Based on historical price data, a 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola in the mid-1980s typically cost between $0.35 and $0.50. Retail prices varied by location and store, but in 1984, vending machines and convenience stores generally sold individual cans for around 40 to 50 cents, while supermarkets offered lower prices per unit in larger packs.
However, in part because of the costs of rebranding (changing all of their advertisements as well as the psychological associations among consumers) the price of Coca-Cola remained at five cents until the late 1950s (equivalent to $0.54 in 2024).
In 1903, cocaine was removed, leaving caffeine as the sole stimulant ingredient, and all medicinal claims were dropped. By one account, as of 1983 the FDA continued to screen random samples of Coca-Cola syrup for the presence of cocaine.
In 1985, Coca-Cola introduced a 3-liter soda bottle, known as the "Thirst Buster." Later, they added this ludicrous FOUR-liter spinoff, called the SUPER THIRST BUSTER. It was a two-hand grab, for sure. I bet most of the soda ended up flat. It's too much for one bottle!
THE REAL THING: Coca-Cola Campaign and Boycott 1984
What happened to the drink of Coca-Cola in 1985?
That changed, of course, in the summer of 1985 as the consumer outcry over "new Coke" was replaced by consumer affection for Coca‑Cola classic. The fabled secret formula for Coca‑Cola was changed, adopting a formula preferred in taste tests of nearly 200,000 consumers.
How much Coca-Cola stock did Warren Buffett buy in 1988?
Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway bought 400 million shares of Coca-Cola back in 1988 for just $1.3 billion. Today, those shares pay out $736 million annually in dividends—or roughly $2.02 million a day, without selling a single share.
1974 Around 20-25 pence 1980s Around 70-80 pence 1990s Around £1.50 - £2.00 2000s: Around £2.50 - £3.50 2010s Around £3.50 - £4.50 2020s Around £4.50 - £7.50 How long before a pint will be a tenner I wonder?
On July 11, 1985, 79 days after the release of New Coke, Coke's original formula returned to market, rebranded as Coca-Cola Classic. It quickly regained its status as the dominant cola. In 1995, the soft drink giant held a meeting for the 10-year anniversary of New Coke.
Made with 23 different flavors (of which many remain a mystery to us), Dr Pepper was founded in 1885 in Waco, Texas, officially making it the nation's oldest major soft drink. Yes, even older than Coke. According to the Dr Pepper Museum in Waco, the owner of Morrison's Old Corner Drug Store, Wade B.
By 1985, Coca-Cola had been losing market share to diet soft drinks and non-cola beverages for several years. Blind taste tests suggested that consumers preferred the sweeter taste of Pepsi, Coca-Cola's main competitor, so the Coca-Cola recipe was reformulated.
A 1970s Coca-Cola bottle is generally worth $5 to $20, with most common ones around the $10-$15 mark, but rare variations, unique markings (like local bottler names or specific regional designs), or pristine condition can fetch more, sometimes up to $400 for highly unique straight-sided bottles from that transitional period, though the iconic contour bottle from the '70s isn't usually as valuable as earlier designs.
1980s: $1.00–$1.50 The “dollar burger” era. Fast-food combos started becoming more popular. 1990s: $2.00–$2.50 Value menus appeared, but gourmet-style burgers began rising in popularity. 2000s: $3.00–$4.50 Sit-down restaurant burgers often $6–$8; fast food averaged around $3–$4.
$1 in 1983 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $3.25 today, an increase of $2.25 over 43 years. The dollar had an average inflation rate of 2.78% per year between 1983 and today, producing a cumulative price increase of 225.42%.
Many of Buffett's favorite stocks fit that profile. Here are three that investors should consider buying: Berkshire Hathaway itself, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), and Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO).
How much does Warren Buffet pay in dividends to Coca-Cola?
Buffett highlighted the power of this approach in his 2022 letter to shareholders, where he wrote, “The cash dividend we received from Coke in 1994 was $75 million. By 2022, the dividend had increased to $704 million. Growth occurred every year, just as certain as birthdays.
Experts attributed the crash primarily to automated trading strategies, particularly program trading techniques like portfolio insurance and index arbitrage, which exacerbated the downward trend of stock prices. These automated systems triggered automatic sell orders, worsening the decline.
