Make Mine Moxie – a snapshot of a still-popular soda and its tasty collectibles

Collector Feature

Moxie originated as a patent medicine called “Moxie Nerve Food,” which was created around 1876 by Dr. Augustin Thompson of Union, Maine.

$275

Fantasy vintage Ted Williams Moxie advertising sign,
“Ted Williams says… Make Mine – Moxie,” made by the Desperate Sign Co; 13 inches by 11 inches.
Sold Feb 19, 2011 by Fontaines Auction Gallery, Pittsfield, Mass.

A Moxie museum in Union, Maine, houses a 30-foot-tall wooden Moxie bottle, once used as a soda stand, and other historical Moxie artifacts. This is an annex to the Matthews Museum of Maine Heritage, which is located at the Union Fairgrounds.

$300
Moxie advertising tin tip tray, $300, 6 inches in diameter. Sold Oct. 3, 2009 by Showtime Auction Services, Ann Arbor, Mich.

As of May 10, 2005, Moxie is the official soft drink of Maine.

$100
Double-sided cardboard Moxie Frank Archer sign, circa 1920s to 1930s, $100, 16 inches by 16 inches. Sold May 10, 2007 by Dan Morphy Auctions, Denver, Pa.

The neologism “moxie” has entered popular American usage with the meaning “courage, daring, and energy,” as in “This guy’s got moxie!” The new word was due to extensive advertising.

Every summer, “all things Moxie” are celebrated at the Moxie Festival in Lisbon Falls, Maine. The 2011 Moxie Festival is July 8-10 (www.moxiefestival.com or via email or 207-353-9086 and 207-577-1000).

$475

Top, Moxie double sided lithographed metal flange sign, $475, 9 inches high by 18 inches wide. Sold Nov. 5, 2005 by Rich Penn Auctions, Waterloo, Iowa.

Moxie Fans: President Calvin Coolidge favored Moxie, and Boston Red Sox slugger Ted Williams endorsed it on radio and signs.

$5,500

Tin die cut depiction of the famed Moxie Soda ad car which traveled the countryside as an advertising gimmick, $5,500, 8 1/2’ inches long. Sold March 21, 2009 by Bertoia Auctions, Vineland, N.J.

Share your Moxie memory: Do you remember drinking Moxie as a kid? Still do? Share your Moxie memories with Antique Trader and it may be published in an upcoming issue.
Send your stories no matter how short or long to Moxie Memories.
Or visit Antique Trader’s Moxie page on Facebook!

Facts taken from Wikipedia and “To Maine With Moxie” by John Leheney, 157 pages, available for $10 from the Matthews Museum of Maine History, 207-542-2379 or or www.matthewsmuseum.org.
Images courtesy Artfact.com and LiveAuctioneers.com.

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