Cliff in New York City 1993 

To Our Customers.

Our business started in 1987 and had an internet presence in 1993. Photo on the left was taken about the same time. Although my hair has turned grey and some of it even turned loose, our company has continued to grow year after year. Large corporations as well as individuals purchase our hardware. Many of our items are offered with volume discounts. We thank our customers for their continued support.

Clifford Rufkahr

Questions? Call 573.445.3599. Available most days from 8am to 3pm central time. After hours just leave a message and we will return your call. Many sources of hardware are available even when they are not shown on our website.

 

 Cliff and Eve were married on March 20th 2006. She is a pharmacist and has a culinary degree.

 Cliff's accomplishments past and present include:

Commercial Artist for Eller & Gannett Outdoor.

Manager of Family Pepsi Business. St Charles MO.

Antique Dealer

Home Builder, Crow Rufkahr Homes with sales of approximately 75-90 homes per year in St Charles MO.

Real Estate Sales with Gundaker Better Homes & Garden, St Louis.

Rufkahrs Hardware, mail order sales of hardware since 1988.

 

 

Artwork By Cliff Rufkahr

Art collecting, a Hobby and Investment

 

Campo del Cielo Meteorite from Argentina was discovered in 1576. Even though this specimin is about 6.5 inches in width, it weighs almost 10 pounds.

 See Nashville Home

"United States Tire Co" ashtray circa 1920s, glass base with metal tire and spokes. Tire shows 4 varieties of tire tread. 

 

Former Mountain Home

 

  

Columbia Home

  

Former Beach House

 1957 photo, Cliff, Larry, Kevin & Dad.

1988 photo of the last day in the family Pepsi Business.

 

This is a fiberglass Pepsi Syrup Bottle Display, an ultra rare item which would have been used at a trade show or Pepsi convention. Display would have never been used in a grocery store or other retail locations as Pepsi syrup was not sold as a consumer product. Age is circa 1945. Some of the outside was hand finished like the bubbles around the neck. These were probably produced in a very low quantiy and I'm not sure how many would have survived. It's valued at $5000.00.

Side view of the fiberglass Pepsi syrup bottle. It is approximately 48 inches high and 14 inches in diameter. This is not a reproduction and shouldn't be confused with the Pepsi bottle cabinets and other items which were produced in the 1980s by Upper Deck Ltd outside of Boston. Part of the photo shows the original yellow and red bottle cap.

 

Very Rare 1920 Pepsi Calendar which is on the cover of Vehling Hunts Price Guide 2. This calendar is a bit unusual in that it's size is 5 x 7-1/2 inches. Likely a shrunken version of a larger calendar. The art for the girl was produced by Rolf Armstrong. This calendar originally had some damaged probably by silverfish. Those spots were fixed by a paper restoration copany in Chicago. Well done as the repair is almost undetectable.Vehlings updated price guide listed it's value at $4600.00.Below you can see a photo of the damage which was restored.

 

Early Pepsi Change Receiver, made of glass and reverse painted. Logo repeated Five times around the sides. Made by the Brunhoff Mfg Co. Patent dates back to 1905 but this piece is circa 1930s. Brunhoff made these for other companies but this is the only Pepsi branded one I have ever seen. Brunhoff likely made this sample to show to a Pepsi bottler, hoping to get their business, so it may be the only one to exist. Brunhoff was the same company who produced the 1930s aluminum Coke bottle pretzel bowls. Not in any books Pepsi Change Receiver is valued at $2500.00. See next photo for more information.

Side view of Pepsi Change Receiver. Glass receiver is 6-3/4 inches in diameter and approximately 1-3/4 inches high. It is embossed around the bottom edge "Brunhoff Mfg Co Cincinnati O Pat. 789628". Many collectors don't realize that early Pepsi bottlers operated separate from the parent company. Bottlers bought most of their own glass bottles, cases and advertising items. In fact many were bottlers of flavored sodas and added Pepsi to their product line. ie. Pepsi Cola Bottling in St Louis Mo was originally known as the "Hygrade Soda Company" owned by the Whitcraft Family which sold orange, grape, creme sodas and other brands.

 

Photo of damaged 1920 Pepsi Calendar which was restored by a paper restoration copany in Chicago. Well done as the repair is almost undetectable. If you look at the calendar above this photo, you can barely see the repaired areas. Vehlings updated price guide listed it's value at $4600.00.

 

1930s Pepsi Cloverdale Clock. Produced by the Cloverdale Beverages. Another case where a bottling company added Pepsi to it's product line. Many of these bottling copanies sold more of their own product at the beginning but Pepsi soon gained in popularity and began to outsell that company's brands. In fact many Pepsi and Coke bottlers added 7up to their product line which is still true today in some plants. Some of the interior illuminated bubble clocks are more popular with collectors but this clock is rarer. Clock is valued at $650.00

Pepsi Syrup Lid was used in the 1940s to cover one gallon Pepsi concentrate cans after they were opened. These are somewhat scarce but they do show up on ebay from time to time.Lid is an embossed aluminum, 6-1/4 inch diameter with a 3/8 inch lip.

