Found in the Ceiling!!!

[SIGNGUY]

I wish this where my find, but a friend of mine in southern wisconsin found these signs that where used as a ceiling in an old building, there where over 30 of them tacked up in the cieling and after the demo crew tearing them down, they realized what they where and only these were saved
They are original 1940's era Masonite Coke Signs, This version also comes in tin which is more rare as metal was limited during this time due to the war.
What a great find! and great story... to bad more where not saved!

[dr galaga]

Amazing.  Good thing they were not painted over!

[Kilroy]

   Wow. What a great story. And what a better save

[Sodak Bob]

Neat find !  It reminds me of several years ago when I was tearing down a house.  In the garage I found a stack of twenty embossed Robin Hood Flour signs with the wax paper still between each sign.  In the lower level, I pulled the carpet back and found a big round Polarine Motor Oil sign used to brace the floor.   Every kid's dream is to find treasure - no matter how old the kid.

[oscar]

One of those was advertised on CL but i never heard back from the seller.

[Larry]

Very cool signs.  Finds like that are very cool.  I have a stairway that is walled off with old plaster.  I always imagined either a body, or a mess of slots were in that 5' x 3' area.

I once found 12 pennies and a milk bottle in my wall when I did my basement.  Big whop, huh.  Well at least I know that the workers were sober when they built my house.

[bubba]

I once found 12 pennies and a milk bottle in my wall when I did my basement.  Big whop, huh.  Well at least I know that the workers were sober when they built my house.

I'm one of those guys that hides stuff in the wall.. I redid a wall in my family room. I extended the hearth on the fireplace and put a shopping bag full of bottle caps in the framework, then tiled over the whole thing. In another wall I built about 7-8 years ago, I put a few beer bottles behind the wall and something else... I don't remember right now, but in a few months I'm going to be knocking down the other side of that wall, so I'll find out. This was planned construction, so I knew I'd have the wall open down the road.. It'll be like a time capsule.. 

[David D]

very cool, they look to be in great shape.

[cokemachinesandmore]

I believe he is asking 450.00 per sign plus shipping, if you buy more than one he said he would give a better price.

[collecture]

Very Cool!
When we bought our house in 1992, I found these three painted tin signs in our attic. I only kept the Donald Duck - it is pretty rare and almost mint (6 small scratches/chips).
These were used in LA (Disney's HQ) and San Fran (Standard Oil HQ) and were mounted in a frame on the back of taxicabs as advertisements. If you look closely at one of the MMouse signs, you will see a hole cut in it. This was done so the driver could access the keyhole for the trunk.
Also attached is a picture of one on a taxicab (with a different sign).
I heard from someone that they only made 5-6 different ones (the Pinocchio one is my avatar)

[Larry]

Those motor oil signs are huge, and really cool looking.  They looked smaller in the picture.  I wonder how they were attached?  The one you have, with the key hole, looks used.

Ken, I also do the time capsul.  When Sammy Sosa and Mark Mcguier were going for the seasonal home run record 10 years ago, I put some newspapers, in a zip lock, and sealed it in the bathroom wall.  

When I did my kitchen, I sealed one of those new presidential dollars in a baggy and left a note saying "At least you found a buck, I found nothing in these walls."  My wife thinks I'm nuts.

Just relooked at the picture of the car.  The signs were held on by a metal rim.  very cool!!

[SIGNGUY]

Yes, he is selling them, asking 450 for them...I'm kinda holding out for the metal version of this sign, the printing on the masonite signs , just comes out to jagged for my tast.. i'm sure it is hard to print on that material? oh well. still a cool find..

Tom, I too thought those disney signs where smaller, they look awesome as a larger sign, they must be what 20"- 24" in diameter or so?

Very cool!

[collecture]

They are just under 24" in diameter.
Disney just did not do very much advertising as signage - a lot of print advertising in newspapers, etc.
I think the other two signs I sold for about $500 & $1500 respectively ten or so years ago - I am guesstimating that the Donald Duck sign would be valued at about $3000 as it only has minimal damage and for a painted tin sign from 1940 is in amazing shape. Doesn't really matter to me what it is worth as I am not selling it unless I am in dire straits.

[oscar]

He must have raised his prices on the signs. When i inquired about the sign he was asking $285. I wish i would have contacted him sooner. I lost out on some Vendo milk, and other machines- coffee, soda, candy and popcorn listed in Iowa last week. Never got a reply back. Did anyone get those machines from this site?

[GreginNM]

Wow, sounds like a good find!  I wish I could say I got them, but alas, my quest for a Vendo Milk machine goes on! 

Nice find of signs as well!  I'm an old house guy, and love restoring them, but have never found anything that cool in the walls/ceilings!

[oscar]

I restored my 1885 Italianate never found anything in the walls. There were some newspapers under the floor cloths from late 1800's. Newspapers- on gardening, farming, religion in the attic. Playing cards with no numbers in the corners. Nothing worth didley. There was a sports box score and small roundup about a soon to be hall of famer who kept kicking dirt on the home plate. It was getting dark and he was stalling and making it hard for the umpire to see the plate. It was interesting reading how players acted back then. His name was King something. I can't remember his last name.