The fixed price of Coca-Cola from 1886 to 1959 refers to a period in the United States during which the price of 6.5 oz of Coca-Cola fluctuated very little to consumers. There were many reasons for this lack of movement, including bottling contracts signed by The Coca-Cola Company in 1899, advertising, vending machine technology, and the lower rate of inflation relative to more recent times. The fixed price of Coca-Cola from 1886 to 1959 is especially significant given the potentially influential events that occurred during the same time period, including the founding of Pepsi, World War I, prohibition, changing taxes, a caffeine and caramel shortage, and World War II. Much of the research on this subject comes from "The Real Thing": Nominal Price Rigidity of the Nickel Coke, 1886–1959, a