 

Heavy Wax Paper Pepsi Cone Cup. Often Pepsi was served in these containers at drive in theaters and drive in restaurants. Cone has a paper lid which was removed when the customer was ready to drink it, much like paper cups are used today. Circa 1950s-1960s. These generally run in the $175.00-$225.00 range if you can find one.

 

Early Blue Pepsi Cap with early script logo from High Point NC. Caps marked Woodard Bros from Wilson NC regularly auction for $300.00 plus in good condition on ebay. This one is much more scarce.

Pepsi Post Card with picture of Pepsi Cola's First Bottling Plant and Home Office in New Bern NC. A very hard item to find in this condition. Valued at $200.00

 

Pepsi Post Card picturing downtown Kingston NC. Very early pepsi sign pictured along with cars and horse drawn wagons. Valued at $165.00

 

Pepsi Bottle from Pensacola FL Escambia Bottling Works. Rare Pepsi Bottle in Icy Blue. Much rarer than the Hutchinson pictured below.

Rare "Drape" Pepsi Bottle dated 1925 from New Bern NC., birthplace of the Pepsi-Cola in 1898. Bottle size make it unusual.

 

Pepsi Sticker attached to an enveloped postmarked 1905. It is the only one known to exist. It is 2-7/8 inches tall and attached to an enveloped addressed to "Yesbera Mfg Co Toledo Ohio" Imagine Toledo being so small that a Company didn't require an street address, because eveyone knew where it was located. Pepsi was in business only 7 years when this sticker was made. Photo shows front of envelope and the back with the sticker, along with 1905 postmark. Valued at $1800.00

 

Pepsi Ten Pin, Richmond VA. Valued at $1300.00. There is also a "High Point NC" version of this bottle.

 

Extremely rare Pepsi one gallon syrup jug. Present value is $4000.00

 

Rare Pepsi N. Wilkeboro NC bottle. Present value is $5600.00.

 

Pepsi 8 sided from Richmond VA

 

Early and extremely rare Pepsi bottle circa 1925-1930. Present value $4000.00

 

Charlottesville VA Pepsi

 

Early Pepsi Bottle from Pensacola FL. Odd shape but not the "First Pepsi Bottle" as it is sometimes called.

 

Pepsi Straw Box circa 1940, has a clear plastic opening so that original 500 straws can be seen

 

Early "Drape" Pepsi Bottle from New Bern, North Carolina, birthplace of the Pepsi-Cola in 1898. Bottle is circa 1925

 

1940 Buddy L Wooden Toy Pepsi Truck, near mint. Rarely seen in mint condition

 

Proto type Pepsi Bottle circa 1950s. One of a kind made by a glass company to sell glass to bottlers. This bottle has two different surface, half on one side and half on the other side, to show two styles on one bottle. Bottle valued at $800.00

 

Early Tip Tray Circa 1910. Very tough find in any shape

Buffalo Lick Bottle from Charlotte NC with piece of paper label still on the bottle. This is an extremely rare bottle

Reverse Painted Glass Pepsi Sign with wooden frame

 Ceramic Pepsi holder for napkins

 

1913 Lynchburg VA Pepsi Botttle

 

Pepsi Prototype Can to imitate Swirl Bottle Circa 1970 Continental Can. Other prototype like this one was silver. Very rare.

 

Early Ceramic Pepsi Salt and Pepper Set. A scarce item as are all the early pepsi ceramic pieces.

 

Pepsi diplay for the new swirl bottle, late 1950s. Present value is $675.00 for this rare display.

 

Pepsi Foil Label Quart Bottle

 

Pepsi Straw Box from 1940s

 

24oz Pepsi bottle from bethlehem PA another hard to find bottle

 

Bottle from the Bradham Pharmacy in New Bern NC. Pepsi was developed in this pharmacy by Caleb Bradham. These bottles come in six sizes.

 

Nice early bottle from Nashville TN

 

Pepsi Thermometer, a scarce item in such great condition. In many cases the woman's face area of these thermometers deteriorates before the rest does. One in this condition with a good face have sold on Ebay for $2600.00 or more.

 

Toilet Paper Rolls from the mid 1920. Some of the outside illustrations include an Piute Indian, Bi-Plane and a Tee Pee. Who would save these and where would you even get them. A rare find indeed.

 

1940 Embossed Pepsi Purity Sign. Block of wood at bottom keeps sign upright.

 Tribute to Skye

 For Hurricane Katrina Victims

World Trade Center as it was in 1992.

 Love & Thoughts