What began as a small inheritance of Coca-Cola merchandise after a friend’s death 30 years ago has since grown to museum-level proportions. Bookey estimates that he has 4,500 pieces in his collection, spanning two bedrooms and a bathroom. Bottles, glasses, wall hangings, sports memorabilia, even underwear make up just a fraction of his collection.Bookey frequently scouts yard sales, antique stores and the internet to add more to his collection.
One of his favorite Coca-Cola pieces is also one of the first he ever acquired. After the death of a close friend, Bookey received his Coca-Cola money clip that he carried with him everywhere he went. The clip has since broken, leaving Bookey on the hunt for a new one.The most sentimental piece in the collection is a Coca-Cola fountain from his father’s former Kenai restaurant, Bookey’s. He is also fond of a Coca-Cola poster he snagged from the 2006 Arctic Winter Games.
Bookey acquires new merchandise for his collection pretty regularly. On this particular day, he points to a set of Coca-Cola pocket knives that a friend just dropped off. He also spoke of his son who recently picked up about 50 Coca-Cola items from an estate sale in Reno. Many of those items are still in the original box, which he says is sometimes worth more than the item itself.
“Don’t drink beer and get on eBay,” Bookey said. “I wasn’t going to let them outbid me, I paid $65 for them dominos, and the next day you could’ve bought them all day long for seven to ten bucks. But I got the good ones!”