Signs, signs, every a sign…. my hobby of collecting soft drink advertising signs has been a staple in my life for over forty years. And although I don’t often get any signs to add to my collection, I have more than enough.
My hobby of collecting soft drink advertising signs started when I was a teen. My great-grandfather owned a general store that I spent a lot of time at, especially during the summer. One of my jobs was to replenish the supply of soft drinks in the coolers each day. I think this is where it all started. I first collected glass bottles and then branched off into the fascinating world of signs.
Some of the signs in my collection are from my great-grandfather’s store. They are the prize of my inventory. I have one huge Coca-Cola sign I rescued off the back side of the store the day before it was torn down. Another one is a rare wooden Coca-Cola sign that would have been on the wall inside the store. If I one day decide to sell any of my collection, these two would definitely not be for sale.
During the early days of my inventory building, signs could be had for a small amount of money. Since that point in time, they have rocketed in price, which is one of the reasons I don’t often buy any more signs to add to my collection.
The best part of my hobby is that I feel it connects me to a pleasant part of my past. I’ve found a lot of different groups online that have a lot of people with the same love for signs that I have. It’s interesting to see what they have in their collections and swap information.
Another one of my great-grandfather’s signs is one that I found on the back wall of one of his barns, which has been long gone. He obviously had gotten it from his store and brought it home to patch up a small hole on one side of the barn. I went searching one day and saw it on the wall and was able to get it down and like with some of the others, it’ll never be up for sale. I’ve included a picture of this sign below.
I have more than enough signs for one lifetime. I don’t even have enough room to display them all. But it’s definitely a part of “my style.”
David Lee
David Lee 