Something about summer stirs up memories of family kitchens—the clink of dishes, the scent of something sweet in the air, the stories passed around like second helpings of a favorite dish.
It’s the room where all of life seems to meet—meals, memories, quiet mornings, and conversations that linger a little longer and leave a lasting impact. And somehow, Coca-Cola has always felt like part of that slow summer rhythm—ice clinking in a glass, bottle caps popping open on a porch, the taste of something familiar on a hot afternoon.
Some kitchens are filled not just with food but with treasures: heirlooms, collections, and little pieces of history tucked into everyday life. This summer, I’m sharing a story close to my heart—a conversation with my dear college friend, Trisha, about her collection of Coca-Cola tins and trays. A collection built over the years, gathered from vintage markets, family keepsakes, and childhood kitchens where Coca-Cola wasn’t just a drink—it was part of the story.
I hope it stirs up some summer memories of your own.
Getting Started
PPT:
How did your Coca-Cola tin collection start?
Trisha:
It started back when I was decorating the kitchen at my grandma’s house. I already had a few Coca-Cola tins, and then I started finding more at small vintage markets and even online on sites like eBay. The very first one I bought was in Raleigh. I picked it up because it reminded me so much of something my mom had.
It wasn’t exactly the same tin, but it had the same model, wearing the same clothes. In one, she’s sitting; in the other, she’s standing —such minor differences, yet still connected. That original one my mom had belonged to my great-grandmother, so it feels like the collection ties back generations.
Childhood Memories
PPT:
What a sweet connection. Were there any other influences that drew you to Coca-Cola collectibles?
Trisha:
Oh yes—my “Aunt” Cheryl! She’s not technically my aunt, but she’s my mom’s best friend from high school. Her kitchen growing up was like a Coca-Cola wonderland. I loved it, Robin. You would have loved it too! She had red-and-white striped wallpaper, Coca-Cola bottle openers, old bottle crates, tins, trays, and even a doorknob on the pantry shaped like a Coke bottle. It was so creative and full of personality.
Later, when she downsized, she passed some of her Coca-Cola dishes on to me, like a beautiful white teapot with black-and-white checked rims. It even says “Coke” across the front. She told me if I ever didn’t want them anymore, I should give them back, not get rid of them. That’s how we are with family things; we pass them back and forth, letting the memories keep traveling with them.
A Family Collection
PPT:
I love the idea of sharing pieces of the past. It’s like the story keeps growing. Are any of your tins or trays actual family heirlooms?
Trisha:
Yes! One of the tins hanging in my parents’ kitchen belonged to my great-grandmother. I keep telling my mom we need to find a way to hang the matching one next to it.
Still Collecting Today
PPT:
I have several that I still need to hang, too. I keep coming across trays with different designs. It’s hard to pass up a cute one! Are you still adding to your collection these days?
Trisha:
Not as much as before, but if I see something that feels like it belongs, something with a bit of history behind it, I’ll grab it. You hold on to the things that feel like home. For me, it’s about the memories they carry and the way they bring a little bit of the past into the present.
More Than Tins and Trays
Listening to Trisha, I am reminded how timeless these collections are and the way they possess the ability to hold pieces of the people and places we love, tucked into kitchens filled with laughter, meals, and stories that carry on long after the table is cleared.
