As many of you know, and some dont' but I have been working on my Collection of Ol' Smoothie Rootbeer items for pretty much as long as I have been collecting..
to Summarize, My Grandfather and his brothers invented, patented, bottled and distributed Ol Smoothie Rootbeer from 1953 to 1986 in the upper midwest..
(I have a summary and story on the history on my website at
www.popmachineshop.com click on Ol smoothie near the bottom.
Anyways... I've been working on find anything related to the brand,, I have all three bottles used, I have the Cans, I have 2 of the carboard bottle carriers and I also have one example of the advertising used.
Keep in mind this was a small brand and the advertising budget was low back in the day so not much was created. THe advertising standup cardboard I have several examples of, but I was told there was another smaller cardboard / paper sign made as well.
well noone in my family had a sample of this or even a drawing or photo of it... I was only told they made maybe 200 of these paper signs for some local marketing. I was told they where blue with the yellow lettering and thats about it..
so fast forward about 18 years now to today....
I got a lead on a local auto body guy about 20 miles from my hometown that also "had some old machines laying around"... so I had some time today to go check it out...
I get there, and run into his son and started talking with him about the soda machines that they had in the front of the building , couple 81's some chest coolers a jacobs and more misc STUFF, and lots of junk...
he asks me if I want to see the backroom of his dads collection, and being a collector I'm like SURE... we go into the backroom which is about a 100x 60 polebarn filled with older restored cars, jukes, and just alot of stuff and junk too.. but lots of cool stuff.. He had stuff like the original marquee of the old Skating Rink and the movie theatre that was popular in the 50's in town and go the sign before the tore it down. just some neat stufff.
so I'm looking around and talking with the guy when my eyes caught something.... here on his wall amongst lots of other items was THE SIGN that I've been looking for all these years!... I did a double take as I have never actually seen one and had to make sure I was seeing what I thought I was seeing...
he has it framed and it's in actually really good condition..... and it's Here Hanging on this guys wall about 20 miles from my house!
by this time the ol man shows up and eyes me up and down, and after introductions I tell him the story and we he starts warming up to me as we know some of the same people.. blah blah blah..
I get around to asking him if it's something he'd sell me... and never said yes or no... long story short, I still DON'T have the sign , but I know where its at, and he did let me take a photo of it...
of course I said I'd be bugging him again next week, and he seemed ok with that and also accepted my card and phone number... I plan on going back next week with some other Ol Smoothie items I have extra of and a cap catcher he was missing off a small cooler and see if I can sweet talk him into a sale or trade?
But overall.. I thought a pretty cool story to share, I'm still excited about it and the hunt is still on ... but now I know what it looks like and it's pretty Killer I think!
I've attached the photo for the world to enjoy as this may be the only one left in existance? who knows?
