FANCY collecting Coca- Cola memorabilia as a hobby? Apparently, this is quite a thing, at least for Johorean Abd Ghani Abd Rahim.
Ghani, 52, who has been collecting Coca-Cola memorabilia for more than 20 years, said it was a joy for him if he could add new items to his collection.
“Another thing that thrills me is seeing the value of certain items in my collection increase over a period of time, not that I do this for money.
“It is like an investment because these items, however ordinary they may seem, do have a value and are appreciated and desired by other collectors.”
He cited an example of the limited-edition Coca-Cola glass bottles that were given to the staff of a Malaysian Coca-Cola bottling company years ago.
“I was given one of these bottles by a friend.
“A similar bottle was sold on the Internet recently for RM1,800. I have no intention of selling mine.”
He said his love for all things Coca-Cola started when he was working for his aunt at a school canteen after he finished school in the early 1980s.
“While working there, I often met the men who delivered Coca-Cola to the canteen.
“Sometimes, they would give me a bottle of Coca-Cola or a merchandise as a treat.”
Ghani’s collection has grown over the years to almost 2,000 items. They are displayed at a mini gallery in his house in Taman Bukit Pasir, Batu Pahat.
“I have Coca-Cola merchandise from all over the world.
“Most of them are gifts from family members and friends who came to know of my fascination with Coca-Cola.
“Besides gifts from family members and friends, I also buy and trade merchandise with other collectors,” said Ghani, who works as a decorator at a hypermarket.
He said the most he had spent on an item was RM150.
“It is easy for anybody to buy the merchandise. For me, it is more fun to find one that I want and try to trade for it.”
He said through his hobby, he was able to meet a lot of people, especially fellow collectors, who were interested to see his collection at his mini gallery.
“I was recently invited to join a Facebook group for Coca-Cola collectors.
“There are about 3,000 members in the group. I was happy to be invited because I can learn more about Coca-Cola.
“My friends would bring their friends, who share a common passion for Coca-Cola, to my house to look at the collection.
“My collection has taken up a lot of space in my house. I am lucky that my wife, Fauziah Bunyaman, understands my passion and does not complain,” said the father of four children, aged between 11 and 17.
As a Coca-Cola enthusiast, he said his ultimate ambition was to visit the World of Coca-Cola Museum in Atlanta, Georgia, the United States.
“Besides the pilgrimage to Mecca, that is the only place I want to visit.
“A friend of mine who visited the museum had given me a brochure of the place.
“Hopefully, I will be able to go there one day.”