Tab Soda FAQ Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

This page answers some questions that I get asked often. If your question is answered here, it will save you the trouble of emailing me, and it will save me the trouble of typing the same answer for the seventeenth time. :-) I promise these answers are as complete and accurate as I can make them. Please do not email me and ask me something that is answered here! Don't think I'm a jerk. I've just heard the same questions over and over, and I get tired of answering them. If you have some other, unique question, please feel free to email it to me.

I heard that Coca-Cola is discontinuing Tab. What should I do?
As far as I know, there are no broad plans to discontinue Tab. Each of Coke's regional bottlers has discretion over whether to produce Tab. If it is a good seller in their market, they will continue to produce it. If not, then it may be discontinued in that area. If you want to support Tab, you might consider writing or calling your local bottler. To get their contact information, check this website or look in your local yellow pages. You can also check online, nationwide directories such as Switchboard or AnyWho.

I can't find Tab in my area. Can you help?
Check the supermarket list. If there are no supermarkets in your area, just go out and look at stores that sell soda: grocery stores, convenience stores, wherever. Try to befriend a restaurant or store owner. If you ask them nicely, they might order a case of Tab for you. If you just can't find Tab in your area, try driving to a nearby state. Perhaps the neighboring Coke bottler makes Tab. Ask friends or relatives. Or you can order from Dr. Soda online. They will ship Tab anywhere in the US. But realize that soda is heavy, and shipping is fairly pricey. If it's your only way to get Tab, though, it might be worthwhile.

I have a [insert Tab-related item here]. Can you tell me what it is worth?
No. I am not an appraiser. eBay is a fantastic resource for this kind of thing. Look up similar items, and see what they are selling for. Hint: also search the completed items. Generally, Tab merchandise is not particularly valuable. Don't plan on retiring on the proceeds from that starry Tab bottle you found in the attic. The regular bottles and cans are fairly common and inexpensive (less than $10). Some rare items, however, do go for $100 or more.

I want to buy a [insert Tab-related item here]. Where can I get one?
I am not in the business of selling Tab merchandise. I have a small collection of Tab memorabilia. For the right price, of course it's for sale [wink, wink]. Seriously, though, if you want to buy something, check eBay. It really is the best place I know of. You might try other auction sites if you are looking for something specific. Yahoo also has an auction site, and there are others. If they don't have what you want, check antique stores around you. Sometimes Tab items show up there.

Where can I buy Tab merchandise or apparel?
Used items frequently show up on eBay, but as far as I am aware, no companies are currently producing Tab promotional items.

My local store stopped selling Tab! Or my local bottler stopped making Tab! What do I do?
I do not work for any supermarket. If your local store doesn't sell Tab, I can't be of much help in persuading them to do so. Talk to the manager, write the company a letter, or start a petition. Likewise, I do not work for Coke or any of their bottlers. I can't really do much if a bottler stops making Tab.

How do I get a hold of Coke or a local bottler?
Coca-Cola's consumer information line is 1-800-GET-COKE. Or you can check their web site. Be advised, though, that they are not really that helpful. If you want to find a local bottler, check this website or look in your local yellow pages. You can also check online, nationwide directories such as Switchboard or AnyWho.

Do you have any Tab pictures I can use?
All the Tab pictures I have can be found in the Tab Gallery section of this site. You take complete responsibility for your use of the images. If you use them on another website, I would appreciate a link. I don't have any other pictures.

I am working on a project/report/whatever. Do you have any more Tab information?
Everything I have is on this website. If you have thoroughly read over this site and haven't found your answer, odds are that I don't know either.

What is the sweetener used in Tab?
It uses a blend of saccharin and aspartame. Once upon a time, it was exclusively sweetened with saccharin, but in 1984, Coca-Cola reformulated Tab. Since then, it has used both artificial sweeteners.

I am afraid of aspartame and/or saccharin. Is Tab safe to drink?
Aspartame and saccharin have been studied extensively by scientists. No serious studies have found links between the sweeteners and any specific ailments. Aspartame is considered safe (unless you have PKU, a rare genetic disease). There is no reason to be afraid of it. Likewise, there is no reason to fear saccharin. The popular rumors, such as the "Nancy Markle" article, describe horrible illnesses caused by aspartame. These rumors are hoaxes, pure and simple. The infamous saccharin rat studies were flawed. If you were fed nothing but saccharin, you would die, too. Large amounts of anything aren't healthy.

Does Tab last forever?
No. I don't know where this urban legend came from. I hear it often. Soda has a limited shelf life. The artificial sweeteners break down after long periods. Then it tastes "flat" and bland. It's not just diet sodas, either; old regular soda tastes awful, too. Manufacturers put "use by" dates on most sodas now. Tab is dated for about six months from the date of production. Age your wine, drink your soda.

What does "TAB" stand for?
Nothing. When Coke was looking for a name for their diet cola, they configured an IBM 1401 computer to print all four letter word combinations that had a vowel. This generated over 250,000 words; they also added names suggested by employees. After cutting out stupid combinations, Coca-Cola narrowed the list to 600 possibilities and checked each of these against existing trademarks. By the time of the final selection, there were less than two dozen choices left. TABB was the final choice. Before production began, the superfluous "B" was dropped, leaving us with TAB.

I know a supermarket that sells Tab. What should I do?
I will add it to my links list if it has a web site. If possible, please find the address of the store's web site and send that to me with the store's name.

I sent you an update or correction, and it's not on the site. Why?
I am fairly busy between school and work. I also like to watch TV, sleep, and do other things besides update my web site. I update it when the spirit moves me. Rest assured that I'll get to it sooner or later.

Where can I talk to other people who are into Tab?
Check the Tab Forum or the guestbook.

I need a Tab can for an Australian radio show's scavenger hunt. Could you pay the shipping and air-mail me one? Please!
NO!

What happened to the Tab Store?
Unfortunately, the company that hosted my Tab Store saw a potential copyright violation. They advised me that they would shut the store down. To see the email they sent me along with my response, click here.

Who are you, and why did you make this site?
I'm a college student attending the University of Pittsburgh. After rediscovering Tab one day, I searched the Internet and didn't find anything about Tab. So I made my own page. Here it is.

What about some legal stuff?
I am not affiliated with any of the companies listed in the page, including Coca-Cola and Dr. Soda. Coca-Cola owns all the copyrights and trademarks related to Tab. I don't make any claim to this information. Blah, blah, blah... please don't sue me. Thank you.

My question isn't listed here. What should I do?
If you have thoroughly read over this site and haven't found your answer, I probably don't know either. But it doesn't hurt to try, I guess. If you have any corrections or technical problems with the web site, also, please send them to me. I don't often check the site, but if someone tells me, I will try to fix whatever is wrong. Here is the tightly kept secret: my email address is tjwagner@epix.net.