Vernor's Ginger Ale Collector Keith Wunderlich Interview

Keith Wunderlich loves Detroit and one of its most famous products, Vernors Ginger Ale. He has collected Vernor’s memorabilia for over 30 years and presents its history to historical societies regularly. In the following interview, Keith talks about his Vernor's collection and the unique history of the brand:

ephemera: How did you become interested in Vernor’s ephemera?

Wunderlich: I have collected Vernor’s advertising and ephemera for over 30 years. I live in the Detroit area and am very interested in Detroit history. When I first got the collecting bug, I was collecting many different Detroit items. Then, my focus became much more intent on just Vernor’s. I still have some stray Detroit items in my collection. But, the vast majority of what I have is Vernor’s Ginger Ale.

My Vernor’s collection began with signs and clocks and trays. I began to get interested in the history of the company, and that’s when the ephemera collecting began. I liked the brochures, business cards, recipe books, price guides, and company newsletters.

ephemera: Did you begin consciously, knowing what you would collect, or did you just one day discover what you were doing?

Wunderlich: I knew I was collecting Detroit. I’m a huge fan of the city and like to challenge the stereotype concepts people have about Detroit. I fell into Vernor’s Ginger Ale because of finding a stash of bottles and a clock. I also was impressed that Vernor’s is America’s oldest continuously produced soda pop. It was started in 1866. That’s before Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Moxie and Hires. Some people say Hires was also started in 1866, but that’s very doubtful. Charles Hires was only 15 in 1866, and he supposedly discovered root beer on his honeymoon, which was in 1875.

ephemera: What challenges or obstacles do you encounter in compiling this collection? How do you overcome these challenges?

Wunderlich: After 30 years of collecting, my biggest challenge is finding something I don’t have. I’ll get emails or phone calls from people who have found something Vernor’s for me. They’re very excited and I always feel a little guilty letting them know I already have three of them. But, the chase is also the fun of it. It makes it that much more fun when you find something you don’t have. Vernor’s isn’t easy to find. I attend the Indianapolis Antique Advertising Show every year and often come back empty-handed. The search is still fun even when I don’t find anything.
I think the Internet has been a mixed blessing for finding items. I have purchased some items I never would have known about without the Internet. However, one of my best Vernor’s experiences was shopping in a junky little antique mall near Grand Rapids, MI and finding a very rare Vernor’s bottle topper for $10. To me, that’s a lot more fun than looking at eBay .

ephemera: What are your favorite items in the collection? Do you have a crowning jewel or show stopper in your collection? If so, what is it?

Wunderlich: From the ephemera perspective, my crowning jewel is a James Vernor Pharmacist card from about 1880. It is in great condition and is extremely rare. So rare, I’ve never seen another one – or even heard about another one - in all my collecting years. I also have a couple other James Vernor Florist cards. I love knowing that James Vernor himself touched those cards as he handed them to a customer.

From the advertising perspective, I have several favorites. Although it’s not that rare, I really like my cylinder fountain dispenser. This would have been used in the 1940s and 1950s. When I take it places for shows or presentations, it gets a lot of attention.

ephemera: What resources do you recommend?

Wunderlich: Well, of course, I think the number one resource for anyone interested in Vernor’s is an excellent new book titled Images of America: Vernor's Ginger Ale from Arcadia Publishing. The fact that I wrote it has not influenced my number one placement! For those familiar with Arcadia books, it’s a book of historic photographs with captions. I have included quite a bit of ephemera in the book. It’s available from Amazon or from the Vernor’s Club website.

The Vernor’s Ginger Ale Collectors’ Club is another great resource. There’s a quarterly newsletter that normally includes between 80 and 100 photographs of Vernor’s history, advertising and ephemera. It’s not your normal club newsletter with a treasurer’s report and “hello” from the president. The whole thing is about various aspects of Vernor’s Ginger Ale history. It’s an ephemera collector’s dream newsletter.

ephemera: Thanks, Keith. It's been a treat to talk with you. You have a terrific collection.