to such a small area of design within the center region of the die might also be possible due to the hub being backed off after the blank being reset into the hubbing press properly and hubbed again.

Even in uncertain economic times like these, good customers are looking to increase their collections. Having a buyer in mind before we buy an item greatly reduces the time it will take to sell it. When our time in the Antique & Collectible Business is spent servicing past customers, we won’t have to give away our found treasures at low prices. If we can find the right items for our existing customers, we’ll be able to turn our money quickly and keep it circulating. This should be one of our main goals.

At least 75% of the sales in the higher end Antiques and Fine Arts are made between private individuals.

Since I introduced Lotton Glass as the “next” Tiffany, many people have asked me to call them if I ran across a nice piece of this wonderful glass. Well, this happened two days ago. One of our 31 Club members let me know he wished to sell a very special John Lotton 15” vase. I knew of a customer who just might be interested for the right price. Bingo. Another sale made and everyone is happy.

As the 31 Club grows larger, private sales between members will increase. In private sales, the seller will receive more money for items, and the buyers will pay less. That works for me. How about you? I think we’ll have a large number of very satisfied customers.

The average sales price for items sold in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace is beginning to increase. We are seeing more sales averaging $3,000 – $4,000 thousand and fewer items selling in the lower prices. You’ll make more money dealing in higher end items, and if you read my previous blog, you’ll understand just why the higher end, more rare items are where we want to be, especially in uncertain economic times.

Members of the 31 Club Are on the Hunt for Great Items.

Right now, I can mention several items that there have buyers just waiting for members to find the right piece for them. These include paintings by Carl Brenner, Patty Thum, Paul Sawyier, Pauline Palmer and Harvey Joiner. (By the way, we are working on acquiring one of Joiner’s paintings that’s presently in Canada.) Customers of ours are looking for more great glass by Charles Lotton and John Lotton. A customer is looking for three Springfield Rifles to present to each one of his sons. George Ohr Pottery and Rookwood Pottery have buyers at 31 Club waiting for the right piece.

Utilizing the 31 Club Wish List in combination with our Associates Program will catapult your profit making ability. Let’s see how this works: The Wish List gives you the opportunity to advertise the items you want to buy at no charge. Free Advertising. Say you’re wanting to buy Rookwood Pottery, but you’re only able to purchase $300-$400 items. Along comes someone who sees your list and that you buy Rookwood, but they have a rare piece and want to sell it $2,000. You know you can sell it for double that or more, but you don’t have the $2,000 to buy it. Are you going to throw away a perfectly good buy? No.

That’s when you use the club’s Associates Program. We buy it, we sell it, and you get 35% of the net sale. Let’s plug some figures into that. Say we netted $4,500 when we sold that Rookwood vase you called us about. You’ll have made $1,575. And you never invested a dime or did anything to sell it.   What if you found an item we could buy at $20,000 and we netted $45,000 on its sale. You’d make $15,750.  Think hard about the possibilities. I’ll be glad to hear from you when this hits you over the head. When it does, feel free to share your excitement with me at info [at] 31corp [dot] com

Or, simply contact me through the contact button on this site for any questions you might have. Now, go take on this fine day.

www.31corp.com

 *******

Treasure Hunters: You Find It. We Buy & Sell It. You Net 35%. Partner Up with 31 Club on High Quality Treasures You Find. We Do the Rest!!

Sellers: Sell Your High Quality Items for LOW FEES at 31 Gallery & Marketplace. Keep More of Your Money.

Buyers: Buy High Quality Items for FAIR PRICES at 31 Gallery & Marketplace. Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Professionals Making More Money than they Thought Possible. 

My 220 Page Book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your Membership. Plus You Get FREE MENTORING with Daryle. Join Today! Or E-Mail us at info [at] 31corp [dot] com

Autumn is here, and it’s a busy time for yard sales, flea markets etc. These events are all great ways to get items to resell but the best things get snapped up fast and these sales can be very competitive.
Here are top ten tips to get the upper hand when buying. Don’t take them too seriously

1. Get up early enough to switch the signs around, if your competition can’t find the sale, they aren’t competition anymore, now are they?
2. If you can get to the sellers before they’ve had their first cup coffee, you are ahead of the game.
3. If possible, bring a small child to offer a quarter on everything. Train them to go after vintage Barbie dolls and GI Joes.
4. Practice holding your heart with a faked shock look on your face when you get a price from a seller.
5. When you know there are enough people within earshot, I find this phrase helps. "How much is this Flow Blue cream pitcher with the furry spider inside it?"
6. Here’s another helpful phrase, this one is a twist on an old cliche. "My Gramma used to have one of those, in fact she had it right in her hands when she died."
7. Remember that small child mentioned earlier? The little imp can be used to distract other buyers by throwing up, crying, etc.
8. Pull out a hand full of change before asking how much a big ticket item is.
9. If it means getting in the basement or attic, inform the sellers you buy EVERTHING if it’s the right model or style, old tires, National Geographics. You never know what else you’ll see when you get in the house, the trick is to get your foot in the door.
10. Be so damn nice that people will have a hard time refusing low ball offers.
While this article was written in humor, I have actually seen each of these techniques used in action! Please feel free to comment with your favorite yard sale absurdity!

Thanks for reading,
AW

The author can be found at www.auctionwally.com 

The Auctionwally Network

The Examiner.com

Brimfield – my pretty goofy set-up where I signed copies of my book. (Can’t complain. It went very well and I ran out of books very early.)

Special thanks to WorthPoint, a website for collectors and antique experts, who came and chatted with me and video-taped a brief discussion on my snowman collection and my insights. I’m sure I could learn alot from them but since we’re on the subject I’ll just touch on the subject before I go in-depth in a later post.

