Online catalog available for Coca-Cola auction

Items headed to the auction block next month at the Schmidt Museum of Coca-Cola Memorabilia are available for view online.

More than 700 items will be available for purchase Sept. 17 and 18 and now can be seen in an online catalog, according to a statement released by the museum. Items available on Sept. 17 can be viewed at www.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/26077 and items available on Sept. 18 can be viewed at www.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/26082.

The auction is being conducted by Richard Opfer Auctioneering, a leading company in the auction of collectibles, antiques and toys. People unable to attend the live auctions can place bids online.

Item up for grabs include rare posters, unique bottles, artistic clocks, toy trucks, real trucks, large signs, turn-of-the-century serving trays and antique vending machines, according to the museum.

The auction kicks off around 10 a.m. Sept. 17 and noon Sept. 18 at the museum’s location at 109 Buffalo Creek Drive in Elizabethtown, said Larry Schmidt, president of the museum and son of the museum’s founders. The auction will close at approximately 5 p.m. each day. There is no admission charge and proceeds will be pooled into a foundation started by the family for charities of their choosing.

The Schmidt family is expected to hold several auctions over the next few years to divest of its massive Coca-Cola collections, which contains around 80,000 items at an estimated value of $10 million.

The museum also has created a hardbound catalog for avid collectors at a cost of $45. For information about purchasing the catalog, or to register for the auctions, visit www.schmidtmuseum.com.