The Coca-Cola Collectors: incredible Christmas displays from around the world

Take a look at different Coca-Cola Collectors’ jaw-dropping festive displays – from table settings to entire miniature villages – as their Coca-Cola Christmas pieces take over their homes…

The holiday season is finally here and the Coca-Cola Collectors have wowed us once again with their impressive array of festive decorations.

These dedicated fans from around the world simply couldn’t celebrate Christmas without Coca-Cola and happily showed off their favourite pieces.

We follow them from Pennsylvania, USA, to Pretoria, South Africa (and a few stops in between) as they introduce us to the wonderful ways in which Coca-Cola features in their Christmas celebrations.

First stop…

Rjona Mendoza, the Philippines

Rjona Mendoza, from the Philippines, has been collecting Coca-Cola items for the past five years.

Every holiday season she shows off her huge collection of Christmas items for the public, putting on displays at local malls and events.

Robin Cillo, Pennsylvania, USA

Robin Cillo, of Williamsport, has amassed a collection of over 300 Coca-Cola themed ornaments including stockings, dozens of Coca-Cola Christmas Village pieces.

Robin counts her favourite Coca-Cola Christmas item in her enormous collection as a Santa Claus pushing a two-wheel cart holding four bottles of Coca-Cola, which was given to her by her mother in the 1970s.

"It was my first ornament," she says of her prized possession which inspired her Christmas collection.

Our favourite is her giant inflatable polar bear holding a bottle of Coca-Cola.

Roberto Arambillet, Uruguay

Over the last 11 years Roberto Arambillet has travelled all over the world in pursuit of rare items for his Coca-Cola collection.

Amongst his favourite possessions are his Coca-Cola Christmas items. He even puts together an entire table of decorations for his family and friends to enjoy together.

Thanks to the huge number of Coca-Cola Christmas items he’s found, Roberto finds it almost impossible to pick out the most precious piece.

He explains: “It is very hard to choose which item is my favourite… each of them represents a story, a moment, a place. We treasure these holiday items in our collections, because they bring back great memories.” 

Dave Allen, UK

Great Britain’s Dave Allen has been collecting Coca-Cola memorabilia for over 30 years.

Dave has a soft spot for Christmas themed Coca Cola memorabilia. From a collection dating back to the 1960, Dave’s most prized festive piece is an advent calendar featuring the Haddon Sundblom Santa adverts from 1963.

Read the full Haddon Sunblom Santa story

He specialises in vintage advertising, as well as bottles and cans from the UK and Ireland, and has put together a very special display of festive Coca-Cola bottles for the holidays.

He explained: “The bottles in the photo are all from the UK, which is what I specialise in. The exception is a set of four bottles which were sold in Sweden but manufactured in this country. It's quite a difficult set to find but they have amazing graphics on them.”

Hendrik Botha, South Africa

Hendrik Botha has been a Coca-Cola Collector since 2000 and has even opened up the themed areas of his home to the public during the holidays.

Hendrik created his first entirely Coca-Cola themed Christmas tree in 2009 after which his passion for festive decorations snowballed.

His favourite pieces from his holiday collection includes light-up Coca-Cola Christmas trucks, artist Haddon Sundblom's Santa Claus illustrations, and the dancing polar bears that play holiday music. He also puts out oversized red Coca-Cola stockings and vintage Season's Greetings advertisements in multiple languages. He credits each of his Coca-Cola themed Christmas pieces with helping people get into the festive spirit! 

Karleen Buchholz, Georgia, USA

Karleen Buchholz and her husband John, of Dunwoody, Georgia, have been proud Coca-Cola memorabilia Collectors for 39 years.

As the festive period approaches Karen brings out some of their most prized items including ceramic Santas, polar bears dancing to Jingle Bells and a ceramic Coca-Cola Santa Claus jar.

Karleen’s favourite ornament is a Santa Claus reading a letter perched below a Coca-Cola bottle on the fireplace. It reads: "Dear Santa: Please Pause Here. Jimmy."

Get in the Christmas spirit and find your nearest Coca-Cola Truck Stop