‘Signs for man

Hundreds of advertising signs from the 1920s to the 1970s — from one B.C. collector — will be part of online sale April 25 and 26

Vintage sign collecting has taken off.

“The market is absolutely red, red hot all over Canada and the States,” said Wayne Learie of The Mad Picker auctions.

“Signs for man-caves — there’s none around anymore. Every time they come to auction the prices are going wild.”

He points to a giant porcelain sign for Black Cat Cigarettes, featuring a black cat head and the motto “They taste better!”

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Don't have an account? Create Account

“It used to sell for $3,500,” he said. “It’s a week to the auction and the bid on it now is $9,100.”

Learie talks quickly, like the auctioneer he is. And the 74-year-old really gets going talking about his April 25-26 online auction, which features over 500 vintage advertising signs, push-bars, palm presses, soft drink machines, old pop bottles, old soft drink cartons and assorted pop-culture memorabilia.

The signs all come from one B.C. collector, Chris Backman, who sounds like he had the man-cave to end all man-caves — this is less than half of his collection.

“He had it in a big Quonset (hut),” said Learie. “All automotive one (side), pop stuff on the other.”

The auction is online now, but you can view it in person Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Mad Picker at 27276 Fraser Highway in Aldergove.

The 2,500 sq. ft. space is literally jam-packed — some of the biggest signs are stashed in the hallway at the back.

There’s a table full of push-bars (the bars you used to push to enter grocery stores) and advertising thermometers. Signs from four dozen soft drink companies, many you’ve probably never heard of (Nichol Kola, Richardson’s Root Beer, Cheer Up Soda). Signs in porcelain, tin, cardboard, celluloid and masonite, a material used when tin became scarce during the Second World War.

Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion.

A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.

The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox.

We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again

One of the most in-demand companies is Orange Crush, which used to have a nifty little mascot, Crushy.

The first item in the auction is a 1940s Orange Crush sign featuring Crushy dressed like an old-fashioned “soda jerk,” with a little white hat, a white jacket and black pants, delivering a brown bottle. The sign is not in mint shape by any means, but on Tuesday bidding had already reached $1,400.

“The last four or five years Crushy got hot,” said Learie.

“It’s a cool image. Guys like Orange Crush. Coke was number one for years, but it’s slid to number three now for collectors, because Coke mass-produced so much stuff, everyone’s got Coke stuff. Crushy didn’t make much stuff, or Pepsi, or 7-Up.”

Coke is still in demand, however. There is a neon 1930s Coca-Cola clock with a silhouette of a woman drinking a Coke that Learie thinks should bring about $4,000, as well as a five-foot-tall Coca-Cola Vendo 81 soft drink machine with a rack of drinks visible behind a glass door.

“In that condition, they’re $5,000/$6,000 machines,” said Learie.

“If they were completely restored, Stateside they’re bringing $12,000 to $15,000. The reason they’re so popular with collectors is the door flips open, and you can fill it with Corona beer and it vends beer out.”

The Coke Vendo 81 is beautiful, with a white top and red body. But it’s not as rare as a blue Pepsi Vendo 81 that’s also for sale. On Tuesday, the Pepsi Vendo 81 had a bid of $3,100, the Coke one was $1,200.

One of the most attractive signs is a 1930s Art Deco ad for Cleo Cola, as in Cleopatra. It’s orange, green and white, features a beautiful illustration of Cleopatra, and says the drink comes in a “healthy size” for five cents.

One sold at the 2022 Barrett-Jackson auto auction for US $2,300. The Mad Picker one was at $600 Tuesday.

Who is spending this kind of money on old signs? Guys (“it’s 99 per cent guys”) with man-caves.

“The big hitters buying the really expensive stuff are 60 to 75,” said Learie.

“They’ve got businesses, they’re retired and they’ve got money.”

Sometimes, a lot of money.

“I sold a collection last year for $1.5 million,” he said.

“It never went to auction, I just sold it locally. I took one of my top customers in (to see it) and he said ‘How much is the collection worth?’ (The seller) said ‘$1.5 million,’ and my friend went and got a cheque out of his truck and bought it.”

[email protected]

twitter.com/jmackie_mackie

More news, fewer ads: Our in-depth journalism is possible thanks to the support of our subscribers. For just $3.50 per week, you can get unlimited, ad-lite access to The Vancouver Sun, The Province, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Vancouver Sun | The Province.

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.

To contribute to the conversation, you need to be logged in. If you are not yet registered, create your account now - it's FREE.