Our street is planning a garage sale in July. Paul located this sign, pictured below, and wanted to include it. Oops. I don't think so. We're trying to find out more about this sign other than its family history. He's searching the internet.
Let's get one thing straight before I go any further - we, youngsters never drank alcohol at home. We enjoyed our soda.
As I said, it brings back happy memories of childhood and young adulthood. And we were very popular - we always brought free soda for grade- school class parties. We always had a case of (glass) soda bottles in the garage at home. Sometimes we'd forget about them in the cold winter and they'd freeze, explode and cause a big mess.
(NO - Soda was not called "Pop." And as I write, it's only coincidence that this word, pop, comes up here - LOL)
Why were we able to bring soda for school parties? And. . .Why did we have the bar sign?
Our grandfather owned a soda factory in Brooklyn for many, many years. My father and uncle worked there. Grandpa would go around and collect money owed him from customers. I have a feeling that the sign was given to grandpa, either in place of money, as a good will gift, or a momento. Grandpa had many friends.
My father was a very good carpenter. In the 1940's dad made our unfinished basement into a family room, and built a bar with barstools and lights. I remember this being on a back shelf behind the bar. I remember it being there with some other signs... and the room crowded with lots of people, relatives and friends, on special occasions such as New Year's Eve, birthdays, Christmas night, Thanksgiving, or just a Friday/Saturday Night Get Together.
I know that the sign is quite old. It's older than me. And I'm older than dirt. (but that's another story). I want to know its origins. Is it originally from Germany? We called it the bubble sign because there's water, or alcohol, sealed in the formed letters, and little lights behind it cause the liquid to warm up and bubble. Like it's boiling. We can't leave it on for long because it gets quite hot. I can remember dad saying - don't touch it or you'll burn yourself. And - It's not quite the thing to have in a dining room, but it made my heart feel good to see it. I don't think anyone would complain about that.
Yesterday was a dark cloudy Sunday.
So - how're things goin' in your neck o' the woods?
2 comments:
That is such an old and rare sign, I doubt you'll be able to find an exact match anywhere in order to give you even a general idea. That is more something for an "Antiques Road Show" kind of person to look at.
But based on what I can find (looking online at much simpler, much newer beer signs), it would/should be worth many hundreds of dollars.
By the way, if there are any stickers on it, stamps in the metal, or other identifying markers that are on the unit other than what you can see, write them down and send them to me. I'll enjoy helping Paul find out more about this item.
Post a Comment