The way I see it, there’s really two divisions of snowman collecting; kitsch, which makes up 35% of all church sales and then there’s collectibles like Christmas ornaments from the ’50s and earlier and paper goods (like old book illustrations dating back to 1790’s, postcards from turn of the century and trading cards from the 1880’s and such). Of course there thousands of other materials to find a snowman on but it’s case by case as to whether the item would enhance your collection. The world’s largest collection is in Germany and made up of about 11,000 items. But my smaller collection of 800 is far more historical and interesting because of the much better kitsch-to-collectible ratio. Anyone can amass a large snowman collection strolling through any flea market on a given Sunday morning. More interesting is finding examples of the snowman in less common scenes (eg. a HTL, hold-to-light postcard of Santa Claus driving an automobile and running over a snowman) or depicted in a more serious way (no Frostys). In other words showing the snowman more as a form of folk-art and less a salesman for clothes or toys (unless the product is something unusual, like this asbestos ad). Some good examples from my own collection can be seen on top of my writing blog. Happy searching and please feel free to ask me any questions as I am a certified snowman expert.

How does your Antique Business Bank Account look today? If there’s money to buy, this is the time to be very patient with your buying. The economic winds are shifting and time is needed to see where these winds are headed. Members of the 31 Club are advised to be patient and wise in their buying and not to be too venturesome for the moment.

The Economic Shift May Leave Only One "Out" For Many People.

I foresee a tremendous amount of merchandise coming to the market in the short term, as people find their portfolios decreasing in value while their expenses escalate. This may leave only one option open for many people — selling off the items of value they have treasured.

A Likely Flood of New Treasures.

A likely flood of merchandise coming to market can cause the value of many things to suffer a temporary dip. You don’t want to get caught with items you can’t sell. Be willing to really do extra research before you buy during these periods of economic uncertainty. Your knowledge will lead you to items that will sell under any economic condition.

So what sells well during times of economic shifts?

The rare and the unusual will always be sought after regardless of economic conditions. But don’t kid yourself — the collectors of the rare and unusual are savvy. After all, while the rest of the nation might be experiencing tough times, they aren’t. They must know a thing or two, wouldn’t you say? In this economic shift, their investment savvy will tell them to take more time to search out the real treasures and purchase at a good price.

Restrict Your Buying to Keep Your Money Moving.

Now is the time to restrict your buying to items that are still trading on a regular basis today. During this time, the best buys you will ever make will be found in the short term. Buy it right, sell it quickly, keep your money moving.

A Real Example from 31 Club Sales.

The Civil War Letters that were just sold by the 31 Club sold very quickly. Why? Let’s begin by examining their value. The information I was able to uncover through research showed me the largest lot of letters written by a Civil War soldier, sold publicly, was a little over 40 letters, written by a Union Soldier. The lot 31 Club sold was a lot of 147 letters written by a Confederate Soldier and are considered more rare and desirable than that of a Union Soldier.

The content of this Confederate Soldier’s letters held much information about were he was during certain battles and mentioned the time when General Lee had to recruit “Negro soldiers” to fight for the South due to his dwindling troops. From the tone of this particular letter, one gleans that this event didn’t make the soldier very happy. This kind of historical and at-the-scene information is what you’re looking for in material from the war. I seriously believe that within a year or two, a book about these letters will find its way to the market.

I’m sure you now realize why this first hand historical information from a Confederate Soldier’s perspective has great value, regardless of what the economy is doing. This is the reason why they sold so quickly. It isn’t like a painting painted by a fairly good artist that a prospective buyer might consider waiting a bit for because the price might come down. The buyer of the Civil War letters knew there was one chance to buy. If they waited, someone else would own them.

So, What Should We Search For?

If you spend your money buying more common items you are unable to quickly turn, where will your funds come from when something rare comes your way? Be patient in your buying right now, and strike while the iron is hot. Make a serious effort to search out the more rare and unusual that can be quickly sold. No, we may not be buying as much as we could buy at times when people are upbeat nor when selling something doesn’t take as much time, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is the quality and rarity of what we purchase.

Remember the Purpose of Working the 31 Club’s Model Before You Buy.

 Compounding Your Money!!! If you can compound 31 times, all your financial desires will be beyond met. If you can even compound 15 times, I’m willing to guess your financial desires might still be met. If you’re buying items you can’t quickly turn, you eliminate the compounding factor and minimizing your opportunity to progress and meet your financial and lifelong goals. Patience, perseverance, research, and smart buying will work in your favor in any economic climate. Take an offensive position against the shifting economic winds.

What To Do When You Find a Rare Item You Can’t Afford to Purchase Right Now

Contact me at 31 Club. Club Members can take advantage of the 31 Club Associates Program when they come across rare or unusual items but don’t have the money in their buying budget. We buy it, sell it, and the member makes 35% of the net sale. Questions? Ask me at info [at] 31corp [dot] com or call me at the club at 847-784-8544.

Don’t just follow the daily Blog. Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to make high profits and continue to grow your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles. My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership.

Treasure Hunters: You Find It. We Buy & Sell It. You Net 35%. Partner Up with 31 Club on High Quality Treasures You Find. We Do the Rest!! 

Sellers: Sell Your High Quality Items for LOW FEES at 31 Gallery & Marketplace. Keep More of Your Money.

Buyers: Buy High Quality Items for FAIR PRICES at 31 Gallery & Marketplace.

Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Professionals Making More Money than they Thought Possible.  Join Today at www.31corp.com  Or E-Mail me at info [at] 31corp [dot] com and tell me you want more details. Or just give me a call! 847-784-8544